We listened to our parents as kids and mostly believed everything they said about the world was gospel.
But as we grew up, we became exposed to others' opinions to become influenced by them and eventually making us develop the ability for critical thinking.
As we look back, we can't help but revisit certain facts with our folks at home.
Curious to hear more on this, Redditor Bigbumoffhappy asked:
"What is a thing that your parents consider normal and you do not consider this normal anymore?"
These examples may ring a bell.
High Risk
"Drinking and Driving, my friends' parents would pick me up with a scotch on the rocks! Ashtrays full of smokes!"
– Sauceysunshine
"Just overall living standards. The house is breaking down. Parts of the ceiling missing, mold growing, ants all over. Nothing I do or say convinces them it shouldn’t be like this."
"They like to give me the 'when you have kids we’ll watch em' and in my mind I’m like yeah, definitely not here."
– w4rlok94
Work First, Life Later
"Going to work sick, basically putting work first at all times."
– matoinette
"Or school. I would literally be unable to stay awake from being so sick and I’d still have to go."
– Key-Investigator-879
"Yep! My mum always made me go to school when I was sick and would get mad that I’d spend the entire day sleeping in the sick bay because she refused to come pick me up when they called her."
"Now I’m in my 30s and still trying to learn it’s okay to take time to rest when I’m unwell."
– Suspicious_Row_9685
Never Miss A Call
"Being compelled to answer the phone if it rings."
– SenorBlackChin
"I just got my Dad to stop doing this. He was so frustrated with telemarketing calls, over 20 in one evening. I convinced he to let it ring. And assured him if it were an actual caller or an emergency, they would call back. He's much happier now."
– Upnorth_Nurse
"I still have my landline but these days, its only used for forms and registration purposes. 90% of the calls to it are either: hangups, robocalls or doctor's offices reminding me of tomorrow's appointment. I never give out my cell number on a form."
– cheap_dates
Remember these myths?
Coolest Charge
"Keeping batteries in the fridge."
"My parents still do this. Apparently this was a belief from a long time ago that batteries would last longer if they are kept in the fridge. But I can't get it out of their mind that the batteries shouldn't be in the fridge."
– Th3_Accountant
"I did this as a science fair experiment, which IMO was a pretty fu*king fine science fair project, and I'll never forget someone's dad at the science fair walking by and saying that 'batteries don't last longer in the fridge', like hey old man I'm 8 and need a good topic so f'k off."
– W360
By The Book
"Thinking you're supposed to raise your kids the same way that you despised your parents raising you like. I don't get the reasoning behind that."
"Well that's the way I was raised."
"Yeah, so you should get it. It sucked and is a terrible idea."
– InfernalOrgasm
Getting Work
"Just 'getting a job' by walking in anywhere. All my adult life whenever I’ve needed work my dad continues suggesting just showing up to an office and 'don’t leave until they let you talk to a manager and hand them your resume yourself' ”.
"Poor younger me actually tried this, and I wandered around to every business trying to find my first job, hearing back from exactly 0."
– KnuckledeepinUrethra
Career Perception
"Company loyalty. My boomer dad can’t fathom a world where we better our livelihood by taking better paying jobs at a different company every few years. For his generation, staying at one company your entire career was a huge flex."
– Human-Magic-Marker
These didn't help us out in the real world.
Keep Them Bottled In
"Not talking about any negative emotions. They could handle me being happy but anytime I was sad, upset, depressed? Nope, they didn’t want to see it/deal with it. My mom would even say, 'What the hell do you have to be so upset about?' "
"Also, not showing affection or saying I love you. Years ago, my brother was admitted to the hospital. We didn’t know what was wrong with him and it was scary. I had been crying and my dad was very upset, too."
"As we were walking out of the hospital together, I went to reach for his hand. I thought it would be comforting, a sign that I would be there for him. He ripped his hand away from mine so fast. I was stunned and never tried to do that ever again."
– Calym817
The Trauma That Stays With You
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I had a similar experience with my mother when her brother passed away, I was a teen at the time, tried to console her while she sobbed on the floor next to her bed and she shoved me away forcefully and yelled to at me to get out."
"Never again have I ever tried to be affectionate with her again. Weird/uncomfortable af when she tries to initiate on holidays or birthdays. Being rejected by a parent will f'k anyone up. I hope you've healed from this stranger."
– lesbihonest96
Complete Lack Of Faith
"You're so sensitive"
"What about me?"
"Other people have it worse."
"My mom says that to me ANYTIME I have an issue with something..."
"Dont get me started on the whole 'I protected you from the world' line to. No, she didnt. She didnt want me being seen. Ever have your parents get mad at you for outgrowing your elder brothers hand me downs?"
– Honest-Advisegiver
Covering Emotional Scars
"Downplaying mental health. I was told to ignore my bullies, which got me nowhere but wanting to stay home 'sick' all the time in junior high. When I asked for counseling, I was told I didn't need it."
– Missusmidas
"CPS got involved when I was a teenager for medical neglect due to my mental health/cutting myself because my mom refused to even acknowledge I had issues."
"She took me to exactly one therapy appointment (court ordered), flipped out while there because they wouldn't allow her back to hear what we discussed, & once CPS closed the case I was never allowed to go back. I resent her so much for it because I seriously needed help but she refused."
– Megn27_
Family Bond
"Saying 'Blood is thicker than water' expecting us to allow a toxic relative back into our lives and putting up with it. Not setting healthy boundaries in other words. It stopped with me."
– Birdywoman4
Who can blame us for fully believing every word our parents were telling us?
And who can blame our parents for saying the things they did when they intended to protect us from the unknown threats to our childlike sense of wonder?
Maybe it all makes sense once we become a parent.
