Serious question, why did nobody tell me to use a timer for conversations with my dad?

My dad and I have always clashed. Every talk turns into a lecture from him or a fight from me. About 3 weeks ago I was venting to my buddy Mark at a diner in Cleveland and he said 'just set a 10 minute timer on your phone next time. You both talk for 5 minutes each. No interrupting.' I laughed it off but tried it the next Sunday. I literally pulled out my phone and said 'hey dad, let's try something weird.' We each got 5 minutes to talk about my new job without him cutting me off. It was awkward but it worked. We actually finished a whole conversation without one blowup. Has anyone else tried something like this with a difficult parent? What's your trick for keeping things civil?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jake1d ago

Man that's wild but honestly kind of genius. How long did the quiet stretches last when one of you finished early?

anderson.piper1d ago

Hah, that quiet stretch is brutal at first. We just sat there staring at the table for a good 30 seconds before one of us cracked a joke to fill the space.