Finding my son’s chatter boring 😬
43 father of two boys (12, 7) here.
Does anyone else find their kid’s conversation boring?
I often have a tough time chatting with my oldest (12), because he talks about the most mind-numbing stuff. He rabbits on about all sorts of inane details about video games that I know nothing about and have no interest in. Of course, we have great conversations about other things, but I just find gaming minutiae dull. My eyes glaze over and I turn into an automaton robotically uttering “uh-huh…right…I see…” while he talks for ten minutes straight. Today he said to me “The latest Fortnite update is the best ever. I can’t even explain it”. I thought I was off the hook, then he launched into it: “Let me start with the first thing: spirits”.
My son is a delightful, smart, friendly kid and we have an excellent relationship. I feel guilty that I tune him out so often. I don’t want to convey a sense that I don’t want to hear from him, especially on the cusp of his teen years where I want to encourage openness and honesty as much as possible. But sooner or later he’s surely going to be able to read my body language and realise I’m bored out of my mind.
Can others relate? How have you navigated it? Any advice?
EDIT: Thanks to everyone who posted thoughtful replies. I read all 370 of them, meditated upon the good ones, and shrugged off the self-righteous ones. It seems the wisdom of the masses boils down to the following:
- Most parents can relate.
- It's important for our relationship in the long-run that I learn to listen well.
- Conversation will be more interesting if I start gaming with him.
Thanks for the tips. I'm on it. 👍🏼