Listening Skills

My dad never listens. He jumps into conversation that are between my mom and I and then wants us to explain what we are talking about. Also because he doesn't listen he gets upset when he isn't informed even though I may have just told him what I am repeating to him about 1 minute prior. I'm often saying, well, like I told you before, or as I was saying, or I told you this earlier, or I wrote it down and handed it to you. Things like like. It is very irksome.

Growing up he has claimed that I have poor listening skills but it is more that I hear and choose not to do as he says. When I make a point that he isn't listening, he will mute the tv in a way that he is showing that it is putting him out and then he will be like, okay go on, I'm listening. Not in a genuine way either.

Also, he will turn the television up when I am talking to him. If it is sports, you better shut the hell up because you won't be able to hear yourself talk over the ever increasing volume of the tv.

Don't ever change the subject of your conversation with someone else, because that will confuse him and make you retrace your conversation to help him figure out where you and the other person were in your conversation that he was not in.

Sometimes I am tempted to treat him like my children and say things, like, tell me what I just told you, or repeat after me, or do you understand what I am saying, or look me in the eyes when I am talking to you. Of course I can't do that, he is my father. You don't disrespect fathers like that.

Then he does things like not read the dry-erase board where we always put messages. We have put messages on this board since I was a teenager. Well, he didn't read something my mom put up. My mom said didn't you read that, and he made a fuss about how he hadn't looked yet. Then made it a point to read every single thing on the board loudly, even things that were labeled with my name at the beginning. I just want to say, stop being an ass. Again, I cannot do that. If I did that would make things worse.

Well, I just had to vent there for a minute. Got that off my chest.