I have always maintained that typical men have two modes – teenager and fuddy-duddy – and that it doesn’t take much to make them switch from one to the other!
A British survey interviewed more than 1000 dads in the UK and discovered (quel surprise) that a quarter of them admit to being cranky most of the time. According to the the Daily Mail report there are many things that can trigger a bout of Grumpy Old Man Syndrome.
Inspired by the research, we have developed our own (non exhaustive) list of things that turn a man from a loving husband/father/grandfather/friend into a GOM (grumpy old man). Some will not apply to all – perhaps your personal GOM has his own unique triggers – do share them in the comments so we can compare notes!
- People leaving the lights on
- Traffic jams
- Bad drivers
- General bad manners
- Cold callers calling in the evening
- Footie team losing… again
- Not getting enough “alone time”
- The Kardashians
- The cost of petrol
- Grown children who still need support/feeding/somewhere to live
- Losing the remote for the TV
- Not knowing which remote is which
- The front or back door being left open
- Having the heating on too high or the air-con on too low
- Grandkids who spend too much time indoors
- Reality TV shows
- Doors being slammed
- People stomping around the house
- Being woken from a nap
- Kids that don’t say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’
- Being told to clean the barbecue
- People stacking the dishwasher incorrectly
- Houseguests
- Christmas decorations being put up too early
- Grandkids spending too much time on phones/tablets
- MasterChef
- The cost of petrol
- Unexpected guests
- The neighbour’s cat
- Pop music
- Dance music
- Techno music
- Any other modern music
- Always getting socks for birthdays, Christmas or Father’s Day
- Socks going missing
- The state of the nation
- Elections
- Stupid people
- Stupid people in power
- Bad customer service
What sets off your Grump Old Man (or Grumpy Old Woman)? Share your favourites in the comments!