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Someone Asks “What Is The Worst Parenting Trend To Date?” And People Give 40 Perfectly Blunt Answers
I hope that everyone agrees that not vaccinating your child is an ill way of parenting. Other parenting trends like letting kids do whatever they want and run amok like there’s no tomorrow are also questionable. But the subject matter is delicate, since we also like to believe that for the most part, parents know what’s best for their kids. Or do they?
Well, these two threads from Ask Reddit will shed some light on common parenting styles that are not necessarily healthy. In fact, people claim they’re everything but. “What is the worst parenting trend to date?” someone asked a while ago, and just recently a similar question popped up: "What parenting 'trend' do you strongly disagree with?"
Below we selected some thought-provoking arguments people shared in response to the questions. Also, let us know what parenting trend you don’t agree with in the comments below!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Y'all need to cut this anti-vaccination s**t out like right now. Vaccines save lives.
MarmotArchivist 2 years ago
This deserves it's place on top of the list. With the other things you'll have rude and uneducated kids that become entitled adults, but at least they get to become adults.
There are as many parenting styles as there are parents, and there’s no universal recipe on how to raise your children. But because the current generation faces unprecedented challenges, it also requires tact and special behavior from parents to be able to keep up with the changing times and the increased demands of parenting and child-rearing.
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#2
when ppl posts videos online of them punishing their kids. ex: “dad shaves girls head for txting boyfriend.” what in the sick hell kinda sh*t is that? and nobody seems to have a problem with that or thinks about how incredibly traumatic it’s going to be for that child. and the parents who do this literally make me sick. who is that for even? what are you trying to prove by humiliating your child in front of possibly thousands of ppl or more. ppl like this deserve to have their kids taken away. sorry not sorry.
#3
Not teaching manners with other people's pets. You want to pat my dog you f**king ASK, then you introduce yourself to her (back of your hand to sniff), THEN you may pat her. DO NOT harass her. My dog is a sweetheart but she is an animal and she is at exactly the right height to bite your little darlings face off and then its my fault and my dog dies because you couldnt teach your brat some manners.
Kimi Tomminello 2 years ago (edited)
This should be so much higher. I have kids. I have dogs. One of my dogs LOVES kids. Loves being ridden like a horse (120lb german shepherd) and having small children climbing all over him. The other one is terrified of kids, luckily he has a very mean bark and isn't confrontational. He puffs himself up, barks as loud as he can and retreats backwards while barking. It's enough to scare them off. It's the parents not the kids or my dog. *EDIT* hey look it's number 2 now 😁
The coronavirus pandemic and political turmoil and war we see in Europe right now, as well as the inflation reaching sky highs all bring their own kind of uncertainty. For this reason, many parents are reevaluating the common parenting tactics previous generations took for granted.
Communicating trauma and being open about difficulties is one such new trend we see among parents. Another new style emerging is that more and more parents choose to provide their kids with experiences instead of material gifts. This is how you create memorable experiences and establish a better bond with your kid.
#4
Not teaching basic manners and giving them a ridiculous sense of entitlement.
Laura Edwards 2 years ago
Yes! That kid is your diamond, great! He/she is a pain in my butt. I do not live your diamond.
Amy Taylor 2 years ago
My kids' friends parents always compliment my kids on how polite and well behaved they are..I tell them that it's no accident... I've drilled that in their heads since birth. Manners are incredibly important to us.
Legen ( wait for it ) dary 2 years ago (edited)
Yesssss, I'm "fighting" my kids over this. I understand you are a kid and its supposed you to play, but a Dr waiting room or a restaurant is not a f*****g playground and a covid test center either. And stupid play like go on the ground and being loud.. I really feel horrible when they behave like this. Other parents suggest i give them my phone. No way, they need to learn.
Jef Bateman 2 years ago
I know I may take some fire for this, but I have found that children - by and large - are more polite now than when I was young. A lot of popular culture in my day emphasized the "generation gap" and gave us the impression that we could not learn anything from adults. I know there is the whole "OK, boomer" thing now, but I rarely hear it outside of social media. If you just learn about youth culture by reading posts you will get a very jaundiced view of youth culture.
A Jones 2 years ago
Yeah, each generation has it's people with good manners and people who have bad manners. It all comes down to upbringing. Things seems like it's more often nowadays, but that's just an illusion due to media being readily available to everyone much easier and faster.
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Glen Barratt 2 years ago
To be fair, almost everyone outside of starving bums, has a ridiculous sense of entitlement nowadays. Kids need to be taught humility through example.
Jennifer Christensen 2 years ago
Yes. A sense of entitlement. Bad parenting and bad teachers. Everyone gets a participation trophy and schools stopped doing their main job- to prepare students for the work force. Instead, after graduation, most can't make it past an interview, showing up in sweatpants and crocs with their mommy. The few that do get hired clearly haven't been taught work ethics, can't keep off their phones (you know the type, big thumbs, dented pinky fingers, and hunched cervical spine). They produce more problems than productivity.
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Leesa DeAndrea 2 years ago
Loud kids in restaurants. If I see a family with young kids, I ask for a table as far from them as possible. Too many times my peace is ruined because of screaming babies and kids.
Patti Vance 2 years ago
yes, yes, YES! i've raised a son and a grandson. i was always happy to hear that my son was being polite and when i did hear this from someone i always passed that on to them. he's 43 now and still a polite person though by appearance he is startling as a big burly bearded guy when he approaches elderly to help them. the grandson is autistic and also well mannered, even after he has had a meltdown, which surprises me. he will explain what triggered him to others and apologize if he offended anyone. but, at the same time he is not apologetic for his autism. he often uses those times as a moment to explain autism to others.
Susanne B 2 years ago
Yes parents like that ought to realise, that they are not doing their children a favour. Have they completely forgotten that children have to grow up and be among other adults some day. Adults that will do their best to have nothing to do with them if they have not learned basic manners
Thecoolbonnie 2 years ago
I waited tables in the past.... ALOT Of kids were unbelievably awful... BUT, whenever a child was well mannered and polite ESPECIALLY without being prompted by a parent, at the end of the meal, I would always compliment the child AND the parent, saying that they made my night! (which it always did!)
Apachebathmat 2 years ago
It’s such a simple thing to teach your children manners, politeness costs nothing
Marlene Slattery 2 years ago
I was on a crowded bus when a visibly exhausted mom got on with baby in big clumsy stroller and 4 year old Girl runs screaming to back Mom leaves baby and drags kid back to stroller This happened many times The girl...who obviously knew she is in contol now sat behind me. I asked her in a stern voice...did your mom tell you to stay with her. Yes was the timid answer Then why aren't you listening? Do u know who the boss is ( a word i used a lot in my daycare 5 -2 year olds...they seem to understand it.) Again Yes Then do what she tells you and stay with her! I realized what had happened and looked at mom waiting for the myob Instead she had a big smile and mouthed thank you! In public is when kids know mom is less likely to discipline.. they know and they use it. And everyone knows about mob mentality !!! 1 unruly kid can turn 20 in seconds
Ambry Petersen 2 years ago
Agree completely with this one. Have to scold my child often as she is at the age where she speaks before she thinks. It's a work in progress. So in the case of small children saying something, try not to be too judgemental of the parents, especially when you see them reprimanding the child for thier actions. Most often said parent pulls child aside and whispers reprimand in thier ear. Or scolds them for not being polite. When I can I try to get mine to apologize, but like I said work in progress. Some kids take longer than others to learn the whole think before you speak concept. (Especially if they are a chatterbox like mine. We had to cut out half the cartoons she liked, because she would say things from them that were not appropriate to the situation. Why those lines were on a kids show in the first place is beyond me). So if you see the parents trying to teach manners to unruly child try not to be to annoyed at them (at the parents at least)
Candace Walden 2 years ago
Yes, yes, yes. Please teach manners, even if your child can't talk.
Janet Graham 2 years ago
I was raised in the 50s and 60s. We were taught that our rights stop at the end of our nose and that no one loves you like family, so don't expect them to put up with your nonsense. I raised my kids that way and they are raising their kids that way. Mt kids were brought up with some fun technology (video game systems) and my older kids have cell phones. primarily, each generation has its own technology, but none of them have gone over the top with giving out stuff instead of time and attention.
Random Person 2 years ago
It's a balance between teaching my child that she is incredibly special, to me, and that she cannot expect special treatment from the world. She must be polite and kind and generous to everyone she meets. But I am polite and kind and generous to her, and everyone I meet. (While also execising caution.) She knows she does not deserve and cannot expect anything from anyone. But she has also learned that because she is loved, she often gets it, and appreciates it as such. We will see how that works out long term, but so far, at 14 it's working out for now.
Laura Brown 2 years ago
This. Just this...as a veteran foodservice worker, I encounter so many bratty, ill-mannered children. If any of my children behaved like that, I would jerk a (figurative) knot in them.
Lucky McTrouble 2 years ago
Ugh. I have a hard time not slapping the oblivious smirks off the face of parents to these obnoxiously rude little sh!#s. Sad thing is, those brats will eventually have to function in the real world & they're gonna have a ridiculously steep & unnecessarily rough learning curve.
Tobias the Tiger 2 years ago
I go to school with a bunch of entitled dumbasses. Makes me wonder how they were raised.
Mermaid Elle-Jaye 2 years ago (edited)
I’ve noticed since 2006 the change in kids in restaurants etc, it’s kinda appalling that when you get a good kid with great parents, you can’t help but thank them enough for the great night ❤️
Ann Abrahamson 2 years ago
More than please and thank you, some that use these are still very rude
Deborah Rubin 1 year ago
I have encountered too many of them. Welcome to the real world, you won't get far.
Shapree Mallory 1 year ago
I don't know why they used a black father for this picture because the MAJORITY of them DO teach their kids manners! When they're with black women.
Some guy 1 year ago
The guy in the picture looks like he IS telling his kid what's what.
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Shyam Santhanam 1 year ago
This is very prevalent these days, so many kids running around as entitled brats. My kid is autistic and it's a shame to see him in park looking lost as the other kid has taken his toys and playing and he can't get it back as they tell him no. Seen this multiple times with multiple kids.
CC 2 years ago
Basic manners, be respectful of adults. I was always taught, it's not what you say, it's how you say it. I've taught mine the same thing, and now, my kids friends parents always compliment them. Also, not everyone will like you. Just be you and don't buy into what others think. It's a waste of time.
Becca Kuehn 2 years ago
Absolutely right. Our job as parents is to teach our children to be responsible, respectable adults.
L.a. Williams 2 years ago
My husband's family think your just being fake. My husband now has manners because I explained the rest of the world think they are important.
Cathy Hurd 2 years ago
My 17 year old granddaughter, I'd like to slap some sense into her parents. My daughter was not raised that way.
cam mohawk 2 years ago
exactly they are not even taught how to behave with babies and toddler. that’s what i have
Nezuko_Chan 1 year ago
We have these neighbors and they are extremely rude they live on another street and their kids when they come over don’t even ask and start touching our stuff once my brother cried Bc one of them she saw the lego man he built and put hair on it and said “I was just making it look good” to him it ruined it and once while we were cleaning they were waiting outside and then the kids just walked right in and the mom was like inside the house saying “are you done yet?”
Zina Monceaux 1 year ago
When parents ask “what do we say?” The kid is a kid. They shouldn’t be quizzed about Please & Thank you. Tell them to say thank you better yet teach them by showing them as a daily example!
Jane Cortez 2 years ago
Oh God, it is astounding! Parents letting their children run around in stores out of control, all over the sidewalk…. Or running right past dogs- as a child I was told not to run past dogs…. What really gets me are the parents that have the obnoxious double wide strollers that take up most of the sidewalk. I don’t move onto the grass/road because they decide to be so entitled. And no, your baby/toddler won’t be traumatized because they aren’t riding side by side!!!
Sinnsyk Jakte 1 year ago
Had a kid look down his nose at me, chin lifted, and said 'My ancestors were kings and strangled lions with their bare hands. How dare you.' ...I had just told him...the bag was heavy and I would put it in the cart for him...
Maggie Dinzler Shaw 2 years ago
We do need to agree on what manners are. Please, thank you, but what do we call adulkts? The rules need to be more understood.
Marc Lauzon 2 years ago
Honestly for that one it's not always a lack of attempt. Teaching doesn't mean they learn.
Aliquid 2 years ago
HA HA HA "kids these days"... yeah adults have been saying that since the beginning of time. You are completely wrong if you think this is something new.
L Melville 2 years ago
Because they can't POSSIBLY fail at teaching their kids basic manners or raising an entitled child, too? 🙄 Welcome to 2022. I see a father and son where YOU see a BLACK father and son.
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#5
Shielding children from the natural consequences of their actions. They don't learn from their mistakes and the consequence price tags are so much higher when they become adults.
Fitz_N_Fartz 2 years ago
How I was taught and how I taught my daughter. Do not be afraid from making mistakes, just make sure you learn from the experience in not repeating them.
#6
I hate when parents get mad at me for telling off their kids. I work in hospitality and we have a bowl of mints at the bar with tongs to grab them out. One night these three kids, all under age 10 but old enough to know better, just started diving their hands into the bowl. I told them politely to use the tongs, then I told them off when they ignored my request. The parents got mad at me instead of their kids, even though their kids just made me throw out a whole bowl of mints. If you're incapable of disciplining your child properly, don't get upset when someone else does it for you.
LagoonaBlueColleen 2 years ago
YES. It takes a village to raise a child and parents should expect that village will need to reprimand your kid once in a while.
But no matter what new trends emerge in parenting, one very common flaw will probably outlive them all. And you guessed it… it’s spoiling kids. In fact, over half this survey of 1,125 parents with kids between 4 and 10 confessed that they spoil their children too much. Another 2 in 5 go even further, saying they’re sometimes “embarrassed by how selfish their child acts.”
Spoiled kids don’t get to know and feel what it is like to be grateful, as gratitude is not something that children acquire automatically. It needs to be nurtured, in an age-appropriate way, but the more they get used to getting their way easily, the harder it is to turn them around.
#7
Parent of teens here! All of my kids have had a friend that stayed the night at our house because the friend missed curfew at home and wasn't allowed in the house. I don't get it. Punishing the kid for missing curfew is totally acceptable. But not letting them in their own house in the middle of the night? What good can possibly come from that? My own kids rarely missed their curfew but when they did, they knew that they could come home, to a safe place, and face the consequences the next day.
GirlFriday 2 years ago
I agree with this 1000%. I woke up one morning and saw the neighbor's kid asleep on the porch. When I went to see if he was OK, he told me he missed curfew and was locked out for the night. That is so horrible!
#8
Gender reveal parties.
Tamra Stiffler 2 years ago
I get that parents-to-be are excited about their new lives and as long as they aren't setting fires or making a huge mess of things, then go for it. Just understand that most people aren't nearly as invested as you are in your future child's sex. This would be the second most boring social event, right behind the baby shower. Only my opinion.
#9
Beauty Pageants. I have no problem with them it's just that the age these parents make their kids enter and the s**t they do to try to win like doping them up on sugar and energy drinks. Using spray tans and makeup on kids that are sometimes 1-2 years old! And in the end they extort their child for little to no monetary gain. I've seen parents neglect their other kids in favor of the pagent queen. And in the end you get a spoiled brat that throws a hissy fit and is disrespectful. But who cares, you spent 15k to win 5k and you're on TLC
So in order to find out more about how being spoiled in childhood may affect your adult life, we spoke with Lynn How, the author of “Positive Young Mind'' and life coach who specializes in supporting educators, parents, and children with improving and prevention of mental health issues. She also runs this Facebook teacher coaching group which is an excellent resource for teachers in need of support when leaving, changing their mindset, changing their schools or setting healthy work/life boundaries.
“Do you know anyone who has trouble keeping their emotions in check when they don’t get their own way?” Lynn said and added that it may be that they were spoilt as a child and this hasn’t done them any favors as they move into their adult life.
#10
"Boys will be boys".
chaotic_charlie (they/he) 2 years ago (edited)
this should be used when boys are doing something like putting hot dogs on the slide, not for s3xual h@rassment (edit: ty all SO MUCH for the upvotes!!!)
#11
Unschooling. I agree that kids should have some sort of say in what they learn - if your kid is really interested in, say, bugs, then by god you take them to every bug museum you can find and buy them all the bug books - BUT kids should have a basic curriculum whether they're interested in it or not. I get that most kids don't like math, or history, or the "boring" classes, but I strongly disagree with the unschooling attitude of "my kid does not want to learn it, so I won't make them."
#12
Parents never telling their children "no" and refusing to set any boundaries.
I get empowering children by giving them a voice in decision-making and the freedom to speak their minds, but general social norms would be nice.
Listening to 8 year olds throw fits in public and being rude to family and strangers (at top volume) is not endearing in any way.
“These children may turn into adults who show less resilience when things go wrong and they may give up easily when things aren’t working out. Also, they want it all and they want it now whereas most adults can tolerate delayed gratification,” she explained.
#13
Videoing kids at their worst moments and then posting it on social media.
RandomFrog 2 years ago
A very distant relative of mine has a YouTube channel with her unschooled kids, and they’re always crying in the back or telling her to stop the camera and it’s just insane that she still posts it
#14
Taking youth sports too seriously.
I helped with and attended games for years, and can count on one hand the number of times I saw a child lose their temper. Parents lost it all the time. More than once I've seen a parent have to be physically restrained.
#15
Ear piercing babies. That pisses me off. Let them decide. Don't put your vanity onto your baby. ESPECIALLY with piercing guns.
Jayne Kyra 2 years ago
Had my ears pierced as a baby. Now I have 6 in one ear, 4 in the other (including a Daith piercing). And tattoos. Hehe, maybe I can blame it on not having a choice when I was a kid. The rest were my choice and my decision.
Moreover, “other traits that they may display include a lack of independence as their problems were generally solved for them, an inability to take criticism as nothing they did badly would invoke the appropriate feedback and the idea that everything should just come to them easily without too much work.”
“This last point is also coupled with a huge sense of disappointment when it doesn’t work out. All in all, this doesn’t set a child up to have positive relationships or good mental health as an adult.”
#16
Making a kid finish their plate.
Jo Johannsen 2 years ago
Also, keep in mind serving size for a 5yo should be much smaller than a teenager or adult. If it doesn't satisfy, let them have a bit more, but never force food on kids.
#17
taking the door off their room. i have neverrrrr understood this
#18
Family vloggers. Growing up in front of a camera can be so damaging for a child. Don't even get me started on the child labour it is - using young kids to earn money isn't good parenting in my opinion.
Bob Belcher 2 years ago
Ryan's toy review. I remember the first time seeing it after my daughter told me about it. I had to explain to her that not everyone gets to go on vacation every month. Now I see that kid and he looks tired and miserable.
There are many different challenges a spoiled child is likely to face while growing up. “A lack of appropriate boundaries can be very confusing for a child and although on the outside, these children can seem argumentative and rude, this stems from a lack of self-confidence on the inside as they have not been given these tools,” Lynn explained.
“Once their safety blanket of the parents spoiling them has been removed, coping on their own would bring on anxiety which could manifest itself as a tantrum,” she added.
#19
I think those parents who impose a raw vegan diet on their young kids - there is no way that a child can sustain itself on a raw vegan diet - you'd need to be constantly eating to get the necessary calories.
Vegetables and fruit are very high in fibre - both soluble and non-soluble - so you can be very full from relatively few calories compared with even a high-protein diet.
Vegan can be a struggle if the parent doesn't do the research. And a raw diet can be done as an adult, but it would still be difficult.
A raw vegan diet for a young child is basically child abuse.
Donna Webber 2 years ago
Ohhhhh gaaaawd; a vegan parent; Dont force your kids to eat a sh1tty vegan diet
#20
Modern day: Parents assuming that once a child hits school age that it's the schools responsibility to raise them. These same parents then get angry when their child is punished by the school.
See this FAR too often.
Evelyn Ann 2 years ago
One of my best friends is an English teacher to 7-9th graders and..THIS. she doesn't get emails or calls from parents on how to help their kids learn. She gets angry emails about a child getting zeros on grades for not turning in homework. Emails stating "that was obviously A level work, all their other teachers gave them an A". In spelling and grammar there is only one correct way, there is rarely room for interpretation! After ten years of teaching she is rethinking her career choice. Not because of the children, because of the parents. She can't discipline a student who threw a desk at her twice. It's definitely a modern thing, my mom would have dragged me out of principal's office by my ear. This child's parent said she "misunderstood his actions".
#21
Coddling sons while holding daughters to higher standards.
Moreover, Lynn argues that “often these children will have friendship issues as they find it challenging to let others have their own way and they may find it difficult to form positive relationships with other adults such as teachers due to difficulty with conformity.” She concluded that overall this adds up to a childhood that is more challenging than it needs to be.
#22
Posting intimate pics of your kid all over social media.
Now, I have no issue with parents sharing adorable baby pics. Hell, I don't mind you guys sharing a lot of them. When you go through hell and back to carry, birth, and raise the kid, you get a pass on the social media sharing, somewhat.
HOWEVER, sharing pics of your kid in the bathtub and doing bodily functions is not okay. 1) It's gross. I don't think your kid's blowout diaper or "first poopy in the toilet" is funny or cute. I don't want that on my timeline. 2) Pedos are out there, be careful. 3) I know it's hard to imagine, but little Peighsyn is gonna be a big boy someday. In fact, he may even be on social media in the future. His friends (AND EMPLOYERS) are gonna see those gross vomit and poop pics. Not a good idea.
2x4b523p 2 years ago
My sister in law keeps posting pictures of her daughters doing everyday kid activities, but what shocks me most are the comments. Every day there is at least one person commenting “wow so sexy” or other version of “sexy” on a picture where her daughters pose for the camera. It’s usually her female friends commenting and she replies things like “aww thank you” or such. Who the hell thinks a 5 year old is sexy? And what mother isn’t alarmed by such comments??
#23
Maybe not the worst, but my parents forced me to play competitive sports for years when I clearly hated it and I'm still a little bitter. I was horrible at soccer, they even offered me 10 bucks for every goal I scored but I still couldn't do it. As an adult I still shudder a little every time I drive by a baseball field, thinking about how much time I wasted there and the embarrassment of sucking at something and getting laughed at by the other kids. This isn't to say I wasn't an athletic kid, I loved skating, riding bikes, hiking and all that. Parents - if your kid isn't good at a sport, doesn't have any interest in it and obviously has no talent for it, please don't make them do it.
LagoonaBlueColleen 2 years ago
My dad and his wife did this with their sons. I kid you not, they were forced to quit hockey and soccer due to damaged knees, shoulders and backs when they were in their teens.
#24
Not giving kids privacy or personal space. I have teenagers and unless they give me a reason not to trust them, I don’t rummage around in their rooms or secretly read their texts.
FABULOUS1 2 years ago
I don't violate my kids personal space. Well they are adults now but still didn't do it while they were younger, but I also don't violate my wife's personal space either. I really dislike hearing people talking about going through their kids and spouses phones, wallets and other things, these people lack boundaries.
#25
Not dressing your kids like kids.
Also raising your kids on YouTube/Instagram/TikTok before they're old enough to decide how much privacy they want in their lives.
#26
Shielding their kid from failure. There are so many people now that are afraid of failing, so much so, that they don't even attempt something new if they have a hint that they may fail at it.
Raven Sheridan 2 years ago
If a kid can't learn how to cope with failure, they turn into an adult man-child, who falsely claims that they had an election stolen from them!
#27
Not saying a word about sexuality and shielding children from any sort of affection on tv or in real life.
I can't stress enough how much this has contributed to my intense shame whenever I masturbate and my inability to be intimate. Of course this is a compounded issue for me personally but such a censored childhood was the backbone for all of this pain.
L Melville 2 years ago
Additionally....using "pet names" for your child's anatomy/genitals and not understanding why this is problematic/dangerous. If your child tells the teacher that uncle Tom licked their "cookie"....the teacher may not understand the SIGNIFICANCE of this confession. Teach kids the proper words for parts of their body.
#28
Taking your kids to the pub with you on a weekend.
I'm not talking an afternoon lunch with a glass of wine or two. I'm talking about kids being left to run amok in car parks and on pavements while parents sit inside and have a drink.
Look after your f**king kids.
#29
People having their kids stay up with them until the wee hours of the morning. By 11pm they are cranky, fussy, and clearly tired.
Put. Your. Kids. To. Bed.
Dagny White 2 years ago
Why would you even do that? It was hard for my parents to put me to bed. Sleep is really important, especially at this young age.
#30
Pushing your kids to bring home flawless reports. Had a friend my sophomore year of highschool (straight A student, extra curricular stuff) with strict parents obviously living vicariously through her- who blew her head off with her dad's shotgun sitting at the kitchen table because it was near finals week, her grades were plummeting and the only boyfriend she's ever had had just broken up with her 3 days prior. I'd like to introduce a new parenting trend; Talking to your kids, listening and understanding.
whodunnitfan2013 2 years ago
Ugh, my parents had unrealistic expectations for me like the friend mentioned. I almost took my life plenty of times. I even would contemplate suicide when I didn't make my parents look perfect.
#31
Not knocking “because what if the kid is secretly running a highly illegal business in there” Like please, knock. It will save you and your kids from discomfort.
Jessica Wood 2 years ago
Illegal business? What, do they think their teenager is running a drug ring from their bedroom?
#32
Taking your kid's side when he's being an a****le to strangers. DO your job and educate your kid so I don't have to punch him in the face.
#34
Publicly shaming your kids. If you do that s**t you are an as****le and a disgusting human being.
Madeleine Flowers 2 years ago
*If you do that s**t ON PURPOSE you are an as****le. If your kids do something incredibly stupid (like run in front of a moving car, or something like that) then go for it, they deserve it.
#35
Never listening to your child. The whole children need to be seen and not heard schtick, f**ked up my social skills a whole lot with my parents and people.
LagoonaBlueColleen 2 years ago
Same. I was raised to be compliant and always caring about what other people think. Likely why I feel the need to comment on social media on a daily basis. .... sorry for my constant ramblings.
#36
My aunt and uncle are and have been huge supporters of the "if you just give them a video game then they'll be quiet forever" so my 6-year old cousin has absolutely no social skills and is a difficult, struggling first grader but is alright at playing Angry Birds and Minecraft.
Stephanie A Mutti 2 years ago
Tossing a phone to a kid any time there is a wait. I get the desire to keep busy while waiting but we don't learn patience without practice
#37
Wanting to be "friends" with their kids. It really pisses me off. Parents that won't challenge, question or correct poor behaviour.
I've got three boys to raise and my attitude has always been - I'm your dad. I'm not your friend. I have friends you have friends. We can be friends when you're old enough to buy me a beer and I've done the sort of parenting that means I want to have a beer with you.
Random Panda 2 years ago
I don't know, my parents were our friends and still disciplined us. There's a middle ground between the two situations described here. I don't like parents like OP.
#39
Non-parenting. That is, when people have kids but let their kids run wild with zero effort put into actually raising them into functional members of society.
Homeschooling. Frequently it just means non-schooling. Either the parent in question does not have the ability to teach, due to lack of education on their own part, has no intention of teaching with it all just falling back into non-parenting, or it's a deliberate attempt by fundies to keep their kids from getting an education. There are few exceptions.
MantisGirl15 2 years ago
Homeschooling, when done right, is amazing. I was brought up homeschooled and I'm in a much better place academically than I would have been had I grown up in public school. Unschooling is the problem, as well as parents who want to homeschool but don't take responsibility for their children's education.
#40
Infant circumcision. Sorry but unneeded cosmetic surgery performed on non consenting minors is just stupid, useless, and illogical.
What do you think ?
Beth S 2 years ago
My takeaway…. If you have kids, you’re doing it wrong. Sincerely, the internet. Trust me most parents worry enough that we are or have messed up our kids. Parenting is a LOT of trial and error as well as hoping you got the balancing act down enough that your kids will be ok adults.
Natália Boanerges 2 years ago
That's exactly what I was thinking. A lot of people criticising parents up there probably don't have kids yet, and that's why the little empathy and so much judgement.
Load More Replies...
Tamra Stiffler 2 years ago
Parenting is hard. Really hard. I have been so incredibly fortunate to be able to be a mom (I have one son), but I know I've made lots of mistakes, and I'm still learning. I think if you're open to learning, love them, keep them safe, support them throughout the ups and downs, teach them to be kind and honest...well that goes a long way. I don't know why I'm blathering on here...I need more coffee.
Jasper Cool 2 years ago
There's nothing so humbling as having an extremely judgemental opinion of parenting and then having reality handed to you when you have one of your own. Or at least it was like that for me lol.
Anna Volkov 2 years ago
Haha yes! I thought I will be amazing at parenting having like 20+ nieces and nephews around all the time.. now I have 2 and wonder if I will ever know what I'm doing:/
Load More Replies...
Chloe Price 2 years ago (edited)
I get the ones concerning actual safety but elf on a shelf and unique names? Mind your business lol the elf isn’t hurting anyone and biblical names aren’t popular times change. If they didn’t we’d all still be named Ebenezer and Agnes.
Jasper Cool 2 years ago
Haha just wait until Ebenezer makes a comeback. Ngl I kind of like it.
Load More Replies...
Lara M 2 years ago
The parenting trend that's really horrible is that parents (like everyone else) work such insanely long hours that they don't actually have time to parent, and are too exhausted to parent by the time they do finally see their kids. You can't raise functional human beings that way.
Aliquid 2 years ago
My god posts like this drive me crazy. READ THE ASSIGNMENT. I wonder if these people failed all their tests in school as well. To clarify, the assignment was "What Is The Worst Parenting Trend To Date". Not "name things that bug you about kids". Examples above like "boys will be boys" is NOT a current "trend", it is an age-old mindset, if anything the trend is to STOP putting up with that philosophy. And "kids have no manners these days"?? Really? There are quotes from Socrates saying that close to 2,500 years ago, and every generation since then has complained about "kids these days". Antivaxxers? Yeah, that's a new trend. Helicopter parents? Yeah that's a new trend. But most of these are BS
Lyone Fein 2 years ago
I know this may be very unpopular, but I think it's disturbing when parents allow or even encourage underage (ie, under 18) kids to get surgery that will permanently alter their appearance in some way. I saw this happen when I worked in the modeling industry often. 14 year olds getting nose jobs or other plastic surgery.
moonlit muffins 2 years ago
i think a single piercing on each ear is ok after they are old enough because they don't dramatically change their boddies and they can grow over
Load More Replies... MonsterMum 2 years ago
Using filters on kids photos when sharing on social media. What is wrong with how your kids look naturally?
whodunnitfan2013 2 years ago
Lots of parents don't want to actually parent their children, and shouldn't have been parents in the first place.
Res Earch 2 years ago
Not bringing something to keep your young child entertained. I know you need to repaint the bedroom, but your 2-year-old doesn't want to sit in a buggy quietly while you stare at samples for three hours. Or sit in a restaurant booth doing nothing while you ignore them. My parents always had books, a small toy, some crayons, something to keep me occupied when I was little, or at the very least they would TALK to me, they would engage me so I wasn't bored and pitching a fit.
Lurleen Beckneywimple 2 years ago
My parents engaged with us. We were a family. They weren’t a couple with kids along.
Load More Replies...
1.21Gigawatts?! 2 years ago
I have one to add to this list. Don't tell your kid to not cry. My mom did this with me ever since I was 4, and wondered why I had such severe anger issues a few years later.
Kathleen Hansford 2 years ago (edited)
So much this! My dad (wanker) told me "Only babies cry," and I was always punished for being upset or emotional by him and other adults around me. I still can't handle anger properly because I was never taught how to.
Load More Replies...
leah 2 years ago (edited)
The year our oldest was born we spent the night at my parent's house on Christmas Eve. She was 6 months old and you'll never guess who kept opening the door, locked even, to make sure that her parents knew what they were doing after 6 months. Forty year old parents, mind you. If you guessed my mother you would be correct. She did that s**t all the time while I was growing up and when I came home from college. She was stifling and I was extremely sheltered. You bet your a*s I knock on our daughters' door. I even wait for an answer when I hear giggling and know they're up to something "naughty." They're 5 and 2 so their naughty is still something we can cover with paint or the dolls stay bald.
Chloe Kosch 2 years ago
My mom won't get the covid vax, bothers the c**p out of me. I'm 14 so not much I can do. A past teacher of ours son's dies right after he got the vaccine. Its the vaccine that caused it. He was very young. I'm not sure if I recall correctly but I think it was a heart attack. He could have led an unhealthy lifestyle. She thinks fake since vaccines like the small pox took years. Its 2022 things are more advanced. I haven't talked to her yet about getting the vaccine. Do you think I should? Byw I have several other vaccine just the covid one.
the aftermath is secondary™ 2 years ago
Parents: please don’t invade your kids’ (especially teens’) privacy. It’s seriously detrimental to trust and doesn’t contribute much to the relationship. Unless you’re willing to trade love for personal knowledge, don’t snoop. Just stay out of our stuff. Please.
Julie M. 2 years ago
I think those goodie bags after a birthday could be gone. What are they for anyway? Is it a reward for attending the birthday? Same with why inviting the whole class when the kid is not even friends with all of them? Dont go over the top. Let the kid choose who to invite, the best friends, go bowling, bake the favorite cake, order pizza, kids are usually easy to please when it comes to their special day.
Nona Wolf 2 years ago
Dear Parents - some girls are just tomboys. Don't freak out and drag us off to a counselor (or doctor, or therapist, or gender program, et...) There is nothing wrong with us - we just like to hunt/fish/play sports/work on cars, et... It's OK. We are not all born to be Disney Princesses.
Oliver Coine 2 years ago
Astounded that they don't have "bully" on this list. Growing up, my folks made it routine to be my bullies because it was fun for them! Get a boyfriend? A crush? Bad grades? Constant teasing and harassment. Then they wonder why I don't visit them after all these years...
Ashley Conover 2 years ago
So many of these, non parenting ones, are done by someone I know with her son. I fear for him.
Portia the Pretty Mess 2 years ago
I was a single mom. I raised 4 kids alone that are now 24-31 years old. They are all educated, mature, responsible and functioning adults. My key was balance. Don’t be lazy, it’s hard work and a full time job but also have your own personal boundaries that they know and understand. A healthy fear of your parents is not a bad thing. It’s strong motivation to do the right thing but not so much that it’s abuse. My kids could tell me anything and often told me more than I wanted to know but we have always had healthy relationships. I respect their boundaries and they respect mine. Balance, consistency, say no and let them lose occasionally. It builds strong adults.
Azrial Alaria 2 years ago
I don't even know why I'm here. Don't have kids. Don't want them. Life is so much simpler. Thank you!
Black Dragon -RHO- 1 year ago
Screentime, forcing kids to talk to strangers/people, not believing their kids when they think/know they have any kind of disorder/etc, no privacy, abusive parents, I have a whole lot. I know out of experience
Annie Steele 1 year ago
Stop filming everything they do for social media. I don't want to see your child having a poo !!
Stay Off My Lawn 1 year ago (edited)
Also, forcing religion on your kids is a great way to end up with at least one bitter anti-theist adult offspring who make it their life’s mission to let everyone know that you failed as a parent. JS
Dorothy Cloud 2 years ago
Most of these were excellent in their comments. A lot of parents today DO NOT PARENT. That is sad that other people have to put up with ill mannered, and sometimes dangerous, children.
Mari Bryant 2 years ago
How are any of these trends? They span the generations, except maybe the gender reveals
Jennifer Germain 2 years ago
by no means a perfect parent, we try and do our best. Try to teach them to be polite (goes a long way) basics to take care of themselves (cooking, laundry etc) and help when ever I can without doing it for them. So far working out ok :)
devilicious 2 years ago
Lol. How about keep your nose out of people's business. Parenting is hard. Shut up and stop thinking you're the center of the universe and that you can tell people how to live their lives or how to treat their children. Yes. Some of those are true, without any doubt.. But the rest.. Just mind your own business and stop thinking you're the best parent in the world because you do it differently that the others.
Patricia Fonda 2 years ago
You and your Single kid 24/7/365! Until 1st grade comes around and kid doesn't know what to Do and goes to preschool.
George Whitaker 1 year ago
Love to see a bunch of people who feel entitled to parent other people's children act like the kids are being entitled just for being kids. Kids aren't good at listening, kids don't always remember social rules, that doesn't make them bad kids nor does it make their parents bad parents. While it's frustrating to encounter kids doing frustrating things, you aren't entitled to go off on them or treat them badly simply because they're children and you think it your responsibility to teach them some pedantic lesson.
Cathy Hurd 2 years ago
'Gentle' parenting. Stupidest thing I've ever heard. As stupid as not getting your kids vaccinated.
Raee O_o 2 years ago
What bothers me is all the people trying to tell me COVID vaccines are good for my baby, don't pierce her ears it's wrong, and don't circumcise my son, are the same people voting for young kids to take hormone blockers and cutting healthy breasts of young girls, like gtfoh 2 tiny holes and no flap of skin to worry about cleaning properly your hole life is way better then never being able to breast feed a future child if you decide to detransition in the future cause parents/teachers/doctors pushed it on you when you were young and couldn't fully comprehend what it truly mean to change genders. God forbid my daughter is anything like me and becomes the biggest tomboy, everyone's going to try to turn her into a boy, for something that's completely normal. Smh this world is going downhill fast. And it's so sad people are stuck on this woke agenda I don't mind the LGBTQ+ but don't shove it down our kids throats prek, kindergarten and up don't need to learn about that. Or remembering pronou
Cathy Hurd 2 years ago
'Gentle parenting', kids need firm discipline, rules and strict boundaries.
Beth S 2 years ago
My takeaway…. If you have kids, you’re doing it wrong. Sincerely, the internet. Trust me most parents worry enough that we are or have messed up our kids. Parenting is a LOT of trial and error as well as hoping you got the balancing act down enough that your kids will be ok adults.
Natália Boanerges 2 years ago
That's exactly what I was thinking. A lot of people criticising parents up there probably don't have kids yet, and that's why the little empathy and so much judgement.
Load More Replies... Tamra Stiffler 2 years ago
Parenting is hard. Really hard. I have been so incredibly fortunate to be able to be a mom (I have one son), but I know I've made lots of mistakes, and I'm still learning. I think if you're open to learning, love them, keep them safe, support them throughout the ups and downs, teach them to be kind and honest...well that goes a long way. I don't know why I'm blathering on here...I need more coffee.
Jasper Cool 2 years ago
There's nothing so humbling as having an extremely judgemental opinion of parenting and then having reality handed to you when you have one of your own. Or at least it was like that for me lol.
Anna Volkov 2 years ago
Haha yes! I thought I will be amazing at parenting having like 20+ nieces and nephews around all the time.. now I have 2 and wonder if I will ever know what I'm doing:/
Load More Replies... Chloe Price 2 years ago (edited)
I get the ones concerning actual safety but elf on a shelf and unique names? Mind your business lol the elf isn’t hurting anyone and biblical names aren’t popular times change. If they didn’t we’d all still be named Ebenezer and Agnes.
Jasper Cool 2 years ago
Haha just wait until Ebenezer makes a comeback. Ngl I kind of like it.
Load More Replies... Lara M 2 years ago
The parenting trend that's really horrible is that parents (like everyone else) work such insanely long hours that they don't actually have time to parent, and are too exhausted to parent by the time they do finally see their kids. You can't raise functional human beings that way.
Aliquid 2 years ago
My god posts like this drive me crazy. READ THE ASSIGNMENT. I wonder if these people failed all their tests in school as well. To clarify, the assignment was "What Is The Worst Parenting Trend To Date". Not "name things that bug you about kids". Examples above like "boys will be boys" is NOT a current "trend", it is an age-old mindset, if anything the trend is to STOP putting up with that philosophy. And "kids have no manners these days"?? Really? There are quotes from Socrates saying that close to 2,500 years ago, and every generation since then has complained about "kids these days". Antivaxxers? Yeah, that's a new trend. Helicopter parents? Yeah that's a new trend. But most of these are BS
Lyone Fein 2 years ago
I know this may be very unpopular, but I think it's disturbing when parents allow or even encourage underage (ie, under 18) kids to get surgery that will permanently alter their appearance in some way. I saw this happen when I worked in the modeling industry often. 14 year olds getting nose jobs or other plastic surgery.
moonlit muffins 2 years ago
i think a single piercing on each ear is ok after they are old enough because they don't dramatically change their boddies and they can grow over
Load More Replies... MonsterMum 2 years ago
Using filters on kids photos when sharing on social media. What is wrong with how your kids look naturally?
whodunnitfan2013 2 years ago
Lots of parents don't want to actually parent their children, and shouldn't have been parents in the first place.
Res Earch 2 years ago
Not bringing something to keep your young child entertained. I know you need to repaint the bedroom, but your 2-year-old doesn't want to sit in a buggy quietly while you stare at samples for three hours. Or sit in a restaurant booth doing nothing while you ignore them. My parents always had books, a small toy, some crayons, something to keep me occupied when I was little, or at the very least they would TALK to me, they would engage me so I wasn't bored and pitching a fit.
Lurleen Beckneywimple 2 years ago
My parents engaged with us. We were a family. They weren’t a couple with kids along.
Load More Replies... 1.21Gigawatts?! 2 years ago
I have one to add to this list. Don't tell your kid to not cry. My mom did this with me ever since I was 4, and wondered why I had such severe anger issues a few years later.
Kathleen Hansford 2 years ago (edited)
So much this! My dad (wanker) told me "Only babies cry," and I was always punished for being upset or emotional by him and other adults around me. I still can't handle anger properly because I was never taught how to.
Load More Replies... leah 2 years ago (edited)
The year our oldest was born we spent the night at my parent's house on Christmas Eve. She was 6 months old and you'll never guess who kept opening the door, locked even, to make sure that her parents knew what they were doing after 6 months. Forty year old parents, mind you. If you guessed my mother you would be correct. She did that s**t all the time while I was growing up and when I came home from college. She was stifling and I was extremely sheltered. You bet your a*s I knock on our daughters' door. I even wait for an answer when I hear giggling and know they're up to something "naughty." They're 5 and 2 so their naughty is still something we can cover with paint or the dolls stay bald.
Chloe Kosch 2 years ago
My mom won't get the covid vax, bothers the c**p out of me. I'm 14 so not much I can do. A past teacher of ours son's dies right after he got the vaccine. Its the vaccine that caused it. He was very young. I'm not sure if I recall correctly but I think it was a heart attack. He could have led an unhealthy lifestyle. She thinks fake since vaccines like the small pox took years. Its 2022 things are more advanced. I haven't talked to her yet about getting the vaccine. Do you think I should? Byw I have several other vaccine just the covid one.
the aftermath is secondary™ 2 years ago
Parents: please don’t invade your kids’ (especially teens’) privacy. It’s seriously detrimental to trust and doesn’t contribute much to the relationship. Unless you’re willing to trade love for personal knowledge, don’t snoop. Just stay out of our stuff. Please.
Julie M. 2 years ago
I think those goodie bags after a birthday could be gone. What are they for anyway? Is it a reward for attending the birthday? Same with why inviting the whole class when the kid is not even friends with all of them? Dont go over the top. Let the kid choose who to invite, the best friends, go bowling, bake the favorite cake, order pizza, kids are usually easy to please when it comes to their special day.
Nona Wolf 2 years ago
Dear Parents - some girls are just tomboys. Don't freak out and drag us off to a counselor (or doctor, or therapist, or gender program, et...) There is nothing wrong with us - we just like to hunt/fish/play sports/work on cars, et... It's OK. We are not all born to be Disney Princesses.
Oliver Coine 2 years ago
Astounded that they don't have "bully" on this list. Growing up, my folks made it routine to be my bullies because it was fun for them! Get a boyfriend? A crush? Bad grades? Constant teasing and harassment. Then they wonder why I don't visit them after all these years...
Ashley Conover 2 years ago
So many of these, non parenting ones, are done by someone I know with her son. I fear for him.
Portia the Pretty Mess 2 years ago
I was a single mom. I raised 4 kids alone that are now 24-31 years old. They are all educated, mature, responsible and functioning adults. My key was balance. Don’t be lazy, it’s hard work and a full time job but also have your own personal boundaries that they know and understand. A healthy fear of your parents is not a bad thing. It’s strong motivation to do the right thing but not so much that it’s abuse. My kids could tell me anything and often told me more than I wanted to know but we have always had healthy relationships. I respect their boundaries and they respect mine. Balance, consistency, say no and let them lose occasionally. It builds strong adults.
Azrial Alaria 2 years ago
I don't even know why I'm here. Don't have kids. Don't want them. Life is so much simpler. Thank you!
Black Dragon -RHO- 1 year ago
Screentime, forcing kids to talk to strangers/people, not believing their kids when they think/know they have any kind of disorder/etc, no privacy, abusive parents, I have a whole lot. I know out of experience
Annie Steele 1 year ago
Stop filming everything they do for social media. I don't want to see your child having a poo !!
Stay Off My Lawn 1 year ago (edited)
Also, forcing religion on your kids is a great way to end up with at least one bitter anti-theist adult offspring who make it their life’s mission to let everyone know that you failed as a parent. JS
Dorothy Cloud 2 years ago
Most of these were excellent in their comments. A lot of parents today DO NOT PARENT. That is sad that other people have to put up with ill mannered, and sometimes dangerous, children.
Mari Bryant 2 years ago
How are any of these trends? They span the generations, except maybe the gender reveals
Jennifer Germain 2 years ago
by no means a perfect parent, we try and do our best. Try to teach them to be polite (goes a long way) basics to take care of themselves (cooking, laundry etc) and help when ever I can without doing it for them. So far working out ok :)
devilicious 2 years ago
Lol. How about keep your nose out of people's business. Parenting is hard. Shut up and stop thinking you're the center of the universe and that you can tell people how to live their lives or how to treat their children. Yes. Some of those are true, without any doubt.. But the rest.. Just mind your own business and stop thinking you're the best parent in the world because you do it differently that the others.
Patricia Fonda 2 years ago
You and your Single kid 24/7/365! Until 1st grade comes around and kid doesn't know what to Do and goes to preschool.
George Whitaker 1 year ago
Love to see a bunch of people who feel entitled to parent other people's children act like the kids are being entitled just for being kids. Kids aren't good at listening, kids don't always remember social rules, that doesn't make them bad kids nor does it make their parents bad parents. While it's frustrating to encounter kids doing frustrating things, you aren't entitled to go off on them or treat them badly simply because they're children and you think it your responsibility to teach them some pedantic lesson.
Cathy Hurd 2 years ago
'Gentle' parenting. Stupidest thing I've ever heard. As stupid as not getting your kids vaccinated.
Raee O_o 2 years ago
What bothers me is all the people trying to tell me COVID vaccines are good for my baby, don't pierce her ears it's wrong, and don't circumcise my son, are the same people voting for young kids to take hormone blockers and cutting healthy breasts of young girls, like gtfoh 2 tiny holes and no flap of skin to worry about cleaning properly your hole life is way better then never being able to breast feed a future child if you decide to detransition in the future cause parents/teachers/doctors pushed it on you when you were young and couldn't fully comprehend what it truly mean to change genders. God forbid my daughter is anything like me and becomes the biggest tomboy, everyone's going to try to turn her into a boy, for something that's completely normal. Smh this world is going downhill fast. And it's so sad people are stuck on this woke agenda I don't mind the LGBTQ+ but don't shove it down our kids throats prek, kindergarten and up don't need to learn about that. Or remembering pronou
Cathy Hurd 2 years ago
'Gentle parenting', kids need firm discipline, rules and strict boundaries.
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