Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Parents Confess Which Secrets They'll Never Tell Their Child About

Parents Confess Which Secrets They'll Never Tell Their Child About

Redditor joyjoy12354 likely had one of those somber and introspective sort of nights when they reached out to the online community and asked: "Parents of Reddit, what is the secret about you that you will never tell your child?"

When you hear––or shall we say read––some of these, you'll completely understand why. Some things are just easier said than done.



"That my daughter..."

Giphy

That my daughter was conceived in the backseat of my 2001 Grand Am to Metallica after a Halloween party.

gil_beard

"That when my wife..."

That when my wife was pregnant with our third, she initially wanted to give her up for adoption and I refused. Even though we're divorced now, still never going to tell my child that.

MatabiTheMagnificent

"That because of them..."

Giphy

That because of them I left behind our entire extended family. It took me becoming a parent and having this ferocious need to protect them and do right by them to alienate every single soul I have ever known.

I was brought up in a casually abusive family. Not getting cigarettes put out on my arm, but constant, daily small abuses that accumulated to make me a complete human door mat. I didn't feel a spark of fight until the first couple times jabs were made towards my first daughter.

Eventually, after trying everything, including direct confrontations that caused me absolute terror to do, I broke away. My daughters will lead a very small life with family, and times like this with holidays looming it is hard. It is hard not to drive back and visit, knowing there are people who I have relation with in the world who would welcome us back, but I know the cost and I won't make abuse a normal way of life for my girls.

So we stay alone, and I wish I had more of a community to offer them than just myself, but I strive for quality over quantity for them now. As far as they know now though, they have no idea we had this whole family that is now far behind us. Someday I'll tell them the truth, but for now I think it's better that they don't long for the idealized version of these people.

Onceaweekly

"That I walked out..."

That I walked out of an abortion clinic still pregnant after filling out the paperwork and having the ultrasound. I just couldn't do it. We now have three kids and I've never regretted keeping him.

CatSpecificTuna

"That I never wanted kids..."

That I never wanted kids or to be married. I planned on dying before I turned 18. Had a kid at 17. Have since had 3 more & have been married to the greatest man on this planet since 2006.

ImNotHippolyta

"The poverty..."

Giphy

The poverty and crappy parental life decisions I grew up with. I want them to have a chance of a relationship with at least my mum, if not my dad.

humanhedgehog

"That I am their parent."

That I am their parent. I fathered a child with a much older woman when I was 16. The woman didn't tell me she had gotten pregnant until the child was 17. I went to meet this person that was apparently my child and she was happy and believed that another man was her father. So I stepped back and didn't interfere.

Pellehard1666

"I've been arrested."

I've been arrested. Not a proud moment as a mother. It was a DUI 6 or 7 years ago.

I don't drink anymore.

I was also not planning on telling them that I smoked cigarettes in the past. My husband went and blabbed that one

_no_sleep_4_me

"I know why..."

Giphy

I'm afraid of the dark. I know why, has to do with childhood stuff. But a child wouldn't understand why their mother is afraid of the dark while telling them not to be.

UnluckyResponse

"I was in the Navy..."

That I had to give up my career (and a huge bonus) for them.

I was in the Navy in the nuclear field. I had an anxiety attack about giving my oldest (and at that time only) child up so I could go to training. I was damn good at my job, and on track for a $90k bonus if I had stayed. I left for him and had another son shortly after. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but I often wonder where I'd be if I had stayed.

SrirachaKo

More from People

A bride's hand touching a groom's hand
man and woman holding hands focus photo

People Reveal Why They Left Their Partner On Their Wedding Day

Being left at the altar is something that must only happen in books, TV shows, or movies, right?

Shocking though it may seem, it does indeed happen, albeit rarely.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @ahmadnabihah's TikTok video
@ahmadnabihah/TikTok

Woman Speaks Out To Claim She Was Arrested After Laughing At NYPD Cops While Biking

Historically, the archives are disturbingly full of examples of police officers over-exercising their rights as officers, abusing their power, and even falsely accusing and arresting citizens. The percentage of incidents that involve people of color or LGBTQ+ individuals speaks volumes.

TikToker Nabihah Ahmad—proud coder, fashionista and social advocate—is no exception.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @cbsmornings' TikTok video of Ed the Zebra
@cbsmornings/TikTok

Zebra Finally Captured In Tennessee After A Week On The Run—And Becomes A Meme Sensation

Christiana, Tennessee, just south of Nashville, made headlines in a big way in the past week when one a farmer's three zebras escaped and ran free.

Ed the Zebra was caught on a variety of door cams as he ambled comfortably through the suburbs, only to pick up speed when he entered the nearby fields.

Keep ReadingShow less
grinning woman with red lipstick
Katy Ward on Unsplash

People Explain Their Best 'If You Go Low, I'll Go Lower' Experiences

Speaking of the lessons she gave her daughters about dealing with bullies, First Lady Michelle Obama famously said at the 2016 Democratic National Convention:

"...our motto is, when they go low, we go high."

In 2022, Obama revisited her words and shared:

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @nochillheather's TikTok video
@nochillheather/TikTok

Woman Calls Cops After Noticing Remote-Controlled Lock On Door Of Women's Restroom At Texas Gas Station

As hard as it can be, it's important to say something when you see something. When you speak up, you might save someone's life.

That was exactly what was going through TikToker @nochillheather's mind when she stopped at a gas station in Bryon, Texas, and was about to use the women's restroom. Before entering the restroom, she noticed there was a metal box at the top of the women's restroom door, but not on any of the other doors, including the men's room, an employees-only door, and an emergency exit.

Keep ReadingShow less