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Some things we just cannot forget. Like harsh words from the people we want to impress most—our parents.

On May 3rd, assistant professor at Stockton University Emily Van Duyne tweeted a question: "Does anyone else ever remember a cruel thing your parent said to you [and] it takes the wind out of you? Even if it was almost ten years ago?" Turns out, they do.

Emily's tweet has received over 200,000 likes and plenty of comments where people revealed their parents' mean phrases that will probably stick with them for life, and the thread has become like a giant online mental health session.

"I want you all to know I am sorting through and reading and thinking of and trying to respond individually to each of these stories," Van Duyne wrote as the responses kept pouring in. "I'm making pasta and reminding myself to be tender with my kids and tender with myself, as much as humanly possible, always. Please do the same."

Continue scrolling and check out some of our hand-picked confessions. Sometimes, seeing other people vulnerable is all you need to uncover and deal with your own crap.

#1

Cruel-Unforgettable-Things-Parent-Said

BrainRockets Report

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

I hope that you shove your success in your fathers face, and never let him meet his grandchildren. Okay. A bit harsh.

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#3

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

How often have people said: You could be so pretty if you just lost the weight.

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According to Jessie-Anne Bird, a psychologist from Johannesburg, South Africa, we can be deeply wounded by the words of others. "If we are not careful, we can react in a way that may escalate things unnecessarily," Bird told Bored Panda.

Instead, the psychologist suggested we use the STOP technique, and it looks like this:

S: Stop. Wait before you react.

T: Take a step back - give yourself some time and space from the situation.

O: Observe what's going on inside and outside. Become aware of your thoughts and feelings, think about how they may be impacting your decision-making.

P: Proceed mindfully - once you have an understanding of what is happening, and have thought through your options - then you will be in a position to make a choice about how to respond or react.

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#4

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

yes. the opp happened to me though. dad was sick for years (cancer). did everything I could and I couldn't. dropped out of a Ph.D. program to get a stable job to support his treatment and family costs. waited for years to hear him say for once that he was proud of me. never said anything...now it's too late. sometimes I wonder if I would view my life and career choices differently had he been actually proud of me, or if he cared.

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#5

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

hey. u r beautiful. words can b harsh, but they can never strip u off ur beauty. glad u have found a good therapist. hope u continue to see the beauty of life and ur beauty too

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

Thank you crazy cat for being so kind and thoughtful to deliver this message. Everyone should get kind words words when they need it! Keep being awesome and doing stuff like this, I will do it to!

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

My mother told my then 2yr old daughter to get off her because she was ugly. My daughter said 'That is silly, my daddy says I am beautiful!' :)

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

I was told this by an elementary bully for almost 4 years. It has greatly affected me to this day. I hope sender is better now.

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

What your mom said was so incredibly toxic. I hope that you will start to feel better soon.

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

How about "your a F***ING SELFISH GIT, BASTARD!!!" for asking her not to light a cigarette in my new car that doesn't have ashtray.

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

I recall an article that claimed the usual /parent child/ bonding sometimes doesn't occur. Yet still thats an insane and erratic statement.

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

I'm sorry for you. Also sorry for your mother. She must have been feeling really, really bad to say those things to her child.

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

It's weird that people still can t coop with someone being ugly. People who never saw her claim she is in fact beautiful. Can you imagine saying to someone coming out of the closet " you are not gay, i guarantee it". But somehow it's ok to claim somebody is pretty and reinforcing the idea someones worth is in their looks.

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

This is toxic parenting and that mom didn't deserve this child.

Silviu Leibovici
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Get an art history class, learn beauty, standards and representation of beauty in different cultures and changes along time, you'll learn you are also beautiful...

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

I asked my dad once how come we emigrated to Australia and nobody else in the family did: His explanation was that I was such an ugly kid we got kicked out of the country. I believed that for years.

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

Oh b******t. Just an excuse to not do s**t with your life. Now you can be in your 70s living off taxpayer money still blaming your mom for your shitty adult life. 100% guarantee OP was a f****d up child and 100% deserved it.

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

There's a frightful toxic cycle that many grow up with, and put the same garbage onto their own children. What you say about your children is a reflection of how you feel about yourself. She put a weight upon you, that you have to put down.

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

And what is crazy is they won't remember because to them it was just another Tuesday.

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

It sounds like your mom was having some issues on her end. Words may not break bones but they can break a spirit and a heart.

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

WOW--bad parenting--she must feel so insecure-hope you have broken off relationsip if she has not changed

JonaLou2U
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am so sorry she said that to you. I've never met you- but I think you're beautiful for having the courage to share this painful memory.

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

I am not a psychiatrist but I feel your mom didn’t love herself and it was about her.

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

Yes they sure are! You are lovely and hopefully the therapist can help you see how sick your was and how beautiful you are. Good luck with therapy.

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

This is so sad. For your mom to say this to you means that she has (had) a LOT of bad issues, probably from HER childhood. There is nothing wrong with you, it was always her problem, NOT yours.

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

She was projecting her insecurities on you. Fly like the majestic eagle you are!

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

ᴡᴏʀᴅs ᴄᴀɴ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀɴ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏɴɢᴜᴇ ɪs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ 2-ᴇᴅɢᴇᴅ sᴡᴏʀᴅ.

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

I once tutored a young lady who was in middle school, living with her Mom and maternal grandparents. She was smart, funny, and I really liked her. She was developing her own mind, of course, and that rubbed some adults the wrong way -- one of her teachers in particular. That was bad enough, but when the teacher busted her for some minor deal, the grandfather, upset that she had gotten in to trouble, told her she'd never amount to anything. Good grief.

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

words can cut deeper than any weapon but words can also heal better than any medication. look at yourself and realize, that sometimes words are just words and what matters is that u love yourself

Everest wolf
Community Member
2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I see the pfp and the people that have hurt her have no reason to say she is ugly. I’m sure she’s sweet, kind, and she is so beautiful and no one should hurt her like that.

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

I guarantee you weren't/aren't ugly. Your mother was jealous because attention was being taken from her. Clearly she was the centre of her own universe.

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Experts associate parent-child connectedness with a wide range of health indicators. Close, positive family relationships that feature open communication help young people stay healthy and avoid substance use and violent behavior.

"We tend to use the perceptions of others to inform our self-view, and we might place more importance on the feedback we receive from those we value," Bird said. "When we hear hurtful things from those we love or esteem - they may hurt more because we are more likely to believe them."

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Imi Lo, a psychotherapist, art therapist, and consultant for emotionally intense and highly sensitive people, thinks the relationship between a child and a parent is one of the most instinctively protective, loving, and nurturing things humans experience. So when such a connection is clouded with feelings of deep hurt and resentment, these negative emotions can follow people beyond childhood and adolescence into adulthood.

"At the end of the day, you want to be able to cross over the bridge of resentment and move to a place of peace," Lo wrote in Psychology Today. "But however cliche this sounds, you need first to love yourself, embracing both the good and the bad, your ability to love, and your rage towards others. You must forgive yourself for your inability to forgive. You are a survivor for being here today. You deserve to live without emotional baggage."

If what you do grows into a deep sense of love for your parents, then the journey would have been worth it. If not, at least you know that you tried, and you will have no regrets.

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#12

Cruel-Unforgettable-Things-Parent-Said

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

Have you noticed how parents will utter any stupidity because they can't manage their own stress and will take it out on their children because no one else is around to hear them rant?

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#14

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

That's gaslighting and my father did it all the time to me. Still does and I'm almost 50.

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#15

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bookkakes Report

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Grumble O'Pug
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nothing like getting belittled to make you feel better, right? Ugh

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#18

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CatWoman312
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She’s 9 dad. She’s playing soccer which involves a lot of running (assuming she’s not the goalie) so back off!

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#19

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

People fail to realize that self-harming is a coping mechanism toward pain and anger. Mom made it worse by telling you should be ashamed of yourself. I hope that you were able to find the help you needed.

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#20

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

My mom is like this. She doesn't say she doesn't care, but she shows it by not showing interest and changing the subject. Meanwhile, she can blather on for 30-40 minutes about the toast she had for breakfast or how she sat out in the sun for awhile.

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#21

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

When I was growing up, and even into my teens, family friends would say how pretty I was. My mother would say, "Nah, she's not." And, then start to list all my faults. I'd either walk away or stand there, rolling my eyes. So, yeah, I feel you.

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#22

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

I'd need therapy if I had to go through that rubbish too. Of course, I had my own battles with my mother.

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#24

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CatWoman312
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thankfully we wear masks now so we don’t have to look at the faces of ugly trolls like your mom

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#25

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

Ah, I do that too, because of my ADHD. I really hate it, sometimes I say things that make people uncomfortable because I didn’t think before I spoke.

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#27

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#28

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Alehfred Report

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

This isn't quite the same, but my mother told me that I had no patience for young children. She said this to me when I was 10 years old. I'm surprised that I turned out this well despite her negative attitude.

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#30

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#32

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

My mum had an emotionally abusive mother...so she went on to marry an emotionally abusive man who abused both her and us (myself and siblings)...now my older sister is emotionally abusive towards me...and possibly her step daughter... #intergenerationaltrauma

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#33

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

I remember one of the staff at the care home telling me not to cry when I realised that my mother really was dying. It certainly wasn't helpful.

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#34

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

My best friend is estranged from all her family members. And, in turn, they all seem to be estranged from one another. She said that growing up in her family, the environment was quite toxic, and she needed to get away from that. How bad was it? She said that she'd rather die than ask them for help.

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#35

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

I can't tell you how many times my mother told me I was stupid. "Not as stupid as you," I would retort. And, then we'd be fighting again.

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#36

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

Okay, I think this was well meant, if wrong, advice, perhaps also said in a bad tone. I think OP here is probably very sensitive and had low self esteem at the time, so this hit harder than it might have otherwise.

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#37

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

Parents do say things like that. I discover later in life it's about them, not you. They have insecurities. Please find the strength and self worth you deserve. Fight on!

#39

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

Shoot, that's just not fair. Birthday money is Yours. Spend it as you please.

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#40

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

One of my step fathers told me during their divorce that I was the cause. I was 10.

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#43

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

I had a co-worker that was a man hater. She'd constantly say how dumb and useless they were. Then my boss went to her and said "You have a son, right? He will eventually grow up to be a man. So every time you berate and belittle men in his presence, you're actually insulting him. Do you think he's going to resent you for that?" Our co-worker never bashed on men again.

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#44

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Evil Little Thing
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3 years ago

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I feel like there's more to this story than Naomi is telling. Parents have feelings too, and she clearly caught her mom at a terrible time.

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#47

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#48

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

That a dress isn’t flattering can be said in a much less harmful way.

#49

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

I did this with my mother. I called her after moving 3000 miles away to let her know her grandson was just diagnosed with Autism. She then proceeds to chew me out saying that she knew all along and that I had been to lazy to get him diagnosed before moving and that she had told me he was autistic (which she hadn't.) I tried to veer the conversation to what was being done for him to get him started on therapy. She kept going back to wanting me to admit that she'd already figured out his diagnosis before I left. I finally said "Look...I didn't call you to have an argument! If that's all you can do than sit there in your house alone and wonder what's going on. This is my son's life were talking about, not your Ego. Get over it or get lost!" And I hung up. Two months later, she called and apologized.

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#50

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

My mother thought that I was an alien. I'm not joking. She kept telling me that I wasn't like any of her friends' children. My father was cool with me, though. I think he got a kick out of me being a wise ass.

#51

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

I've been called "overdramatic" so much I can't even tell my parents how severely I have been impacted by them, and the fact I've quite literally been wishing that I could run far, far away from them or at least die. I'm scared they'll tell me I'm not actually depressed and I'm overreacting...

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#52

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TheReader19
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope you're not like your mother; you're too good to be her