Children lead by example.
Hence why it is vitally important for everyone to be on their best behavior around children.
As we aren't always too sure of what children might see or hear.
Not to mention the effect it will have on them.
The parents of Redditor GrindDontEverStop had reached something of a rough point in their marriage.
Unfortunately, this resulted in an uncomfortable situation at home for the original poster (OP) and his younger sister.
Seeing the ramifications his parents' behavior was having on his younger sister, the OP finally felt the need to speak up.
After being told he was "out of line" by his mother, the OP took to the subReddit "Am I The A**hole" (AITA), where he asked fellow Redditors:
"AITAH for yelling at my parents?"
The OP explained why he felt the need to stand up to his parents and call out their behavior:
"I (16 M[ale]) live with my parents and my 8-year-old sister."
"For the past few months, my parents have been arguing constantly."
"Like, yelling almost every night, slamming doors, cussing each other out over everything money, us, their parents."
"Most of the time I just try to tune it out, but my little sister can't."
"She gets scared and runs into my room crying, asking me if they're getting divorced or if she did something wrong."
"I do my best to calm her down, but it's hard."
"She's a kid."
"Last night it got really bad again and I just snapped."
"I came out of my room and yelled at both of them to shut up."
"I told them they're scaring her and making everything worse, and that I'm tired of pretending everything's normal when it's not."
"I might've said something like 'You're both acting like f*cking children', which, yeah, not my proudest line."
"They both got quiet but later my mom told me I was out of line and that I 'don't understand how hard it is being an adult'."
"My dad didn't say much, just gave me a pissed-off look."
"Now it's super tense in the house and I feel kinda guilty."
"I know I yelled, and maybe I shouldn't have, but I was just so tired of seeing my sister freaked out and no one doing anything about it."
"So… AITAH?"
Fellow Redditors weighed in on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation, by declaring:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You're the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
The Reddit community resoundingly agreed that the OP was not the a**hole for standing up to his parents and calling them out.
Everyone agreed that the OP was the only one in his house thinking of his younger sister's well-being, and everything he said to his parents needed to be heard, with some even pointing out that the OP's parents also don't know how "hard it is to be an adult", based on their immature behavior:
"NTA."
"This is rich."
"You, 'don't understand how hard it is being an adult'."
"Well, start ACTING like one!"- Adorable_Click9074
"NTA."
"You were not out of line."
"Your parents need to pull their heads out of their a**es and realize that this behavior is damaging their children."
"I'm proud of you for looking out for your sister, even though it's a role that you shouldn't have to fulfill."- plm56
"Not out of line, NTA."
"You stood up for yourself and your sister, that will never be wrong."- Jumpy_Imagination208
"NTA."
"Your sister is lucky to have you as a brother."- casciomystery
"NTA."
"My own kids are not that much older than you and their snapping at you is how their guilt is manifesting."
"I hope you and your sister BOTH know that your parents' issues are NOT your fault."
"Y'all are caught in the crossfire."
"I hope you have a trusted adult to turn to if you need help."- ViolinistThick1604
"NTA."
"I actually applaud you for doing this."
"You were trying to protect your sister's mental health and made your parents see how they are harming both of you."
"I'm sorry you are in this position."
"Tell your mom you were not out of line - they were - and that, no matter how hard it is being an adult, they must hold it together enough to not scar the kids."
"They just don't like you pointing out their horrible parenting."
"Don't, for even a second, feel guilty for calling them out."- wondering88888
"NTA."
"You're more adult than they are, at the moment."
"Call an aunt or uncle to come get both of you if it happens again."
"For your sanity and to wake them up."- FoxyLady52
"NTA."
"But your parents are."
"Arguing like that leaves a permanent scar on the psyche of a child."
"Even if the child is 8 or 16."
"Your parents need professional help."- Youwhooo60
"NTA."
"You were not out of line at all."
"Try to follow up with your parents with a calm conversation."
"Your mom says you don't understand how hard it is to be an adult (you are acting more like an adult than they are) but they need to understand how their actions are affecting you and your sister."
"They, as your parents, need to protect you and your sister and make you feel safe, which your sister obviously doesn't feel."- Sufficient-Produce85
"NTA."
"You were clearly right which is why they haven't said much."
"Maybe this is the turning point for all of you."
"Next time just call the cops."
"If your yelling at them didn't do it, maybe it'll take the police to protect the both of you."- Jmfroggie
"NTA."
"Proud of you tbh."
"Obviously they are have marriage problems but yelling & slamming doors isn't the way to address them, especially if it's scaring your sister to tears."
"I suggest when the 2 of them are nearby (maybe a dinner table) you say something along these lines:"
"'I am sorry I yelled at you'."
"'Your arguments are causing sister a lot of stress & she is scared, then I have to comfort her while it continues'."
"'It's not good for her or me'."
"'Yes being an adult is hard & I don't get it but can you go to marriage counseling or go argue in the car?'"
"'Can we go stay with grandma, uncle?'"
"'Just need it to stop around us, we deserve that'."
"She should not have this anxiety where she doesn't want to come home or worry about you getting a divorce & other stuff she's tossing around in her brain"
"Maybe a rational conversation where you lay it out will wake them up to the damage they are doing."
"Sending hugs, sorry your parents are behaving badly."- Hasagreatkid
"NTA."
"If it's awkward it's because they're embarrassed because they know you're right and you finally forced them to see it."- everyoneis_gay
"NTA x1000."
"You sound like the adult in the house."
"Sucks to be in that position."
"Your mom is wrong."
"What they are doing in front of you kids is horrible."
"One thing to be yelling at each other in their bedroom."
"But yelling, slamming doors, etc."
"No one should be doing that."
"Your mom is wrong."
"They need to figure out how to live together or divorce and live separately."
"Get counseling."
"Something."
"It's better to be tense and quiet than tense and acting like children."
"That statement you made was ON POINT."
"DO NOT feel guilty."
"If anyone should be guilty it's them."
"True, you don't know what it's like to raise a family in this world."
"But you shouldn't have to."- Tryn2Contribute
"It needed said."
"NTA."
"You're a kid yourself, and are stuck in the middle reassuring your little sister."
"I'm hoping this outburst woke them up to what they are doing to you and your sister."
"They were acting like children, you just called them on it, and you do have a right to get involved because this is your home too, and their constant fighting is affecting you."
"All the best, OP, to you and your sister."
"You're a good brother to her."- LottieOD
"You're NTA."
"100%."
"It's a tough situation to be in."- Psychonaut1008
"'You don't understand how hard it is to be adults'."
"Kid you are the only one acting like an adult."
"You put them to shame."
"You are protecting you baby sister while they think yelling and cussing is going to fix there problems."
"NTA they pushed you over the edge."
"Next time call the cops."- No-You5550
"NTA."
"You should not be the person acting like the adult here."
"I hope it was the wake-up call they need."- JynxGirl
"NTA."
"They needed to hear that 'staying together for the kids' really doesn't help."- Electrical_Pin7207
It's devastating to think that the OP's parents seem to be oblivious to the effect their current situation at home is having on their children.
One can only hope that the OP's outburst might have at least opened their eyes, and will begin a path to improvement for everyone.
Otherwise, the OP should consider talking to a school counselor or similar about his current situation at home.
Woman Asks If It's Wrong To Hold Grudge After Mom Told Her When She 8 Years Old That She Wished She'd Aborted Her
While some people view having and raising children as the greatest blessing, some parents hold their children's existence against them for their entire lives.
And when they feel that way about their children, they're unfortunately typically pretty honest about it, cringed the members of the "Am I Overreacting?" (AIO) subReddit.
Redditor heavelymango knew from the time she was young that her mother did not really like her and significantly favored her sister.
But when her mother told her at the age of eight that she wished she had aborted her, the Original Poster (OP) held on to that grudge for years after the fact.
She asked the sub:
The OP had a grudge against her mother.
"I (22 Female) have been holding onto a grudge due to something my mom told me when I was roughly eight or nine years old."
"Growing up, I was a rebellious kid and always felt as if my mom favored my older sister. My sister would always get whatever she wanted."
"I know she was born with Down syndrome and always needed more attention and care, but if my sister wanted my tablet, for example, she would have it for the whole day while mine was limited to 30 minutes so she could have it."
"As a kid, I lashed out more because of this. She could take all of my things, but I could never use hers."
During a heated moment, the OP's mother said something unforgivable.
"Eventually, this led to an argument with my mom. I don't recall the whole thing, but it was related to my sister and how I felt my mom didn't care about me or give me the same amount of attention."
"The fight got heated, and I probably told my mom that I hated my sister and her."
"I remember she said back, 'I never wanted you from the start. I knew I should've aborted you when I had the chance.'"
" I didn't know what aborted meant at the time, and I remember I looked it up, and it made me cry. I never forgot it, and it lingers in my mind whenever I am home."
The OP's mother pressured her to "let it go" and move on.
"Even growing up, I still brought it up, and she would get mad, saying I need to let it go and how I'm stubborn for not just forgetting what she said."
"There was even a time in high school when she took me to a therapist, and she complained about how I never dropped what she said."
"She says I need to move on from it because it has affected my relationship with her, and she wants to fix it."
"I know I'm older now and it was so long ago, but it still hurts, and I feel like it's made me not want to have her in my life in the future, and I have told this to her."
"How I don't want her in my life once I move out, get married, or have my own kids."
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
Some reassured the OP that this sounded like a core memory more than a grudge.
"The axe forgets. The tree remembers."
"It sounds less like you're holding a grudge and more that this is a formative, core memory for you."
"It won't stop being a core memory (unless maybe with the help of a lot of therapy). Has your mom ever apologized for saying that? Because you don't have to forget to forgive, but if she's not remorseful for saying that terrible thing to her young child (not just remorseful that you remember it), then she probably needs therapy (or is a narcissist/sociopath/similar)."
"You are certainly not obligated to 'get over it.'" - Hot-Can3615
"This is not a 'grudge'; it is pain that is still felt to such a degree. If she said it, then she was thinking it. She'll probably never apologize, but that doesn't mean your pain is or was invalid." - Fast_Register_9480
"NOR. This kind of thing needs a real apology. Like she needs to acknowledge the damage and genuinely care about it. Brushing it off won’t make it go away." - TentacleWolverine
"NOR. Did she really want to fix things? She basically just told you to get over it from the start instead of giving you a sincere apology."
"That isn't working on anything. She wants you to get over it so she can pretend that she never said it, so she doesn't have to feel bad about what she did. It doesn't sound like she cares much about how you feel."
"She just doesn't want to deal with it. For that reason, I would still have issues with what she said." - Chemical-Ad6809
"If your relationship with your mother is being affected by the actions of your mother, your mother is responsible for fixing it."
"You should know you probably aren't ever going to get closure, but you don't have to swallow it down. It helps to be the person you needed when you were younger out loud to yourself, but especially to others."
"For example: My name is Liz, and my mom told me to go ahead and do it already and save us all the heartache when I finally had the courage to tell her about how much I've been struggling with self-harm and suicidal ideation. I'm never going to forgive her for that, and we have never been close as a result of her actions."
"You aren't holding onto a grudge; you have a core memory of your mother distilling her feelings into a world-shattering sentence."
"You did not have a secure attachment before and can't have one now because of the deep trauma. You do not apologize for being stabbed."
"Find another therapist. I mean it. Someone who cares about your well-being wouldn't force you to apologize for being verbally abused as a child. I'm 29 now, and I lived through it. I still struggle with suicidal ideation daily, but once I stopped relying on my mom and unstable sources for support, my life got better immediately."
"You want things for comfort and familiarity. Don't let your mom or your therapist gaslight you into crossing a boundary."
"It might help to ask for a written five-part apology from your mom. 1. Acknowledge what you did 2. Say why it was wrong 3. Promise not to do it again 4. Ask how to make amends. 5. Share your feelings at this time if there's anything you'd like to say."
"My mom can be a good person and a bad mom and role model. Being in your own company is so much better than poor company." - PotLuckyPodcast
Others hoped the OP would go no contact with her mother sooner rather than later.
"NOR. It’s emotional abuse. And you do not owe her closeness after that, especially as she refuses to be accountable for that and try to make it up to you."
"She knows you have her number, and she can’t forgive you for knowing what a colloidal b***h she is."
"It’s unlikely that will change; it will at least be turned back on you with her the victim."
"Stop expecting her to apologize. If she doesn’t pay your bills, ghost her." - SnooCheesecakes2723
"My mom said something similar. My brother and I were adopted, and when I was a teen, in front of a church lady, she said, 'We didn't even really want you, but the people didn't want to split y'all up, so we just took you, too.'"
"Me and the church lady were shook. When I say my falbbers were ghasted. Like huh? She didn't remember saying that when I brought it up years after the fact."
"I also got grounded two times for two separate nine weeks (for C's on my report card) and a three and a half to four months (for smoking at 16 and getting caught because she liked to just pop up out of nowhere), and we just had a talk about that, and she didn't even remember."
"She said, 'No, I didn't. I never grounded you for that long,' and when I gave my rebuttal, she said, 'Well, if I did, it definitely wasn't for no nine weeks or months,' and this started because she was praising me for reading so much and liking books. I said, 'Well, when you were grounded like me, that's all I could do (no TV, no friends outside of school, no music, nothing but my room and books)."
"There's a reason I only call or answer her calls once or twice every few weeks. And I only call to get food, really..." - ManicalMoe
"‘Fine, I'm sorry’ is not an apology."
"Whilst I’m sure it was said in anger, most things said in anger have a grain of truth. There are also some things that no half-decent parent ever says to their children, no matter how angry they are, and this is one of them! It also sounds like she has made repeated similar comments of not wanting you as her child."
"I understand her eldest had a disability, but this is no excuse for neglecting and emotionally abusing her younger child. Lots of families deal with a child with additional needs whilst still managing to prioritise their other kids. Children with Down syndrome are capable of understanding ‘that’s your sister's, not yours; give it back’ !! It sounds like your mum has mental health issues?"
"Do you have a present father or other family you can turn to?"
"Protect your peace. Your mum has hurt you time and time again, honestly, for no real gain other than momentarily satisfying her anger. You owe this woman nothing." - Background_Term9810
"I went through something similar. When I was a little girl, my mother used to make comments that implied she didn't want me, though it was never that explicit. 'I only had you because your brother wanted a sister,' and 'My figure never recovered after you; after your brother, it did.'"
"Each comment stayed with me, but I never addressed it with her. I tried to move on and leave it in the past. She did a lot of horrible things throughout my life, but her behavior was always ignored because that's the precedent my dad set, where she can do essentially whatever she wants."
"A few months ago, she came to see me because I was desperate for help and sick. Instead of helping, she made my life so much worse. I won't go into details. At one point, I could no longer keep it inside, and I told her that she is a narcissist, to which she responded with, 'It would have been better if I had never had you.'"
"In some ways, it felt really good to hear her come out and say it. It felt good to hear the truth I've always known."
"I don't know what you should do, but I've chosen to not forgive."
"Every time I forgave, I just let her know that she can get away with whatever horrible things she had done. Her apologies were never real apologies. She always found ways to blame me or others for whatever she had done."
"And I'm truly just done with it. As sad as it is to not have a mom, it's sadder to pretend that you have one when in reality you don't... quite the opposite, if anything." - Neos_Mom
"So, OP, what will hurt more: keeping her and the grudge in your life or making a break and going low or no contact with her?"
"Frankly, we've no idea of what she might have been dealing with at the time, but regardless, what she said was said only to cause pain and suffering. 'Sorry' doesn't magic that intent away."
"Me, I think spending time alone or with friends or in therapy away from her might be what you need here. You might come to some sort of acceptance, but if this is something that's just going to keep coming between you, then stop trying to have that relationship." - Tal_Tos_72
After the OP received feedback, she shared a few clarifications from her original post.
"I wanted to clear some things up, take accountability where it's due, and provide some much-needed context from many people commenting the same questions."
"I want to be completely honest. We had many arguments, and I was a rebellious kid. I acted out and argued with my mom."
"I don't want to give off the impression that I was an entirely innocent kid who never did anything wrong and my mom just snapped out of nowhere. We both said hateful and hurtful things to each other during our fights."
"Growing up, the only way she would accept an apology was if I got on my knees and begged her for forgiveness. If I ever asked her to apologize to me, she would say, 'I have nothing to apologize for; you should be the one begging for my forgiveness.'"
The OP had a lot of physical memories, too.
"Things also would turn into physical arguments, not just verbal ones."
"There were times when she would get so angry she would get physical. Like yanking me by my hair, twisting my arms, or throwing things at me (like remotes, a bug spray can, or a radio)."
"When she yanked my hair, I would fight back just to get her to let me go, and she would scream that I was trying to kill her and she would get me arrested. When she twisted my arm, and I begged her to stop because it felt like it was going to break, she would say she hoped it did."
"When she threw objects at me, she would say she wished they would hit my face."
"I remember in middle school, during an argument, she said she wished she could break my face and that she hated it because I look like my dad. I won’t lie, whenever she said things like that, I would say nasty comments about how she chose to have him put us in her."
While the OP wasn't financially ready to move out yet, she hoped to as soon as possible.
"Why haven't I moved out yet? The main reason I haven't been able to move out is financial."
"I wasn't making enough to support myself without worrying about whether I’d end up having to crawl back home."
"Thankfully, I have recently found a better-paying job. My plan is to move out between mid-to-late October, or early November at the latest."
"The only reason I can't leave this exact second is because I have a few legal/administrative things to get cleared up so I’m completely untied from my mom, which will take a few weeks."
The OP also had proof that her mother liked her sister better.
"Has my mom ever admitted to favoring my sister? Yes."
"In arguments, she has explicitly told me that she doesn't see me as her legitimate daughter, and that she adored my sister more and forever will. She has also called me a 'monster,' told me there is a certain type of evil inside of me, and said she was afraid I would be just like my dad and try to harm them."
"She would even tell me that she was telling family and friends these things about me, but then later claim she 'just said it in the moment' and wouldn't be crazy enough to actually tell people that."
"Because I was so confused growing up and didn't know if she was lying or telling the truth, I started avoiding our family when they came over."
"Naturally, that just made things worse because she would get mad at me for avoiding them (even now as an adult), completely ignoring the fact that she was the one who lied about what she told them."
Unfortunately, the OP didn't have support from her father.
"What about my dad? My dad is not in my life."
"He was around sporadically, but never as a stable parent. My parents separated before I was born and divorced when I was two or three."
"Growing up, it was just constant back-and-forth toxicity, with him telling me how toxic my mother was, and her telling me the same about him."
"He would mostly only come over to see my sister, and often used me to care for her if he wanted to take her out to eat. Ultimately, my dad didn't care about anyone else other than my sister (and his drugs)."
"I hope this can clear some questions on the original post. I know I didn't provide many details as I originally should have. I honestly didn't want to post something too long, and I honestly did not expect it to be noticed."
"Thank you all for taking time to talk to me and share your thoughts."
The subReddit fully sided with the OP, pointing out that no matter how heated the moment was, it would never excuse the terrible things the OP's mother had said to her.
If the OP's mother really wanted a relationship with her, she'd drop the defensiveness and demands, offer a genuine apology, and work hard to be better for both of her children.
That takes a very rare kind of person to pull off, and it didn't sound like the OP's mother had that in her.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://findahelpline.com/i/iasp