Reddit user u/qquackie recently asked people to share the parenting trend they strongly disagree with. The question, however, started a much deeper chain of toxic parenting behaviors:
1."Denying your kid any negative experiences or emotions — they are a normal part of being a person. Teach them to handle negative emotions now before you send them out into a world they are not prepared to handle."
2."Pretending that not parenting is parenting. 'I won't tell my child to stop kicking your leg repeatedly because I don't want to crush their spirit!'"
3."Not believing the teacher ever. 'My kid never lies to me.' Seriously. Parents absolutely should be their kid’s biggest supporters. But support sometimes means holding the kid responsible when they don’t do the right thing."
4."Parents who punish their kids for speaking up or otherwise explaining something, saying that they're 'talking back.' I honestly don't get why most parents refuse to admit they're not always right sometimes."
5."Making your child terrified to fail. I remember constantly being told if I ever even got a 'C' or below — on even something as minor as a pop quiz — I would be 'flipping burgers for a living.' I was so unmotivated to even try by the time high school came because it had been drilled into me that I was destined to be a loser."
6."Fake 'gentle parenting.' You hear and see so many parents letting their children do whatever they want, no matter how destructive, rude, or hurtful their behaviors are."
7."Abusing the talents of your child just to boost your self-image in society."
8."Not saying 'no' to your child. They have to learn to deal with a 'no' sometimes, and having a chat about why it is 'no' now and whether it could be a 'yes' another time is also important."
9."The 'bulldozer' parent, or the parent who removes all obstacles/challenges from a child’s life so they don’t learn about perseverance, problem-solving, failure (sometimes you can try hard and still not get the reward), and learning from mistakes."
10."The extreme focus on college admissions. Maybe it's not a parenting trend per se, but too many parents are allowing their 'gifted' kids' lives to be boiled down to a resume. I especially don't like the emphasis on extracurriculars and volunteering only for the resume boost."
11."Not educating your kids about sex because it's an 'uncomfortable topic.'"
12."Talking down to kids and making them feel stupid. Sure, maybe at 5 years old they aren't the most intellectual people, but 9- and 10-year-olds are smarter than people give them credit for. Don't talk to them like they are stupid, because they are not. The only thing that does is lower their self-esteem and make them feel small."
13."Helicopter parenting. Kids need the freedom to explore the world, get dirty, and engage in free play. I am not advocating putting the child outside on a Saturday morning and telling them to come home when the street lights come on, but an age-acceptable level of freedom."
OK, do you have any toxic parenting behaviors or trends to add to the list? Let us know in the comments!
