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Not every person is suited for parenthood, and that’s okay. What isn’t acceptable is choosing to raise a child even with the apparent lack of ability and willingness to do better.
Today, we’re putting a spotlight on toxic mothers. You’ll see screenshots showing their blatant disrespect for boundaries and privacy. Some may have even risked their kids’ health and well-being. Be forewarned, as a few of these are disturbingly wrong.
We’ve picked out these posts from this subreddit to highlight some of their behavior. Hopefully, none of you went through similar ordeals as children. If you’re a mom, let these bad parenting examples be your reminder of what to avoid at all costs.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The Emojis Are The Icing On The Cake
#2
A Mother’s Love 💕
#3
Absolutely Accurate
Minimizing a child’s feelings is a common toxic mom behavior. Some are guilty of telling their kids not to feel a certain way because it is wrong. According to Florida-based psychotherapist Dr. Tracy Hutchinson, this sends a message that feelings are better off suppressed.
In an article for CNBC, Dr. Hutchinson recommends asking children what they think would make them feel better. She says this trains them to manage their emotions independently at a young age.
#4
Homeopathic Side Effects
#5
You Can Do Everything Right And Still Fail
#6
I Don't Have A Problem With Extended Nursing, But Omg Still Using Months?
Ali H M Salehuddin 4 months ago (edited)
And here I am where my age should be counted by decades instead of by years.. a five decade old guy.
It’s one thing to encourage your child to strive for excellence. Demanding perfection is when things can get problematic. Dr. Hutchinson says it could lead to confidence and self-esteem issues as they grow older.
“Build mental strength in your kids by making sure expectations are realistic,” she wrote. She adds that setbacks will only teach kids how to bounce back and hopefully lead them to success in the future.
#7
More Essential Oil S**t
#8
A Water Bottle
#9
Couldn't Have Seen This Coming?
Growing up with a toxic mom can have a profound effect on a person. According to licensed psychotherapist Christine Scott-Hudson, the inability to trust oneself is one of the few manifestations.
In her interview with Bustle, she says this mainly happens to people who dealt with a gaslighting mother. As a result, they could suffer a lifetime struggle with self-doubt.
#10
Baby Boy Can't Date
#11
Please For The Love Of God Say Sike
#12
I Asked About Learning Activities For My Toddler
The inability to maintain healthy relationships or a constant attraction to toxic individuals is another by-product of having a toxic mom. New Jersey-based therapist Vanessa Watson-Hill says it’s because emotionally unavailable mothers fail to model a healthy relationship for their children.
#13
So How's Your Morning Going? ....i Thought Mine Was Bad Until I Read Hers, Damn
#14
Discrimination!
Farah the Turtle 4 months ago
why'd u get downvoted? Ill give u an upvote
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detective miller's hat 4 months ago
One time when I was like 6 years old, I was at a friend's house and trying to find the bathroom. Instead I walked in on my friend's mother breastfeeding her NINE YEAR OLD son. Whatever happens to me in life, that image will be seared into my brain until the day I die.
Justanotherpanda 4 months ago
She should homeschool him, with any luck he'll be weened by 14 and just barely knowing his ABC's.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 4 months ago
The government is forcing the ABCs on us all, as part of world domination.
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Jon Steensen 4 months ago
let him grow up, and teach him to eat solid food. His body will (already) need it.
Gwyneth Jones 4 months ago
My Son is 18 and he's going off to college. His Resident Assistant said I can't come to his dorm room twice a day to nurse him. I don't know what to do, they're discriminating against me! Just Ewwww!
Elio 4 months ago
Why are so many of these women trying to be like that Game of Thrones character who was breastf6her son when he was 8?
Rowan Kohler 4 months ago
Pediatrics association would like you stop breast feeding generally around 2 years. You have entered the phase that now is seriously a concern for your child and definitely concern you may need extra help making decisions that won’t scar your child for life lol.
Toothless Feline 4 months ago
I genuinely do not understand mothers who refuse to stop breastfeeding their children when they get old enough for real food. YOU ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING HELPFUL FOR YOUR CHILD!!!
David 4 months ago (edited)
In the USA you don't legally have to enroll your kid in school until age 8 so you're good. Just stay home and breastfeed him another three years. /J Pro tip: If you time the appointments right you can breastfeed him in his therapist's waiting room and get two things done at once.
Alexis Rousseau 4 months ago
I thought it was bad when a mom brought her kindergartner to school on the first day with a bottle. In comparison, that was nothing.
Beth Wheeler 4 months ago
Another case of it's for you and not the kid. I'm thinking these women need to be reported to social services.
Daggie_style 4 months ago
It's true. They do have a tendency to discriminate against d1psh1tz. Unless it's about banning books. Those fools have carte blanche
FluffyDreg 4 months ago
I'm not against the idea of kids remainkng breast feeded beyond the normal point... but no that needs to stay at home once the kid is old enough to eat other kids of food.
FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa 4 months ago
Yea, that's it, they're *discrimating* against you.
Montanavanna 4 months ago
I understand how amazing breast milk is, liquid golf for sure. If you're still nursing your kid directly at the source at 5, it ain't about getting nutrients. You can pump and put it in a cup for them to drink.
Nitka Tsar 4 months ago (edited)
Alright… THIS mother sounds insane BUT I don‘t like when you all just bash on Moms who breastfeed past year 1. I hope you will take this with an open mind, so please listen. My son is 9 now. (No I do not breastfeed him now!). He has always been a sensitiv child and we just recently found out that he might be autistic and or have ADHD. I did not know that when he was little though. I taught him sign language when he was a toddler and he could speak coherently very early. I just tell you this, so you know, that HE could communicate what HE wanted! He WANTED to breastfeed for a very long time. It went from full breatfeeding to in the mornings when waking up and in the evenings to fall to sleep, so yes I did breastfeed him for a very long time, but no, he was not exclusively breastfeed for that long. I think it was for him a comfort thing, something like having your favourite blanket or plushy with you. He breastfed until he was 5 and he would have gone on if I had not told him that we have to stop it. He was very sad, but he understood it. He asked to cuddle with my breast insted. I can’t remember how long that went on but I think it was less then a year, so maybe he would have wanted to stop breastfeeding on his own in that timeframe too. I don’t know. Anyway: please just keep in mind, that not every Mother that breastfeeds for a long time is a lunatic. Don’t be mean to them by default. Every child is different. Mine wanted it. And I won’t apologise or feel guilty for complying with my sons wishes and needs.
#15
Sex Ed Fail
Whether it’s about picking a major for college or choosing an ice cream flavor, indecisiveness isn’t always innate. Sometimes, a mother’s negative behavior could be a catalyst for developing such a trait.
That’s because moms greatly influence decision-making. According to research, those who’ve used psychological control as a primary parenting tactic may negatively impact their child’s sense of judgment when they reach their adolescent years.
#16
I Wonder Why This Isn’t Working
#17
"Monat Makes Me A Millionaire"
#18
So Nice To Read Something Funny Where No Harm Is Done To Children
Alyssa Phillips 4 months ago
Tbf, with 14 they said if he wasn't out in the next 10 minutes they would do a C-section. That was my motivation.
People who grow up with toxic mothers carry that pain their entire life. This is the case for Randi Latzman, owner of the Surviving Mom blog. She created the site as an outlet for the abuse she endured. In one of her recent posts, she recalled the breaking point in their relationship.
#19
She Has Quite A Burden To Bear
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 4 months ago
You are responsible for your own faff and the goblins that emerge from it. Stop trying to make your daughter responsible for your choices.
#20
Bed Is Actually Going To Be On Fire Now!
#21
Homeschool Group Comforting A Mom Who Never Taught Her 14 Year Old The Months Of The Year Or His Tables
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 4 months ago (edited)
Congratulations, you are at fault for not teaching your child the basics whilst supposedly home schooling them. Dingleberries.
“On that fateful day, she told me she didn’t like me and wanted nothing to do with me. I felt like a knife was plunged into my heart,” Latzman wrote.
The author ultimately decided to break all contact after that argument. According to her, what hurt the most was her daughter’s broken relationship with her grandmother.
#22
Found: Sister Of The Wicked Witch Of The West
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 4 months ago
Umbrellas. Coats with hoods. Waterproof clothing. Do you think rain ever stopped us in the UK?
#23
*stares In Cps*
#24
This Extreme Fear-Mongering Pisses Me Off So Much
Dealing with a toxic mom may feel like coming to a dead end. According to psychotherapist Brittany Boufard in the same Bustle interview, the parent in question may resort to the same cycle of denying your feelings and rejecting the idea of change.
When the worst happens, most experts recommend seeking professional help. A licensed therapist or doctor could mediate the conversation as a third party. As Watson-Hill points out, a professional could also help adults gain a better understanding, especially about developing healthy boundaries.
#25
Really Sorry Your Baby Is A Baby
#27
"Your Not A Real Mum Unless You Gave Vaginal Birth To It"
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 4 months ago
Gatekeeping being a mother? You are the worst, you absolute numpty.
Now, we want to hear from you, dear reader. Do you know someone who grew up with a toxic mother? How has it affected their life? And how are they coping? We’d love to know your thoughts in the comments!
#28
Poor Baby
james stevenson 4 months ago
Why would anybody in their right mind go to a chiropractor at all?
#29
How Can I Be Needlessly Strict And Not Respect My Child's Bodily Autonomy But Make Him Not Hate Me Like I Hate My Mom For Doing The Same Thing?
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 4 months ago
It is an innocent thing that your son enjoys. Let him paint his nails you bumnugget.
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What do you think ?
Ace 4 months ago
The further down the list I read, the more I hoped that these were all some kind of elaborate spoof. Toxic just isn't the word for what some of them are doing, they should be locked up.
Game Guy 4 months ago
Calm down. Have a cookie. No, not that cookie, that moron put poop in it and sold it to her kids' friends at a discount because it's his birthday. ;) I think most of them should be locked up. Some in jail, some in a nut farm
Load More Replies... Bernd Herbert 4 months ago
It's mind-blwoing how many people out there think they now better than experts who actually learned and studied their field of expertise. And it's always either medicine or nutrition. Never plumbing or car maintenance.
Cecil 4 months ago
It's hard to get people to buy into alternative plumbing when they can see the water leaking everywhere, right? What these people don't understand is that the problems with their alternatives are just as apparent to most people as the leaking water is to everybody.
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Aud (she/they) 1 month ago
Holy hell, what did I just read??!! I swear I just lost brain cells
Fox with a Dragon Tattoo 2 months ago
I have less than no faith in humanity but half of these cant be real.
Cydney Golden 3 months ago
I would have doubted this level of ignorance could be real if I hadn't seen the people testifying about why they wouldn't wear a mask during covid, get vaccinated, or why they are supporting trump.
Hodge Elmwood 3 months ago
Remember the nutjobs claiming the Covid magnetized them??
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Felix Quinones 3 months ago
The Bible says in James 5:14 that if you're sick, you're to go to the elders of the church for prayer and be anointed with oil in the name of the Lord. So I can imagine that when you go to the doctor, he/she would be dumbfounded because they couldn't find anything wrong.
jasper 4 months ago
Okay, I'm a little distressed about the ant-vax posts being at the top when so many of the others are so grossly flat-out child abuse.
Jess Smith 4 months ago
antivaxxers kill other, immunocompromised, children who do get caught up on their vaccines? No idea though.
Load More Replies... Ace 4 months ago
The further down the list I read, the more I hoped that these were all some kind of elaborate spoof. Toxic just isn't the word for what some of them are doing, they should be locked up.
Game Guy 4 months ago
Calm down. Have a cookie. No, not that cookie, that moron put poop in it and sold it to her kids' friends at a discount because it's his birthday. ;) I think most of them should be locked up. Some in jail, some in a nut farm
Load More Replies... Bernd Herbert 4 months ago
It's mind-blwoing how many people out there think they now better than experts who actually learned and studied their field of expertise. And it's always either medicine or nutrition. Never plumbing or car maintenance.
Cecil 4 months ago
It's hard to get people to buy into alternative plumbing when they can see the water leaking everywhere, right? What these people don't understand is that the problems with their alternatives are just as apparent to most people as the leaking water is to everybody.
Load More Replies... Aud (she/they) 1 month ago
Holy hell, what did I just read??!! I swear I just lost brain cells
Fox with a Dragon Tattoo 2 months ago
I have less than no faith in humanity but half of these cant be real.
Cydney Golden 3 months ago
I would have doubted this level of ignorance could be real if I hadn't seen the people testifying about why they wouldn't wear a mask during covid, get vaccinated, or why they are supporting trump.
Hodge Elmwood 3 months ago
Remember the nutjobs claiming the Covid magnetized them??
Load More Replies... Felix Quinones 3 months ago
The Bible says in James 5:14 that if you're sick, you're to go to the elders of the church for prayer and be anointed with oil in the name of the Lord. So I can imagine that when you go to the doctor, he/she would be dumbfounded because they couldn't find anything wrong.
jasper 4 months ago
Okay, I'm a little distressed about the ant-vax posts being at the top when so many of the others are so grossly flat-out child abuse.
Jess Smith 4 months ago
antivaxxers kill other, immunocompromised, children who do get caught up on their vaccines? No idea though.
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