Talking to The Family pt. 1

Hello comrades! I expect this thread will evolve to more issues revolving around the immediate family of an active and theory-ridden communist. A bit of self disclosure: I’m an only child. My mother is a Boomer and my father is just over the cusp in the Silent Generation. You can imagine the issues growing up with them. I’ve found, now that I’m an adult and a father, that toning down the Marxism and practicing as much compassion as possible has helped solidify a genuine and positive relationship with both of them, even though their understanding of the world is inextricable from capitalism. It’s not even that they have hardline political views, it’s simply that they do not see another way. Trust me, I’ve been a leftist teenager with all the “Mom, I have some stuff you should read” bullshit. The more patient and compassionate I can manage to be, the more they’ve been able to understand that my political standpoint is important to me, and it’s a heartfelt and purposeful guide for my life. They’ll still scoff when they ask what I’m reading and I say Lenin, but they’re not openly hostile - at least anymore. What are your experiences with family? How do you deal with the generational divide, where previous generations were force fed capitalist propaganda? Who’s got a racist right wing uncle like me? (That’s a story for part 2, and possibly more). Tell your stories! This subcom isn’t just about kids, we all have families!