When Adults Act Like Kids: Parenthood Blunders and Fails
Parenting is often described as one of the toughest roles despite its simplicity of having a child. No one is trained on how to parent and one is bound to making mistakes along the way. Real-life stories shared on Reddit shed light on the struggles parents face, from accidental revelations of secrets to dealing with temper tantrums.
Following are some highlighted mistakes and challenges that come with being a mother and father in these modern times:
1. Lighter-It Up
Someone on a reddit account with username u/Quirkycupcake56 said: "When I was working at a daycare, on my first day in a new room with 15-24 month-olds I picked up a little boy and noticed he had dropped something through the neck hole in his onesie. I pulled it out and it was a lighter. When we returned it to the mom and told her where we found it she laughed and said 'This kid gets his hands on EVERYTHING!'"
2. Pulling Away the Skirt
Somebody with the user name r/flibbyjibby mentioned that: "During a Christmas Dinner, My mother pulled my skirt which caused me to involuntarily flash a room full of people. I was humiliated. Apparently, she wanted to check my thighs for signs of self harm. I've never self harmed before. To answer the FAQs in the replies: I was 18 and I was wearing underwear."
3. Little Did He Know
"When I delivered my fourth child, I sent my spouse to pick up the rest of our children from school. But when he arrived and asked the secretary for the children, she inquired about which grades were they in, he replied saying: 'How Am I Supposed to Know?'"
4. Hungry Child
User account u/chads3058 said: "Oh man, where do I begin? I teach learners from the first graders and I'm convinced most parents should not be raising children. What happened recently was when I started an afternoon class and I asked my students how they are doing. One girl says 'bad' and I ask her why. She says that she's hungry because she didn't eat lunch. I asked her why she hasn't had lunch yet and she says it's because her mom was playing on the computer and she forgot to feed and then didn't have time.
What baffles me is how do you forget to feed a 7 year old? Later, I brought her a snack when I had a minute because there's no way I could let a kid go without food."
5. Busted Beyond a Limit!
Somebody with the username u/yowiezowie mentioned that: "I had a C cup (breasts) when I was eleven years old. My mom loved to LOUDLY talk about them to anyone who would listen. She would go on saying, 'Yeah, she's only eleven! You wouldn't think from the way she's filled out up top!
Then I would start crying from the humiliation and she'd tell me to 'lighten up.'"
6. No Sugar
Someone on a reddit account with user name u/dingusfunk said: "My aunt never let my cousins have any kind of sugar or candy. She told them that it was poisonous and tasted horrible. Later, at sometime our grandma was babysitting them, when the kids were around the age of 6, she let them have 1 capri sun each.
They loved it, saying "Grammy, sugar actually tastes so GOOD'' and threw up shortly after because their stomachs could not handle it. Those cousins of mine are alcoholics now."
7. Cousin’s whose Cousin’s Cousin was a PRINCE
User account u/chads3058 said: Someone who was the cousin's cousin of the Prince of Saudi Arabia. He came the first day and signed up for the class and I never saw him after that until the end of the course. He showed up the last day to collect his diploma. I told him he wasn't getting one because he didn't attend a single class.
Later on, He shows up with half of Saudi Arabia i.e. his mother, father, uncles, aunts, brothers, basically the entire family. I was called into the office by the Dean and spent the next 30 minutes being screamed at by my boss, half the staff, and his belligerent family for not knowing who he was? How DARE I not give him what he asked for!!
The consequences of it all was that I was docked with a month’s pay and I ended up quitting 2 months later. Oh, and he graduated from the class. With honors of course.”
8. Financially Freedom
"My parents always had a favorite child. And it wasn't me. So, when they announced that they were leaving for a year-long trip around the world, they made sure to remind me that they'd chosen my sister to inherit everything if anything happened to them. Apart from that my mother also said: "And, don't try anything funny while we're gone. We'll be keeping an eye on the security cameras."
But they couldn't watch the security tapes at every moment of every day — especially when I took a picture of each room and taped them in front of the cameras so they couldn’t see anything. Then, I started to take small things they wouldn’t notice were missing and take them to the pawn shop. If they weren't going to write me into the will. That is one way I found a way to make sure I was financially free"
9. Basis on First Name
Somebody with the username u/kissLarryBirdsbelly spoke about: "Mom made me call my 8th grade social studies teacher at home to ask if I could use him as a job reference. He lived with his parents and I asked for him by first name.
He waited for me at my locker the next day to tell me never to phone him at his parents' house and never call him by his first name at all, ever again. I did not get the job either but my mother denies this ever happened and claims she would never demand I do something so strange."
10. A Big Mac
This story is not by a parent but involves an individuals' grandparent. Someone on a reddit account with username u/snopal said: "My grandmother went out and got us (herself, my brother, and me) McDonald's when I was around 10 years old. We got home and we didn't have napkins in the bags.
It was not a big deal as we had paper towels and napkins at home. Also, my brother and I do not make any mess while eating. Meanwhile, my grandmother had other plans. She got us in the car and drove us back to the McDonald's, demanded a manager, and howled about how upset she was that we didn't receive any napkins. I wanted to just melt into the floor and disappear. It's just napkins, Nanny"
11. Tale of a Lost Child
User account u/redundanthero said: "Few days back, I was waiting for a friend at the top section of a local shopping center but suddenly I heard someone crying. A little girl at the top of the escalator looks down and screams "Mummy". I asked her where her mother was, and she pointed down. I had a look down at the escalator and there were a few people coming up but no one looking at her. Thus, I decided to take the kid back down on the other side to look for her mum. 10 seconds later as I was walking around she started hugging this woman on the escalator, who just said 'No' and I honestly have no idea what happened that day."
12. Spoiled Brat
Somebody with the username u/BreadItAnd_Reddit mentioned that: "I am so f*cking spoilt". I got out of a top 30 university alive after blowing my knee out on a baseball scholarship successfully, and my father helped me pay off 200k in bills. I am blessed in a way to say so because I have had everything I ever wanted and my parents are so selfless because they live through me and my sister, basically. They used to travel the world, now they just enjoy seeing us do well.
In addition, I somehow managed to get my dream job in real estate at one of the best company one could work at in the business and I find it really hard to motivate myself. Possibly the only thing is the feeling of giving my dad back some money that keeps me going."
13. Jesus Walking
User account u/esk_209 said: "I had a parent of a kindergartner learner confiding in me in all seriousness and sharing that she was told by their church prophet that my student was sent to lead the world into salvation. Her little girl was the second coming of Christ. Nah, It was no pressure. 'Here, teach the Christ-child to read.' Funnily, additionally, she was one of the meanest children I ever taught."
14. Raising for the Jacket
Somebody with the username u/MoShellshocker spoke about: "Staff at year school come together to raise money for an 8 year old's winter coat who lives in rural Canada. The girl arrived at school the next day in a t-shirt in the middle of a dead winter, while her mother who came to drop her off wore a brand new child sized jacket.
What the edit and chat said was assuming as well. Edit: For those who are still wondering - the principal confronted her about it and mom told her to f*ck off and anything that her kids owned belonged to her and she could do what she wanted with it. Then immediately Children's Aid was called and that child lives with a very good foster family now.
Where as someone else said, Edit 2: Mother was rail thin. Looked like the stereotypical junkie archetype. The sleeves were 3 inches short and it did not cover most of her stomach and she could do it up properly."
15. Swapping for the Soda
User account u/justpat said that: "A Man in his Mid 20s enters a bodega with son, who is around 5 years old. The Man Goes: "Go get what you want." The Kid then runs to the cold case and gets a small container of milk, runs back, is just tall enough to put it on the counter.
Then the Man goes saying: 'What is that sh*t? You said you were thirsty. Go get something else.' Kid takes the milk back and puts it back in the cold case, getting a Pepsi, to bring it back to father. Man: 'OK. Put it on the counter.'"
16. Ignorance is Bliss, Indeed!
This person without a username goes to talk about his tale. "When I was six my mum made me pee in a cup once a month 'for school'. One day she asked me again while I was playing with my brother.
I got up towards her but my brother grabbed my shirt to stop me and without looking up from our game and said, 'She's using you to pass her medical tests, which allows her to get prescriptions for the medicines that she doesn’t need. Don't say yes to it any more', told my brother. Back then I did not understand why she would lie to me but I knew it was bad enough for me to stop agreeing to her demands. Eventually, she stopped asking."
17. Family Friction
Another user narrated his part of the story, where: "I was 18 years old when my parents disowned me and kicked me out of their house. 5 years later, My Father knocked at my new house and asked me to return every penny they spent on me until I turned 18 or give me your brand new house. While I replied to that saying: Lol, do whatever you can, and don't come near my house again. Dad: I'm going to sue you, see you in court. (while cursing at me.) A week later, my advocate called me and said, 'Sir, what you've done, your house is going up for auction at the end of the month. You’re facing a property lien and you have 30 days to resolve it.'
My heart literally sank as I realized the absurd lengths my father would go to take everything from me. 'How is this possible?' I responded, 'It is my house and I make my payments on time.' My lawyer explained that a creditor could claim my property for not paying outstanding debts. I had to take time off work to go to court and explain to the judge that this was the doing of my
vindictive father. Luckily, the judgment was reversed and my lawyer was even able to file a restraining order against my dad for harassing me."
18. Road Tripping
The tale of this narrator goes as follows: "It was a peaceful Sunday afternoon when my parents said that they were going on a 'spontaneous camping trip.' They handed me a stack of cash, telling me to 'take care of myself' for the next few days. I was in shock as I watched them load their car with bags and drive away, leaving me behind, ALONE in the house which was empty. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, with no sign of my parents.
I managed to struggle and hold my own, while rationing the money they had left me with. Soon, loneliness engulfed me as I began to navigate through the house, feeling like a stranger in my own home.
One evening, as I was preparing the dinner, I noticed a light flickering and coming through the driveway. Alas! It was my parents. I ran towards them, out of the house sobbing uncontrollably in their arms.
After a while, I asked where they had been and why they didn't keep in touch. My dad said that what was originally intended to be a few days in Vegas turned into a seven-month road trip of the southwest. I am shocked."
19. Dragon Slayer
Someone on a reddit account with username u/lovelylayout said: "My father drinks and calls once a month to various customer service centers demanding them stuff. Usually, when he gets off the phone (i.e. approximately minutes), he spends the next few days telling us about how he turned the customer service agent dragon and boy people sure do not appreciate their customers these days blah blah… he goes on.
So, if you or someone you know has worked for DirecTV customer service since 1996, I apologize on behalf of my drunk father."
20. Monkeying Around
Another user narrated his part of the story, where:
"My son came home from school today with a shocking story to tell, he went on to say that, 'Mom, you won't believe what happened to Dad!'
To that I was Intrigued and asked him why and to spill the beans. He said excitedly, 'Well, Dad went to the grocery store, and there was this big ruckus at the checkout station where a lady was yelling, 'I need a manager! This man stole my groceries!' To which Dad looked around to reply saying, 'Excuse me? I did not steal anything!'
The woman pointed to her cart and said, 'Those are my groceries right there, and half of them are missing. You took all of my bananas and you know it well.'
What happened after was surprising to me to hear what my husband did. He picked our son up and threw him in the air saying, 'Well I did not steal your bananas but maybe it was my little monkey.' Accusing your kid of stealing is not the best parenting hack
but it did diffuse the situation."
21. Graduation Ceremony Day
The tale of this narrator goes as follows: "Five years ago, it was my graduation day and my family cast me aside because my sister fell ill. I felt like I was never a priority and also felt pushed aside.
'She's fine on her own,' I opposed, but they labeled me selfish. Like an outcast within my own kin, I decided to go. After 4 years of my graduation, my mother called me urging me to return home.
Their glares pierced like knives as I entered. Mom then handed me a diploma and opened the door to the garden. They’d set up a stage and there was a crowd of family and friends. She wanted me to have another special graduation because they missed mine all those years ago. It will take a lot to rebuild trust but at least it was a start."
22. Pile of Poopy
Someone on a reddit account with username u/LetsGetAtEr said: "Since my 8th grade, my
Crohn's had become aggressive. My Mother used to take me to all my doctor appointments which were all embarrassing, pretty much. As a teenager, no teenager boy wants his mother to be involved in their butt related illness.
In one such of such visits, when we were half way through the appointment, she removed a cool whip tub that I use in the bathroom and it did not go all down so she thought it would be helpful to load that up in poor people Tupperware and hauled it on the Doctor so he can look it over. The doctor looked confused as to what am I supposed to do with the poop in a cool whip tub, face for a good 5-10 seconds, then politely dismissed it."
23. Panic Attack In The Library
Somebody with the username u/pickleeater spoke about: "I was a children's librarian by profession. When there was a fire in the building, we were all trying to get everyone out of the building.
A father ran out with his 5 year old daughter. She was crying hysterically. It made us realize what he had done, so we started walking her out and when we finally found her father outside, she was crying while telling him that she had left her stuffed animal inside.
He grabbed her by the hand and they ran back into the building. We kept screaming that it wasn't just a drill, it was a real freaking fire. A small one, but still." This father did everything he could for his child.
24. Mr Captain Underpants
User account u/NerfCat said: "While I was young we celebrated Pajama Day at our school. But I always wore my boxers to sleep, always. Well, a kid cannot show up to a school in his underwear, I was quite dumb to understand that.
I don't even have any idea why my mother allowed me to even go there. It was the most embarrassing day of my life because the school called my parents to pick me up halfway through the day."
25. Get The Discounts
Somebody with the username u/Deminla mentioned that: "Before Value Village changed the policies, my mother would cut the tags to receive discounts as the cashiers at the outlets would then give whatever price they thought it would be on. If they high balled it, she would ask for the manager there, and I hated that the most."
26. Spokes and Shorts
Somebody with the username u/PANDADA spoke about: That his experience was not probably the worst but rated him high up. At a gas station, a few days back I saw a Father who was on a motorcycle with his daughter (I think so), but the small girl was in a tank top with shorts and looked like she was not more than 8 years old."
We get it if you do not want to wear leather jeans and a jacket to protect your body, we get it, it is an individuals' choice but dude, at least protect your child."
27. Child like An Angel:
User account u/Naala35 said: "I taught this little boy who was so disruptive - he would
shout and pinch the other children in the class — and when I complained and informed his parents they said that he was a little angel at home and were shocked that I was saying that their boy was disruptive. They even said they thought I had the wrong child's parents in!"
28.A Sweet 16:
Somebody with the username u/Original_Score mentioned that: "It was my 16th birthday and my family and I went to a fancy Italian restaurant. The staff came over to sing a Birthday song and my Father also started singing along loudly in a bad Italian opera kind of accent (We are not Italian).
The staff was so shocked they just stopped singing. The other customers around us laughed and applauded and the staff just walked away. I was humiliated."
29. The Loner
User account u/LetThemEatCurry said: "All thanks to my parents I have become socially crippled. I do not know how to interact with people because during my childhood, I was 'protected' from other people, basically everyone who would be a bad influence on me.
My parents highly believed in, 'speak when spoken to' style of interaction. Also thankful to them as I grew up thinking and believing that hurting someone or increasing my voice is a better option than keeping calm in stressful situations.
Although I still love them to the core, I have immense respect for the sacrifices they have made for me so I could improve and grow in life. I also know they have failed in raising me up.
30. A Yes or No
Someone on a reddit account with username u/hashtag-blessed: "The mother who taught her son to say, 'No Daddys' House', even when we love his father. He understood 'yes' and 'no' perfectly before this.
After she had done this, we re-taught him by taking things away when he said no. He did not want it. The child was so confused and cried so much. But his mother is literally the devil."
31. The OG Karen
User account u/scoby-dew said: "My mom was ranting to all and sundry that she was going to get a brand new Walmart Supercenter to shut down in our town because a cashier closed her register as we were walking up. Apparently, she could do this because she knew some 'people on the internet'. It was the year 1998 and 14-year-old-me was embarrassed."
32. Fake It, Till You Make it
Someone on a reddit account with username u/KKLante said: "We traveled a lot when we were younger and would skip queues at airports since we were kids. But as we are in our early teens, my mother faked having a heart condition to skip the long queue to get on the airplane.
The flight attendant would have none bulls*it from us and asked us to get back at the end of the line. I remember till now the look and smiles of everybody there."
33. Not So Grateful
Somebody with the username u/clocksailor spoke about: "My Mother told everyone at the Thanksgiving dinner about my tween bout with anorexia at her boyfriends' house.
I did not want to be there in the first place, and she went on about how I had carrots for dinner. She went on for a year until I had to shout at her to STOP."