whenever he talks to me, my brother and my mother for as long as I remember. I’ve started to get scared because I feel as if he’s is starting to sound kind of…sick. Everyone has talked to him about this, but he always just starts being his usual bipolar self with anger management issues (meaning he doesn’t know any emotion other than anger), he can’t take criticism. For my whole life he’s also been using the “you’re not a kid anymore” manipulation techniques when he wants to put me down or show dominance in a situation where he is clearly required to take a more submissive/observing position. How can I for Gods sake make him stop? I can’t see him ‘growing’ out of it, mainly due to him using baby-talk while talking with my mother as well. And the weird thing is, when he needs me for advice for example, he talks with me in a more mature baby-talk-free way (although he still uses the prior mentioned manipulation techniques), but all other situations are him talking as if he’s talking to an infant who doesn’t even know the concept of language yet. Let’s not mentioned his “you’re my kid, I can talk to you whatever way I like” mentality. I’ve discussed this with him quite a few times. Still no result. When me, my mother and/or my brother try to stop him from talking when he starts baby-talk, he just gets angry or says that we’re still his little kids.I’m genuinely concerned about his mental health, I have a feeling he is unable to accept that me and my brother aren’t babies anymore, and this bleeds into the way he talks with our mother as well. Or maybe he asserts dominance this way (he’s quite insecure and tries to act pretty “macho” if I may add). Is something wrong with him? Is it of any use to continue discussing this with him, asking him to stop, etc.?
It may not be easy or even possible to change your father’s behavior, especially as it has been going on for such a long time and you detail the issues he has. What might be achievable is to learn ways to deal with his behavior and set boundaries. It sounds like it is causing you a great deal of distress, so you might want to talk this over with someone with expertise. University Counseling Services (bit.ly/BC-counseling)might be a good place to start.