Many of us know just how challenging it is to raise kids. Not only do you have to juggle cooking and household chores with an actual job, but you also have to be an entertainer, help with homework, and learn to make idle chitchat with the other grownups at the playground. In short, parenting is a rollercoaster ride, and one way or another, you must embrace the ups, downs, and loop-de-loops.
Here’s the thing, though, children can be unintentionally savage with their comments. Redditor u/beardlesshipster sparked an online discussion when they asked people what their kids have done that hurt their feelings without them realizing it. You’ll find the most interesting stories—both serious and slightly silly—as you scroll down.
We wanted to find out how some parents react to their kids’ stinging comments, so we reached out to parenting blogger Samantha Scroggin, the founder of ‘Walking Outside in Slippers.’ She shared her thoughts with Bored Panda on both accidentally mean comments and intentionally rude ones, too. Check out what she told us below!
#1
When my daughter gets a night terror at night she will tell me crying, that she wished I died instead of mommy…… She hasn’t done it for a couple of months now but, it hurts more than I can bear. I calm her down and get her back to sleep and usually go to my room and cry
Image source: Skrowtom, Mizuno K
#2
My 12 year old son basically ignores me as much as he can. It’s puberty and it’s all normal but a year ago I was still his favorite person and now it’s all about his friends, girls, and video games. And I’m the uncoolest person on the planet apparently. I made him go for a walk with me and the dog the other day just to try to have some conversation and he said “Why do you make me do things that make me unhappy?”, to which I responded, “Spending time with me makes you unhappy?”. And he said “Yes”. I told him he could turn around and go back home then and he did. I cried the whole way to the dog park.
Image source: frisbeemassage, Ivan Samkov
#3
I’m divorced with split custody.
My ex has a large extended family that lives nearby and they are always together letting the little cousins all play together. My family is the exact opposite-live hours away and nobody young to have play dates with.
So, weekly my five year old cries when it’s time to go to my house because it’s “not as fun as Dad’s “. I am on a budget and can’t afford to take her out every week to the zoo or movies..every single dollar is budgeted.
It makes me cry often when I see how excited she is to go to his house because mine is boring. I just want her to know that I’m trying.
Image source: Mrs_Hannah, Ketut Subiyanto
#4
My 5 year old daughter said she wanted a new mommy because I don’t have a pretty face. She didn’t realize it would be hurtful I guess.
Image source: nickgalentine, Karolina Grabowska
#5
My teenage son came across some old wedding photos that his dad had put away for him at his office. When his step-Mom discovered these photos, she became upset, so my son threw them away to avoid the drama. These photos were 24 years old. There are no duplicates and my son doesn’t understand why I’m upset that he didn’t just bring them to me.
#6
I am a long time widower. Me and my son were left alone and used to be really close. After he moved to college, he used to call everyday. I lived for that phone call. Gradually they started decreasing from once on two days to once a week. Now he has a girlfriend and rarely talks to me. I sometimes watch his Instagram and feel sad. I wish he would call more.
Image source: bringallyourcash, Karolina Grabowska
#7
My wife and I alternate between kids at bedtime. Whoever gets me is the “loser” and cries everytime. This has been happening everyday for 2 years.
Image source: 45Jung, Anna Shvets
#8
One Halloween when my son was like 4 our little nuclear family went to a corn maze for fun. To make things a little more exciting the proprietors had also set a tipi with a giant pumpkin inside. You were suppose to go into the tipi and make a wish on the pumpkin. So we sent my son in make a wish and he says “I wish it was just me and mommy and daddy was at work.”
My heart shrank three sizes that day.
He’s 20 now and is still mortified with guilt over saying this.
Image source: DayOfTheDonut, Balázs Benjamin
#9
Four year old – “Daddy, I love you”
Me – “Thanks bug, I love you too”
Four year old – “Daddy, I love mommy more though.”
Image source: HowdyAudi, Kindel Media
#10
My wife abandoned me and my 4 children a little over 2 years ago. When I discipline my 2 older kids they’ll start crying for their mother and say they want to go live with mommy, even though she hasn’t even called in the last 8 months…
Image source: Dre6485
#11
Yesterday, my 4yo motioned for me to come really close to his face and whispered, “Dad, you are useless.”
Image source: fattysmite, Anna Shvets
#12
My daughter picks my husband over me, constantly. I get that it’s because he is physically incapable of saying no or disciplining her so to a 4 year old he’s the bees knees while I get to be Captain No Fun, but it still hurts. She went on a vacation with her grandma for 2 weeks and we picked them up from the airport and she came barreling out of arrivals and straight into his arms screaming and laughing and I got a “hey mom”.
I have spoken to him about how spoiling her, in the long run, isn’t going to do her any favours and it’s probaby one of the few things we do actually fight and argue on when it comes to parenting. He just sees the immediate “happy smiling kid” result of giving in and getting her what she wants I see the future “s****y spoiled brat who thinks they’re entitled to EVERYTHING” result.
Image source: magicfluff, SAULO LEITE SAULO LEITE
#13
Before my back surgery I had to use a cane to get around. My son told me that it was embarrassing to be seen with me.
I acted like it didn’t bother me, but it cut deep. After my surgery I was determined to get rid of the cane so my son wouldn’t be embarrassed by me. It took many painful months of physical therapy along with surgery, but I haven’t walked with a cane in 3 years. I don’t think I would’ve worked as long and hard as I did without my son hurting my feelings like that.
Image source: sesame_says
#14
My almost three year-old twins often tell me I’m not invited to their birthday party.
Image source: Cavi_, Vlada Karpovich
#15
Step dad
Biological father is around an afternoon a month here and there. I’m full time dad with her. No happy Father’s Day. Not even happy birthday unless mom prompts.
But I get it. My wife gets the same treatment from my daughters from another marriage.
Blended families are a challenge.
Image source: mapbc
#16
I spent thousands of dollars in court to stand up to my ex-wife so my son could attend an internship his senior year.
He didn’t finish the internship, accused me of never supporting him and then went to live with his mother after he graduated because he wanted to smoke weed, forgeting the experience he learned during his internship.
Image source: billiarddaddy, Kindel Media
#17
“I like Dad, he’s more fun.” Look, I don’t like being the disciplinarian, either, but I feel like I have to sometimes. Sucks to be seen as the less-preferred parent for doing something I wish I didn’t have to do in the first place.
Image source: falseinsight, Keira Burton
#18
Both of my kids make a lot of comments about my body and some of them can sting. Last week my 5 year old said my arms were like bags of cookie dough.
Image source: goodnightrose, RDNE Stock project
#19
I have a daughter, 12. We’ve always been pretty close, and in most ways we still are. We’ve always done everything together…but, she’s at the age now where friends, etc. are becoming more important.
I’ll bring up something we can do, like watching a movie that I think she’ll like. Five minutes in, she’ll get a message from a friend, light up, and just disappear for the rest of the movie.
Now, I get it. I’m sure I was like that too. I’m not gonna freak out about it or anything……but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt my feelings a little now and then.
Dads just want to keep dadding.
Image source: stinnett76, Monstera
#20
We watch a lot of Disney. As a stay at home dad with a wife who works a lot my kids are “ok” with mom’s dying but crushed when there’s a sad father/son moment (GOTG2 and Spider-Man/Tony Stark as examples).
I know it hurts her feelings.
Conversely- as a stay at home dad when my kids say I don’t do anything all day. Not meanly, it just never occurs to them that I drive them everywhere, cook them each individual lunches and dinners, do their laundry, clean the house, etc, etc.
When we plan something special for them and they act exasperated. Ie: I’m sitting in an Apple Sphero class for them right now. My son complained when we showed up (surprise) because he has a brand new Thanos LEGO set at home that he wanted to play with because he needs some “down time” from being at Disney all week.
My kid is spoiled AF and I just realized it
Image source: Ferissp
#21
My adult kids say “old” whenever I send them a meme I think is funny. It just makes me feel bad for some reason.
Image source: oldladyfromtitanic, Anna Shvets
#22
One time my kids played iSpy, and said “something yellow”. It was my teeth.
Image source: ForSARTA
#23
My daughter hurts my feelings BAD in just one situation: I’ll say “I love you!” and she’ll reply with, “No daddy, I DON’T love you.”
She is only 2 though, and I don’t think she has a firm grasp on what love really is, and I think she’s truthfully just showing off her vocabulary skills, but it still hurts…
Image source: daddioz, Josh Willink
#24
When I drop them off at a party or day camp and I go to say bye, they’ve already gone off with friends. Kids are getting older now so it’s not cool to kiss or hug dad goodbye, but man it stings, and I sure dont want to emberass them so I just sadly walk to my car.
Image source: johnnylovesbjs, RDNE Stock project
#25
Every time they say that their dads new wife cooks better food than me.
Well someday they will appreciate real food…
Image source: sweet-royal-blue, Karolina Grabowska
#26
As a stepfather, hearing the phrase “you’re not my father”
Secondly, being ignored on Father’s Day
Image source: gardano
#27
My 4.5 yr old daughter screaming “I HATE YOU AND I DONT WANT YOU AS MY FATHER ANYMORE” during a tantrum, or after I discipline her. She has no idea what she’s saying, and she doesn’t mean it, but it still stings every time. Basically toddler cussing.
Image source: royal_clam, Pavel Danilyuk
#28
Fight, where they really try to hurt each other. I had no idea as a kid how bad it is for the parent. The first time it happened when they were very small, it felt like watching cannibalism, just horrifying. And to think I used to worry about the dog.
Image source: StartingVortex, Victoria Rain
#29
Ah, last year my wife spent the whole summer making it as great as she could for our, then 6 year old, holidays, theme parks, everything she could. They did loads together. Got a phone call at work from wife crying/furious. At the end of it going back to school, she’d asked what she had enjoyed most. “The day trip to London”, only problem was that was with me, at Easter.
Still it was an absolutely awesome day.
Image source: gumbrilla, Ivan Samkov
#30
Ask me every morning if I’ll even try to smell good that day.
Image source: Muuusicalguest, RDNE Stock project
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