Hey Pandas, What Was Something Your Parents Did That You Thought Was Normal? (Closed)

#1

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

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55points

Monolicle Potato

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depressePANcake 3 years ago

:(

22points

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#2

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

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51points

Watching

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depressePANcake 3 years ago

Good for you.:)

14points

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#3

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

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Final score:

37points

dead gay heart

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depressePANcake 3 years ago

My dad does this too. That does not make it normal.

21points

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aesthetic.baddie27 3 years ago

My dad does this as well. I agree with you.

4points

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dead gay heart (Submission author) 3 years ago

Thank you everyone, I thinks there’s some background info needed so here we go.. In December I tried committing suicide, yes I know tragic, my father didn’t know how to deal with it besides being the person he has always been. His jokes are exactly like the witchy mom in rapunzel. He makes jokes even about my sexuality and I get it but at the same time it’s like bro I’m your kid. It’s gotten worse I think as of late due to said suicide attempt..I’m in therapy and now have a diagnosis for the way I was feeling (anxiety (social as well), mild depression, and adhd) I love him dearly but sometimes I don’t think he truly understands that mental health is real and that he’s not helping mine. Anyways thx for coming to my tedtalk

5points

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Easily Excitable Panda 3 years ago

I've been depressed to the point of suicide, and neither of my parents ever 'got' it. They were just ashamed. And my dad started yelling at me for being "too sensitive," as if that would help. Stay strong, and remember: you're not alone.

1point

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Octavio Mancilla 3 years ago

Nope, it's not normal. Parents should help you build your self esteem, anyone who does otherwise with a kid most likely has something to fix inside them first.

5points

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Maya 3 years ago

my dad keeps mocking me for no reason.. its very sad..

5points

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Shara Kranz 3 years ago

Sometimes our best teachers show us how we Don't want to be.

3points

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BananaAnna 3 years ago

This is not normal. This is mental abuse.

4points

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Watching 3 years ago

I could never imagine treating my children the way that some people treat their kids. I love all kids.

3points

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Zayd Long 3 years ago

Same

2points

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Isabella Rowe 3 years ago

My mom🙄

2points

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A.M. Pierre 3 years ago

It like's in the movie "Tangled" - Mother Gothel is like "it looks so exhausting pulling me up every day." Rapunzel: "oh, it's nothing". Mother Gothel: (in a sing song voice) "Then I don't know why it takes you so long." Then she laughs and immediately says she was teasing and for Rapunzel not to take her seriously even though it was clearly a criticism. And then she "teases" her about her looks. And her weight. And on and on. And then turns around and tells her how much she loves her.

2points

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A very angy gay 3 years ago

If it's light-hearted and not meant to be offensive then yeah it's normal. Though if he's genuinely doing it just to be mean then that is not ok.

2points

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depressePANcake 3 years ago

Sorry but how can abuse be light hearted.(genuine question)

8points

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Xan A. Du 3 years ago

If it makes you feel bad, he should know that. He may not mean it to hurt you. He may genuinely not get it. That's where a conversation with him could help.

1point

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Ethan Lee 3 years ago

it happens everyday. not in a good way.

1point

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Easily Excitable Panda 3 years ago

Even if you are being "annoying," you don't deserve to be treated this way! It's not normal. It's abusive, even if you're not being hit.

1point

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am_c0m0 3 years ago

I'm a parent and this is NOT funny! My ex did that to me and my kids and it's traumatizing. I'm so sorry you have to go through this. He's the one with the problem!

0points

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Sheila Stamey 3 years ago

Not normal. You are fine. Trust me on this. Been there.

0points

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blugeagua 3 years ago

This is absolutely NOT normal. This is just plain bullying. Not okay.

0points

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Elizabeth Molloy 3 years ago

My Father was physically and mentally abusive. I haven't seen him since I was 13. At age 46 I had a complete mental breakdown. This is ABUSE and is severely damaging! Get help. Get away if you can.

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#4

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

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37points

Samara Alam

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Ethan Lee 3 years ago

me too.

17points

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#5

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

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35points

Donkey boi

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Joley Hidaka 3 years ago

they sound like good people

10points

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#6

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

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34points

Ariana Grande Artist

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Bon Bon(still purple boi) 3 years ago

lol i feel bad lol

8points

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#7

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

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33points

Gina O'Toole

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depressePANcake 3 years ago

That’s sad

22points

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#8

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

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Final score:

33points

AzKhaleesi

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Jenna Oriol 3 years ago

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

27points

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#9

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

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Final score:

30points

Mushroom Garden

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Abigail Johnson 3 years ago

good idea

8points

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#10

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

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Final score:

29points

Scotland's-Favorite-Gay

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Tacocat 3 years ago

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

8points

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#11

I had two moms.

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Final score:

29points

Gina Tina

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Easily Excitable Panda 3 years ago

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

38points

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#12

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

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Final score:

28points

Snake of Eden

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angelica H 3 years ago

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

5points

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#13

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

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Final score:

27points

Stitches

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aesthetic.baddie27 3 years ago

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

18points

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#14

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

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26points

Grey Unicorn

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MYRA 3339739 3 years ago

SAME lol

11points

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#15

Being homophobic and racist -_-

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Final score:

24points

Mel The Axolotl

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Ella Greenman 3 years ago

S**t thats a bad parent

14points

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#16

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

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23points

Kane_The_Corathian

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Dianethe Dinosaur 3 years ago

It's common unfortunately, but nowhere near normal.

7points

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#17

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

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21points

{+ Will +}

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Aurelia! 3 years ago

wouldn't that get old?

16points

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#18

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

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Final score:

21points

Shelp

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Javiera Gotelli 3 years ago

That's just good parenting :)

3points

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#19

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

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20points

THE DOG LIFE

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THE DOG LIFE (Submission author) 3 years ago

Almost forgot, being compared to other kids

10points

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#20

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

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16points

Luca Fenton

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Stitches 3 years ago

oh god I’m sorry I relate sending hugs

9points

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#21

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

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Final score:

16points

DogPerson7

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Isabella Rowe 3 years ago

lol

4points

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#22

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

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Final score:

16points

Im.in.wonderland

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Shelp 3 years ago

This is absolutely scandalous!

12points

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#23

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

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Final score:

15points

bon bon purple boi

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Xan A. Du 3 years ago

It may be, for them.

8points

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#24

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

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Final score:

15points

howdylee

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Easily Excitable Panda 3 years ago

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

9points

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#25

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

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Final score:

15points

BananaAnna

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Thomas Afonso 3 years ago

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

4points

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#26

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

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14points

Lover_Girl

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Mustn’t eat the mango 🥭 3 years ago

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

11points

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#27

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

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Final score:

14points

Silver the Sloth (they/them)️‍️️‍️‍️️‍

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Nymphadora Tonks 3 years ago

I do this

4points

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#28

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

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14points

Half-Jewish-Doggo

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Nikki Sevven 3 years ago

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

12points

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#29

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

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14points

tsu

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Sarah Simons 3 years ago

I love your username :)

7points

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#30

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

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14points

Emma_Aitana yay

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Devon Barnes-Balmer 3 years ago

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

3points

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#31

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

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Final score:

13points

Jester

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Mia Hamsa 3 years ago

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

4points

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#32

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

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Final score:

12points

alex cosgrove

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#33

constantly teasing me

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12points

byebye

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#34

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

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Final score:

11points

Easily Excitable Panda

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angelica H 3 years ago

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

4points

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#35

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

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11points

sugarcube

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GaeFrog 3 years ago

Idk what parents have against this as long as you wash your hands when done ;-;

4points

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#36

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

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11points

Tamera Gardner

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Stephanie IV 3 years ago

Or Veenarla.

1point

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#37

Giving you nicknames. Like Dora.

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10points

Nymphadora Tonks

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Anonymous Panda 3 years ago

Is that not normal? I am only called by my nickname except for teachers.

8points

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#38

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

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Final score:

9points

River Webb

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Shelp 3 years ago

Never heard about that before

5points

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#39

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

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9points

Catherine Graves

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Elizabeth Molloy 3 years ago

Sounds like fun!

6points

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#40

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

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8points

the warner sister

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Nymphadora Tonks 3 years ago

I don't like the sequels. Disney ruined it.

4points

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#41

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

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8points

x

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#42

Proving i am worthy of my fathers love.

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8points

Luca Kappel

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Shelp 3 years ago

That's sad

5points

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#43

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

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Final score:

7points

Tucker Mcinturff

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ℜ𝔬𝔟𝔢𝔯𝔱 ℭ𝔞𝔱𝔱𝔢 3 years ago

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#44

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

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Final score:

7points

Madbilby

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Dana Dara 3 years ago

Im what? You butter bread for a sandwich?

19points

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#45

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

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7points

Aura the rain/seawing hybrid

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Aura the rain/seawing hybrid (Submission author) 3 years ago

I also thought that leaving the door open in the bathroom was normal!

0points

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#46

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

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7points

A C

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Sista of the moon 3 years ago

Believing in god is normal... what are you implying?

7points

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#47

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

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Final score:

7points

Bliss

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Elizabeth Molloy 3 years ago

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

0points

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#48

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

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7points

Emma London

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SeaShell 3 years ago

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

2points

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#49

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

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7points

Boredzzz

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Grace and Lucy 3 years ago

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

2points

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#50

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

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6points

maddie pealer

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Chik Nuggs 3 years ago

You will get through this

2points

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#51

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

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5points

Top_ramen

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Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

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

2points

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#52

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

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4points

Wolfowl

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#53

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

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Final score:

4points

CATMONSTER2018

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#54

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

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3points

Marnie

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Tim Haight 3 years ago

eww gross

2points

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#55

My mom earning more than my dad.

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1point

Lola

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qwerty 3 years ago

That is normal.

10points

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#56

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

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

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

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Final score:

1point

Tim Haight

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