I am almost at breaking point

[Miss Chicken]

because my son, i.e. the one who is intellectually disabled, keeps coming out of his room and 'regaling' me with less than riveting accounts of the Facebook game that he is currently obsessed with. I gather it is sort of a RPG where you build cities, form alliances and go to war with other alliances.

I have told him several times I am not interested. I have even snapped at him when he told me about it for the umpteenth time but he won't stop.

How should I retaliate

a) start going into his room and telling him about the exciting game of Farkle or Solitaire that I have just played on Facebook.

b) turn the modem off every time he does it

c) buy earplugs and just nod a lot if I know he is around

d) filicide

or do any of you have better suggestions?

 

[backstept]

I'd go with option A
seems to be the least destructive option
and also the most humorous

 

[captcalhoun]

do what my mum does when i blather on about MW2 or whatever shit i witter on about that she doesn't care about:

ignore him. and let it just go in one ear and out the other.

 

[Jadzia]

If he doesn't understand you are uninterested, then he may feel encouraged to give you these reports simply because you respond to him.

Try saying once calmly "I'm not interested", and then don't look at him, as though you're sat reading.

 

[Maestro]

I think all of us should stay off of that goddamn time-waster, but that's just my opinion.

 

[B.J.]

Wish I could tell you how to handle it, but I'm pretty much in the same situation with my 11-year-old son and Pokemon.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

e) Invent a time machine, and use "precautions".

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

You need to tune the sound of your son's blather to "white noise" in your mind. It will then be this soothing background element in your environment.

Alternatively look at tsunami pics and think about how grateful you are he is still alive and in your house and not swept away by a black monster of death.

Both these things I have employed with the blathering of children and I find they work great!

 

[Alpha Romeo]

Define "intellectually disabled." This makes no sense. He's your son. This whole thing seems trivial to me.

 

[infinix]

I apologize for my morbid curiocity. How do you define "intellectually disabled"?

 

[Mary Ann]

I feel for you, because my autistic son does the same and, obviously, isn't great at picking up subtle clues that I'm not interested in all the minute detail of his latest Roller Coaster Tycoon ride. I've learned to do as teacake mentioned and almost blank out my son's blatherings while focusing on something else. I only do this when he's going on (and on and on) about yet another set of statistics and it usually works well for both of us.

 

[Mr Awe]

The best approach is probably no reaction whatsoever. This is trivial enough to not warrant punishment yet you want it to cease. So, pay no attention. Do not respond. Do not nod. Etc.

You do have permission to tell him once after he asks you about the non-response, "I am ignoring you because, as I have mentioned, I'm not interested." But, absolutely no response other than that one time statement!

Mr Awe

 

[Miss Chicken]

I apologize for my morbid curiocity. How do you define "intellectually disabled"?

He has an IQ of around 65. In many ways he acts as an adult but in other ways he is like a 11 or 12 year old. He is 30 years old.

He certainly has a great deal of trouble reading people or taking no for an answer.

His younger brother is moving back home this week. This son is much better at blocking out his brother's blathering than I am.

 

[Mooch]

nod occasionally and pretend to be interested. that's what my mom does.

 

[auntiehill]

When hubby goes on and on about cell phones or motherboards or whatnot, I just tune him out. It's hard sometimes, but just literally focusing on something else is the only way to get through it.

 

[Davros]

Some kids quit thinking something is cool when their parents embrace it as being so.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

When hubby goes on and on about cell phones or motherboards or whatnot, I just tune him out. It's hard sometimes, but just literally focusing on something else is the only way to get through it.

mr. teacake expects responses! 99% of it is about politics. I have been caught out saying, "wow that's really great!" when I was supposed to say "how awful" because I wasn't paying attention and just inserted a comment when the blathering came to an end.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Is there any way to set aside time when you are not to be bothered, and this could be signaled by a closed door, for instance? Even a small amount of "alone time" could be good, and make it easier for you to cope with the other times, if you could safely accomplish that. Granted, I have no experience with parenthood of any kind, but it's a thought.

 

[Miss Chicken]

My alone time is usually early morning. I usually get up at 6am, while my son sleeps in until 8 to 9am. However he has recently been staying up all night playing games and comes out when he hears that I am up to tell me what he has been doing in his game. I am usually a little grouchy in the morning, especially before my first cup of coffee so I don't appreciate my alone time being spoiled.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Hm...if he's been up all night, maybe that's the problem right there. Regulating internet/computer time might not be a bad idea. Computer use outside of allowed hours is not something you have to permit.