People Explain Which Things Scream 'I'm A Bad Parent'

Confidentiality Who?

"I don't know if this really screams it, but I absolutely hate when adults tell other adults their children’s shameful secrets for no reason. Even strangers! It tells me those children probably don’t feel like they can trust their parents."

- 50637

Trust Issues

"I had a pretty horrible thing happen to me during my senior year of high school. I called my mom sobbing, and the next day I found out she told her two best friends and multiple teacher friends of hers. I also found out she and my older sister were laughing about it with each other."

"I never tell her anything anymore. At least anything important."

- Training-Ad171

What Kid?

"Zero interest in the kid. Doesn’t care what they do or what happens to them as long as they don’t inconvenience them."

- JustinChristoph

Lack of Accountability

"Never saying sorry to the kid when the parents make a mistake."

- SuvenPan

Break into Teams

"Triangulation. After the divorce, one of our parents immediately weaponized our relationship against the other. I’m 32 and still unweaving all of the details in my brain."

- BugzFromZpace

Breaking Decibels

"My mother used to get up in my face and yell at me for trivial things. She would also spit on me while yelling."

"Yelling at a kid is traumatic for the kid. Don’t do it. There are better ways to communicate than yelling."

- rainbowblack79

Physically Abusive

"I volunteer at and have had student placements at a children’s hospital and we’ve had patients with serious brain injuries due to abuse (shaking, attempted drowning, etc.). So yeah I’d say those parents are pretty bad."

- Tapestry-of-Life

Desiring Fear

"Your own children being afraid of you, no child should be afraid of the person that looks after them nearly 24/7."

"I really don't think it clicks till adolescence either when you look back and realize that you really were terrified of your father 24/7 as a child."

"Or it's weird when you realize that not all children hate their fathers."

- LimitlessTVShows

The Blame Game

"Blaming your own mistakes and regrets on your kids."

"Or living vicariously through your children because of your own mistakes and regrets."

- LilKaySigs

Broken Record

"Saying the same things over and over again like, 'You're such a disappointment' and 'I wish I had a daughter instead' and 'You ruined my and you're mother's sex life.' This is stuff I heard for years."

- FERRARI308GTSI

Disregarding Mental Health

"Saying 'You're too young to be depressed' and ignoring red flags from mental illnesses."

- EclecticMermaid

Invalidation Tactics

"Invalidating your child's feelings, struggles, and/or mental illness in favor of 'you don't know what struggling really is' or some form of 'back in my day' or 'you kids are so weak.'"

"You have just robbed your child of support, told them their feelings do not matter and informed them that you are not a safe person to confide in."

- Acetamnophen

Punishing Adult Children

"Punishing adult children when they don't do everything you say by silent treatment or nasty texts... and days later acting like nothing happened and saying , 'You never let go of things.'"

- kabive2044

Never Going Home Again

"Your kids never visiting once they move out or go to college."

- ashton_yaste123

Hindsight 0/20

"Ironically, never thinking you're a bad parent."

- RandomHeretic

These examples will bring back dark memories for some.

Hopefully there will be another Reddit post where people describe what positive parenting looks like.