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Arguing with parents is the only battle you can never win. Every time it seems you’re just a step away from winning, there’s a bonus card being thrown your way. “You’re still a kid” works even if you’re already a parent yourself.

Luckily, there’s a subreddit dedicated to capturing all the messed-up drift we got from our parents. R/insaneparents is a safe space to talk about hard things in memes. Lucky enough to have a woo-woo anti-vax mom? They get you. Dad insisting COVID-19 is caused by 5G? Been there, heard that. All these shenanigans get a well-deserved meme fix, and Bored Panda has selected the best ones down below. Don't forget to upvote your faves and share what you think in the comments!

#2

I Feel Like This Applies A Lot For The Parents On Here

I Feel Like This Applies A Lot For The Parents On Here

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#3

Insane Parents Inadvertently Teaching Skills

Insane Parents Inadvertently Teaching Skills

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

No kidding! You just described my childhood with my mother....

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

There is a difference between strict and emotionally and mentally abusive. That's what's being described here, that's how my parent was.

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

I don't know. My parents loved and cared for me, and I could tell. My punishments were never over the top, but my parents were still strict. These were in fact the skills I learned.

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

"Strict" with my mother meant talking about good behavior or bad behavior. With one sitter it meant them literally breaking a wooden spoon from hitting me.

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

I also had an older sister who got into trouble for fairly innocent things. What I learned was by watching her and what she did was to be more careful and not get caught. It just taught me to be sneaky and secretive. I didn't behave any better, just sneakier.

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

We had no idea what we might get in trouble for from one day to the next - it was always inconsistent, just learnt to maintain a base level of fear and caution whenever he was around (lucky he worked away for weeks at a time)

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

My parents aren't even strict, just very very very overbearing, and this is still true. May I add: How to very discreetly listen through walls

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

holy s**t I have all of these skills. I now know this is a problem.

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Black Goat of the Woods
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How to suppress feelings of fear and pain and appear like you can suck it all up like a sponge, how to read people's minds and try to figure out what mood they are in and make it all your fault and many other useful skills. But then again, that goes far beyond "strict" ...

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

Oh wow i didn't know that this post was actually me until i thought about it. I can determine my mothers moods by her footsteps ....

kasaalex avatar
kasa alex
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup. Know this from experience. I had a 'friend' who used to constantly put me down for being afraid of authority at school...but I'd learned to be terrified of authority (my father) for a young age, had no idea how else to act

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deanna woods
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is not a strict parent, this is an abusive parent. It's one thing to make rules for your child and another to have them afraid of you.

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

And the sound of a key turning in the door. I'm 30 now and I still shudder.

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

Huh. I can relate to some of these. I can recognise different foot steps too, a useful talent.

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Stille20
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Strict" can mean different things. Does it mean guidelines ..because kids need those or does it mean hovering? Or does it mean scaring your kids because you don't want to spend the time caring for them.

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

Strict means demanding that all the rules are obeyed. It's how that is done that varies and how children are 'dealt' with. Good parenting requires more thought and consideration than 'here are the rules'. A good parent can see beyond strict adherance. They will use judgement. Accept that there are sometimes extenuating circumstances, they will allow children to learn for themselves but have boundaries and guidelines so that any mistakes are kept small. Parenting is far more nuanced than just 'do as I tell you or else' which is what strict usually refers to. Just my view.

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

Me too Carol, now age 77, admittedly, I lied like a rug. Lying served me well to get thru my childhood, but I did rid myself and now it's true "The truth will set you free". Also wise to get out of town and enjoy your life of freedom.

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

Parents are the first to teach their children how to lie. Indirectly. If you know what I mean.

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

I live in an apartment currently and I jump whenever I hear someone in the hall outside because of this

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

:-( I hope you find healing. I've had some but I'm still messed up too. It's very hard to overcome.

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

I don't know why BP blurs out the identity. I'd love to know who tweeted this so I can give them credit

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

Careful... Sometimes you can make things worse, even if you didn't mean to.

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ViFi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

so many lessons taught by my dad! another one: how to sneak pain pills, food, and water

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Wolfe_Montgomery
Community Member
2 years ago

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NEVAEH
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And when I get caught they blame it on my laptop (I am a pre-teen with no phone just a 15 year old laptop which is somehow still in good shape)

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Ariyannah Kitchen
Community Member
2 years ago

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Julia King
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am pretty good at listening for footsteps, appearing like I'm busy, and lying on the spot, after years of doing all three.

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Mangle the Fox
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm pretty damn good at listening for footsteps. I can now distinguish everyone's footsteps from each others.

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

you have just described my entire childhood perfectly, apart from videogames

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

oof, I feel this. you need to be an absolute ninja not to get in trouble all the time.

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

You forgot how to be sneaky and how to feel you can't be open and honest with your parents

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Akshay.T
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bro that is so right.. my parents were strict and they didn’t like it when I had nothing to do....so that taught me how to appear really busy when in reality your just pacing around doing nothing or staring at your books you already read. Also when ever my parents can near I would know because of their footsteps. And when they do get mad I calm them down very fast.......and bro I am a pro liar

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

And how to hide and not making a sound when they're around.

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

No kidding. BTW a VPN will prevent most network monitoring and blocking.

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

It actually sounds like they were preparing them for the workforce.

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

Duuuuude. For real. Those are all the things I learned as a kid.... (**rethinking my entire life**)

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Hermione Granger-Malfoy
Community Member
3 years ago

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

y'all it's pretty insane how strict parents can get. but in the end you have to know that their still your parents. they might of just wanted you to have a better life, or just plain crazy...

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Sergio Serg
Community Member
3 years ago

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Well, one can argue that they are preparing you for success in the corporate world. Add a little a*s kissing to the mix and you're sure to work your way up the ladder with ease.

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Bored Panda contacted redditor u/Mynameisethan182, who’s the moderator of r/insaneparents, to find out more about their community, which has a whopping 984K readers.

It turns out, r/insaneparents is far more than just the memes. “The community started off as a joke and it grew over time into a weird, chaotic place for people to talk about their real issues and hopefully raise awareness about them.” Kids today deal with their issues with memes and jokes, and they have “a much darker sense of humor than I had when growing up,” said u/Mynameisethan182.

#4

Should've Stayed At Home

Should've Stayed At Home

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#5

We Have All Been Through This

We Have All Been Through This

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

I've seen kids do this. I'm sorry you have to live with that!

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#6

Oop

Oop

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Pamela24
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Soooo true! I've written it on BP before - some parents/families are terribly toxic people and the best thing that you can do is to cut ties with them and live your life without them.

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R/insaneparents looks for memes that have a story to tell and take effort to make. Most importantly, other Reddit users have to relate to it. “No one wants to see memes about your mom taking your Xbox away—they don't care about that,” explained the moderator. “They want to know others out there are going through the same traumas as them and they find solace in that.”

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On average, r/insaneparents pulls 900K page views per day with 350K unique viewers. It adds up to a total of 15-20 million page views per month. But u/Mynameisethan182 assures me it’s not about the view count: “We're a decently-sized community and just want to help people.”

#7

He’s Totally Safe!

He’s Totally Safe!

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

I wanna talk abt the actual picture here...why is this baby not also protected

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#8

A Meme About How My Parents Treat Me

A Meme About How My Parents Treat Me

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Carol Emory
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was the question I got from my family. "Why don't you ever come over for the holidays?" Because I don't care to travel almost 2 hours to have a quick meal that eventually deteriorates into a full scale screaming match. When I went to college, I was encouraged by a friend to cut out the negative influences in my life. My family is extremely negative. Out of my parents, my 3 siblings and my cousins...the only one I have time for is my sister...and only because we've supported each other so much through the years. Just because they are related to you by blood does not mean you should obligate yourself to their abuse. The way to rise up is to shed the weights that are holding you down. Who knows..you may encourage them to take a turn towards change.

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We’ve all been in a situation where it seems that no matter what you tell your parents, they’ll always have their own way of doing things. It's not uncommon for kids and parents to argue over most things. But if it’s happening way too often and leaving a negative impact on your life, self-esteem, and relationships with others, you should get worried.

According to Psychology Today, you should ask yourself a couple of questions in order to find out whether your relationship with parents is unhealthy. “Do they try to control you? Do they manipulate, use guilt, or play the victim? Do they disregard your feelings and needs?” If the answer is positive, it may be a sign you’re living with toxic parents.

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#10

Just A Little Meme For You Guys

Just A Little Meme For You Guys

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

Let me fix this. My mother is a horrible person. She treats everyone like c**p. Screams at everyone. Has the mouth of a drunken sailor and will steal the shirt off your back when you're not looking. That being said, I still love her...I just hate the things she does. I know she was dealt a crappy hand in life, but that doesn't excuse her behavior. I know she has mental issues that she doesn't want to get help for and that's her choice. But it doesn't mean I make myself open to her abuses and her behavior. I can worry about her and would be devastated if something happened to her. But I won't feed into her problems by opening myself up to her abuse.

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#11

She Doesn't Know I'm Bi

She Doesn't Know I'm Bi

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#12

How I've Been Feeling These Past Many Months. Maybe Not Stressed Y'know But Still

How I've Been Feeling These Past Many Months. Maybe Not Stressed Y'know But Still

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Arrow and Ace
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why is this so true? Honestly I'd show this to my parents but then I'd get a "Well you DO have it easy."

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Darlene Lancer, a certified hypnotherapist, suggests detaching from toxic parents. “It means not reacting, not taking things personally, and not feeling responsible for someone else’s feelings, wants, and needs. Our parents can easily push our buttons.” In fact, it has nothing to do with physical distance. You can still be close to your parents, but not taking in the things they say.

Remember that having a healthy and pleasant relationship always starts with your feelings and attitudes. “Sometimes working on yourself is all it takes. That doesn’t imply that your parents will change, but you will,” Darlene claims. And that means that sometimes forgiveness is necessary to keep on moving together and building a connection.

#14

Meme Monday Has Arrived

Meme Monday Has Arrived

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

My husband looks at the floor anytime we have an argument. I kept thinking that he was just ignoring me. It would make me more furious. Then when I spent quite a bit of time with his mother, I realized she was the queen of lectures. Then I understood who had conditioned him to look at the floor. I approach arguments differently now..trying not to lecture but, instead, engaging him to express his thoughts. We've been able to overcome much more stress in our relationship because we both have a voice.

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#15

Finally

Finally

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

This just reminds me of that weird movie where this guy kidnaps a kid and winds up taking him Trick or Treating while he robs people because his Mom wouldn't let him trick or treat. Its called A Perfect World. Pretty interesting movie actually.

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#16

Yeah...

Yeah...

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#19

Not Saying Anything Is Sometimes Worse Though

Not Saying Anything Is Sometimes Worse Though

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Carol Emory
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My son got into a fight at school. I was told he started it. I was furious because he knew that I didn't approve of fighting. Then I get to the school and was told that he attacked another kid in the hallway next to the school door to his classroom. After talking to witnesses, I find out that the boy in question had decided to call my son all sorts of nasty names (my son is autistic) including "stupid" and "r****d" because my son was holding the outside door open in ice cold weather so the bus driver could help a student in a wheelchair enter the building, also letting cold air in. The school explained that my son would receive a day in-school suspension, but that the other kid was being suspended for 3 days. I sat down and explained to him how to handle it differently next time and I explained the reason he was suspended for a day was because he took it to the next level of physical attack instead of getting an adult involved to make the kid stop.

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#20

Basically Every Kid Growing Up With Strict Parents

Basically Every Kid Growing Up With Strict Parents

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#21

(: Fun

(: Fun

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

Never tell your kids you had it worse. It's like telling them "I suffered more so you just need to suck it up!" Just listen to them.

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#23

Insaneparents When They Expect Children They Abuse To Love Them Unconditionally Be Like:

Insaneparents When They Expect Children They Abuse To Love Them Unconditionally Be Like:

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Val/Malibu/Dante/Bob
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is true. When I was younger my mum hit me and pinched me and whatnot. Now, I stay in my room, and she tells me off when I "isolate" myself. I firmly believe she only stopped abusing me because we learnt about childline in school and I came home telling her all about it.

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#24

Gotta Save Every Last Penny

Gotta Save Every Last Penny

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

I wish I could do that... the problem is, my parents have to know EVERYTHING that I do. I swear, it feels like they are stalking me sometimes...

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#25

My Parents To A Tee

My Parents To A Tee

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#26

“Walked To School... Uphill Both Ways...”

“Walked To School... Uphill Both Ways...”

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#27

The Taste

The Taste

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

If you're kids are making a valid argument, don't shut them down. Discuss it. Admit Defeat. If you shut them down every time they are winning an argument, you teach them never to fight for what they believe in. You make them shy about asking for help. You make them afraid of authority. That opens the door for them being taken advantage of and it creates problems with confidence. If you are a mature adult..it's ok to admit that a teenager is making a valid point. It's not disrespectful to stand up for what you believe in as long as you keep the conversation civilized.

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#28

It's That Damn Radiation!

It's That Damn Radiation!

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

This is the same BS logic that caused anti-vaxxers to believe that vaccines cause autism. Autism is a genetic malady..not caused by heavy metals in vaccines (which, btw, have already been removed.)

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#30

Rent

Rent

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Andrea Anthony
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my mother always guilted me into giving her my money. then I started lying and saying I didn't have any to give just so I could survive. we haven't spoken in over a decade now.

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Note: this post originally had 73 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.