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I hate generalizations, but I also believe that every family is at least a little wacky. Of course, degrees may vary, but who hasn't looked back on their childhood without thinking "WTF was that?"

However, if you bury these memories deep in your heart, they might resurface even fiercer and at an unexpected moment, too. So it's probably wise to get them out of your system.

Plus, you might even find out that other people have been in similar situations, which could help you normalize your experiences.

One of the places to vent about these things is the subreddit 'Insane Parents Memes.' This online community is a judgment-free place for anyone who has been through some tough stuff to express whatever they're feeling.

#1

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whaaaaaaaaaa
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This should be first. So true and not only for corporal punishment or punishment in general but just saying that whatever problem you're having, we're not gonna fix it because I went through that too in my years and I turned out fine

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To learn more about 'Insane Parents Memes,' we contacted its moderators and one of them agreed to have a little chat with us.

"This subreddit is an offshoot of r/insaneparents, which currently sits at 1.4 million users," they told Bored Panda. "It's a place for our users to post memes which are not allowed in the larger sub per its rules because not everyone there wants to see them. So, this subreddit is for those who want to express themselves in that way.

The activity level, according to the mod, is normal for an offshoot sub with 15K members.

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SleepyBunny
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my parents :) I'll say literally the mildest of things and ( ESPECIALLY my dad) and they'll say I'm being disrespectful even though they're giving so respect to me..

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Cat Chat
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think many parents forget that the daily alone or "without kids" time helps to relieve stress. They forget to factor in that need during family trips. Similarly, kids need their daily "without parents" time (well, those kids in the double digits ages, at least).

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The moderator said, "People want to know they aren't the only ones who have gone through these things, and it is cathartic for them to know that not only is it not normal, but others have been through it as well. Those experiences can range from the mundane to literal abuse, although in both cases, physical abuse is avoided because it violates Reddit's terms of service."

Among the memes, it's not the types of parents that have become infamous within the community but rather the individual behaviors. "These experiences can range from being tossed onto the street at 18 to having religion or politics shoved onto them from a young age, as well as failures of communication, et cetera."

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pandabeth
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me: *pops pills for pain relief* Mom: Do my laundry Me: Uhm, I don't think so Mom: *deliberates scornfully* Okay, I forgive you. Me: I can- Mom: -Please! I've moved on. Okay? *Five minutes later, one hour later, later that night, the next week* Me: Ma? Mom: No. You didn't do my laundry, did you?

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My parents never did it, but my grade school principal used the belt. God I hope that man is finally dead.

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Tiffany Marie
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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah I got diagnosed with severe Borderline Personality Disorder, tons of trauma from childhood so CPTSD which is included with the BPD but also social trauma, severe depression, severe anxiety and a mild thought disorder (psychotic features). My Dad told me "I overthink too much, I have too much time on my hands and need to get a job." That was it. That is all he said. Nothing more and I wasn't allowed to talk about it anymore. My mom was already passed she had committed suicide. I'm 34 now and my Dad passed a few years ago. He's a malignant narcissist though who's a huge part of my chronic childhood trauma. My mom was all messed up also.

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For the most part, grown-ups get along with their old folks. According to a 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center, 32% of young American adults describe it as excellent, and another 28% say it is very good, while 23% say it is good, and just 18% say it is fair or poor.

Most (69%) also feel like they can be their true selves around their parents (about two-in-ten (19%) say they can do this some of the time, and 11% say they can rarely or never be their true selves).

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Crispycritter
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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A friend of mine attempted to "unalive" himself and the hospital contacted his father. The father said he had to go work, and couldn't be bothered. 🤬

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#13

Ironic How That Works Right?

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shanila.pheonix_
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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my parents call me a loser more than they actually call me my actual name, let alone cute nicknames(which they only use when they need something from me). :(

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Still, young American adults say they and their parents disagree at least sometimes about:

  • How they’re raising their children (40%, among those who are parents themselves);
  • Their financial choices (39%);
  • Their career or job situation (37%);
  • Their social life (34%);
  • Their political views (33%).
#15

But It's A Sin!11!1!!

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Helena R
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why does this still happen? Gay couples can still be happily married and have kids if they want to. If your child's partner makes them happy, treats them and your family with respect then why does it matter what the bits between the legs are? A happy home and family is filled with love and stability

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TotallyNOTAFox
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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And that's why "God forgives all sins if you just go to church" is a BS concept.

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TotallyNOTAFox
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminder to all parents: Good treatment prevents anybody from ending in the cheapest eldery care facility that can be found

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Fewer, but still a considerable number of young American adults, say they and their parents disagree at least sometimes about:

  • What their parents think about their spouse or partner (30%, among those who are married or living with a partner);
  • Their choice of romantic partners (30%, among those who are neither married nor living with a partner);
  • Their views about religion (29%).
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Jill Rhodry
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder how people come up with age appropriate for 'things' - but then I still buy my daughter, who'll be 30 next month, care bears as gifts.

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Landithy
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dad thinks I got brainwashed at university. No dad, I just learned critical thinking skills and realized that a lot of the stuff I believed as a teenager didn't hold up to any kind of scrutiny.

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Browsing the content of this subreddit, the moderator thinks we need to remember the connotation of the word "insane" in its context.

"People make plenty of posts on r/insaneparents every day, and many are removed for failing the two-fold test — mod approval and community voting. The post-approval process is different between both subreddits. Posts here have a lower bar for approval as it is simply for users to express themselves without that two-fold process."

Because of this, 'Insane Parents Memes' discusses things a wider community would simply vote down.

"It is possible to grow up without witnessing something 'insane' from your parents if one grows up in a happy, normal home. (Nearly everyone views their home as happy and normal at first.) That is what it is supposed to be, a safe, happy place. It isn't until they start telling their childhood stories to others and see their reactions that they realize maybe something was off about their childhood."

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sbj
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My Mom not telling me about getting a call for a 2nd interview and she wonders why we don't talk anymore

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LB
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The text does not match the meme format, it's supposed to be about self-sabotage.

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AndThenICommented
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ouch. Mine was tomatoes- I gagged one day (too acidic) and then they made me take a pregnancy test

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Bas
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mum is an insecure manipulator breeding insecurity in her own kids

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#32

Sometimes, You Need To Think About Your Choice Of Words, Because Misunderstandings Happen And People Can Get Hurt. For This Case However, I Know For A Fact That It's Not A Matter Of Poor Choices Of Words

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What even is this
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother constantly called me a pig and said I'd never find someone willing to have a relationship with me. Years later and I panic clean whenever my house looks a little cluttered, and I haven't had any successful relationships because I'm too scared to let anyone get close 🤷‍♀️

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Tiffany Marie
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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I ran away when I was 5. My mom was selling drugs in Northern Phoenix around 1995. My dad got kicked out due to beating my mom constantly. He worked in aerospace and made bank. She was seriously selling drugs big time to cover costs after he left. We lived in a rich neighborhood at the time. Anyhow I was extremely neglected. There was nothing but abuse, rape, domestic violence and severe neglect going on in that household. I barely could talk at age 5. When I hit school I wasn't even close to the other kids in development. I struggled a lot. They realized I ran away with the ferret and had to flush all the drugs as fast as they could. Ton of drugs. Just got rid of it all. After I got home my mom's boyfriend was horrible to me for a long time after that. Anyways my mom left for weeks on in as she had a second home. Wouldn't pay the bills or more like forgot to. We had barely any food or electricity. I was alone a lot. I was 5 with a ferret. I slept with ferret poop in a nice house and ate raw top ramen and can bean dip. My parents sucked.

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#34

The Stuff I Was Posting Was About Me Coming Out As Pan And Genderfluid

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Tempest
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a FB friend who posts the most egregious content 95% of the time, some stuff so sexist and racist that I’ve muted him repeatedly over the years to hide his content from my home page. However, every once in a while I also see him posting loving messages to his mom, tagging her and thanking her for being his mom, which clearly shows that he’s FB friends with his mom and that she has seen the stuff he posts. I guess it’s how different parent-child relationships are but personally I find it weird to post questionable content if you’ve got your parents or other older relatives, teachers, etc as friends. But a parent creating an account just to stalk their child’s account is also weird.

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TotallyNOTAFox
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never had that problem, because I was the one that had to do all the IT stuff for my parents, unlucky for the following generation is that the people born in/right before that technological gap are the parents now

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Not Sure How This Achieves Your Goal But Okay Lol

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