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To hear from an expert why strict parenting is not the best method of raising kids, we reached out to parenting educator and coach Hillary Gruener. First, we asked Hillary what some of the problems with strict parenting are. "Connection should always come before correction," she told Bored Panda. "Strict parenting leans more towards constant correction, and unhealthy expectation of a child to perform the 'right' way. This can lead children to feel inadequate in the eyes of their parents, possibly causing them to struggle with lifelong insecurity. It can also lead to people pleasing or rebellion."

"But when parents can guide and teach their child through example and loving discipline, it gets our agenda out of the way, and has the child’s best interest at heart — for them to have genuine hearts instead of perfect behavior. Strict parenting misses their hearts and becomes hyper focused on behavior," Hillary explained.

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online My mom wouldn't let me have any female friends growing up. Joke's on her, I'm gay!

vozami Report

Final score:

329points

POST

Meeple13 2 years ago

well well well how the turntables

167points

We also asked Hillary why parents sometimes feel the need to be too strict with their kids. "I know for myself, it’s convenient when my kids listen, are well-behaved, and things are peachy," Hillary shared. "Sometimes, being strict gets the job done, but it often misses the heart. My desire to control any given situation can often cause me to become more strict, have unrealistic expectations, and forgo the heart of the matter — for my kids to have genuine hearts."

"I think most of us desire control in some way or another," she explained. "It’s human. So other than it coming from that, it can also be a result of how we were raised. Unhealthy cycles are repeated when we don’t address them and do the work to be humble and apologetic to our kids, while also making changes where we need. Misbehaved children are a call for us as parents to look within and make sure their behavior isn’t a result of something we need to adjust in our parenting."

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online When I was in 5th grade I wrote some stuff in my diary about masturbating, and like a month later, my mom went through all my stuff. She would randomly go in my room, tear it apart, I'd always get in trouble for SOMETHING, and then I'd have to clean up the mess and be grounded for whatever amount she felt like that day.

So anyway, she found that diary entry. She picks me up from school and won't talk to me. I get home, my door was removed from my room, that diary entry was taped on the wall, and I was threatened with a belt if I didn't answer all her invasive questions.

F****d up.

Lipstickandpixiedust , Pixabay Report

Final score:

217points

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Talitha Jansen 2 years ago

A parent removing a door to the child's bedroom is so wrong on many levels. Clearly they can't parent without giving their kids a safe space. Not to mention how damaging it is to punish kids for masturbating in the safety of their own room

228points

We also asked Hillary if she had any advice for parents who are tempted to be extremely strict with their kids. "Always have your child’s best interest in mind," she said. "As the adult, it’s your job to set the tone of your household. Ask yourself, 'Do I want to raise genuine hearts or people-pleasers? Do I want my children to fear me when they have done something wrong or feel safe to come to me with anything?'"

"Set realistic boundaries and hold to them to keep everyone accountable, including yourself," Hillary continued. "You can come up with a family guide and list out all the things you expect of one another. For example, be kind, be gracious, put your dish in the dishwasher when you’re done eating, etc. Personalize it to your family. Give your kids clear ideas about what they CAN do, instead of focusing on all they are doing wrong."

Finally, Hillary shared, "Give your kids grace. So much grace. And the most important, if you mess up, simply apologize. There is so much power in your children seeing you own your mistakes."

If you're interested in hearing more wise words from Hillary about parenting, you can find her blog Word from the Bird right here and her Instagram account right here.

I was not allowed to use public restrooms. I "ruined" our Disney trip because of how many times we had to go back to the hotel when I was six. And I quite honestly had accidents when I was far too old to do so because my parents had my teachers reporting bathroom use to them, too. There was no place I could safely use the restroom other than home without getting into trouble.

Finally I got to use public restrooms without punishment when I f*cking went to college. I got pretty good at hiding restroom use in high school because the high school refused to report it to my parents. Why did none of these teachers spot the abuse? How?

phoenix_corn: Report

Final score:

185points

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Nunya Business 2 years ago

That's unreasonably insane and cruel.

69points

tacoflavoredkisses94 Report

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I was not allowed to watch Pokémon because it "taught evolution." Hahah.

Final score:

176points

POST

Meeple13 2 years ago

...because evolution can't be good for the human brain, obviously.

98points

Being a parent is an extremely difficult job. There is so much pressure to do and say the right things to ensure that your children grow up to be kind, productive, intelligent, well-adjusted, contributing members of society. It’s natural to desire a little too much control over your children’s lives, as you just want the best for them, and you may fear that something will go wrong if they have too much freedom. But we have to allow kids autonomy. They are individuals, after all, and we can do everything in our power to guide them, but we cannot control them.

I grew up in a relatively strict household and attended a very strict private, religious school as a kid. I felt like there were rules everywhere I went. I never felt safe to explore, share my feelings or even ask questions, as it was so ingrained in me that I should just think inside the box and color inside the lines. Eventually, I attended arts school as a teen, and my whole world opened up. I was exposed to different kids of people, new lifestyles and ideas, and I met kids who weren’t scared of their parents or breaking the rules. Suddenly, the pendulum swung, and I felt the uncontrollable urge to rebel.

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online My dad didn't believe in periods. And when I cried that I needed feminine products gave me food stamps to buy them. I was humiliated

unsweetee , Natracare Report

Final score:

172points

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MagicalUnicorn 2 years ago

was he one of those who believed that one could 'let it go' at once while on toilet? sorry you had to experience that

176points

I’m not saying that having strict parents turned me into a delinquent or anything like that, but it certainly did impact who I am as a person. (Just ask my therapist, she’ll tell you!) And while I think I turned out just fine, there is no denying that growing up surrounded by strict rules and the fear of being punished or disappointing your parents has an impact on a person. In fact, according to VOA, overly strict parenting can cause long-term psychological consequences.

One 22-year-old accounting student opened up to VOA about how having extremely strict parents who place huge amounts of pressure on her has led to struggling with depression and feeling like she has limited freedom to make her own decisions. “There’s no emotional attachment between me and my parents at all,” she shared. She even noted that each morning, she is met with a tirade of harsh words from her parents as they demand perfect academic performance from her.

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online My parents once grounded me for two years for getting a B on my report card. They took everything out of my room besides the bed, and I wasn't allowed to do anything with friends. A year-and-a-half into it I asked if I could be un-grounded. At that point they had actually forgotten what they grounded me for, but they refused because "I must have done something bad."

They also refused to let me stay up past 8 pm. Even in high school.

SpitefulNoodle: , Lucas Metz Report

Final score:

167points

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Kayla Marie 2 years ago

They shouldn't have had children.

231points

Not every strict parent is concerned about grades above all else, though. Some are more worried about their children’s appearances, worried they will go down a path of substance abuse, fearful their kids will be poorly behaved or get arrested, worried their own reputation will be tarnished by their children or simply believe that because they are the adults, they should be in charge of all of their children’s decisions.

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online Dad was a narcissist... Biggest rule in the house was not to make any noise around him. If he was home the whole house got quiet and tense. Even my mom used to eat her cereal in the bedroom because she'd get in trouble for chewing crunchy food. Now she's long rid of him and married to a way better guy, but she still apologizes for eating crackers.

jemifig Report

Final score:

166points

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Suzanne Tilson 2 years ago

What kind of " The shining" s**t is this

117points

He_was_a_quiet_man13: , Aaron Burden Report

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I attended Church three times on Sunday at 9 am, 11 am, and 7 pm, followed by Bible study Tuesday nights and youth group Friday nights. I can count on one hand the times I missed attending from birth until I moved out at 17.

I haven't been back since.

Final score:

161points

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censorshipsucks 2 years ago

surest way to create atheists is impose religion

229points

To gain more insight on this topic, we also reached out to Pamela Li, MS, MBA, bestselling author and Editor-in-Chief of the online publication Parenting for Brain, to hear her thoughts. First, she laid out some of the issues commonly associated with strict parenting. “Children who are raised by strict parents often display externalizing behaviors or internalizing behavior,” Pamela told Bored Panda.

“Externalizing behavior occurs when rebellious children act out,” she explained. “They are at risk of behavioral or anti-social problems, such as aggression and delinquency. Internalizing behavior happens when children turn their negativity inwards resulting in mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.”

#10

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online No trends, or 'passing fads'.

Pokemon, banned. Barbies, banned. Beanie babies, banned. Playstation/Gameboys? Banned. Anything particularly fashionable, or popular *regardless of actual merit* was met with derision and we'd be mocked for even suggesting interest.

We were achingly frumpy kids with interests and cultural references (or lack thereof) that isolated us from our peers and they wondered why each of us were bullied.

PLAUTOS , Mike Mozart Report

Final score:

160points

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Ann Mohrmann 2 years ago

I really can't see how Barbies are a 'passing fad'. Popular I'll give you.

101points

Joshua Selbitschka 2 years ago

Honestly, the only one that really was a passing fad on that list was Beanie Babies as far as I know. Everything else has managed to stick around... though Gameboys have just evolved.

13points

Anne McKinney 2 years ago

Barbies were invented the year I was born...and I'm retired now. Definitely not a fad.

4points

and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 2 years ago

And yet they’re still the only ones I think are reasonable to ban- they were banned when I was little, because they taught unhealthy body image.

2points

Ashley Schriber 2 years ago

Ah, the old, "I'll make my kids independent thinkers...by pushing them to think as I do!" I'm quite familiar.

28points

lenka 2 years ago

I hear what you are saying and I absolutely agree. On the other side though.... letting your kids have every latest fad isn't encouraging them to be independent thinkers either. It simply encourages them to follow the pack, rather than seek out their own interests and determine for themselves the value in a toy.

7points

censorshipsucks 2 years ago

barbie, a passing fad since 1959.

20points

lenka 2 years ago

I don't tend to buy into "fads" for my kids either because it is very expensive to keep up with the joneses and a horrible waste to buy and consume just for the sake of it and there is a new fad every week. I DO buy into the fads only if they have a genuine interest or there is value in the toy. I don't ban a fad, but I will not encourage it either. I didn't buy barbies (not that they are a fad) until they started being more than just pretty (i.e. doctors, pilots, vets etc) but my daughter bought one herself from her own birthday money which was fine by me. We don't do beanie babies but we do stuffed animals that support endangered species. Mostly we just encourage the kids to think about what they buy and WHY. if its just because everyone else has one, then its not really wise spending.

16points

Amy 2 years ago

My Gram bought me a pilot Barbie and it was my favorite thing ever! And I did grow up to be a pilot. 😁

15points

Cookie 2 years ago

Gosh, this is me. My mum never gave me any pocket money so I couldn't "waste" it on such things.

6points

Lara Verne 2 years ago

Parents were some contrarians who hated everything popular?

6points

Terry Butler 2 years ago (edited)

Maybe if the child had an allowance (could be contingent on doing reasonable chores), they could make some purchasing decisions and find out for themselves why sometimes fads are a waste of money. But sometimes spending a few dollars for something you really want is very satisfying.

5points

Agnes Jekyll 2 years ago

I wasn't allowed Barbies because she was worried it gave me unrealistic beauty standards. She was right, but it only made me want one more. So, I got the Sunshine Family--like every child with a wheat-grass-loving mother. They wore Birkenstocks and looked like they were planning to move in to a commune.

5points

shammy wells 1 year ago

I'm 22 and my Parents banned me from almost all tech, little did they know I taught myself to hack computers and removed their restrictions, i worked a job online at school at age 15 and made 12000 dollars over a year. Their attempt to shelter me failed miserably and still I turned out as a totally cool graphic designer not some drunk crack addict that they thought unsheltered kids ended out as.

3points

Mr. L 1 year ago (edited)

None of those are passing fads.

2points

Emily Kerkstra 2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

1point

Mary Rogers 2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

1point

Liv 8 months ago

Cult.

0points

jeff adams 1 year ago

Jehovas Witnesses? Did you celebrate holidays?

0points

Corazon Salsamendi 1 year ago

whats so bad abt trends?

0points

Niall Mac Iomera 2 years ago

Ah yes, that passing fad of video games. Half a century is hardly worth noticing.

0points

kath morgan 2 years ago

Idk, maybe they took it too far but I also don’t think it’s reasonable to expect them to help you keep up with fads and buy all the new s**t every season.

0points

Mary Rogers 2 years ago

Not everything on that list was expensive. And Barbies are cheap and not a passing fad.

3points

Amanda 2 years ago

Was all just an excuse for them not wanting to spend money on their kids. Or maybe a made up reason for not being able to purchase anything extra for kids maybe to embarrassed to admit it to kids.

-2points

#11

I was interested in learning about Wicca, because I was young and in highschool. Early 2000's. When Harry Potter was still happening and all that stuff. My mom and step dad found out by reading an email I sent to my cousin. It was the summer and they freaked out. Took everything. I couldn't read, I couldn't listen to music, I couldn't watch TV or movies with the family, I couldn't hang out with friends, couldn't talk to my cousin anymore, basically anything that might bring me pleasure was taken. They made me do chores all day, would go on family outings without me. Soon I became a shell of a person. I was going to kill myself, I wanted to I just was scared of death so I decided not to go through with it. So I turned myself off.

They hated it. They weren't getting a rise out of me anymore, anything they said to me, to extending my sentence I wouldn't react to. Since thier narcissism relied on a victim, I wasnt a source anymore. So they extended my grounding even further. They could have told me to go pick up dog s**t in the backyard with my teeth and I wouldn't have flinched.

My step dad's family (just as terrible) would come over and belittle me as well. I was told to "smile". So I'd humor then and flash an empty smile for a second and return to my blank expression I had to find solace in.

All this to "save me from going to hell" the only thing that saved me that summer was my visitation with my dad. My mom and step dad tried to paint him in a bad light like hr was the abusive one. Even as a kid I knew my dad didn't make me feel as bad and empty as they did. I eventually got through it.

Years later, (about 4 years ago now) I ended up working at a job (unexpectedly) with a girl I used to play with in the neighborhood. I always wondered why she stopped showing up. When I wasnt home, or in another part of the house, she came to the door and asked to play. One of my parents opened the door and told her I didn't want to play with her anymore.

I always wondered why she never hung out with me, or talked to me. Even finding this out in a more recent term, I cried and apologized to her.

I could have had a great friendship. With a lot of people but they just wanted to alienate and control me.

Unfortunately this is just the tip of the iceberg.
I don't talk to them anymore, but I still llive in the same city as them and I have a lot of social anxiety because of that. One of my roommates, exhibits some of the behavior my parents were so kind as to bestow on me. It's making things difficult to handle.

I just want people to be happy and live in a healthy environment. It's so f****d up that the biggest monsters in the world are the people closest to you.

Edit: thank you kind stranger for the gold!

Marblue Report

Final score:

160points

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Grey Blue 2 years ago

I’m so sorry this happened to you. I can’t even understand how ANY human being would treat another human being this way, let alone your own family. I know you mentioned having anxiety, but I hope you still found some happiness! XO

91points

#12

Females of the family must cook and clean on holidays while males watch tv. Must buss male's plates every night.

No visiting friend's houses no friends over at our house all the way through high school.

Hair cannot be cut at or above shoulder.

7:00 pm bedtime. Not curfew. Bed time. Through junior high. Strictly enforced.

Needless to say, I rebelled strong and hard.

Lynxsoul Report

Final score:

154points

POST

Suzanne Tilson 2 years ago

This sounds like a cult, are you okay.

144points

“Children with strict parents also tend to have inflexible thinking, lower self-esteem, peer rejection, and relationship problems,” Pamela continued. “Strict parenting backfires when parents try to control their children’s academic performance. The more they force their children to follow rules in doing their homework or getting good grades, the less motivated they are. Those who enforce rules by taking away privileges will run out of things to take away sooner or later, and their children will still not be motivated.”

#13

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online My parents were horrible parents in general, but the most bizarre rule that my siblings and I had to follow was that we weren't allowed to sneeze multiple times in a row. One sneeze? Fine. Another sneeze after some arbitrary number of minutes later? No problem. Two sneezes in a row? I would get yelled at for being unhygienic... and for having no manners. God forbid if you sneezed thrice or more in a row...

I have seasonal allergies, and one time my dad was in a particularly bad mood and caught me in a sneezing fit. He grounded me for a week.

asphodelic , Edward Jenner Report

Final score:

154points

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Ashley Schriber 2 years ago

Dafuq is wrong with some people

170points

#14

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I was not allowed to talk to boys. One Christmas Eve Day, I was doing last minute shopping in the downtown of our little town. I ran into two male friends from my German class and we talked for several minutes and wished each other a Merry Christmas. Oh I was fifteen at the time. My older sister drove by and saw me, told my parents I was " hanging out with boys " . When I walked in the house both my parents were waiting and the yelling began. Some Christmas Eve.

mevoxdez , Keira Burton Report

Final score:

150points

POST

Vorknkx 2 years ago

Being betrayed by her own sister probably hurt more than the yelling.

170points

#15

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online My mom was paranoid, and she thought everyone and everything was a kidnapper. She hated the mailman on our route. So when I was young, around three or four years old, my mom told me it was illegal to be outside when the mail came.

Around 11:15 am every day I'd see that truck coming. I'd high tail it inside the house, terrified I would be spotted.

Fast forward 30 years. I still genuinely feel a tinge of panic in the recesses of my brain when I see the mailman arrive. Only now it's overpowered by excitement over the latest Amazon package I don't really need.

ajustice83 , Eric Report

Final score:

136points

POST

Ian Conelley 2 years ago

Maybe the mailman was your real dad? \_(o.o)_/

122points

We also asked her why parents feel the need to be so strict. “Many strict parents were raised by strict parents themselves,” Pamela explained. “The irony is that those who grew up without control crave control over their children. They suffer from inflexible thinking, just like their children. Their belief is that having strict rules is the only way to raise children who can meet their high standards. Any deviation from them is unacceptable. They are stuck in the either-or thinking, either the child follows the rules or they will be ruined and a failure as a result. For them, there is no middle ground.”

#16

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I had a friend who wasn't allowed to sit on the couch. No matter the circumstances. That was the first time I realized something was really wrong in his house. The kicker - it was a crappy couch, so it's not like he was going to ruin it.

Edit: responding to a gazillion people at once.

To the folks looking for logic, you'll find none. No, the parents weren't saving the couch for company. No, the kids didn't have a history of damaging the couch. No, the kids weren't little troublemakers - they were surprisingly well-behaved teens (surprising because of how they were raised). This is about control, not logic. Domestic abuse is always about exerting control. Don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise.

Even after adding a note about child abuse, I'm still getting jokes about how my friend must be a dog. Thanks, Reddit.

DecoyOne Report

Final score:

133points

POST

Stephanie A Mutti 2 years ago

"Thanks Reddit"

57points

#17

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online Was forced to drop out of school in the 5th grade because my grandmother believed that most people have no souls and were demon possessed.
She said that the world was unsafe to roam freely because Satan was trying to corrupt God's children. This lead to a very sheltered life and very silly things like having to pray over every individual item that entered the house. Food, toiletries, dish soap, you name it. I'd get woken up at 2am to be screamed at for 3+ hours over something 'God' had told her that I did wrong.

So yeah, I guess the most unreasonable rule I grew up with was not being allowed to leave the house.

Edit: ok I get it......apparently my life was binding of Isaac's storyline.

anon , Pixabay Report

Final score:

126points

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Suzanne Tilson 2 years ago

CPS needs to hear of this

101points

#18

Mom hits me with kitchen utensils and yells that "i am not allowed to put my hands up to defend myself from her strikes"

TheElm8 Report

Final score:

126points

POST

Alexandra Davis 2 years ago

Hits insinuates this is still happening, I really hope this person reports this abuse to a trusted adult.

150points

We also asked for any advice she has for parents who feel the temptation to be very strict. “The first step that parents can take if they realize that they are too strict is to talk to their children and get their perspectives,” Pamela shared. “For this to work, they must be open to feedback and criticism. The parents must understand that many things can be accomplished in more than one way. Instead of imposing extremely strict rules on their children, they can find a balance. Strict rules won’t help their kids succeed, but will only damage their relationships with them.”

#19

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online When I was in first grade, I had a writing homework assignment. My dad used to be weird about me erasing, because he wanted me to do it right the first time. I ended up erasing a lot on this homework, and my dad took the paper from me, ripped it in half, and told me to start over. Turned out it was the last sheet of paper in the entire house, and I don't remember why but for some reason we couldn't go and buy more paper that night.

So ironically, I ended up having to completely erase an old homework assignment to have a sheet of paper so I could start over... I'm 22 now, and still give him crap about that.

umidkmybffjill: , a loves dc Report

Final score:

124points

POST

Pink kitty 2 years ago

Making mistakes is how you learn. How can anyone always do something perfectly the first time?

128points

#20

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online Have a friend who isn't allowed to go out if "he's already had too much fun this weekend." That's the only reason, they think he'll become corrupted if he has too much fun and that he won't know how to work. He's in college

Nilocallen , Alexander Popov Report

Final score:

123points

POST

N Gregory 2 years ago

How are his parents defining "too much fun"?

69points

#21

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I wasn't allowed to say "i died" on mario. I "lost one of my chances to succeed".

zaqhavok , Anurag Sharma Report

Final score:

116points

POST

sturmwesen 2 years ago

Were they working for bored panda?

282points

Silly_Christians , Marcus Aurelius Report

“It is not easy for people with rigid thinking to realize their own problems,” Pamela added. “If this is difficult for them, it is good to seek professional help. Experienced counselors can help them see more possibilities in any given situation so that they aren't trapped in black-and-white thinking.”

If you’d like to hear more wise words from Pamela, be sure to check out her website Parenting for Brain right here. And if you’d like to read an article she wrote on the topic of strict parents, you can find that right here.

#22

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online For every minute I was late coming in from curfew, I got grounded a week. I once spent ten weeks grounded due to a sobriety check point.

Final score:

111points

POST

Cecily Holland 2 years ago

That’s grossly unfair

93points

#23

My father was very very strict. I wasn't allowed to have alone time with my mother. He beat the s**t out of me constantly. But the oddest thing that still bugs me to this day, is that he would burn all my things as punishment. And I get it, seeing my Toys and valuables burning sucked, and I probably learned some lessons. But he not only burned toys, he would burn EVERYTHING.
Every year or so for school we would go to Meijer and buy me new school clothes and shoes. He would also burn those, like sometimes days after he bought them. At 8 years old I remember thinking...you now have to buy me more clothes. But that wasn't the point I suppose.
He once took me to the palace of auburn hills in Detroit to see the globe trotters one year and during the night he bought me a globe trotters basketball and jersey. We had a fun night.
The very next day, I had left something on the floor in my room and his punishment, among other things, was to burn the basketball and jersey he bought for like 150 dollars less than 24 hours earlier. It just never made sense to me.
My friends would joke about it all throughout middle and high school.

alphamiller Report

Final score:

111points

POST

Katie Lutesinger 2 years ago

The man was clearly a f*****g lunatic.

184points

#24

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I had a ton. I think the most unreasonable was that we (my siblings and I) weren't allowed to know where we were going during car rides. If we'd ask we were told "Business", and figure it out we were going to the store, etc. only after we arrived to our destination.

This lasted until I moved out.

Another was asking for permission to use the bathroom every time. This didn't last as long.

Tankadin , JESHOOTS.com Report

Final score:

109points

POST

Meeple13 2 years ago

I can understand what must've happened to get rid of the bathroom rule XD

59points

So what’s the healthy alternative to strict parenting? According to Dr. Laura Markham at Aha! Parenting, the ideal style of parenting is authoritative. “I call this parenting style ‘Empathic Limits’ to get across the point that we do set limits, just like the Authoritarian (strict) parents, but we do it with empathy, just like the Permissive parents,” Dr. Laura explains. “Children thrive on Limits and Age-appropriate expectations, but only if they're set with empathy… What we're really aiming for is the expectations and limits that keep kids functioning at a high level, combined with the warmth and support of ‘Permissive’. That combination of empathy and limits is the sweet spot that raises amazing kids -- and makes for the best parenting.”

#25

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I wasn't allowed to swim in public swimming pools because I would catch AIDS. My P.E. class would go to the pool one week per year, I had to walk laps around the pool because I couldn't participate.

Atillion: , Marcus Ng Report

Final score:

107points

POST

MagicalUnicorn 2 years ago

oh my gosh, that's one of most morose ones i read and definitely not how biology works

85points

#26

I was not allowed to wear makeup or shave until 16.

My mom was controlling about food. Everything was kept track of.

I had to be in marching band in order to get my permit.

I had a job, but even if I worked second shift (which I did) and came home at 11, I would have to clear the plates from the table for the dinner that they ate.

If I asked to hang out with a friend in the presence of said friend, the answer was automatically no.

I was only allowed to do things if the friend or their parent was paying for it.

The straw that broke the camels back (and ultimately made me move out at 16) was that I had to live like a boarder. Showers cost five dollars, a load of laundry was $1.00 for washer, $1.00 for dryer. Telephone time cost $.25 per minute.

Skeletress Report

Final score:

105points

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Ann Mohrmann 2 years ago

That last one is illegal, your parents have to provide for you until you're 18.

133points

#27

My mom was insanely controlling about food. Weird rules were in place like "one slice of lunch meat per sandwich." No one but her was allowed to cook. She'd make one giant batch of spaghetti or something and we'd have leftovers for days, so she only had to make dinner twice a week. She did not work or anything, just didn't like cooking every day. Breakfast was cold cereal and you'd only be allowed a small bowl with just enough milk to moisten it. Occasionally she'd bake something she called Corn Toasties which was simply cornbread baked in a sheet pan. She'd cut them into squares and fill the freezer with them and we could have one of those for breakfast as an alternative.

Once when I was fourteen I bought a pack of hot dogs at the store, snuck them home, and lit the grill. I was almost done cooking them when she came out screaming about fire hazards and swatted the plate out of my hand. She had been making spaghetti, what an ungrateful little bastard I was.

So then she orders a pizza for the rest of my family, wraps individual servings of spaghetti in freezer paper, and puts them away. She tells me that I will be eating nothing else until it's all gone. Took about two months to choke it all down. Went without eating a lot of days. I was also grounded for over a year.

But I sure learned a lot about "consequences."

Nicetitts Report

Final score:

103points

POST

Ms. Sådmån 2 years ago

why do some parents ground their children for over a year!?? My mother only ever grounded me for a week at MAX and I turned out fine.

66points

Are these responses reminding you of your own childhood, or are they teaching you what not to do with your own kids? Every parent goes about setting rules and expectations their own way, but I’m sure we can all agree that overly strict and arbitrary rules will not yield the best results… Keep upvoting the replies you find most ridiculous, and then let us know in the comments what the craziest rules your parents set for you were. And if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article highlighting things parents should stop teaching their kids, check out this story next.

#28

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I had to write essays on tv shows that I wanted to watch, in order to have them unblocked by the parental controls. I remember writing a riveting piece on the educational and cultural benefit of Disney's That's So Raven. Also, I wasn't allowed to watch PG-13 movies, even after turning 13.

auxcome , Kelly Sikkema Report

Final score:

102points

POST

FakeOptimist 2 years ago

So you should know what a show is about before seeing it. Hmmmm...

12points

#29

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online My dad wrote a whole manual on his rules. Most unreasonable was "you must tear the bread, you cannot use a knife to cut your bread."

season1984 , Arina Krasnikova Report

Final score:

98points

POST

Michael Largey 2 years ago

Tell your dad that cutting bread with a knife is terrific innovation. In fact, it's the greatest thing since ... well, sliced bread.

88points

gregosaurusrex , CBS Sunday Morning Report

#30

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online No shoes on in the house under any circumstances. Was super uncomfortable when my brother's friend, who had prosethetic legs and always had shoes on, came over and didn't take his shoes off. Mom got really mad and confronted him.

Final score:

96points

POST

The Doom Song 2 years ago

What the actual f.......?

96points

#31

Not allowed a key until I was 18 (or was it 16? Can't remember), yet nobody would be home once I got back from school so I would spend a lot of time 'hanging around' outside. I would usually be expected to be waiting outside, though sometimes it was forgotten this was a rule so I would go to the local library.

Even once I was given a key, I wasn't allowed to stay home alone and had to vacate if they were.

Once, I lost my key (turns out my cousin had it in his pocket but he forgot). My Stepdad said we would have to change the locks as 'someone might find them and rob the house' and when my Mum got home, she demanded I go and look for the keys again. I refused as I'd spent hours looking and knew I wouldn't be able to find them. She then demanded my phone, so I refused and sat on it.

So then she gave me a long, hard look, picked up a box of trinkets on my bookcase and turned it over while staring at me. After I didn't react, she trashed more stuff in my room until I started to scream and shout at her, swearing (I didn't usually swear at her but the years of abuse meant I would burst into anger when she started on me), asking her what was wrong with her.

While I screamed at her, she stopped and laughed at me incredulously, asking me in a calm voice when was wrong with ME. Then she said in a low threatening voice "find your f*****g keys" and left.

So yeah, not the only ridiculous rule they had, but one that sticks out the most.

Also, my bag was searched every morning before school and I wasn't allowed to wear short puffa jackets or jackets without arms.

Edit: omg, I think this is my highest rated comment. Thanks guys!

ADHDcUK Report

Final score:

90points

POST

Tara Moov 2 years ago

Reddit creeps me out. People post these shocking and heartbreaking things and then come back to comment on how many upvotes they're getting, sounding thrilled at the attention. It makes their experiences seem like a performance, even if they really happened.

77points

#32

My parent were pretty slack on everything except one thing

No video games console ever, and no online games on the computer because that how you get virus and make the computer run slow ....

So I was playing my mmorpg when they were sleeping, in a hidden file, in a file, in another file, in another file and I was changing the appereance of every file icon

Akazey Report

Final score:

77points

POST

Vorknkx 2 years ago

Sounds familiar. My folks were crazy about filling up hard drive space (and hard drives had low capacity back then), even though we didn't really need a lot of free space (no internet meant no downloading of big stuff). So sometimes I resorted to hiding extra games in concealed folders here and there, to avoid accusations of occupying too much disk space.

30points

fireflygirl1013 , Karolina Grabowska Report

#33

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I have too many to name growing up in an Asian household but the one that was the most embarrassing was I was not allowed to shave my legs or armpits and I hit puberty at an early age. So I had really hairy armpits and legs and was forced to wear shorts to gym class. I was so embarrassed about my legs that I would wear shorts with opaque pantyhose which just made the whole situation worse and was the butt of many jokes in middle school. My mom has apologized thousands of times since, but it still brings back crappy memories.

Final score:

76points

POST

FakeOptimist 2 years ago

Those apologies, however well meant, can't undo the damage.

92points

happy_little_three , Gabriel Gurrola Report

#34

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online We could not listen to music with guitars in it. I will never forget the day my brother was listening to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and my father took the radio and threw it through the window. Spent my childhood listening to Richard Marx and Michael Bolton. Thanks dad.

Final score:

73points

POST

Alexandra Davis 2 years ago

What's wrong with guitars? That's so random

78points

#35

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I wasn't allowed to cross any streets until middle school. Thus, my best friends were the ones who lived on the same block as me.

anon , Katya Wolf Report

Final score:

56points

POST

Ivo H 2 years ago

This is actually first remotely understandable rule. It's overprotective and unreasonable, but understandable nevertheless.

42points

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#36

No dragons, no fairies, no trolls, no witches or magic. No holidays- no eating the holiday candies and cupcakes at school or even in those packages. No saying the pledge of allegiance. No dating until 18, which was meant for marriage and had to be with a chaperone. No "worldly" friends over. No loving my grandma too much because she wasn't going to 'paradise' with us.. I could go on.

TL;DR my mom was a strict Jehovah's Witness who followed all the rules to a T.

Final score:

42points

POST

Jaithesaint 2 years ago

Don’t love your granny?!

25points

#37

Oh god.

I wasn't allowed to go out, like ever. If I was gonna hang out with someone it had to be on the weekend planned at least a week ahead, and my parents had to meet their parents and drive me there. They would come get me before the sun went down.

Not a rule, but if I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night or was reading because I couldn't sleep, my mom would come screaming up the stairs "WHY ARE YOU UP??" And sometimes hit me.

I wasn't allowed to close the door in my room.

There's more but that's what I can think of right now. Mostly my mother would just yell about everything.

catsaresoft23 Report

Final score:

38points

POST

FakeOptimist 2 years ago

It would be a sooo much better world if folks like that had to pass some tests before being able to have kids

30points

#38

My stepmom decided that I was using too much shampoo, she would get a little medicine cup before my shower and pour the designated amount into it. It wasn't ever enough becuase I had hair down to my butt. I also wasn't allowed to use conditioner. Screw her.

whattokayyyeahh Report

Final score:

38points

POST

Passerby 2 years ago (edited)

Ahh, the word "stepmom" explained a lot in this case.

18points

#39

Individuality was almost a cardinal sin in my parents house. You wear what they like. You eat what they like. You do what they like. You DO NOT under ANY circumstances act like a human being with hopes, dreams, and opinions.

pegasusnutsdotcom Report

Final score:

38points

POST

FakeOptimist 2 years ago

So : no respect for other views.

14points

#40

I was/am not allowed to do the following: use the washing machine, wash the dishes, pull the weeds, vacuum outside of my room, I must ask to use the vacuum, I can't cook a meal, I can't have the remote, I get instructed on how to use the microwave that I've been using for years and if I ask where we are going I get told " out" and I have to dress in jeans, a shirt and running shoes no matter how hot because he doesn't like shorts. and no jacket no matter how cold.

mehtotheworld Report

Final score:

38points

POST

Kitty Koshkin 2 years ago

What. The. Actual.

6points

#41

I was from a large family and discipline was very strict. If myself or one of my siblings broke one of the major rules, my parents would hold a 'Truth Session'.

All the children would be brought to my Dad's study where the guilty party would be given an opportunity to confess. If nobody came forward, we would be hit in turn in order of ascending age. The eldest four were hit with a sewer rod while, in deference to their age, the youngest ones would get a whack of a bamboo stick.

A sewer rod is basically a four foot long flexible rubber rod, around an inch thick and with a metal cap. It would leave the most remarkable welts. Horrendous things really.

Anyway, this would continue until someone admitted their 'guilt'. At that point they would receive the blows that everyone else had received to that point.

So that was awful. I fully acknowledge that. I'm under no illusions. However, that wasn't the actual unreasonableness. No, the unreasonable part was that the person who 'caused' the Truth Session didn't always receive the accrued punishment owed for having their siblings beaten. Sometimes they could just be let go making their siblings HATE them for causing pain to them. There'd be no explanation. The study door would be opened and we'd all be told to leave. That meant you could be rewarded for holding out and avoiding the punishment you'd definitely get if you admitted it at the beginning.

My parents now tell fun stories about how when I was a child and I'd done something wrong, I'd always begin with, 'let me tell you my story.' 'Haha' they chortle at my childish phrasing while I recall the terror that such an approach was meant to stave off.

Lonnbeimnech Report

Final score:

37points

POST

FakeOptimist 2 years ago

Psycho's

27points

#42

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I wasnt allowed to shrug, or say "I don't know"

if anything tech related went wrong, it was assumed that i broke it on purpose, even if the only reason anyone knew it was broken is because I was trying to fix it.

Birthday parties were a no go, christmas was a no go, any party whatsoever was a no go

garbaceaccount , Robert Nagy Report

Final score:

36points

POST

Vorknkx 2 years ago

Suuuure, you spend a lot of money on something, and then you break it on purpose. Makes perfect sense. /s

17points

Satan_and_Communism: , steviep187Follow Report

#43

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I refused to greet my sister's new boyfriend with more than a, "Sup?" so later that night my mom Hulk-smashed my laptop, double-fist style.

Final score:

36points

POST

MagicalUnicorn 2 years ago

that's wasteful

22points

#44

If my father yelled up the stairs to me, I wasn't allowed to yell back "what?". Instead I would have to come down the stairs to see what he wanted... even if it was just to tell me something or ask a question

LobstahBuoy Report

Final score:

35points

POST

Pink kitty 2 years ago

If it's good enough for the goose it's good enough for the gander. Why can Dad yell through the house but the kid can't

18points

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

See Also on Bored Panda

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#45

My parents were slack, my best friends parents were so strict. She would escape to my house for freedom.

12th grade. Prom. Her parents allowed her to go to prom but said she wasn't allowed to dance.
We all went to prom, had fun dancing. Until she saw her parents standing at the back watching.

She then moved out for university. After her first year, she came home to work for the summer. She had been on her own for a year and supporting herself and her parents gave her a 9pm curfew.
She spent a lot of time at my house that summer. She was married by the next summer and didn't have to deal with it.

Edit: this is a small selection of the intense upbringing my friend went through. Tiny even.

ErinbutnotTHATone Report

Final score:

34points

POST

FakeOptimist 2 years ago

Poor kid : sounds like she got married just to get away from her parents.

27points

#46

My moms curfew was 7pm and her brothers was 12am. Her brother was about two years younger than her and my Grandaddy's logic was that "Girls get themselves into more trouble than boys."

My poor mother only ever attended church functions for fun until she graduated from high school.

kansazi Report

Final score:

34points

POST

FakeOptimist 2 years ago

Victim-blaming again....

25points

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

See Also on Bored Panda

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#47

In the 1970s, my extremely conservative Mormon mother would take the masks from out grocery-store plastic Halloween costumes (those wretched ones with the thin elastic string to hold them on) and widen they eye holes with scissors as much as she could without destroying the mask.

When we asked why this was necessary, she informed us that "in our church, we don't like masks because it was a group of masked men who murdered Brother Joseph (Smith). So we want to be able to see your face clearly enough even with your Halloween masks on."

Totally pointless and ineffectual dogmatism, except that whatever that is was never any kind of LDS dogma.

Final score:

33points

POST

Vorknkx 2 years ago

Good thing Joseph Smith didn't drown, or else they'd probably forbid drinking water!

21points

#48

Long list. Dad is a Baptist preacher. A few of the ones I hated most:

Could only listen to gospel music. (No country, rap, pop, etc.)
No Harry Potter. (Witchcraft is of the Devil.)
No staying at friends' houses on Saturdays. Church was on Sunday.
No long hair or spiky hair.
No Spring break trips. Even after I moved out, I had to endure advice and lectures about how going on these trips hurt my testimony. We weren't even drinking; just wanted to go to the beach.

Final score:

33points

POST

censorshipsucks 2 years ago

lol witchcraft you mean like multiplying food, raising the dead, converting water to wine, and walking on water? that kind of witchcraft?

71points

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

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French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#49

A friend of mine wasn't allowed to wear shorts to school unless it was already over 80 degrees when she had to leave. School started at 7:40 AM so this almost never happened even on days when it reached over 90 mid day. The school didn't have air conditioning.

svetlanamonsoon61 Report

Final score:

32points

POST

Helen Waight 2 years ago

The way some people think that a girl or woman’s dress is somehow going to cause men to attack them and is therefore we should cover up as much as possible is just bizarre. I had to wear long skirts at school - we had no other options - and summer was utter hell.

21points

#50

Well, I pretty much couldn't do anything at all. I wasn't even allowed to put posters on my wall. I'm not sure whether it was to protect the wall or some other silly reason. All I wanted to put up was a cute poster of a cuddly seal. So I ended up sticking it behind my door.

My dad once told me that he was going to 'ground' me due to my poor performance in school. So I simply responded with, 'go ahead, ground me. It's not like I go anywhere anyway.' His dead silence after that was an acknowledgement that he knew I had a point there.

My radio was taken away during exams. Because I had to 'concentrate'. THE RADIO HELPED ME CONCENTRATE.

starshinedrop Report

Final score:

32points

POST

Sanchez Vasile 2 years ago (edited)

mine were more subtle. like someone was teaching them. They forbade most of the behaviors in the article, but "stimulated" some and even mocked me when I wasn't able to do them, like going out. But the truth was revealed when I was out - curfews, detailed interrogations, talk with others about me etc.; also, no praising despite my good results, only constant pressure; i wasn't so soft before that, I definitely became after. my brother, that was to continue the family's tradition, had none of these: swearing from 5 years old, mingling with the kids that were forbidden to me, bad marks, destroying things - no consequences!

15points

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

See Also on Bored Panda

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

#51

Once got electronic access taken away because I don't "Share myself."

Jokes on them I'm still a recluse, can't fix what ain't broken.

JNC96 Report

Final score:

32points

POST

Psycho Cat 2 years ago

share yourself? Am I understanding this correctly? I sure hope I'm not.

12points

#52

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I was not allowed to use the money cheat on Sims growing up because that's not how the 'real world' works. I used the cheat once and couldn't explain where all the money I had came from so I was grounded and had Sims taken away.

sowhatonion , Aaron Parecki Report

Final score:

32points

POST

Ian Conelley 2 years ago

It actually does work in the real world, but only if you're born rich like Elon Musk, and your parents own an emerald mine in apartheid South Africa.

27points

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

#53

I have a ton.

One was that I had to always give 24 hours notice if I wasn't going to be home for dinner any night of the week. Because you know, dinner plans are never made the day of...this lasted until I moved out when I was 19.

I thought that would get better, but it actually became worse. My sister and I go to dinner to our parents every Sunday, and now they need 72 hours notice if we're not going to be there.

Also had 10pm curfew every day of the week until I moved out. Sleeping in was never a thing, 9am wake-up call otherwise.

Parents had sensors on our doors so they could tell if we left our rooms in the night. Cameras covering every inch of outside. We weren't allowed to use the bathrooms after midnight. My stepmother came storming out of her room one night when I went to the bathroom at 230am because, you know, sometimes you wake up and need to go and I was sick of peeing in a bottle because of their rule. She stormed out and confronted me and looked like she was about to hit me. I said 'I f*****g dare you' as I was ready to hit her back.

So many.

Edit: spelling

Edit 2: at one point, they cut off power to our rooms at 10:00pm every single night. This lasted less than a month, but still happened.

UnequalRaccoon Report

Final score:

31points

POST

Gwyn 2 years ago

So she'd rather have you pee in a bottle can go to the bathroom say night? Sheesh

13points

See Also on Bored Panda

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

#54

"You cant have privacy" literally quoted from my dad

iFloxy Report

Final score:

30points

POST

indiecognition 2 years ago

Tell me you're a Zuckerberg without telling me you're a Zuckerberg

22points

#55

30 mins of internet time a day and 99% of the time, that was supervised--as in mom looking over my shoulder and commenting on conversations. We had webtv (RIP) & when they weren't home, they would literally lock the keyboard in a toolbox.

My sis and I could never have friends stay over because "the house is a mess." No amount of cleaning satisfied mom, because the real reason was she wanted to be able to fight with my dad at-will.

Final score:

30points

POST

PastaNoodle Turduckin 1 year ago

Sounds like the houseHOLD was the mess.

2points

#56

"Even if I'm wrong, I'm right."
This caused a lot of confusion on my part and rage on theirs. I got my head knocked through a cabinet door for eating a grape wrong, and even more trouble when I cried.

Edit:
Thanks dude, for the gold, I cheesed too dang hard.
In short, yes I still see my parents regularly. I'm at their house with my daughter. Yes, I've always known they were kinda f****d off in the brain, I've learned to take no s**t though, my husband has been there since we were 16, and I attribute my take no shitness to him.

likely-lurking Report

Final score:

30points

POST

FakeOptimist 2 years ago

Congratulations on your husband !!

21points

"I Didn't Start The Dryer": Karen Gets Taught A Lesson After Throwing Out Neighbor's Wet Clothes

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#57

My mum makes me and my siblings pray even though she never prays. It's messed up. She cooks and cleans but a lot of her day is spent back biting about people on the phone with my auntie. Why the f**k should we be devout Muslims when you don't follow the five pillars and you commit sin on a daily basis? And when I point it out, I'm the one who needs to shut up. Total BS. The worst human beings are the ones who aren't self aware. My mother is the worst human being I have ever met. She plays the victim so she she can find a perpetrator. All my parents have taught me is how I shouldn't conduct myself. That's the only bright side to this.

Final score:

30points

POST

JustAFan 2 years ago

Don't mind me, just covering up a rude comment by Con O Cuinn.

11points

#58

Where do I start? Pretty sure my dad was a psychopath. There were unwritten rules with him that he'd make up on the spot, so my siblings and I never messed with him. I didn't ask him for anything ever because you wouldn't get it and he'd beat the s**t out of you for daring to ask him. That meant no school trips, no gifts, no birthdays, basically none of the stuff other kids had.

cholaykhao Report

Final score:

28points

POST

Katiekat 2 years ago

I'm sorry. That's super sad, and if you went no contact with him, everyone would understand.

12points

“All Three Shot Out Pink”: Triplets' Baby Shower Turns Sour, Pregnant Wife Wants A Divorce

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College Student Does Exactly As Told After Roommates Demand They Keep Their Stuff In Their Room

#59

Not my parents, but my best friend's parents were insanely strict growing up. When we were pre teens and sleepovers were all the rage, if we wanted to have one (we literally lived on the same street, it's a 2 minute walk between our parents' houses), we had to plan it at least a month in advance, if not more. Even then for whatever reason her parents would only agree to them rarely, so really we'd only get to have like 2-3 a year.

One time I started getting sick at school on a Friday and we had planned a sleepover (ages ago as usual) for that night. I was feeling absolutely awful but tried my best to stay at school because obviously if I went home sick the sleepover would be called off. Made it to lunch and then the teacher called me over and said I was white as a ghost and burning up and had to go home. My best friend and I were devastated. Sad day.

sldons Report

Final score:

26points

POST

#60

I was called at a friend's house at 11 PM at night because I left 2 T-Shirts slung over the chair in my room vs. hanging them in my closet. I had to go back to my house and then I was grounded for a week. Upon getting home, my mother had gone through my entire room and tossed every item out of my dresser. She claimed they were messily put in the dresser.... Fun stuff.

Final score:

25points

POST

Rens 2 years ago

My stepfather would regularly go through all my clothes and toss them on the floor, including my underwear and my sanitary products. This was because my drawers inside my wardrobe were "untidy".

21points

SleeplessShitposter Report

#61

I had a friend who wasn't allowed to say the word "stupid," and tried to report me to the teacher when I said it.

Teacher yelled at me and then told me it was okay in private and "not to say it around that one kid." Nice guy, though, just had a helicopter mom.

EDIT: Thanks for all the support. For anyone who thinks I'm s******g on the guy, let me remind you he was a very close friend. I eventually caught onto the concept of a helicopter mom thanks to this kid, so I just rolled with all the weird things his mom made him do. I also remember he would complain about the school lunch because it was too unhealthy.

Final score:

24points

POST

Dave Forster 2 years ago

Our Daughters class has decreed that she isn't allowed to say the word stupid, she has to use the word 'silly' I told her that, that was stupid! And set down a new rule, things can be stupid (stupid TV, Stupid floor, whatever) but calling another person was stupid and if they were in fact doing stupid/silly things just to walk away...so lets see how that goes!

14points

#62

I'm a few months away from turning 18 and moving out.

I'm still not allowed to sleep in the same room as my phone

AustinXTyler Report

Final score:

23points

POST

rivers 2 years ago

SAME!!

10points

#63

no sneezing or yawning b/w 1230pm and 430pm

skinnypup Report

Final score:

23points

POST

Gemma jones 2 years ago

lol how can they enforce that lol

14points

#64

I'm sure plenty of you can relate: no sleepovers, no matter what age you are, and if you want to hang out:

>"Where? When? What time? With whom? Why? What will you do? What're their phone numbers? Dads' numbers? Moms' numbers? How long? Names? Are they good kids? How do I know? Do I know them? What are their grades? Do they get in trouble often? What type of parents do they have?"

Final score:

23points

POST

censorshipsucks 2 years ago

my wife used to do this to me which is why we got divorced.

19points

#65

We had to duck when opening the door for strangers just in case they were holding a gun at our head-level

JustCreepyEnough Report

Final score:

23points

POST

Gemma jones 2 years ago

lol omg i would be hella dramatic if that was a rule

15points

#66

This one was the most ridiculous- I wasn't allowed to leave the coffee pot out. My mother had a really nice espresso machine that I could never master the art of using, so we had an ancient mr. Coffee machine that I would use. My mother would get super irritated if I left the machine on the counter after I was done using it. My best friends can remember plenty of times my mother would do that whisper yell trick "labeille87 what is that coffee pot doing out?" Once she was actually so pissed about the coffee pot being left out she grounded me for a week. The kicker to the whole thing was once I moved out, I came home to visit and there's my mom's nice espresso machine and a brand new mr. Coffee on the kitchen counter. I turned to my mother "what is that doing on the counter?" My mom "oh your dad bought a new mr. Coffee and it's not nearly as ugly the old one." Her whole reason for getting pissed off for years was because the old one was UGLY.

labeille87 Report

Final score:

22points

POST

Stephanie A Mutti 2 years ago

It's her house,,, she can have a rule that you put your stuff back when you are done with it.

3points

#67

35 Times 'Insane' Parents Did Things That Were So Absurd, They Got Shamed Online I couldn't drink water from my bathroom. My bathroom genuinely had colder water and the best water in the house. Mom got suspicious when I'd leave to my bathroom for a few seconds every few minutes. I don't know what she possibly thought I was doing, but no more bathroom water. I had to drink lukewarm peasant water like the rest of my family.

EdragonX , Victor Perez Report

Final score:

22points

POST

Penny Fan 2 years ago

Not unreasonable in some places. In the UK only the kitchen cold water runs from the mains. bathroom water is from a tank (filled from the mains) but it's been standing, can become tainted and in older systems, isn't filtered at all.

10points

symphonicdestruction Report

#68

There were a lot but the most ridiculous one to me was they didn't want me volunteering during high school. I was visiting the elderly and they said it was too dangerous to be around strangers like that and the time was taking away from my studies.

Most extra curriculars I wanted to do they had a huge problem with but it didn't hit me how absurd it was until it was about senior citizens.

Final score:

21points

POST

Rosemary Janiak 2 years ago

that's so sad! <:( I'm so sorry you had to go through that

3points

#69

When I think back on it, there weren't really any unreasonable standing rules. More like every now and then my parents would explode on something minor to make up for the lack of parenting.

I love my parents, but they don't seem to get the idea that not being around much f****d their kids up a bit. I was *extremely* shy and withdrawn, and my brother is a narcissist. It would take quite a few paragraphs to explain, but suffice to say their lack of checks and balances on him, and my family's doting on him legitimized his belief that everything revolves around him.

On the other hand, nobody paid attention to me, which is partially on me. I'm quite happy to fade into the background in any situation. I hate attention. Maybe cause I didn't get any when I was young and when I did it felt weird? I don't really know.

But yeah, I specifically remember the few times where my dad was shouting in anger at me, and neither made any sense. Once, he told us, during the middle of summer, when we were about 13 and 15, not to go outside while he was out. Mind you, we were 13 and 15, and literally every single day during the summer, no one was home, and we were outside unsupervised all f*****g day. So my brother was like 'rules don't apply to me' and goes outside. Dad came home, starts screaming at him, then starts getting pissed at me and whacks me for not stopping him. At the time, dude was like twice my size, and no one could tell him s**t, so...

Another time, on my birthday, all I wanted was a remote controlled car. So I got one. Brother proceeds to take it out while I'm not there. Dumbass tries to control it and ride a bike at the same time, runs it over and breaks it. Puts it back, doesn't tell anyone. I find it, get pissed, dad of course thinks I'm lying to cover my own a*s, and I get whacked a bit. Brother thought it was funny. Instead of parenting, dad went the easy route, assigned blame and punishment, went back to doing whatever the hell it was he was doing.

Fast forward 20+ years. Brother is rapidly heading for a divorce that he just can't believe is his fault. Haven't said a word to him in maybe 3 years? Honestly lost track. I can't talk to him because he'll blame random bad s**t that happened to him on something I or my best friend did like 25 years ago. Dad is disabled, lays around all day, can't understand why no one comes to visit. Mom (love her to death, but she's an idiot) makes excuses for both of them. I used to idolize my father and I glossed over a lot. Been thinking a lot about him lately and coming to terms with the fact that he's an a*****e, much like my brother. Which sucks, but the truth is the best policy.

TL;DR: The lack of consistent rules was, for me anyway, worse than a strict environment.

RiflemanLax Report

Final score:

21points

POST

Sanchez Vasile 2 years ago (edited)

And now imagine 3 narcissists instead of one, working together and immersed in an entire narcissist society that loved snitching and preyed upon victims offered by the families.

7points

#70

No dating till marriage.

ripfun Report

Final score:

20points

POST

Rose the Cook 2 years ago

So, arranged marriages then.

25points

Its_just_a_Prank-bro Report

#71

My dad wouldn't let me use straws because he said it could cut through my tongue or cheek like a hole punch. He also got mad at me when I said "What the.. ?" when I was 11. Didn't even finish with anything, just "What the... ?"

crowning_sapphire Report

Final score:

20points

POST

Pumpkin Spice 2 years ago

what the what the what the w h a t???

7points

#72

Currently on holiday in Japan...have to message every hour to update them on what I am doing

Final score:

19points

POST

Gemma jones 2 years ago

god my mom had to do that with my dad, such a door mat, i told her to tell him to jog on but she never would stand up to him, i did, never touched me again

16points

#73

No TV or rock music. Both were of the Devil.

I did watch some TV when at a friends house and I mostly listened to the music I liked but I did miss out on some TV series that my friends talked about.

WillyNaler Report

Final score:

19points

POST

T. Unnamable 2 years ago

In the early 60s my uncle wouldn't let his teenage daughters listen to that "N-word" music. On the radio it wasn't much of a problem but he flipped when he saw black faces on TV.

10points

charcharcharmander Report

#74

My wife's parents are still strict and it's annoying whenever we visit. You're not allowed to sleep in even if you're off work and you can't lounge around in your PJs and have to be fully dressed in the morning, again, even if you don't work. S**t doesn't make sense.

Edit: The majority of people replying have been asking why we put up with it. Well, we barely stay over. It's usually just holidays so it's not like it's all the time. It was more prevalent when my wife still lived there when we first met. We just go along with it to stay on their good side as they help us out when we need it.

SarcasticGamer Report

Final score:

17points

POST

#75

Not my parents, but my highschool friend had very strict parents.

This was shortly after 9/11 and the anthrax scare. It was halloween evening and a group of us were supposed to head out and light fireworks around the neighbourhood. Well, my friend wasn't allowed to come out that night because his mom was worried about terrorists bombing our city with anthrax. We live in Canada.

Final score:

17points

POST

Sleepy children love Moon 2 years ago

I mean, the scary terrorists might try to come and bomb you guys, deciding they're bored with us in the US. /s

4points

#76

Was only allowed 45 minutes of computer time daily.

If anything happened to the computer, it was *the video games* fault, not the shady links my mom still clicks on 14 years later.

Edit: I'm getting a lot of cool responses, but I can understand where my parents were coming from.

I'm originally from Poland, which as a lot of people know was a communist country for a while. Everything was heavily regulated for quite some time. Even after '91, the "practices" were still common up until ~2003 (at least in the area I'm from), so I got a chance to experience "mild" communism, though I was a bit young to grasp politics.

Coming to the U.S, they felt they had to regulate everything in the household, just because that's how it was since they were born. Since then, they've really cut back and for the most part, they're pretty relaxed about everything, thought I feel like I got the short end of the stick.

Growing up, I wasn't allowed to hang out outside of school(even during high school) and in High School I wasn't allowed to date so my social experience was pretty pathetic to say the least. After graduating, my parents saw "no real threat from letting people hang out or date" so my brother got a smooth ride through high school.

It's better now, although I still have issues meeting new people. I've kept a small circle of 2-3 friends that I talk to, but hopefully that changes next year if I move into NYC for school.

---

At least I still have Runescape. :D

Noctis_Fox Report

Final score:

17points

POST

3 Owls In A Coat 2 years ago

RuneScape!!!!

5points

#77

No matter how right you are even if they are just flat out wrong they're always going to be correct just because they're you're parents

Source: Filipino Parents

LoLHa0 Report

Final score:

17points

POST

#78

I think it was when I came home for summer break during university and they tried to reimpose their 11pm curfew... That was the last summer.

Edit: Thanks for being nitpicky :)
That was pretty amateur haha

NinenDahaf Report

Final score:

17points

POST

perfect pikachu 1 year ago

who does this??? what kind of parents do this???

2points

#79

My siblings had to eat 10 olives every day at dinner. I am the youngest so I guess my dad forgot about that rule.

elbatalia Report

Final score:

17points

POST

Gemma jones 2 years ago

i freaking love olives id have yours

7points

#80

I could watch the Fairly Odd Parents, but not Wizards of Waverly Place because it featured magic. Maybe they thought that because Fairly Odd Parents was a cartoon, it was obviously fake? I don't know. I still watched every show they didn't let me watch when they weren't in the room.

5mileyFaceInkk Report

Final score:

17points

POST

Pumpkin Spice 2 years ago

timmy is an average kid...

10points

#81

I changed my mind, I guess my parents weren’t so bad

Edit: Wow, went for a hike today out of cell service and returned to 9k karma and 30+ comments.

Since a couple people asked what I was going to say:

It sounds pretty lame now compared to the rest of this thread, but I’ll explain a few. We weren’t allowed to swim in rivers, we were rarely allowed to go to friends’ houses unless the parents knew each other, we weren’t allowed to go anywhere on our own until we could drive (which was 18 for me), and just the usual strict-parent pushing to get all A’s.

ezrasharpe Report

Final score:

16points

POST

corgiobsessed00 1 year ago

the river thing is odd, but understandable. Sounds similar to my parents except they gave up on straight A's after both my older siblings failed out of high school and had to get their GED's.

0points

#82

Indian Parents, I could stay at a sleepover until 2am, but couldn't actually sleep at that persons house LOL

beardedbandittt Report

Final score:

16points

POST

Korin T 2 years ago

that seems a lot more effort

4points

#83

Lots but the most annoying one was 1 hour of electronics a day. My parents always used to take away the cords to the machine when they would leave the house and so one time my dad went to rip out the cords like usual but he ended up taking the Wii cords instead of the Playstation. I was in awe that he couldn't make the distinction between the device that was black,lit up, and making noise and the idle white machine...

moreOh Report

Final score:

16points

POST

perfect pikachu 1 year ago

WHY?????? Why would you only get one hour?!

3points

#84

Not my parents but I had a friend who got it pretty bad:
"If you want to play for 1 hour, you have to also practice piano for 1 hour."

These and other such rules were posted on his bedroom door.

thebangzats Report

Final score:

15points

POST

Pumpkin Spice 2 years ago

May I just: *sits my toddler cousin down next to piano, takes friend out, and locks parents in*

5points

Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

Read less »

Gabija is a photo editor at Bored Panda. Before joining the team, she achieved a Professional Bachelor degree in Photography and has been working as a freelance photographer since. She also has a special place in her heart for film photography, movies and nature.

Read less »

What do you think ?

POST

Alexandra Davis 2 years ago

This post makes me want to go and visit my parents and hug and thank them for not only letting me have a normal childhood but a great and fun childhood! Most of these posts make me wonder why these people even had children as they obviously didn't love/ enjoy/ want them! Half are abusive and it breaks my heart knowing that kids grew up/ are growing up with parents like this. So many made me so angry or upset that I couldn't carry on reading for a few minutes.

21points

Katie Lutesinger 2 years ago

Exactly what I was thinking! I feel SO lucky to have had the parents I had. They loved and wanted me and treated me like a human being with healthy boundaries and also the freedom to be my own person. This whole article was depressing. :(

11points

Rens 2 years ago

I left home at 17 as soon as I finished high school because I could not tolerate living at home anymore. My stepfather used to walk into my bedroom when I was dressing and I wasn't allowed to have my door closed; he would walk in while I was taking shower; we had a jacuzzi and I was not allowed to wear a swimsuit I had to be naked as everybody else was too; the last time I swim in our own swimming pool he literally told my swimsuit of my body I was 15 at the time, I never used the pool again. I live very far from school, both high school and primary school, I had to take the bus home and wait outside because I was never allowed to have a key. I had two younger brother's who had lots of activities and my mother would often remember to pick them up from school but forget to pick me up from school (80's, before mobile phones) and I'd be waiting at school until my parents got home and realised I wasn't there, usually 5 p.m. or so. I never had friends over because I lived too far away, and because the house was always such a mess I never wanted friends over anyway. I was always expected to be responsible for my two younger brothers, including their bad behaviour, because I was always supposed to set a "good example". Because of undiagnosed dyslexia and ASD, I really had a difficult time at school and would get punished because I couldn't get good grades. I was still given beatings on my bare backside with a shoe until I left home. Years later my mother found out at my stepfather hedon unhealthy interest in young girls. He died 4 years ago and I've never been happier.

16points

Pam 2 years ago

I’m so sorry you had a creep for a step father. Your mom was okay with the nudity and having to get dressed with the door open? Congratulations on his death.

6points

Jessica M 1 year ago

So sorry you had to go through this, but happy & proud for you that you got out. I hope things are going better for you.

1point

Annette Blanks 2 years ago

When I was reading all the rules about having kids being naked that was my first thought that he sounded a little molesty

1point

Dre Mosley 2 years ago

Then some of these same parents wonder why their adult children want nothing to do with them.

10points

Gemma jones 2 years ago

cant have a double bed ( i had the same bed since i was 12 i was in my 20s and single) as only unmarried sluts have double beds, no internet, no boys, no computer, not allowed driving lessons, not allowed holidays as i didnt deserve it, not allowed to cook when i got home late as we are not a hotel, they would ration the loo paper, they made a map of the house and the rooms i am allowed in, the list is endless glad i finally got out

10points

Peppy Piplup 2 years ago

My mum once ripped out a page of my book and made me start my homework all over again because she "couldn't read my scrawl" Shockingly my handwriting never improved. I was also banned from watching Adventure Time because it was "too inappropriate for children". I always thought that was weird

10points

Mister Dave 2 years ago

This one pisses me off so much. I got to the third entry and had to stop.

8points

Hey! 2 years ago

I couldn't finish. All these are some sort of abuse. These are not "absurd", they are downright abusive one way or the other. Man, we had rules, and I had rules when the kids were home, but nothing like this. We had a schedule to see who was doing what that week (meal, cleaning, outings, etc.), of course bedtimes and curfews but nothing drastic. One big rule we had was that we'd knock and wait for an invitation before going into a room with the door closed (we'd stay in the hall and talk if opened).

7points

Izzy Curer 2 years ago (edited)

There were no rules in my house, just screaming. You'd get screamed at for doing something one day, and you'd get screamed at for NOT doing the same thing the next day. It was completely random and crazy-making. I would get screamed at for cooking myself eggs in the morning, because it made the house smell like food. Making the house smell like food was a big one. I was once screamed at for putting rosemary on the supper that I made for them, because 'we don't use rosemary'. They would burst into my room screaming. My entire childhood was eggshells. I learned to have no reaction to anything, which at one point caused me to get misdiagnosed as autistic. I'm not autistic, it turned out I just have cptsd. Properly diagnosed 10 years ago as an adult. I left the state because of them, and have gone low contact.

7points

Hey! 2 years ago

That!!! I can understand that. One of the rules I asked my husband to be implemented was to be no screaming in the house. Turns out, our house was so quiet while the kids grew up that my neighbors didn't believe I had 3. My husband and I are NOT screamers so our children ended-up not screaming either. I get where you come from and it's not easy. I separated from my family and don't regret it one bit. Screaming was just one thing among so many others.

5points

Anicki 2 years ago

My father was notoriously greedy with money and especially food. He didn't let me and my sister eat from the fridge or pantry in his house. He had a walk-in pantry in the basement with all the "real food", but he locked both basement-door and the pantry and never let us down there. Our mother had to do lunch/dinner to bring for the weekends over there, so she knew we ate. We learned how to open the fridge-door slowly and quiet so he wouldn't hear, but he had an eagle-sense so we could always hear him walk fast and bounce hard down the stairs wondering what the hell we thought we were doing. We were allowed to have bits of candy sometimes, that he had in a locked book-shelf, but years-old hardened candy he got from a cruice yeeeears ago. When I legally could choose we're I wanted to live (at 12 ys old you can choose for yourself in Sweden), I stopped going there.... (Sorry for the bad english, not my native language).

7points

MimSorensson 2 years ago

Dude, what an absolute weirdo. I get you not going there anymore, that’s just so messed up. Interesting to know the age for deciding yourself is 12 here in Sweden, by the way, I always thought it was 13 for some reason. 12 is better, a lot better. A year can be a very long time in some situations.

5points

Ripley 2 years ago

There are so many stories of significant abuse under the umbrella heading of "religion" (of all types) here - it's just terrifying.

6points

Tara Moov 2 years ago

I mistakenly thought this post would be entertaining, but there was a lot of child abuse and mental health and control issues from parents. I hope the kids were all able to break the cycle and didn't turn into their parents.

6points

Deborah Harris2 2 years ago

Reading all these I realise that my parents really are extra special, yes I got grounded a few times but never for longer than a week. My Mothers a Christian, my Father an atheist, I never had religion drummed into me, I was allowed to become the person who I am today with little or no interference from them. Although my Dad teased me for my phases in who I wanted to be growing up, neither parents belittled me or destroyed my dreams. I really feel for young people like these who have no one to turn to for help, it hurts to see dreams or aspirations crushed from them so young :(

6points

Wysteria_Rose 2 years ago

BRB. Gotta go hug and kiss my parents cause they were saints compared to this nonsense.

5points

Roadkill The Brave 2 years ago

No blood, No tears. <-- That was the one that messed me up a lot, Mom used to say that all the time until I was 10. When I was 10 I was in an accident that twisted both of my legs pretty bad and did a lot of damage. As they were dragging me to the car I was hypervenhalating but not crying and Mom looked at me asking why I wasn't crying. I said 'No blood, no tears'. The horror on her face when she realized what she had done to us with those words is something I still remember. She told me I could cry and I started sobbing. I'm 37 now and I still find it hard to cry in general, a big part of it was that conditioning from the time I was a baby to 10 yrs old. There's other, bigger, reasons why its hard for me to cry which was from a different abuser, but yeah. Don't tell your children 'No blood, no tears'.

5points

Cookie 2 years ago

Remembering all these was traumatic.

4points

Aunt Messy 2 years ago

And their parents are the ones that whine and complain that their kids don't call or visit.

4points

Tamara Carluccio 2 years ago

I'm a new mom... and this whole post makes me angry that such unworthy, crappy people are raising children out there... who will one day raise more! Will I be perfect? Probably not, but I will sure as hell never brutalize my kids psyche.

4points

JustinTime 2 years ago

My biggest envy growing up was other kids who had proper parents

4points

JustinTime 2 years ago

If I questioned anything my antichrist mom said or dared to defend myself it would draw draconian retaliation. Have fun dying alone b**ch!!!

4points

Shannon Matthews 2 years ago

The last time I was grounded, I was 26. My mom was mad because I told her I was moving out, so she grounded me. I moved out the next day anyway to 6 months of homelessness. I struggled to find my identity as an individual. After 26 years of every conceivable type of abuse at my parents' hands, I haven't been back nor will I. Now I'm a single mom of the most amazing & wonderful 19 year old who goes to college at a top 10 college on two full rides. To be a good & loving mom, I knew that I had to do things the opposite of how I was parented. Sometimes I check the obits just to see if my parents died yet so I can just release that part of my past. But they are not my family. My daughter is my family.

3points

Lara Verne 2 years ago

Most of these stories just describe abuse.

3points

cah 2 years ago

I'm sorry y'all all had to grow up with mentally unstable parents. Kids have no voice. They can't stick up for themselves and it's sad, parents aren't always right!

3points

Zedrapazia 2 years ago

And then some parents wonder why their kids get violent towards them. Some people should just not be allowed to have kids!

3points

Chris Hooley 2 years ago

Breeding. Licences. Mere biological functionality is not sufficient reason to create a life. Neither is the self-centered desire to "be a parent," nor some misplaced sense of duty.

1point

John Dilligaf 2 years ago

not me, but a childhood friend. His parents insisted that he and his siblings refer to them and call them (the parents) Mr or Ms. Smith, not Mom or Dad. Like they'd ask - "Ms Smith can John stay for supper?" or say something like "I can't come over right now., Mr Smith says I have to help clean out the garage first. " Other than that quirk the family was totally normal though.

1point

Hey! 2 years ago

My siblings are all Boomers; I'm the youngest as a Gen X and our parents taught us to call them Father/Mother instead of dad/mom. I think it's only when we started our teen years that we switched. Maybe because by then my oldest brother (10 years older) had figured out it wasn't "normal", his friends didn't do that for sure.

2points

Stacey Rae 2 years ago

One rule in our home growing up was to use correct words, never call it a thing.

1point

Totally a normal human bean 1 year ago

Guys, I need advice. So the deal is, my mother is horrible and abusive. My sibling is gay, and my mother screams at them a lot. She’s threatened to hurt me several times. However, my sibling wants me to suck it up so they don’t get separated from their lover. I have multiple years till I leave home. WdId?

0points

Totally a normal human bean 1 year ago

Blah

0points

PolymathNecromancer 1 year ago

I can only read through the first few of these... it is traumatic for me to walk through this shiit without being able to offer some empathy to the OP's....... :'-( :'-( :'-(

0points

Fxnglhl 2 years ago (edited)

not as extreme but when it is exam week my mom won't let me go on my phone, period. the only things allowed on my desk are books and stationery and a calculator. she says the phone makes me "not concentrate", but she still plays chinese drama and very old songs on speaker on her phone, full volume, and while i was reviewing my chemistry notes i can hear "🎶哦，你为什么离开我...没有你我怎么活下去....🎶". idk i just randomly came up with lyrics that make it sound like a song about heartbreak XD

0points

Fxnglhl 2 years ago (edited)

it translates to "ohh, why did you leave me... i cannot live without you...." google translate

0points

Natalie Doran 2 years ago

It's sad that I have people who's childhoods I can relate to, my childhood was horrible, and to think that there's more stories like that just sucks so hard.

0points

alloutbikes@yahoo.com 2 years ago

My husband tells me about his childhood experiences. I let him know that some of it was not normal, but it was for him. How do we know if that's all we've seen?

0points

Sami-Jo Ross 2 years ago

I wasn't allowed to draw while at school, even though I had finished all of my work well before everyone else (and always got an A, no matter the lesson). My parents would spontaneously check my backpack and locker and if they found any drawings, not only would I be grounded, my dad would literally destroy my belongings while demanding to know why I was drawing. He destroyed half of my CD and DVD collection when I was 11. They called a meeting with all of my teachers and demanded that if I finished my work early to assign more work to keep me busy. I also wasn't allowed to have an email address to talk to my friends; my parents made a monitored one that I could only contact my biological mom with and would check everything, and I just wanted to talk to my friends since no one was allowed to visit and I wasn't allowed to leave my yard, so I made my own email. When they found out, I was grounded for over a year.

0points

Sami-Jo Ross 2 years ago

I should also add, I wasn't allowed to even touch the computer. They password-locked it and I couldn't even use it for school. And my being grounded meant sitting in my room in complete silence after doing my homework. No TV, no music, no reading, no writing, no drawing, nothing. I could leave my room to use the bathroom, eat, or go to school; that's it. The only reason they lifted my punishment is I scored in the 98th percentile on a standardized test. They didn't care about me having any kind of social life; when one of my classmates passed from a massive asthma attack, I didn't go to the viewing because my education came before anything else in their eyes.

0points

Lisa Pockat Bork 2 years ago

There are so many forms of abuse out there. I didn't get along with my mother, but I am very thankful that I was never subjected to emotional or physical abuse.

0points

Angela Jester 2 years ago

I really feel this post. So much of my life was like this.

0points

POST

Alexandra Davis 2 years ago

21points

Katie Lutesinger 2 years ago

11points

Rens 2 years ago

16points

Pam 2 years ago

I’m so sorry you had a creep for a step father. Your mom was okay with the nudity and having to get dressed with the door open? Congratulations on his death.

6points

Jessica M 1 year ago

So sorry you had to go through this, but happy & proud for you that you got out. I hope things are going better for you.

1point

Annette Blanks 2 years ago

When I was reading all the rules about having kids being naked that was my first thought that he sounded a little molesty

1point

Dre Mosley 2 years ago

Then some of these same parents wonder why their adult children want nothing to do with them.

10points

Gemma jones 2 years ago

10points

Peppy Piplup 2 years ago

10points

Mister Dave 2 years ago

This one pisses me off so much. I got to the third entry and had to stop.

8points

Hey! 2 years ago

7points

Izzy Curer 2 years ago (edited)

7points

Hey! 2 years ago

5points

Anicki 2 years ago

7points

MimSorensson 2 years ago

5points

Ripley 2 years ago

There are so many stories of significant abuse under the umbrella heading of "religion" (of all types) here - it's just terrifying.

6points

Tara Moov 2 years ago

6points

Deborah Harris2 2 years ago

6points

Wysteria_Rose 2 years ago

BRB. Gotta go hug and kiss my parents cause they were saints compared to this nonsense.

5points

Roadkill The Brave 2 years ago

5points

Cookie 2 years ago

Remembering all these was traumatic.

4points

Aunt Messy 2 years ago

And their parents are the ones that whine and complain that their kids don't call or visit.

4points

Tamara Carluccio 2 years ago

4points

JustinTime 2 years ago

My biggest envy growing up was other kids who had proper parents

4points

JustinTime 2 years ago

If I questioned anything my antichrist mom said or dared to defend myself it would draw draconian retaliation. Have fun dying alone b**ch!!!

4points

Shannon Matthews 2 years ago

3points

Lara Verne 2 years ago

Most of these stories just describe abuse.

3points

cah 2 years ago

I'm sorry y'all all had to grow up with mentally unstable parents. Kids have no voice. They can't stick up for themselves and it's sad, parents aren't always right!

3points

Zedrapazia 2 years ago

And then some parents wonder why their kids get violent towards them. Some people should just not be allowed to have kids!

3points

Chris Hooley 2 years ago

Breeding. Licences. Mere biological functionality is not sufficient reason to create a life. Neither is the self-centered desire to "be a parent," nor some misplaced sense of duty.

1point

John Dilligaf 2 years ago

1point

Hey! 2 years ago

2points

Stacey Rae 2 years ago

One rule in our home growing up was to use correct words, never call it a thing.

1point

Totally a normal human bean 1 year ago

0points

Totally a normal human bean 1 year ago

Blah

0points

PolymathNecromancer 1 year ago

I can only read through the first few of these... it is traumatic for me to walk through this shiit without being able to offer some empathy to the OP's....... :'-( :'-( :'-(

0points

Fxnglhl 2 years ago (edited)

0points

Fxnglhl 2 years ago (edited)

it translates to "ohh, why did you leave me... i cannot live without you...." google translate

0points

Natalie Doran 2 years ago

It's sad that I have people who's childhoods I can relate to, my childhood was horrible, and to think that there's more stories like that just sucks so hard.

0points

alloutbikes@yahoo.com 2 years ago

My husband tells me about his childhood experiences. I let him know that some of it was not normal, but it was for him. How do we know if that's all we've seen?

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Sami-Jo Ross 2 years ago

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Sami-Jo Ross 2 years ago

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