im not saying this to condone their actions or offer it up as an excuse for their behavior ...but .... your parents are going thru a period of adjustment that isnt always easy for people to cope with.
retirement is not as simple as yippy i dont have to get up and go in to work anymore.
there are a lot of emotions over feelings of uselessness, lonelyness missing friends at work, financial concerns..
they have worked for so long now they are out of their "comfort zone" with so much free time on their hands and no clue what to do with it. hundreds of ideas and plans and visions of things to do, places to go, projects to tend to... with their minds in a whirl with no idea where to start, what to do 1st .. kids in a candy store for the 1st time ever.
plus its fine to just do nothing after so long having to DO things. watch tv, sleep late, read a magazine ... all things that use to be luxeries they now get to indulge in all day long if they want to.
plus .. they have not spent this much time alone, together in decades... 24/7 is a lot more time of togetherness for 2 people who have gotten into their own patterns of daily "seperate yet together" life styles.
they are each "imposing" on each others free time... getting in each others ways, plus now they need to include each other in making daily plans together.... weekends are one thing, they have not had to plan a whole weeks worth what to do with the day maybe never have they had any alone time in their entire marriage.
they are excited, afraid, scared, angry, confused, lost, trying to gather a grip on this new chapter in their lives...
its not easy on you to be stuck in the middle of the turmoil theyve going on in their world.
just try to remember not to take their behavior too personally cuz it probably has nothing to do with YOU at all .. they are lashing out at you cuz you are there for them to have someone to lash out at.
you are involved in the mix of what they are sorting thru because it also involves you too. they worked probably since you were very young.
they no longer go to work and arent quite sure who grown up woman is they been living with but no nothing about.
give them a ton of slack, some space and time and this too shall pass..
hang in there. it will get better i promise