Welcome • User Guide
ToS • Privacy • Canary
Donate • Bugs • License

©2025 Poal.co

1.3K

Feeling overwhelmed. Trying so hard not to show my frustration in front of Dad. Don’t want him to feel worse.

Dad has broken phones 3 times this year. He just washed his phone an hour ago. No idea I come up with helps.

His immediate response is to buy a new one which doesn’t make sense. He has insurance on them. He can’t just get a new phone because he got tricked into leasing this phone for years or he has to pay the balance that’s still at like $500.

He had a backup phone….but destroyed it. Now one of my phones that is tied into my daily work is his backup phone. And he’s damaged that one which I don’t carry insurance on because I don’t lose or break my phones.

Again, I have to reset that phone and put him on it while I go through the insurance process. And setting him up at least two more times is such a challenge because even though I beg him to not recover/change his passwords when he can’t figure something out, he does it anyway.

Just venting. It’s just the same shit over and over and over again. There seems no amount of attention I can keep on him to stop the chaos.

Feeling overwhelmed. Trying so hard not to show my frustration in front of Dad. Don’t want him to feel worse. Dad has broken phones 3 times this year. He just washed his phone an hour ago. No idea I come up with helps. His immediate response is to buy a new one which doesn’t make sense. He has insurance on them. He can’t just get a new phone because he got tricked into leasing this phone for years or he has to pay the balance that’s still at like $500. He had a backup phone….but destroyed it. Now one of my phones that is tied into my daily work is his backup phone. And he’s damaged that one which I don’t carry insurance on because I don’t lose or break my phones. Again, I have to reset that phone and put him on it while I go through the insurance process. And setting him up at least two more times is such a challenge because even though I beg him to not recover/change his passwords when he can’t figure something out, he does it anyway. Just venting. It’s just the same shit over and over and over again. There seems no amount of attention I can keep on him to stop the chaos.

(post is archived)

You are currently inside a comment thread.
Click here to see all the comments (16).
[–] • 1 pt

I understand what you're going through, having done that with my mother. Have you looked into respite care and elder daycare? Respite care is a service (should be state funded) that will visit with your dad so you can get away and relax from care giving. You stated your dad drives still. I sincerely hope he stays safe and will recognize when he is unable to drive.

Looking at apps targeted for seniors all have "in app purchases", absolute rubbish and predatory.

Can you put his sim card in an inexpensive phone and just pay like $20/mo for like cricket or those monthly services? We did that for mom and saved a ton of money.

Glad you're sharing here, definitely a way to de-stress a little bit. Don't hesitate to reach out to the community, churches, social services etc.

Good luck man.

[–] • 0 pt

Thank you!

And he’s aware of taking things away and downgrading things. He will fight. Even if we have what seems like a rational and meaningful talk about things, anything he agreed to changes in an instant.