'Your adult children don't talk to you and you don't know why': 20+ signs of a trashy parent

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Nov 18, 2023 2:00 PM EST

It's no secret that part of being a parent is messing up. Ideally, like in all things in life, we learn from our mistakes, but there are some parents out there who will never learn and who are practically walking red flags as a result of how they treat their kids. As these folks on Reddit pointed out via this r/AskReddit thread, there are countless signs that you or someone you know may be a trashy parent. 

Whether it's yelling at your kids in public or refusing to believe your kid could possibly do anything wrong, trashy parents are everywhere if you're looking carefully enough. As someone who used to work regularly with entitled parents back when I used to teach, I understand how to recognize these signs all too well. Most of the time, I dealt with parents who either put down their kids all the time or who put on rose-colored lenses and played the blame game with virtually everyone else. How do you deal with these parents, you ask? You don't. You just disengage, avoid interactions, and try your best not to take on these qualities if you decide to become a parent yourself. 

Keep scrolling below for the full list. When you're done, take a look at these so-called facts we all learned in grade school that have since been disproven.

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  • 01
    "Mothers who see their sons' girlfriends as competition"
    via Zach Reiner
  • 02
    r/AskReddit. Posted by u/weird-daddy-69 7 hours ago What immediately tells you someone is a trashy parent? 8
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 03
    RushBJ 7 hr. ago Your adult children don't talk to you and you "don't know" why. 7.1k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 04
    Helmane09 6 hr. ago · edited 5 hr. ago Taking the Emotions of your child (first crushes, embarrassing moments that they talked with you about, are unsure about, worries they have, etc.) and using it at a family gathering to get a laugh out of everybody. Your child will be so embarrassed because of you and will not talk to you in the future I'm 30 and my mother still does this to me sometimes. The difference today is, i will talk back in front of the whole family and suddenly she is embarrassed ↑
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 05
    skunk_weed 7 hr. ago .. Mothers who sees their daughter as competition 4.6k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 06
    BenjaminGWalkera. 6 hr. ago In line with this, mothers who see their sons girlfriends as competition. 2.8k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 07
    facekche 7 hr. ago Parents who can't apologize to a child. It's ok to have human emotions and moment to be triggered or struggling and lash out or be wrong but for the love of all things good APOLOGIZE AND CHANGE. 4.5k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 08
    ploteapuck 7 hr. ago Zero interest in the kid. Doesn't care what they do or what happens to them as long as they don't inconvenience them. 3.8k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 09
    FlashyWay420 . 7 hr. ago Refusing to believe their kid can do wrong 3.4k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 10
    yokohima 7 hr. ago Using your kid as therapy and then getting upset when they have issues regulating their emotions. 2.5k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 11
    yokohima 7 hr. ago Kids running around a store trashing the place and not a parent in sight. ↑ 2.0k ↓ Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 12
    DorthyRHamilton - 6 hr. ago Social media influencers whose entire content is their children. People who publically punish their kids online, parents who give out way to many details about their children giving them lack of privacy. Child exploitation at its finest. ↑ ↓ 1.9k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 13
    y2k420juicycouture. 6 hr. ago parents who believe that their children "owe" them for providing basic care (food, shelter, clothes, etc...) 1.4k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 14
    Rare-Criticism1059. 6 hr. ago edited 2 hr. ago Pulling the "I guess I'm I'm the worst parent in the world" when approached by their child with a question. Actively making the child feel guilty for expressing their own opinions in an effort to make themselves feel better. Edit: this got too many upvotes, therapy is on me Imao 1.1k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 15
    GDviber 6 hr. ago Dumping the whole container of candy into their kids' Halloween bag. 1.1k Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 16
    Maxx_1000000-6 hr. ago Punishing kids with haircuts, less food, less attention, or taking their door. Especially for things like asking too many questions or "talking back" just because they didn't understand something and wanted a real reason or explanation on why they had to do/could not do something 973 Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 17
    yeti_beard 6 hr. ago Putting soda in a baby bottle 808 ↓ Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 18
    pizzaaaaahhh. 6 hr. ago when their adult children have gone No Contact. 738 ↓ Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 19
    tinycole2971 6 hr. ago . Not believing your child. Calling them a liar to anyone who eill listen. 692 Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 20
    AdhesiveCum_. 6 hr. ago Ironically, never thinking you're a bad parent. 625 Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 21
    . lagrossetruie 6 hr. ago Yelling at the kid for every trivial thing. ↑ 624 Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 22
    DifferentBand1121 6 hr. ago Women that put a man before their kids 568 Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 23
    straight- 7 hr. ago When their kids could literally set the world on fire and they'll blame anyone else to avoid responsibility. 539 Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 24
    faousa 6 hr. ago Badmouthing their ex after a divorce to them and turning them against the other parent. Using kids as leverage in general. 368 Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 25
    clever_girl336 hr. ago Parents who accuse the teacher of doing everything wrong instead of holding their child accountable for ANYTHING. 288 Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 26
    CrabbiestAsp. 6 hr. ago Prioritising your phone over your kid. 224 Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69
  • 27
    TheRadiumGirl. 7 hr. ago Hearing them say "I'll give you something to cry about" to their crying kid. 191 Reply Share
    via u/weird-daddy-69

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karens entitled parents crazy things parents say askreddit parenting karens in the wild entitled reddit thread Reddit funny Parenting Fail karen parents entitled people Parenting FAILS
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