30 People Share The Dead Wrong Things Their Parents Taught Them, And There Is Actual Wisdom In Their Realizations
As kids, we see our parents as all-knowing people. However, as the years pass, we realize that our moms and dads are just regular humans after all, and that they too don't have all the answers. So we start looking elsewhere.
There's an interesting study published in the British Journal of Political Science, based on data from the U.S. and U.K., which found that parents who are insistent that their children adopt their political views inadvertently influence their children to abandon the belief once they become adults.
This can be explained by the fact that children who come from homes where politics is a frequent topic of discussion are more likely to talk about politics once they leave home, exposing them to new viewpoints—which they then adopt with surprising frequency.
Similar transformations happen in other areas as well. To get a better understanding of them, Reddit users u/nousername1982 and u/ZestyClose_Ad4682 recently started threads asking people to share the things their parents taught them that turned out to be totally wrong. Here are some of the responses, ranging from romantic relationships to personal finance, that we thought might be interesting and worthy of your time.
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"If a boy acts like a jerk, it means he likes you!"
No...just no...
First of all, he shouldn't be let off the hook for acting like a jerk. (Whether he's 5 or 105.) Secondly, it teaches girls that abuse is okay, or that they should expect to be treated like crap (and that it's okay for them to be treated like crap.)
I swear this was initially an embarrassment tactic for the boys to stop pestering girls and it originally stopped being said to the boys at "courting" age. (I put quotes because it's so cheesy and old-fashioned to say "courting", and not something I say normally.)
That sex, sexuality, drinking/drugs/partying, politics, money, spirituality are awkward things to discuss. I want my future kids to know facts and that if they are ever in trouble, I am a safe place for them. We don't have to talk about it if they don't want to, they'll be taught how to be safe, but they should also know that these subjects are a part of life and should not cause shame.
I didn't have a safe place to talk about anything, so I made sure I am the safe place for my kid, too. Nothing will shock me. I will not judge, just listen. However, some things do need to be talked about no matter if anyone wants to hear it or not.
We managed to get in touch with one of the Redditors that sparked this discussion, u/nousername1982 and they agreed to have a talk about their post and parenting in general.
"I don't really [remember] what I was doing exactly [when I came up with the idea to ask the internet this question]," they told Bored Panda.
"But, I have kids myself who are very curious and ask questions all the time. I made a promise to myself to be as honest with them as possible (without spoiling Christmas). But sometimes it is difficult to give a genuine answer because the truth would make something more difficult to accept. I've seen many Redditors posting about parents telling them they 'can do anything.' I believe those motivational speeches are essential for a child. Probably most of the stories were a variation of that."
If you stop reacting, they'll stop bullying you.
This hits hard. It was the teachers and daycare staff that were saying this trash to me, though. My mom sorta ignored it and thought I was doing something to cause other kids to bully me. No support. Nothing. This carries into adulthood. Eventually you stop caring what other people think but there is a stronger need to be heard the loudest, so you end up repeating the injustices you experience in life to friends and family until they acknowledge your plight, which never happens because you're being a downer, an attention-seeker, and a boring repeater. But you're not really trying to be any of that. You just want to understand why people are shitty towards you of all people.
Lack of empathy. My parents grew up in a really really horrible situation and they made it out and did well for themselves. So now anytime anyone struggles they refuse to feel bad for them because they have gone through worse and did fine. I think people deserve empathy regardless.
I don't know this guy's story or where he comes from, if he's homeless or has a home and struggling with something. I was at Subway and saw him chatting with the staff. He left with nothing. As soon as I started asking what he wanted they said he wanted food, and that he comes in frequently and they used to give him free food but can't continue doing that. I was going to buy him something if that was the case. I was a bit hesitant hearing that it's been a regular occurrence but then I thought I've been homeless and hungry before. Why the hell not. I bought a $10 gift card for them to use it towards him the next time he shows up. If he doesn't show up, someone's got a free gift card regardless and that is just fine.
u/nousername1982 thinks that parents and their kids every now and then simply end up on different terms. "Sometimes parents have priorities that kids don't understand, like 'Why are they always having to work that much?' Truth is, at least in my case, I don't have to work that hard, but I'm motivated to advance my career. I'm not working to pay for the food, house, or toys. I'm working for the extras."
"Also, most parents strive to have an easy life, which is sometimes difficult to combine with kids. You don't want to tell your kids they can't have something because mom or dad doesn't want to make the effort," the Redditor continued. "My parents told me I had to quit my favorite sport because of a kid that was dealing drugs in the club. Later, I realized it was because the drive was too much of a hassle. The drug dealer had little to do in the decision."
That parents never have to apologize to their kids.
I love my dad. He is a great dad and I know he loves me so much, but he has it in his head that even now, even when his youngest (me) is an adult, that he doesn't need to apologize if he does something wrong. It's baffling.
Same here. Mine barely uses basic manners with me. She does with everyone else. Just not me.
Math and science aren’t gonna serve a girl well.
I would had killed to have someone reared me into STEM when I was younger.
I wish I had more access to electronics and the computer and internet.
Even though the idea of lying to your kids sounds harsh at first, a study published in the International Journal of Psychology found that 84 percent of the American parents surveyed do it to get them to behave. This is also known as 'instrumental lying.'
While the decision when to use it is ultimately up to the parents, there are certain situations where it's considered more acceptable. For instance, the fictional story of Santa Claus is universally known, and many young children learn it from their moms and dads. So long as they're not using Santa to threaten the little ones into behaving, it's perfectly fine. Interestingly, one study, published in Child Psychiatry and Human Development, discovered that children who eventually found out the truth about Santa Claus reacted positively to the news.
"Respect your elders" but in the sense that you should just keep quiet when you disagree with somebody older than you - turns out many people are awful regardless of their age. Don't get me wrong, my default is to respect any new person I meet, but when a person has repeatedly shown me that they don't are about my feelings or even basic logic, I won't hold back from speaking my mind calmly, even if they see this as disrespectful.
My grandad taught me that respect is earned, there is no situation where respect is to be given just because. You don't just get respect from being old. He was a man I respected, and he earned it multiple times over.
Finish your plate. B*tch that is what all that Tupperware is for.
However, it's important to remember that there are other ways to go about it. Although parental lying is common, too much of it may lead to negative long-term effects. In a study where the researchers surveyed 379 young Singaporean adults who reported their parents lying during their childhood, they discovered that the participants who were lied to as children were more likely to lie to their parents as adults.
The study also suggested that parental dishonesty can create trust issues and problems externalizing certain emotions, like aggression.
That crying is shameful.
I had a tendency of crying to easily when i was younger so now nobody takes me seriously when i am in visible distress
That you need to hustle 100% of the time and be constantly busy with school/work, extra activities, side projects, cleaning etc. Spending time unwinding is a sign of laziness and boredeom and intelligent people are never bored. This really messed me up and I'm still learning the art of wasting time.
"I read some stories about pets that 'ran away,'" u/nousername1982 said. "I too discovered 20 years after the 'dog ran away' that he was euthanized. I can imagine the truth is difficult to share with kids."
"Other lies are just lame, with no excuse. I shared the story that my father told me he had to get A's every day at work. Of course, that is not true, and it didn't help me to get motivated. A friend of mine tells his kids about a 'dangerous man' coming at night if the kids are not good. This is just bad parenting."
Even though the Redditor believes it's impossible to raise a kid without lies, they nonetheless think that parents should strive to be honest.
My mum made me believe that privacy was a privilege. Wasn't until I started studying childcare and learning in depth about the rights of the child that I learned it is a right and that my mum is full of bullsh*t
“Bullies are cowards.”
No they aren’t. They’re evil scum who are naively capable of ruining your life for decades after. And they’re not afraid to do so.
Cowards? They are anything but cowards, they feel all powerful because they literally massacre children who have done nothing to them, well hidden behind the school garbage cans. And if by some miracle this child manages to talk about it, to a teacher or a supervisor, these assholes are smart enough to make everyone believe that it was you who started it and WORST that you deserved it. A "big" (12) girl from daycare (I was 6/7 years old) spent three years telling me every night "your mother is dead, she won't come to get you, she will never come back". It created anxieties in me that I still feel today... But Go die Sarah!!!!
If you're contemplating whether or not to bend the truth, experts advise to ask yourself a few questions first:
- Are you only helping them in the short term, which might affect things in the future?
- Will your lie confuse them or give them unrealistic expectations of people?
- Is the lie for you or them?
- Are they able to understand the truth?
Often, a child's age and maturity determine whether or not a lie is the way to go!
Tell me the truth I won't be mad.
Aaaaaaaaand that's how you get to be punished (in the best case) for something as trivial as having forgotten to start the washing machine for the mother-in-law...
What you just described isn't how its supposed to go. A parental failure to adhere to their own rules isn't saying something wrong, its missing the follow through they promised.
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Both my kids know that I will never promise I won't be mad if they tell me the truth but if I find out they lied the consequences will be worse than if they told the truth to start with.
I taught my daughter the same. She recently told me that she was never frightened of telling me the truth because of this rule.
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Which suggests it should be taken as part of the overall relationship and known factors about the parents.
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Yeah, the thing I try for is "if you tell me the truth, we can try to solve this problem together" and "lying will usually make people more upset because it usually makes the problem worse, even if you think it might help you". Being honest with kids about being honest is important.
I say this to my son but I mean it! He needs to know that he can trust me when he talks to me. Now we talk about everything!
That's how it should be. Kudos to you for great parenting
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I taught my kids, to be open with me. Sometimes, after turning into teenager's, I had to grin, and grit my teeth at what I Heard. It's worth it though, because they told me 98% of Everything they did. If it was bad (in my mind, they're telling me they need help), and we talk it out. They're 33&34 now. They still tell me 98% of what they've done. Now,vi only face palm when they're done talking to me, after they turn their back. I love them, and my grandsons. My childhood, was a horrible. My parents monsters, and I vowed to myself when I was very young, I would Never treat my kids, the way they did me. I Am, completely opposite of them! I bask in the love of all my children! The hugs, the smiles, and the I live you' is everything to me! I e even taught my grandsons to be honest with me.
I told my two girls that and that I would only be angry if I found out they had lied. You have to live up to that. Thank them for telling the truth, but don't try and catch them in a lie. Tell them WHY they should always tell the truth. Both still tell me the truth, at 27 and 33. And BE A GOOD EXAMPLE.
I tell my child this, because in our family its true. if you come to me and tell me what's going on, you're not going to get into trouble. I'm here for them, to steward them through this tribulations, and how to make it right. if you accept your part in a bad situation and try to make amends, your only punishment is helping right any wrongs you're responsible for. the only two things you can get in trouble for in my house is lying, or being malicious to anyone.
If you want your kids to trust you, you must mean these words honestly when you say them and do your job as a parent to help them figure why it wasn't a good idea, how to avoid making the same mistake and learning what is learn from the error
This one for me was tell me the truth or if I find out later you will be in more trouble. Most of the time I got into very little trouble for telling the truth, but when I lied, it was completely different.
I tell my daughter I may get upset but we can get through anything together. And I love her no matter what
LOL My mom never lied about it. She always said she will get mad. Then I just told her what she wanted to hear because her bark was worse than her bite. There's been times I got a lenient sentence than if I told her dirty detail.
My nieces have the worst habit of lying when you catch them up in something, especially if you only catch the crying part and asked what happened. They’ll both blame the other rather than owing their actions. My daughter has , thankfully not learned this action yet, and will tell who was actually the culprit. I’ve told all three of them that they will end up in more trouble by lying about what happened or what they did (my oldest niece would lie to keep her younger sister out of trouble).
I always say this to my kids. And the hardest part is keeping my words to not get mad. Just remember that you're teaching them, your actions now might decide if they're going to trust you in the future or not.
My late Dad, again, actually meant this too. A couple of times my brothers fessed up to stuff, and the first thing Dad said was, "Thank you for being honest." Then a lecture, but no punishment. Some parents do have integrity!
Okay I have to laugh at this one. I came in very early, one morning. My mother met me at the door "Where have you been?" it took me a moment and I said "I'll tell you if you really want to know." She was so shocked she said "NO".
My mom always told me and my brother this. And she remembered not to get mad! We already know we'd messed up big time, when we had to confess something. And it showed us responsibility
I tell my kids, your punishment will be less, telling the truth, but more if you lie to me.
I'm actually a bit heartbroken that this is something your parents lied about. Granted, for my kids, the phrase was "You can tell me anything. I can't promise I won't be upset, but I can promise to listen." I also told them that nothing makes me angrier than being lied to, and that I won't lie FOR them, but if they screw up, I will still love and support them. The example I used was something like... even if you murder someone, I'm not going to help you get away with it, but I'll be sitting in the courtroom every day of the trial.
Oh ... that classic colossal lie, when you have done something and you hide it, they pull it out with the pretense of not getting angry and doing nothing to you, and then yell at you as if it were the end of the world. Mine always did it and sometimes they hit me too if I dared to talk. Me: "you said/promised not to get angry..." Parent: "How do you expect me not to get angry when you're did this, are you nuts??" Me: "but you-" parents: " shut up! Now you're going to get punished for this!!" Me now: ¯\_ಠ_ಠ_/¯
My ex-husband never told me when he broke something or forgot to do something. I taught my kids to ALWAYS tell me when they break or forget something, because I will be VERY upset if I find it on my own! (As a matter of fact, my 20-year-old son just messaged me to tell me he broke a cup, complete with a picture and the notice that he will be cleaning it up shortly!) *proud mama*
It was rule in my house. And my children weren't afraid to tell me truth because I kept my promise and never get mad and never punished them.
The strict reason I never speak up when I'm upset. No, they were always mad. Always. I got sick of it fast.
I have taught my daughter that parents always find out the truth. And grandparents figure it out faster. If asked about something particular, chances are that we already know. Tell the truth so if needed you get punished for 1 thing, not that and lying which will keep us from believing the truth in the future.
Yeah, this one is just setting someone up to never tell the truth in troubling times. Tell the truth because it needs to be told and it shows your ability to accept whatever happens.
I've instilled this in my kids however, I stand by what I say. So regardless of what they tell me, I don't explode on them. I help them solve whatever situation happened because of it then we have a chat about the whys and hows and that I'm upset but not mad at them.
If you say it. Do it. Unless they answer with that endangered safety, life or property. Then get mad as all get out so they don't do it again and get to live till adulthood.
Come to think of it I don't think I did anything right - but I tried!
That would been my dad... Then many years later my ex-husband was the same way with our oldest daughter. To this day she does NOT trust anything that he says including his so called promises(she's 18). Her 13yr old sister also doesn't believe a thing that her dad says cause he lies and makes too many excuses up.
My 18 yo and I have a truth based relationship. Kids will mess up, it's part of growing up. I told him that when he was a wee boy, and I have always acted accordingly. Now, I have an 18 year old young man who will call me when things don't go the way he expects them to, rather than continue to make bad choices. Honestly, it's the highest compliment my child could ever give me!
I would tell my kids tell me the truth, you will still be punished if you did something wrong, but if you lie, the punishment will be worse. Usually punishment was removal of an electronic device for a certain amount of time or something similar.
You see this is one of the biggest lies told from parents. They say that and the minute you tell them they flip out and start yelling at you.
I say this to my daughter but uphold it. I went through this as a kid with my mom and it was a lie every time.. she was always mad. I tell my daughter I'll only ever truly be mad if she lies to me. Everything else can be fixed or managed but a lie is never ok. Thankfully the only lie she says is her homework is done when it isn't. We are working on that lol
1. I say tell the truth and you will not be in trouble and my kids tell the truth. I also know when they are lying so they get more than one chance to come clean. They would only get in trouble if they lied. I will fight tooth and nail for my kids so it's important that they tell me the truth.
As long as you don't get mad its a good trick to induce honesty into your kid. If you do get mad, you just gave you kids trust issues.
I don't have to be angry to punish my child. Telling them "I won't be mad" is to encourage honesty with honesty. I won't be angry if they tell me the truth, but THEY STILL GONNA GET PUNISHED for breaking the rules or whatever they did. I can ground my kid without being angry.
Not that I won’t be mad, but that you’ll get in more trouble if I find out you lied to me.
I have the rule of tell me first before i find out somewhere else. If you tell me the punishment will be far less than if I get the news elsewhere.
Nope. Tell me the truth, you may get in some trouble but it will be a lot less than if you lied to me, and will show me that I can trust you. My son told me so many things I didn't want to know 😩
So, I actually tell my kids this and I make it true. I'll dish out punishment for lying, and I investigate to uncover the truth, but I work hard to make sure my home is safe for my kids to tell the truth. Unfortunately their mom is abusive and covering things up is a survival skill at her house, so I have to fight against the programming.
Got the same in office, shitty managers look alot like shitty parents
I had that one growing up, taught me to lie better. As honesty is punished, and parents lie.
I was shocked when my son lied. Am I such a b***h? I said sorry and he stopped lying, cause I stopped getting mad.
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My mother did that, a sure sign I was about to be yelled at and punished, taught me not to trust and be a better liar.
They always get mad irrespective of if you told them or if they found out
"Tell me the truth, I won't be mad." Is the biggest fricking lie ever told by parents.
Being mad seems to be misconstrued as not punishing you or not being upset at your actions. Parents like thinkin their kids a aren't morons.
That you have to “suffer for love” (I’m a chick). Thanks mom, you set me up for a lifetime of trying to change narcissistic losers.
My "best friend" when I was a teenager (15), told me that in love or in friendship, if we didn't suffer, it wasn't real... Yeah, of course...
My dad always said. "Children should be seen and not heard." I'm not a big fan of that one
Well I was mostly raised by my grandparents. We lived in an all white community and my grandparents believed every terrible thing they had ever been told about black people. I spent my youth being fed those lies but everyone I knew was white and I couldn’t imagine it being true. When I got to college I met my first non white people and was able to verify that the things they believed just weren’t true.
And luckily both of them realized that before they passed away.
‘’Parents always know what’s best for their child’’
That their love has conditions, and if not followed they will drop you in your time of need. Right or wrong, I hope my children will never feel like they can’t talk to me or that I will judge them.
And some elderly folks wonder why their family dumped them in a care home and don't want to contact them again.
Saying, 'Do as I say, not as I do.' A leader shouldn't ask his followers to do something he wouldn't.
That sex is something to be ashamed of.
Let me guess? Religious parents? Why are they SO obsessed with sex & punishment?
That as long as we “have always been given everything we need we are loved”. The emotional abuse has ruined me
The man of the house is always right.
Don't worry about the college loans! You're smart, you'll get a good job and pay that off in a few years.
That it is illegal to have the little ceiling light on in the car.
That i basically have to be a smaller version of them, believe exactly what they do and not think for myself and have my own opinion. If i have kids id let them be open minded and believe what they want
To try to fit in as much as possible and to please others, at the expense of who you really are on the inside.
There are so many things in this list that have hurt me over the years, but this one was probably the worst one for me and is still today. After already years of mental issues, currently recovering from a depression. After 36 years I'm now finally at the point that I really feel like I'm allowed to express myself. Wear the clothes I like, live the life that I like, hell even think what I like. Never, ever tell your kids to be normal, if they are expressing themselves differently. They will start eating away themselves from the inside and at some point they will break.
That people will judge you for colored/ fun it hair, piercings and tattoos. It’s only partly true. They judge you for everything.
That it’s cocky and conceited to show any kind of self confidence.
my parents used to describe narcissism as loving yourself when i came across it in a book - then told me narcissists are terrible people. so. i remember vividly at one point in year two - when learning love your neighbour as yourself (christian school) - saying "what if i dont love myself" so yea, feeling good.
To wait until marriage. You know they won’t anyway. The best you can do is teach them to be safe and pray they do ok.
"Don't compare yourself with your friends" when they got something I didn't have, while comparing me with my friends whenever they did better than me at something
That you can’t change how things are and you can’t ask questions because “I said so”
I've only used this during an obnoxious "WhyWhyWhyWhyWhy" moment. Always hated the "because I said so." bit. Ah. Okay. So there's no real reason why. I get it. pfft.
That crying and expressing your emotions in general is rude, over sensitive and embarrassing.
It's not. And I hate that I still feel like a piece of sh*t when I can't hold back my tears. Expressing your emotions is natural and healthy. Crying is a mechanism to let go of emotional distress instead of overloading your brain.
Being hypercritical. My parents were very critical of me about so many things. My grades, my performance in extra circular activities, even how I did chores. What was worse was that they would often compare me to others as well, and would only ever praise me when they were basically bragging to other people. An example that always stuck with me was when I had a part time job as a waiter in high school, and my dad would often scold me for wasting my time at a a useless job instead of focusing on school, and how I was just gonna end up being a bum just like my older brother. But then when he's talking to his friends he brags about how his youngest son is so hard working, he even has a part time job in high school!
It's this sort of hypercriticism is why I struggle a lot with self esteem and confidence. What's worse is that I find myself even being hypercritical of other people's behavior, like if they make a mistake or don't do something how I would've done. I don't snap like my dad would do, but I still find myself immediately getting annoyed. It's something I'm working on, and hope to never do to my future kids.
Eating cookies before dinner gives you worms. Had nightmares as a child.
That I would get pregnant as soon as I had sex. Told me that as a teenager, so I was terrified I’d get pregnant every time I interacted with a penis. Now (a decade later), I’m married and have been actually trying and it turns it out it’s not as easy as they made it sound
Men and women couldn’t be friends
I was raised in a weird a*s religion in which almost any amount of communication with the opposite sex was seen as dating. Regularly texting a girl? That may as well be dating. It’s a belief that I’ve had to unlearn after moving out so that I could have normal friendships with people.
I've always gotten along better with boys than with girls (I'm a girl), and I've always had mostly boy friends (gay and straight), I found that they were more frank, simpler, less headaches than girls my age (then with them, I could talk about the things I loved: video games and Magic Gathering!) (And yes, I know that girls like it too) (but I never find one ...)
How it feels to be hit by a belt.
I'm almost 56 years old and I remember that feeling well. My dad even used the belt buckle side of it.
That grades determine your future. Grades are important and all, but they shouldn't come before life.
How does one choose to have either grades or life? While I was getting my grades, I worked, vacationed, paid bills, partied, worried, dated, shopped, had exactly the same life my not-studying friends did. Except now I have my grades and I don’t have to work or worry as hard as them anymore. Working hard in school is much better than working hard throughout your entire life.
One of my friend's grandfather told him that giraffes have long necks to reach over the zoo wall to eat children.
That girls shouldn’t want careers, and therapy and SSRIs are for “crazy people”
Yeah I’m in a much better place now ever since I got out of that closeminded bubble. My daughter is not going to be shamed by me for her choices.
The perfect life in my granny's eyes would be finish school, go to college, become a doctor, meet a man, get married, buy house, quit being a doctor, have kids, raise kids, maybe become a doctor when the kids grow up, retire for good and then die.
"Your job is to do whatever your boss tells you to do."
This led to a bunch of stupid situations of both me getting walked all over by employers and me quitting jobs over things that could have been fixed with a conversation.
"All drugs are bad" as they take 2 advil and sip a coffee
When I was 11 years old, I was crying hysterically over my father's treatment of me after being placed with him after my mother passed away.
I won't go into what was happening.
I will, however, say that in my despair I made the comment that I wished I could be a wild animal instead of human, like a bear for example.
My father told me that I was dumb for saying that, as mother bears correct their cubs by picking them up and bashing them into rocks until they stop making the mistake they did.
I thought bears were essentially monsters for a very long time after.
That God and Jesus commanded some 14 year old farm-boy As*hole to start the one true religion in Up-state New York...
Just get a degree and you’ll able to get a very well paying job with health benefits and a solid pension.
That probably was the case when grandpa went to school but boy things really changed.
We do not drink regular Coca-Cola because red soda cans would clash with our jewelry. Here is a dollar. Go get Mommy a Diet Coke and you may have a Diet Caffeine Free Coke. It is gold-colored and you were good today.
We do not put sugar in our tea because the corrosive effects of glucose could degrade the glaze on the china. The pink packets are saccharin and the blue are aspartame. Aspartame pairs best with pekoe black tea, for green tea, use saccharin. Trust Mommy, dear.
We try new foods to be polite, and we find something nice to say about them to the hostess. If you cannot think of anything good to say about the food, say "What a lovely party, Mrs. B," or praise how everything looks. Yes, exactly. 'Just like a picture' is perfect. You've been reading again. Of course we can go eat food we know we like afterwards if there's nothing we can eat much of, but try something to be polite.
Well, the doctors say girls can't get autism, though, so I expect we're just picky eaters. Ladies often are.
The dog went with the mailman. RIP Hazel.
My parents fought a lot. They'd both get very emotional about things and raise their voices in every argument. By example I will teach them that when you are angry, take a break from the argument until you've both calmed down.
" Come back here. I wasn't finished talking. DON'T walk away from ME! You're NOT going to win this argument." - With narcissists it won't matter.
"Don't trust anyone, ever" said my dad, who is retired with no friends and no social life after frequently burning bridges throughout his life. I was about 8. It took me almost 20 years to actually learn how to socialize and have trusting, healthy relationships with people.
However, "Don't trust everyone, ever" is something to live by.
I asked my dad what the biggest number ever was, he either realized it was an impossible question and I was going to argue if he said “there is no biggest number”, or was messing with me. Anyway, imagine the laughter when in like 3rd grade we all had to go around and name a number and I said “big toe trillion”.
When I was a kid I asked my dad the same question, He said 'the largest number with a name is Centillion, but there isn't really a highest'. Now, my dad never finished school and never knew much of anything except driving (every job he's ever had was a driving job), So I figured he was making it up. I asked my teacher at school and she said the same thing! Turns out my dad had bought an encyclopaedia and was reading it in secret.
My dad on finances, “when you have money you spend it and when you run out you just stay home”
To save or to spend, the eternal ordeal. I think what people want, but can't grasp (I can't speak for everyone, though), is that a nest egg is a great backup to have, but money does no good just sitting there. The way my parents always put it is "you should do something for yourself with your income, so that you have something to show for all your work every week."
That I will become stupid if I eat too many hazelnuts and that I will become dark skinned if I eat lamb spleen (yes they just wanted them for themselves and yes my parents were racist)
Just a "dot" of soap is all you need for doing ALL the dishes. "Don't be wasteful"... Ya ok.
They said: don't be friends with the "bad kids". For my parents my whole class were "bad" even they were quite normal. So I ended with no friends because my parents didn't allow me to go outside with them.
Those "bad kids" are now normal, succesful and friends with each other, but not with me.
Oh yeah when I was like 11 I had a friend whose mum told her she couldn’t hang out with me because I was a “bad kid.” I was on the honour roll, in the gifted programs, a band student and one of only 2 students invited into the teacher band, had won 2 science fairs and was in Girl Guides, horseback riding and had multiple international pen pals. Was in soccer and spent my time devouring books. We invented a game with paper horses cut out from magazines and got made fun of by the other 11 year olds who were more into makeup and celebrities than paper dolls by then. No time to get in trouble! But I had a lot of energy and I thought swear words were funny 😂 my bad but it really threw me off when she told me , like me?? The ultimate nerd and nice girl, a bad kid??
Video Games will get you nowhere in life, boy were they wrong...
I had this exact same comment said to me when I was younger, Now I'm a Creative director of my own gaming studio company. Married a beautiful women I met in an online game, moved country and have 3 amazing little children. ALL thanks to gaming.
Joining the military is all about protecting freedom.
Narcissism
Otherwise known as living vicariously through your child so you can feel better about your failures
My dad told me he had to get an A every day at work. Turns out a C is good enough and you can cheat most of the time.
I have all Cs and Im in sixth grade not failing but my little sister is in fourth grade having all As thinking that she has to be perfect
That i'm a handsome young man
A bit sad, if you´re a girl. But if you´re boy, I have no doubt that you are!
How to change an electrical outlet, 120 volts, LIVE.
Good stuff.
When I was in kindergarten, the teacher asked us to go home and ask our parents how many days are in a year. So I went home and asked my dad:
"240 days, son."
Imagine my disappointment the next day when my teacher said that was wrong! Dad swears I never asked that or if I did I misunderstood his answer, but I heard what I heard.
Maybe he was counting work days or week days? He'd be pretty close if that's the question he heard.
I learned to draw anime and my dad is a portrait artist. He always said start woth the eyes, which is okay when you're drawing portraits of people, but a strong foundation of building up simple shapes and getting more detailed with each pass is truly what I needed to know. Didn't change the way I drew til I was roughly 24 years old, and when I did productivity skyrocketed. Side note: my stepmom told me I should try to not use an eraser at all... she's not an artist.
The eraser comment isn't a bad idea in moderation. I set myself a challenge for a while where I wasn't allowed to use an eraser, carried it on for a few months. It did wonders for my sketching as it forced me to work around my mistakes rather than focusing on fixing one area for ages, and how to build my layers from rough sketch to finished piece on one sheet without it being one big black smudge.
How to open a beer bottle with my teeth
Don’t open anything with your teeth folks. I am terrified of ever having to do that
That you can be ANYTHING. There are some things in life that you just will never be cut out for. My parents told me that I will be the next president if I work towards it. My family told me I would become an astronaut one day and have millions of dollars and a mansion.
Some people think that you can do anything, but you’re not.
I was taught the opposite, that I was only being cared for by my grandparents because nobody else wanted me and somebody had to step up for the job. No affection, no encouragement, no guidance for future life. I've been suffering with self worthlessness my entire life.
That work should be something you love
It just has to be tolerable. If you make work your life, you will feel hit hard by the rough stages of work, which any job has. And you'll feel bad for taking a sick day, or miss it when you should be enjoying time off
"Don't be sad/scared/angry". Telling kids how to feel or not feel does a tremendous amount of harm.
I think the most harmful thing my dad ever told me was that boys/men are only interested in one thing from girls/women.
Most harmful thing my dad told me is that he was finally having the son he always wanted when I was 15 a week before my 16 birthday when he told me he was having another child. Wtf am I then u Kno. The son u never wanted.
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It's mind-boggling that being attention-seeking is such a bad thing in the first place. Everyone needs attention !? And people who self harm often just need help, so why not just give that help to them!?
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Following my wife's example, a common saying to our kids is, it's ok to be (mad, sad, angry, stressed, etc), but it's not ok to (hit, scream at, throw, etc). We're not perfect parents, but I love that my toddlers are growing up feeling comfortable to feel and share their emotions and thoughts. Total opposite example given to each of us growing up. Parents constantly fighting, screaming at each other. My dad, for a time, would go to sleep with his pistol on his night stand telling my mom, "I haven't decided if I'm going to kill you tonight or not." The cycles don't have to continue!!!
Yes I like this, I'm glad you're breaking the pattern and Oh wow I am so sorry to hear about that violence in your home, it sounds traumatic.
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I remember being told repeatedly by my step father that I had no rights legally, that as a child, I wasn't even considered a citizen, and that he owned me. Usually in response to me trying to speak up against his abuse or threatening to tell someone. I kept silent until well into adulthood when I found out he'd been abusing my significantly younger siblings too. I'd thought he treated them better because they were his actual kids and he wanted them, which was true, but only to an extent. Abusive people are going to be abusive to anyone they have power over.
That only pretty girls are molested or harressed so I don't have to worry about those sort of things. Tanks Mom...
My grandma told me that my kids should always by me first priority. The best thing my parents taught me: My spouse is my partner in life and my priority. Together, our top priority is our children. So many people can't grasp this concept and it leads to a lot of divorces and a lot of children that grow up with skewed views of what a healthy relationship is.
And kids will test any weaknesses they see in your relationship to see what they can get away with (asking the other parent when one already said "no", for example), which is normal stage of development, but if the parents have a strong relationship and communicate well they'll have a unified front the kids can't break (which benefits the whole family since the parents are looking out for the kids with their rules, etc.). This is assuming the parents do listen to their kids feelings, thoughts, opinions, etc. and take them into account when together deciding rules, etc. for the kids. When I say "unified front," I'm not implying a shutout or breakdown in communication.It's also leading by example as opposed to "do what I say, not as I do".
Load More Replies... "My dad used a bet to discipline me and it straightened me out." Fûck that, you do not use a wooden cooking spoon to spank someone, let alone when their reaction is ten fold what you'd expect. Especially if you're a step-father and not the primary caretaker. Should I have kids at some point, most likely by addoption, I will never treat them like that, ever. Also, BP, do you dare censor my comment. (Nice try.)
Well... This is awkward. But my dad used to cheat on my mom way often. He never said it was wrong but eventually I "learned" that it was OK. I cheated on my previous couples, he knew, and he didn't blink an eye. He just said: "they should have done something for you to cheat. Cheating is not for free." Dude, literally... I lived some awesome relationships going to waste because I thought it was ok, or to better say it, there were no consequences on cheating. I had to learn my own way how much it hurts others and how much it ruins lives. I was also OK to be cheated on. If my mom was, why wouldn't I? Life was not monogamous... I can say that realizing the truth has been the most painful lesson I'm still learning.
The first time I ever thought "if I have kids I would never do them like I was done on something that is very important to every little kid and I ruined it for my whole 2nd grade class cause of what I was told. I didn't know that I was the only kid in my whole class that was told when I was a toddler bout parents lies to their kids about Santa, that there has never been and never will be a Santa Claus... There really was a man named Saint Nicholas though. I told my class when someone asked me what I wanted Santa to bring me for Christmas. Told them Santa wasn't real that our mom's and dad's buys our Christmas presents not a fake man name Santa. It's your dad or grabdpa in Santa suit. The whole class was crying and I got sent to the office over it. They called and told my parents what I did and they said Good those kids needed to know that Santa is not real that a true Christian wouldn't lie about Santa to their child. That's when they knew the reason why I said there's no Santa
Don't worry my kids believed in Santa until they were 9. I had to break it to em when some little kid pulled Santas beard down at Bass Pro shop and my youngest daughter was always terrified of him when she saw that when she was 4. Had to pull my oldest to the side to explain why that man pretended to be Santa. Her younger sister found out bout "Santas Helpers" until she was 9.
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Work hard and be loyal to you company or emloyer and you will be rewarded. Wow, It must have been nice growing up in the 50s.
By age 12 I already had a whole list of what not to say or do to my own children based on what I saw or heard from my parents and siblings. I have a grateful family of my own. Grateful as in I'm glad you followed your list.
As a kid (I would've been no older than 7, my brother no older than 5) I had an uncle who gifted us animals. The weirdest was a baby alligator that my parents later got rid of - they said it gave my brother nightmares. Another time, he got my brother and I bunnies. My dad built a hutch outside and they stayed out there. One night, we had a bad storm with tons of wind. Bunnies were gone the next day. Our parents said the bunnies got loose in the storm. At 32, I learned that that wasn't the case... Apparently they were given to an aunt and her family who had a bunch of animals; I think my parents thought it'd be better for these bunnies. Nope - it was their death sentence. Shortly after, Dad found out that they killed and ate them. My parents were shocked, but now they just think the relatives didn't get the pet part where bunnies were concerned. If they'd go rabbit hunting, that's a food animal (as opposed to dogs or cats).
When the child tells the parent that they feel they should see a therapist because they have made a few suicidal attempts; the parent should not respond with; "You made yourself depressed, figure your way out. I'm not taking you to a shrink. People will think poorly of us." Yep, was told that at 17 years old. Thank God for good friends being our therapists.
Only ONE of these was not normalized in my home growing up. So toxic. Also: - asking for help is weak - mental healthcare is a sign of weakness - "pain is a great teacher" - parents should be feared, then loved - anything less than blind obedience is a sign of disrespect.
Okay most of these advices are actually bad advices and shouldn't be followed. But some are actually great and might save you. I was a rebellious kid because of my unfortunate family background, but now I'm trying my best to build a family better than what i was in. So i see from both sides of the perspectives. Some of these advices sounds like they were written by spoiled snowflakes who haven't see life from the adult viewpoint.
My dad was like everything one of these...no wonder I need therapy
As the fourth child, I just wish they would have paid some attention to me and talk to me and acted as if they were actually mother and father. They paid no attention to my school work or grades and when we moved when I was 11 they didn't make any effort to get me some friends or help me adjust to a new neighborhood
Some harmful things I've heard: "Stop crying or I'll give you a reason to cry" / "you're too young to know" (in response to my coming out which I was not ready to do but kinda got thrown into it) / "You're 14, I'm 40, I think I know better than you" yes, you might know more stuff but I have different experiences than you, and while I have never experienced being an adult I'm not 5 and I'm allowed to form opinions on things. / And that one time he got really mad at me because I worded my phrase wrong and made it sound like I was questioning the authenticity of the story of Virgin Mary. / For anyone who has dealt with a narcissistic, homophobic, racist, or even straight up abusive parent, I'm so sorry and I'll listen to you rant anytime. I'm lucky enough that while my dad isn't the best I am still very privileged and my parents have never physically abused me.
One thing that i will never teach my children that my mom told me? THAT ROBLOX AND YOUTUBE ARE BAD, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY ARE NOT!!!
You must be about 10. I sincerely doubt when you’re 30 Roblox and YouTube will even be a thing anymore.
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Our children will be saying similar things about us. That is the hope. We all want to do better than our parents, but we have to understand, for most; they did the best they can.
I've been bullied a lot on and off by various people who were determined to crush my self-confidence. I've always been very quiet irl and these various individuals have completely ruined my ability to socialise with people I haven't had months to become comfortable around. Overall, I'm just trying to say all the ones about bullying (the why/how you should react) hit HELLA hard because I've found they're never right
Perfection is unattainable. That being said, you should strive to be better every day in every way you can. You WILL make mistakes like these, if not these themselves....but its what we do after the mistake that shows us who we are.
Nothing like a bunch of whiney children pretending their parents were so abusive and terrible.
It might help if you actually stuck to the topic instead of parading your issues. You only get banned around here for hate speech and trollish viciousness, which is just as it should be.
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"Don't be sad/scared/angry". Telling kids how to feel or not feel does a tremendous amount of harm.
I think the most harmful thing my dad ever told me was that boys/men are only interested in one thing from girls/women.
Most harmful thing my dad told me is that he was finally having the son he always wanted when I was 15 a week before my 16 birthday when he told me he was having another child. Wtf am I then u Kno. The son u never wanted.
Load More Replies... It's mind-boggling that being attention-seeking is such a bad thing in the first place. Everyone needs attention !? And people who self harm often just need help, so why not just give that help to them!?
Load More Replies... Following my wife's example, a common saying to our kids is, it's ok to be (mad, sad, angry, stressed, etc), but it's not ok to (hit, scream at, throw, etc). We're not perfect parents, but I love that my toddlers are growing up feeling comfortable to feel and share their emotions and thoughts. Total opposite example given to each of us growing up. Parents constantly fighting, screaming at each other. My dad, for a time, would go to sleep with his pistol on his night stand telling my mom, "I haven't decided if I'm going to kill you tonight or not." The cycles don't have to continue!!!
Yes I like this, I'm glad you're breaking the pattern and Oh wow I am so sorry to hear about that violence in your home, it sounds traumatic.
Load More Replies... I remember being told repeatedly by my step father that I had no rights legally, that as a child, I wasn't even considered a citizen, and that he owned me. Usually in response to me trying to speak up against his abuse or threatening to tell someone. I kept silent until well into adulthood when I found out he'd been abusing my significantly younger siblings too. I'd thought he treated them better because they were his actual kids and he wanted them, which was true, but only to an extent. Abusive people are going to be abusive to anyone they have power over.
That only pretty girls are molested or harressed so I don't have to worry about those sort of things. Tanks Mom...
My grandma told me that my kids should always by me first priority. The best thing my parents taught me: My spouse is my partner in life and my priority. Together, our top priority is our children. So many people can't grasp this concept and it leads to a lot of divorces and a lot of children that grow up with skewed views of what a healthy relationship is.
And kids will test any weaknesses they see in your relationship to see what they can get away with (asking the other parent when one already said "no", for example), which is normal stage of development, but if the parents have a strong relationship and communicate well they'll have a unified front the kids can't break (which benefits the whole family since the parents are looking out for the kids with their rules, etc.). This is assuming the parents do listen to their kids feelings, thoughts, opinions, etc. and take them into account when together deciding rules, etc. for the kids. When I say "unified front," I'm not implying a shutout or breakdown in communication.It's also leading by example as opposed to "do what I say, not as I do".
Load More Replies... "My dad used a bet to discipline me and it straightened me out." Fûck that, you do not use a wooden cooking spoon to spank someone, let alone when their reaction is ten fold what you'd expect. Especially if you're a step-father and not the primary caretaker. Should I have kids at some point, most likely by addoption, I will never treat them like that, ever. Also, BP, do you dare censor my comment. (Nice try.)
Well... This is awkward. But my dad used to cheat on my mom way often. He never said it was wrong but eventually I "learned" that it was OK. I cheated on my previous couples, he knew, and he didn't blink an eye. He just said: "they should have done something for you to cheat. Cheating is not for free." Dude, literally... I lived some awesome relationships going to waste because I thought it was ok, or to better say it, there were no consequences on cheating. I had to learn my own way how much it hurts others and how much it ruins lives. I was also OK to be cheated on. If my mom was, why wouldn't I? Life was not monogamous... I can say that realizing the truth has been the most painful lesson I'm still learning.
The first time I ever thought "if I have kids I would never do them like I was done on something that is very important to every little kid and I ruined it for my whole 2nd grade class cause of what I was told. I didn't know that I was the only kid in my whole class that was told when I was a toddler bout parents lies to their kids about Santa, that there has never been and never will be a Santa Claus... There really was a man named Saint Nicholas though. I told my class when someone asked me what I wanted Santa to bring me for Christmas. Told them Santa wasn't real that our mom's and dad's buys our Christmas presents not a fake man name Santa. It's your dad or grabdpa in Santa suit. The whole class was crying and I got sent to the office over it. They called and told my parents what I did and they said Good those kids needed to know that Santa is not real that a true Christian wouldn't lie about Santa to their child. That's when they knew the reason why I said there's no Santa
Don't worry my kids believed in Santa until they were 9. I had to break it to em when some little kid pulled Santas beard down at Bass Pro shop and my youngest daughter was always terrified of him when she saw that when she was 4. Had to pull my oldest to the side to explain why that man pretended to be Santa. Her younger sister found out bout "Santas Helpers" until she was 9.
Load More Replies... Work hard and be loyal to you company or emloyer and you will be rewarded. Wow, It must have been nice growing up in the 50s.
By age 12 I already had a whole list of what not to say or do to my own children based on what I saw or heard from my parents and siblings. I have a grateful family of my own. Grateful as in I'm glad you followed your list.
As a kid (I would've been no older than 7, my brother no older than 5) I had an uncle who gifted us animals. The weirdest was a baby alligator that my parents later got rid of - they said it gave my brother nightmares. Another time, he got my brother and I bunnies. My dad built a hutch outside and they stayed out there. One night, we had a bad storm with tons of wind. Bunnies were gone the next day. Our parents said the bunnies got loose in the storm. At 32, I learned that that wasn't the case... Apparently they were given to an aunt and her family who had a bunch of animals; I think my parents thought it'd be better for these bunnies. Nope - it was their death sentence. Shortly after, Dad found out that they killed and ate them. My parents were shocked, but now they just think the relatives didn't get the pet part where bunnies were concerned. If they'd go rabbit hunting, that's a food animal (as opposed to dogs or cats).
When the child tells the parent that they feel they should see a therapist because they have made a few suicidal attempts; the parent should not respond with; "You made yourself depressed, figure your way out. I'm not taking you to a shrink. People will think poorly of us." Yep, was told that at 17 years old. Thank God for good friends being our therapists.
Only ONE of these was not normalized in my home growing up. So toxic. Also: - asking for help is weak - mental healthcare is a sign of weakness - "pain is a great teacher" - parents should be feared, then loved - anything less than blind obedience is a sign of disrespect.
Okay most of these advices are actually bad advices and shouldn't be followed. But some are actually great and might save you. I was a rebellious kid because of my unfortunate family background, but now I'm trying my best to build a family better than what i was in. So i see from both sides of the perspectives. Some of these advices sounds like they were written by spoiled snowflakes who haven't see life from the adult viewpoint.
My dad was like everything one of these...no wonder I need therapy
As the fourth child, I just wish they would have paid some attention to me and talk to me and acted as if they were actually mother and father. They paid no attention to my school work or grades and when we moved when I was 11 they didn't make any effort to get me some friends or help me adjust to a new neighborhood
Some harmful things I've heard: "Stop crying or I'll give you a reason to cry" / "you're too young to know" (in response to my coming out which I was not ready to do but kinda got thrown into it) / "You're 14, I'm 40, I think I know better than you" yes, you might know more stuff but I have different experiences than you, and while I have never experienced being an adult I'm not 5 and I'm allowed to form opinions on things. / And that one time he got really mad at me because I worded my phrase wrong and made it sound like I was questioning the authenticity of the story of Virgin Mary. / For anyone who has dealt with a narcissistic, homophobic, racist, or even straight up abusive parent, I'm so sorry and I'll listen to you rant anytime. I'm lucky enough that while my dad isn't the best I am still very privileged and my parents have never physically abused me.
One thing that i will never teach my children that my mom told me? THAT ROBLOX AND YOUTUBE ARE BAD, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY ARE NOT!!!
You must be about 10. I sincerely doubt when you’re 30 Roblox and YouTube will even be a thing anymore.
Load More Replies... Our children will be saying similar things about us. That is the hope. We all want to do better than our parents, but we have to understand, for most; they did the best they can.
I've been bullied a lot on and off by various people who were determined to crush my self-confidence. I've always been very quiet irl and these various individuals have completely ruined my ability to socialise with people I haven't had months to become comfortable around. Overall, I'm just trying to say all the ones about bullying (the why/how you should react) hit HELLA hard because I've found they're never right
Perfection is unattainable. That being said, you should strive to be better every day in every way you can. You WILL make mistakes like these, if not these themselves....but its what we do after the mistake that shows us who we are.
Nothing like a bunch of whiney children pretending their parents were so abusive and terrible.
It might help if you actually stuck to the topic instead of parading your issues. You only get banned around here for hate speech and trollish viciousness, which is just as it should be.
Load More Replies... 