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Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a recipe for the perfect parent. If there was, no one would be called terrible for the way they’re raising their child. But since such a recipe has not been introduced yet, some people might be shamed for their parenting practices.

A curious redditor turned to the ‘Ask Reddit’ community members with a question of what screams “I’m a terrible parent” to them. People were honest about what they considered the biggest red flags in moms and dads out there. And even though they shared different opinions, they all had one thing in common—none of them were likely to be deemed commendable examples of parenting.

#1

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Getting your kid's school principal fired for showing Michelangelo's David to the class.

Bizarre_Protuberance , virtusincertus Report

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

It's kinda weird to me how human bodies are seen as something to be ashamed of. It's simply a vessel for your journey on earth. Everyone has one, come on. Plus, at school the worst that could happen is everyone would go "haha penis"

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#2

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Not saying sorry to your kid when you are in the wrong or made a mistake.

SuvenPan , Josh Willink Report

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

I personally wouldn’t stop apologizing if I was in those shoes. I’m like that with everybody, really, but you can believe it’d be even more so with my kid especially.

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#3

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Filming your child trying to mock them only because "it's funny" when it's clearly uncomfortable for them, and then post the video on the internet

arrastre , cottonbro studio Report

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

In kindergarten my teacher filmed me having a meltdown because I couldn’t get my ski pants on, you know instead of helping me. Then showed it to me and told me off for having a meltdown. So having both home and school be places I couldn’t cry really helped me stop having meltdowns /s

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#4

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Youtube Family channel parents

AnnemarieOakley , Jimmy Dean Report

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

There's a lot of abuse behind the scenes. Putting your kids lives out for everyone to see, it's disgusting. Looking at you, DaddyOFive

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#5

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Forcing your older children to parent your younger children. This is called parentification. It’s a form of abuse/neglect, and it’s unfortunately quite common.

DisneyFoodie20 Report

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The Milk In Your Fridge
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

parenting my sibling at home, parenting my friends at school, parenting smaller relatives under the age of 12 at events… can’t people understand that i wanna put my feet up with a drink in one hand and a bag of dry roasted nuts in the other?!

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#6

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Defending every action/behaviour of your kid without hearing the other party's side. It's obviously natural and important to listen to your child, but you should not be disregarding the fact that your kid can make mistakes and is not perfect.

LeonLunaLola , Sai De Silva Report

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TonyTee
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother grew up with a friend who had a mother that was like this, he could do no wrong in her eyes, he was her “golden child”. It got to the point it ending up being where it was his friends, and his friends parents, who would scold him whenever he did something wrong because his mom would always just defend him; enable him if you will. I never understood parents like this. These same parents, later on in life, wonder why their kids treat them like s**t -_-

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#7

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Talking s**t about your ex infront of your kid

Material_Ambition_95 , Werner Pfennig Report

#8

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Blaming a child for something they can’t help.
When I was 10 I had trichotillomania, (a disorder which caused me to rip out my hair due to stress.)
My mother, (who was having chemo therapy at the time for cancer.) was in hospital, leaving me and my dad alone, when I got home he acted normal until he took me to my bedroom and started shouting and hissing in my face, spitting on me. Screaming, “You’re doing this for attention!” And “your mother doesn’t even have any hair and you’re doing this by choice!” I was shaking and crying as he mocked me for doing so, he then stomped downstairs on his laptop, and said, “You’re not normal, you’re getting therapy.” As a form of punishment. For the next few months, I’d go to weekly therapy with both my parents their in the room, and practically got shamed by all 3 of them, (I didn’t tell my mum what happened at the time) the therapist was a f*****g jerk. I got told I was overreacting, I was wrong for how I felt, I just had “low mood” and “was anxious.” I couldn’t open up about how I felt because both my parents were there.

Please do not blame your child for things they seriously cannot help.

daxter69420 , Liza Summer Report

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#9

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) “Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about”

LuminousRufio , Phil Nguyen Report

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

So common in my household when I was a child,cry for no reason ?easy solution ..a parent would whack you so you had something real to cry about.Hated it so much.

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#10

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) If your little kids smell like cigarette smoke, you're a bad parent.

(I'm talking about now. There was a time people didn't know about the dangers of secondhand smoke, but they sure as hell know about it now.)

BethLP11 , Susanne Nilsson Report

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

I once got told off by a teacher when I was in the seventh grade for having clothes that smelled like cigarette smoke. Both of my parents smoked, my older brother smoked. It was almost impossible to have anything in that house that didn't smell like cigarette smoke. My mom had to tell my teacher that the reason why I smelled of smoke was because of them.

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#11

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Wine mums.

Those mums that get online and post about how they “need” wine to deal with their kids.

It’s not funny, it’s not cute, it’s s****y parenting.

squeephish , August de Richelieu Report

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Ann Rei
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

True, there ist some misogyny in the Term though. You rarely hear complaints about "Whiskey dads" or guys(often with children) flexing their brewery knowledge. But moms cant enjoy a glass of wine in a thursday evening? Sure, some may have a problem, but this label ist too focused in women. Some women usw the term ironically.

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#12

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) People might hate me for this but obese kids

bigchipsdip , Tanaphong Toochinda Report

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

Like if your kid has a medical condition that makes it easy to gain weight, or whatever, as long as you try to keep them healthy despite that medical condition, you’re an alright parent! But if it’s the fact that your kid picked up YOUR habits and you don’t care whether they eat healthy, then yikes. Source: got bad eating habits from my parents :/

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#13

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Parents not punishing their kids. All kids are different and some things might not work but if your child is actively disrespecting a teacher or physically hurting another person and your first thing is to make an excuse....

nope123ee , Eddie Kopp Report

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

Not disciplining kids is a form of benign neglect. Sooner or later in life they will face repercussions for bad behavior.

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#14

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Choosing romantic relationships over your child

HollyFreakingJ , Vlada Karpovich Report

#15

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Refusal to deal with your own trauma, and continuing the cycle of abuse.


I ended our family's. Unfortunately it took almost my whole life.

LeZoder , Kindel Media Report

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

This is so true,I grew up being abused everyday imaginable,it nearly took my life a couple of times.But I can very proudly say my children had the opposite childhood that I did and they have grown to be loving caring men ,one who is now a fantastic father .I didn't think I would survive to be 16,let alone 53 ,married for 34 years with my soul mate and 2 sons and 2 daughter in laws that I love like my own...you have to brekq the Cycle

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#16

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Pushing their children to live out their own dream rather than just supporting them to be themselves

BallKey7607 , Anete Lusina Report

#17

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) An idiotic name (circa AITA Krxtxl) or anything similar.
Any parent I’ve ever seen who does this c**p treats their kid like an accessory.

iPad/phone parents. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against screen time but there has to be some boundary) I had a child in my last preschool class who literally ONLY spoke in YouTube quotes or video intro styles. I had to have him at age 4 permanently removed from my class for hockey fighting a kid and screaming “it’s a prank f***er” so yeah.. there’s been a lot of varying degree of screen obsession but that was one of the worst. That and the kid who hit my co teacher in the face with a poop filled hand for putting the iPads away for lunch time.

Sea-Butterscotch383 , Karolina Grabowska Report

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StrangeOne
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If it's for cultural name it should be given a pass. Other people can learn the proper pronunciation and learn to just accept that there are other languages out there than English, French, Spanish and Hebrew. I worked at a job where I had to ask for people's names and got a lot of Indian, Sri Lankan, Thai, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, names that looked like someone just smashed a keyboard "efiefhuifuireer" and called it a name. Still had to make an attempt with a "I'm apologize if I mispronounce the name..." https://globalnews.ca/news/9587949/indigenous-name-bc-birth-certificate/

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#18

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) The desire to want to be friends with your kid instead of a parent. Children have plenty of friends, but they only have two parents.

lapzab , Sebastián León Prado Report

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

I've seen this go way too far the other way though - outright cruelty and coldness because "I'm your parent, not your friend". Horrid mindset to go into raising a person who cannot leave you. There is a balance in being friendly and being a parent.

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#19

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) When you use your kids as emotional support figures or use them to cover your own irresponsibility. You had a 20 year head-start on your kid, yet they're already more responsible and mature.

Osteo-Malaka-cia , Helena Lopes Report

#20

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Not saying 'no' to your child.

GFVeggie6 , Pixabay Report

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Stephanie Did It
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some parents go to the opposite extreme, with every response to the child being 'no.' For me as a child, it automatically generated a "why?" for which I was lectured for back talking. Please teach children that there are reasons for decisions, and consequences for both cooperation and disobedience. Discipline literally means to teach, not punish. Children deserve to know how and why things work.

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#21

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Parents who s**t-talk and criticize their kid in public just for behaving like a kid.

Especially when they're nowhere near out of control, and just asking for a candy bar or something.

PM_ME_PARR0TS , Monstera Report

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

This was my mom. My brother and I got yelled at constantly just for giggling and playing and having fun. She treated it as if we were being out of line and needed to be adult-like and quiet at all times. We were kids that weren't allowed to be kids.

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#22

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Trying to gossip with one of your children about the other one

LennaPine , Ketut Subiyanto Report

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

This one is especially true, no f*****g good. What the parent doesn’t realize is this can lead to the siblings having a bad relationship with each other, over something so petty that could’ve been avoided. Honestly speaking, it’s also teaching your child how to be a phony, and the world already has enough of them. 😒 We don’t need any more

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

Not gossiping per se but, as an adult and eldest of my mother's 5 children, she sometimes confided in me her worries about one or another of my siblings. I obviously didn't have much wisdom to offer but I was happy and honoured to be her sounding board. I was proud think I didn't cause her any worry but, who knows? Maybe I did.

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

My dad does this, it's not really gossiping though. He'll call me a piece of s**t and a pussy, terrible person in front of my younger siblings but makes no attempts to hide it, he wants me to know. And his parents always, every single time they talk, will talk s**t about his siblings.

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

I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS A THING. I learned something today and it makes me sad.

Spencer's slave
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My ex does this. My youngest son chooses not to answer every single phone call/text/messenger from him, preferring to just get on with his own life. My ex will call/text/messenger my older son complaining younger son isn't answering the phone. My sons are 31 and 32 years old!

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

I never thought about that. Do people really DO that? As a parent I thought it was my job to foster a close and loving relationship between my kids.

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

My ex husband did and does this - and it gets on my nerves so much so that he sees the kids less and less every year they hate it too

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

My mother talks bad about my father in Front of me all the Time and I hate it. They are still married.

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

My mom will sometimes call me to vent about my sister. We are both well into adulthood, and I’m 13 years older than her. She’s more my niece than sister. But, it never happened when she was younger.

Alex Mont
Community Member
1 year ago

This comment has been deleted.

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#23

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) "I took my kid's door away" Apparently this is confusing people so I'm going to add the part that was super heavily implied.


"I took my kid's door away because if they're going to slam the door they don't deserve privacy"


I hope that clears up any confusion. And if I post somewhere else it's bad to beat a kid. I don't mean at games so no need to point out that it's okay to kick a kid's a*s in chess.

jackfaire , Pavel Danilyuk Report

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

When I was 10 I got Roblox but only got to play for 2 days before it was banned for being an online game (as a young kid I raged a lot, you know, from anger issues caused by trauma). Anyways I played it in secret and would shut my door to do so everyday. My parents would get annoyed. And unrelated but yesterday I was watching videos on my phone in the dark (was still daytime) my mom comes in to grab something then starts questioning me about it like I was using my damn phone to run a drug dealing ring.

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#25

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Ridiculing your kids in public. Like, at least wait until you get in the car or at home.

dumbass_shitposter , PNW Production Report

#26

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Your kid is literally always grounded.

FragileStoner , cottonbro studio Report

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

I used to get in trouble for stuff *other* people did. Example - Mom arranged for me to spend the afternoon at a classmates house. We weren't even friends, but she was nice enough. Her mother told us to go play outside unsupervised. My mom came to pick me up and found out the adult didn't know where we were and hadn't even tried to look. *I* got in trouble. I was maybe 7 or 8 years old?

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#27

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Telling your child you're proud of them for something (1) they can't control or (2) you can't prove.

Eg: when I was a child, a lot of my classmates had disorders like OCD, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and similar. My mother used to tell me all the time that she was so relieved I didn't have any of those, and that it was "a blessing from God." Well as it turns out, I have all of those, and she simply never bothered to have me tested. When the symptoms became impossible to ignore, I couldn't talk to her about it.

LennaPine , Oleksandr Pidvalnyi Report

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

My mom has ADHD and likely some other mental illness from her terrible childhood. She denies she has it. Would likely deny I have it. I’m pretty sure I have it because my two siblings do. I’ve taken multiple self assessments all suggesting I have ADHD. At some point me and my sister will try to get a doctor’s evaluation. So many hoops to jump through for an official diagnosis all because my mom is ignorant.

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#28

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) If their kids are older, and want nothing to do with them.

spicy-bae , Kindel Media Report

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

He will not give a f**k when I leave and I will want nothing to do with him either. Sometimes cutting out family is best for everyone.

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#29

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Parents whose first and only response to a child acting out (or even just being a little noisy) is to stick an iPad or mobile phone under their nose and then go back to ignoring them.

Equally...parents who do never do anything when a child is acting out and let them run wild - I get that sometimes you might need to let the kid exhaust themselves/burn off energy, but there has to be a middle ground somewhere between the two responses.

I was going to add parents who give their children stupid names/stupidly spelled names - but that's not necessarily bad parenting, just bad taste. Still...if it's going to get the kid bullied later in life, it's not great.

rob_080 , Kelly Sikkema Report

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

Several years ago was a Disney land in one of the restaurants. Large family group of about 25 sitting nearby. Kids running around bumping into people and never saw any parents trying to control them. Left a huge mess, too

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#30

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Children with bad teeth

claymir , Karolina Grabowska Report

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

I had brushed my daughter's teeth and flossed morning and night, daily. I couldn't get her in to see any dentist in the city until she was 2. By then I was told she had 6 cavities. Those got fixed. Every other dentist visit we were told she had cavities. I've learned recently tiny cavities don't necessarily need fillings every times. But I think it was necessary because she continues to have tooth problem to this day no matter how diligent she is. As a contrast, I have a fear of dentists and it was quite a few years before I went to a dentist and neglected my own teeth. When I did get up the courage to go to a dentist I was sure much of my teeth were too bad and about to fall out. Turns out all they needed was a good cleaning and no cavities. What??? My daughter's dad has deteriorating teeth and her grandpa has had a history of tooth problems, despite going to the dentist. Genetics are weird and frustrating. I didn't do any bottle propping, nor give her much sweets, either.

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#31

“Wine Mums”: People Online Describe What They Consider To Be A Terrible Parent (30 Examples) Children that think they’re adults.

PoorPauly , Mary Taylor Report

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Discarded lithium batteries
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think that it’s parents who encourage their children to act like stereotypical “teens”, as in drinking, vaping, being sexually explicit etc. Almost everyone as a child-teen thinks they are more or less an adult; or have the same responsibility/maturity. It’s just a fact. When I was twelve I sure thought I was mature and that I could handle life. As a young teen I know that in a few years I’ll see myself as a child pretending at maturity. Very good parents are ones who validate their child’s thoughts and experiences- no matter their age.

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