No matter how cool, smart, and successful you are, at some point, your kids will think that you’re embarrassing. While no parent is ever perfect, some people with kids behave in such genuinely cringey and even toxic ways that their posts and conversations end up being shamed online.
We hope you’re ready for some secondhand embarrassment because our team here at Bored Panda has collected screenshots of some of the weirdest things that parents have ever posted. And they don’t realize just how cringey they’re being.
#1 Saw This 5 Minutes Ago, And I Am Still Cringing
Image source: yungkaylz
#2 Oh My God, I Feel So Bad For This Dude
Image source: Transmasc_Blahaj
#3 What A Great Way To Embarrass Your Children
Image source: MsLunaValentine
Unfortunately, not everyone who has kids turns out to be a good parent. Yes, the world is full of loving, kind, caring, selfless, and supportive moms and dads out there. They’re far from perfect, but they try their best to do what’s right.
However, there are plenty of negative examples out there, too. Parenting can change you. But just because someone has children doesn’t instantly turn them into a self-aware, personal growth-oriented, empathetic, and altruistic individual.
To be clear, every parent struggles and makes mistakes. And if you have enough self-awareness to wonder whether you’re a bad parent, you’re likely not.
The most obvious signs of bad parenting include neglect and physical and emotional violence, and they need to be immediately reported to the authorities. However, other red flags are much more subtle and indirectly harmful.
Helicopter parents, for instance, are over-involved in their children’s lives. They supervise and micromanage their decisions. This stops their kids from making mistakes, learning from them, and becoming more independent.
#4 Dad Clearly Did Not Like This Idea
Image source: KlutzyRapport
#5 Mother Photoshops 8-Year-Old Daughter
Image source: LuciferrLu
#6 Posts On Public Facebook From My Dad
These are his adventures with his Replica girlfriend. I thought he was joking at first, but I think he believes it’s his real girlfriend.
Image source: luvbugz1
Something else to be wary of is the lack of discipline at home. As psychotherapist Sharrom Frederick, LCSW, explained to Healthline, “Children look to parents to define what boundaries are and the consequences that can occur if the child crosses those boundaries.”
Little to no discipline at home means few (if any) boundaries. The result is kids who grow up not understanding boundaries.
However, the opposite situation can be damaging, too.
#7 Just Visited My Mormon Relative, Who Is A Family Therapist. I Think One Of His Sons Must Be Having A Little Factory Issue
Image source: exmormondad
#8 Dude’s Mom Takes Matters Into Her Own Hands
Image source: LogChamp12
#9 Mother On NextDoor Seeking Wife For Her (Hopefully) Pastor Son
Image source: merricat_blackwood
Just as no discipline can be harmful, so can too many strict rules in the household. People who embrace the authoritarian parenting style can be too rigid and don’t allow their kids to explore their world. These parents typically enforce very harsh consequences for breaking rules.
The result? Children who feel powerless. They are more likely to be anxious, fearful, or even rebellious.
#10 A Mom On TikTok Who Gave Her Kids These Names
Image source: SmithNotASmith
#11 Mom’s Spaghetti
Image source: wish_yooper_here
#12 Shhh. Hi Mommy
Image source: wildbogwitch
Meanwhile, a parent’s love should be unconditional. That doesn’t mean a lack of guidance or allowing your kids to do anything and everything, but it does mean you will support them through thick and thin.
The sad reality is that some parents make their affection and attention conditional. They withdraw it when their munchkins don’t do what they’re told.
#13 These Kids Won’t Even Have A Chance
Image source: esporx
#14 Why, Mom?
Image source: katbeb4
#15 A Friend Shared This Crazy Mom Post To Facebook From A Local Singles Group. Cringe
Image source: DivineKT
“Ignoring a child is telling them that your love is conditional. These types of behaviors can cause a child to have low self-esteem and low confidence, which can result in a child not expressing their wants and needs,” Frederick stressed.
The consequences can be severe. For example, this withdrawal of affection can lead to codependency. In a nutshell, the child will adapt their behavior and act the way they believe someone else wants them to act.
#16 Would You Date This Woman’s Son? Any Woman Who Would Hang This On Her Wall Would Just Make The Most Wonderful Mother-In-Law
Image source: nautical1776
#17 Mom Has Easter Eggs She Hid For Her Son Stolen In 30 Minutes. Found On Neighborhood App In My Hometown
Image source: 581977
#18 Dad Remembers When He “Was Going To Join,” But Didn’t Because He Got His Son’s Mom Pregnant
Image source: SEF917
Yet another bad parenting red flag is shaming. Parents who criticize their kids, yell at them, or even hit them in private or public can harm their development.
Children who are constantly shamed by their parents can develop anxiety or depression. What’s more, they might develop a fear of failure and an unhealthy relationship with perfectionism.
#19 Dad’s New Instagram
Pops went and cheated on my mom with a Grindr account. Found out through his new Instagram. Guess the 20-year-old in him didn’t know Instagram notifies your contacts when you make a new account.
Image source: Kidwreckage
#20 Darwin Cringe
Image source: PharmSystem
#21 Found In One Of My Pregnancy Groups
Image source: BananaLana_
Meanwhile, clinical psychologist Barbara Greenberg, PhD, told Reader’s Digest that communicating in the right way is essential for parents. In short, how you talk with your children matters a lot.
“Toxic parents are known for not listening to their kids, but instead, talking over them or at them. If parents recognize themselves doing this, they should make a concerted effort to remain silent and listen, listen, and listen some more. If kids feel listened to, they will talk more and confide more.”
#22 My Dad Posted This About My 15-Year-Old Sister (Without Her Consent). This Is So Embarrassing, And The Worst Part Is He Thinks It Shows “Respect”
Image source: telanova26
#23 This Mom Took A Screenshot Of Her 15-Year-Old’s Girlfriend’s Instagram And Said This
So weird to steal a young teen’s post and embarrass them on social media, especially when it’s not even your own child.
Image source: novasister
#24 What… Just Happened? The Influencer’s Son Is In The Hospital. So She Made A TikTok Dance Video To Share The News With Her Followers
Image source: anthr_bihari
What’s more, toxic parents tend to get lost in a cycle of negative thoughts, which can lead to negative behavior in their children.
Child psychology expert Jeffrey Bernstein, PhD, advises parents who get stuck in a loop of negativity to take a step back and reframe their thoughts into more positive ones. For instance, instead of criticizing your child for behaving inappropriately, you could lead with empathy and curiosity, and wonder why they’re having such a difficult time today.
#25 That Seems Like A Very Normal Reaction
Image source: JaredOlsen8791
#26 My Ex’s Mom: I Met Her Once For About An Hour Over 4 Years Ago. I Haven’t Talked To Him Or Her Since
Image source: yebbaedmonds
#27 So She Is Saying She “Bred”. Like A Dog?
Image source: feckthis3
Bad parents are also often unable to manage their frustrations, criticize their kids’ friends, and label their own children as problematic, lazy, selfish, inconsiderate, etc. The latter demotivates their kids from making positive changes because it ‘locks’ them into a negative identity.
On top of that, toxic parents tend to see the world as black-and-white, take their kids’ behavior personally, compare their children to others, refuse to let their munchkins be independent, and try to be their best friend.
As Reader’s Digest points out, codependency between a parent and child is unhealthy. Parents should be parents, authoritative without becoming authoritarian, and set healthy boundaries instead of avoiding their responsibilities.
#28 What Did I Just Read?
Image source: SometimesPopular
#29 No Dad
Image source: Santandare
#30 Bringing Your Kindle To The Movie Theater
Image source: Captain_Kind
What are the most cringey, bizarre, and embarrassing things that you’ve ever seen someone’s parents say or do in real life, or post online?
How often do your own parents (still!) embarrass you? If you’re a parent yourself, have your kids ever accused you of being too cringey?
What do you think lies at the core of being the ‘cool parent’? Share your thoughts with all the other readers and us in the comments.
#31 I’m Cringing So Hard. Why Does A Newborn Need An Adjustment
Image source: suprweeniehutjrs
#32 Found One Out In The Wild In My Neighborhood App, Made Me Cringe
Image source: Sxilla
#33 “In Total Embarrassment,” I Couldn’t Imagine Why
Image source: fetchtheboxcutters
#34 “Your Days Are Numbered”
Image source: Kalemba
#35 Mother Ruins The Gender Reveal Party, Because She Wanted To Reveal It
Image source: ghostidiny
#36 Don’t Know What’s Worse: Going Over To Your Girl’s House For The First Time With Dirty Socks Or The Mom Making Fun Of You On Her Social Media
Image source: pablorocoenzo
#37 I Don’t Think That’s “What You Do”
Image source: Jaydon1
#38 Mom And Dad Are Cringing, But The Sibling One? Ew
Image source: becktacular_b
#39 Some Mom Group Posts Make Me Cringe A Little. Others Make Me Hopeless, And I Wish Some Humans Would Stop Breeding
How many days does their feverish child have to not eat before they think it’s serious enough to seek medical attention instead of posting on social media?
Image source: alohareddit
#40 This Is So Cringe
Image source: MilfLuvr57
#41 Absolute Gold On LinkedIn
Image source: OurBiteMcFry
#42 Should’ve Told Her To “Please Stand Up”
Image source: Blue9ine
#43 The Team’s Status Message Is From One Of My Colleagues. Pretty Sure His Young Kid Isn’t On Teams
Image source: RealHausFrau
#44 Maybe Don’t Comment On A Kid’s Genitals, No Matter How ‘Impressive’ They Are
Image source: BurningBernie559
#45 “In This House, We Do Disney”
Image source: reddit.com
#46 One Of My Father’s (Red) 10 Comments On A Drag Queen Reading A Children’s Book In A Library
Image source: Pizzacanzone
#47 What Happened To Secrets?
Image source: JacobyWade1
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