Hey pandas! What was something your parents did that you thought was normal?

#1

I though parents hitting their kid was normal. News flash, it was NOT normal, and possibly illegal.

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#2

Drank every day of my life. My mom had a triple bypass at 56 and said it was the first time she hadn’t had a drink since 1973.
I am the only person in my immediate family who is not an alcoholic. You can break the cycle.

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#3

My parents (mostly my father) makes fun of me on a daily basis, wether it’s about how I look, how much I weigh, my smarts. He thinks it’s funny I guess but idk maybe it is normal and I’m just being annoying like he says.

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#4

I thought getting hit when you did a small mistake was normal.. I think its illegal :/. I cant wait to be 18 to move out of this hell!

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#5

Work several jobs and still barely have enough to support your 4 kids. Dad would take care of breakfast and take us to school because mum was already at work. Mum would pick us up from school, take us home, feed us a snack before heading out to her other job. Dad would come home and "help" with our homework (we didn't realise at the time that he did not have an education so was actually learning along with us), mum would come back as dad was heading out and make us dinner before leaving us with her sister to go out to her night job.
I'm sure my parents never saw each other for more than half an hour a day. and still, somehow, found time to make sure they saw every school play, every sports match and every achievement ceremony!
The only exception was Sunday, They would both make the time to spend [most] of the afternoon with us.

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#6

I was pretty stupid when I was younger. My Mom would lie about her age to us, and it didn't seem to bother me she kept being 27 for 4 years.

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#7

Dining in restaurants- sitting an hour in the cocktail lounge whilst parents were drinking at the bar - bro and I were seated at a table eating cocktail peanuts and drinking “Shirley Temples” - then they would seat us at a separate table across the restaurant where they could see us, but they never dined with us. Btw, this was the sixties. I had no idea other families didn’t do this.

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#8

My mom was raised as a hippie back when, so growing up she'd walk around naked. She gave zero f***s. I was so used to it I never knew it wasn't normal until I spent the night at a friends house and thought it was weird that her mom had clothes on. To clarify, only my mom, not my dad and yes she covered herself when my friends started coming over. But I was so young I had no idea that wasn't a thing in every household. lol. And no, I do not walk around naked, however, if I had my mom's body I might. She's almost 70 but she looks like she's 40 and works out daily, she's rockin that s**t! And no she doesn't still walk around naked, at least I don't think.

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Jenna Oriol
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think thats awesome that your mom respects her body that way. hooray for giving no f*cks!

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#9

Crack and eat the ends off chicken bones and suck the marrow out after eating the meat. My dad was taught this by his mom, and he was the first one who told me I could do it, and to this day, although neither of my parents do it, I still do. It's only now that I realize that my Oma, who was a little girl during the second World War, had passed on knowledge to future generations that should be used when you are starving. Luckily for me, I've never gone hungry, but I still do this, out of habit. Kinda makes you think, doesn't it?

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#10

I thought you only passed if you got an A,
Needless to say, my parents saying that really put on pressure for me to "pass"

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Tacocat
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same lol................ I feel sick inside every time I see a b anywhere now.

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#11

I had two moms.

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Easily Excitable Panda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And that *should be* considered normal, because it IS. Don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you otherwise. I know that's easier said that done, but your moms are brave. I hope you are proud of them!

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#12

My parents cook homemade dinners every night from scratch... didn't know that this wasn't the norm until I had a sleep over with some friends at my house and they commented on how good my mom and dad's cooking was (we were just having some simple naan bread pizza).
I still can't fathom not eating fast food instead of fish tacos, grilled chicken, or Korean beef. We also all eat at the dinner table, which is something aparently not every family does.

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angelica H
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

same almost every night my parents make a good, hearty, home cooked meal. and I thought this was normal until about third grade, when I brought leftovers to school for lunch everyone was like "oh my god what is that smell? it smells so good."

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#13

my parents actually get mad at me for wearing a mask in a store in the middle of a f*****g pandemic. I once forgot and my dad had an extra so I asked to use it and we argued about my using it for 5 mins before he gave in and let me have it. My parents are also antivaxers can’t wait until I can get vaccines. They are also strong Christians and won’t let me seek help for my anxiety because praying is obviously the cure

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aesthetic.baddie27
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are going at everything so wrong. I'm a Christian too, and this makes Christians look so bad. Sure, we may not like wearing masks, but we have to, if we had the choice we wouldn't...but it's not worth arguing for that long over. My family is antivaxers too, but hold nothing against people who get vaccinated of course. I have anxiety as well, and as amazing as prayer is, God, put people on the earth to help us. They aren't going at this the right way, and I'm sorry you have to deal with that.

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#14

I thought it was normal for little kids to make dad jokes 😂🤦

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#16

I thought yelling and screaming was normal when you messed up on homework and/or an assignment. ;-;

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#17

My parents had certain dinners for every night of the week, Monday was chicken, Tuesday was tacos, Wednesday was porkchops, etc.

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#18

Everyone doing their share of the chores without complaining. I was very surprised to see how much of a hassle it seemed to be in some families to get the kids do their share of the housework.

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#19

Thinking that only the women do all of the chores in the house while the men relax and have the job of “providing for the family and giving protection.” Also being hit/having hair pulled when I didn’t get a good grade in school (Meaning that I needed to get an A+ in every class).

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#20

slamming doors and saying **** you. horrible. both hurt my ears

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#21

That letting my cousin ride on my bike handles was normal. Good old 70's!

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#22

constantly invading my privacy and personal space, and not respecting me when I asked them not to touch me without my permission.

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#23

i though when they curse/swear/cuss it was normal

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#24

My mom can speak in tongues (in the pentecostal Christian context). She's done it my whole life, I thought it was normal. Wasn't until my late teens that I learned it's uniqueness.

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Easily Excitable Panda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My bf was shocked to learn I was Catholic, because he thought we all walk around in heavy cloaks with hoods.

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#25

My parents did not believe that traveling meant "seeing the sights". Trips were spent in the car ... period.

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Thomas Afonso
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would say its a great experience hanging out in the car eating snacks and chatting, but I would hate for that to be all.

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#26

if i got good grades i could be paid for it. I havent gotten money yet

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Mustn’t eat the mango 🥭
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don’t try to only have good grades if you are being payed for it, do it so you can be successful and make yourself happy.

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#27

Sitting down as a family with a home cooked semi fancy meal, and, for christians, praying before dinner and at night. I am basing this off my cousins and ex friend, who both at stuff like mac and cheese every night, walked in and ate as they pleases, and I never saw any of them pray once (all of them are christian) unless they were at my house and we prayed.

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R L
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I say grace, regardless of whether others around me don't, or if I am at a restaurant. Belief isn't to be kept hidden. And I am very, very grateful and blessed to have food, when millions of others don't, so saying thank you is the least I can do.

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#28

They had "the talk" with me when I was around 8 so that I wouldn't be panicking too much if I got my . early.

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Nikki Sevven
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I did the same with my daughter, and she was early. I didn't want her to have to repeat my experience, which was, "OMG, I'm bleeding to death!!"

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#29

i thought that parents abusing their child was normal and forcing them to be someone that their really not..... if this happens to you GET HELP i made the mistace of not getting help for this

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#30

My Dad was away for work a lot when I was younger and I hardly ever got to see him. I thought that was completely normal, then I went to my friends house and found out their Dad was home all the time! I was amazed.

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Devon Barnes-Balmer
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same, my dad was away three or four days a week. I remember picking him up from the airport more then I remember eating meals with him.

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#31

Getting lectures on really big and important world issues... when I was like 5. For example, My parents in the car on the way home from church talking to me and my brother about politics and economics, and like depression. Also, I thought being transphobic and homophobic was normal. haha yeah, that didn't work out. *I'm nonbinary and gay*

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Mia Hamsa
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think talking about Big Issues with children is a problem as that is how we make a society that cares for each other and other things than themselves. I do find transphobia and homophobia a big problem though and should be treated as abuse.

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#32

I grew up in a small town based of transcendental meditation and from 5-7 every evening all the parents and adults went into their rooms or the meditation hall and left their kids to their own devices. As long as we were quiet we could do whatever. It was normal then.. kind of weird now leaving kids alone like that.

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#33

constantly teasing me

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#34

My mom would point out misbehaving children in public and say, loudly, "Aren't you glad you don't act that way?" This was in the 70s, so I guess that makes my mom an O.G. shamer. FTW! (Not. Soooooo not)

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angelica H
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my mom did this all the time, especially when both me and my sister were with her.

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#35

when i was little i thought everyone ate with their hands, turns out not.

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R L
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In many cultures this is normal. I have an Indian friend who is not a fan of cutlery :-)

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#36

Sooo many words my parents mispronounced until I started to read; it was Vienna Sausages not
Vy-Eena Saw-sids.

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#37

Giving you nicknames. Like Dora.

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#38

we used to eat on the floor even though we had a table, apparently it gives you better posture

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#39

The whole family singing Broadway show tunes while washing the dishes, and the oldest assigning roles if there was any choreography. Not too many broken dishes..

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#40

I thought all parents were super against the Star Wars prequels. I was raised being told that they were awful and I had no idea that people actually liked them.

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#41

when i was younger i thought it was normal to get my hair pulled for stupid things... yeah it isn’t

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#42

Proving i am worthy of my fathers love.

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#43

skip zooms on my computer for school work, god plz save me

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#44

Found out when I was 8 yo...Most people butter both slices of bread when making a sandwich.
We only buttered one slice in our family.

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#45

My mom seems to think that hard cider is good for kids!

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#46

I thought going to church and believing in sky daddy was normal................. then I dropped my imaginary friend from childhood, but the adults kept playing.

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#47

Doing whatever ur parents tell u to do no matter whether or not I want to... guilt tripping as “presenting the facts”... facing physical and emotional abuse if you don’t do whatever they want you to...gaslighting ... under the name of “preparing you to make good decisions and step out of your comfort zone”

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Elizabeth Molloy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

F**k that s**t! Remember you will only be there for a short time. The rest of your life is yours to live and you have decades ahead of you.

#48

As a kid I thought that adults can't eat candy. It seemed natural that a person drops the habit when they become adults. Not all people like sweets, but my parents behaved like the whole concept of candy didn't exist to them.

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SeaShell
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same! My parents were never interested, and I thought it was just something you outgrew.

#49

Searching my room when I wasn't there.. reading my letters, going through my desk drawers. I sort of knew my mum did this, just didn't acknowledge it really because didn't want it to be true. I thought this was what mum's do. I started writing a diary for multiple times but always ended up destroying what I had written because I didn't feel safe. I was much older before I realized that all that was not ok - I actually never had privacy in my home when growing up. I admit I am a bit traumatized by this. My children are now 14 and 16 and they have absolute right to privacy here. Their rooms are ther private areas, I will not violate their right to have something of their own, their rooms, their stuff. We have talked about this and they know that as long as they earn my trust (not messing up in a big way), they have it.

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Grace and Lucy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never felt safe keeping a journal growing up. Trust issues with my sisters. Never invaded my kids private things because violating their trust breaks down the relationship. Reading their private writings allows that burden to live in your head f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

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#50

I thought that being hit, screamed at, and parents arguing every night was normal up until like 6th grade when i got pulled out of school to get yelled at and my friends noticed. then i moved in with my dad so smoking pot is the new norm? idk, not that bad but always smelling like cigs is kinda annoying.. hey but the brightside is that i only have 4 more years:/

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#51

Being manipulated and verbally abused, one of my parents favorite tricks is to say horrible mean s**t to us then because it Doesn’t leave any “physical marks of abuse on us” they get away with it. I left that house hold but now my father who says he’s better then my mother is emotionally suffocating and toxic. =/

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Stephanie Did It
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please Please get help. Talk to an adult you trust that can help you cope with and/or safely escape such abuse. THERE IS HELP FOR YOU.

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#52

I thought that constantly hovering was normal. It's not.

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#53

I agree with Monolicle Potato...
I thought hitting a child was normal...
And also withholding food...

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#54

My Mom made peanut butter and mayonaise sandwiches. My sister and I hated them. I still cringe at the bizarre taste. Yet for some reason, we'd ask for it now and again.

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#55

My mom earning more than my dad.

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#56

I was the oldest of 3 boys. The sperm donor who created me went to Germany after I was born (he was in the Air Force). My mother returned to her home. Two years after I was born, my mother gave birth to my brother by anothere man.

A few years later my other brother was born, from the sperm donor who created me (he abandoned us shortly after).
When I was in elementary school, I had a different last name than the middle brother. He was also taller even though I was 2 years older.

So I guess it was normal to have parents who screwed around on each other and have lids out of wedlock. This was the 60s, the decade of free love

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