Mom gifts 16-year-old daughter a waxing kit for her birthday, cries when she's not excited about it: 'I guess I’m just the worst mom ever.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Nov 12, 2025 8:00 PM EST

Not every gift is given with good intentions.

Have you ever received a gift that was a thinly veiled insult? Buying someone a subscription to Jenny Craig sends a cruel message about their weight loud and clear. Getting your partner a pack of chewing gum or a 20-oz bottle of Diet Dr Pepper for their birthday clearly communicates that you didn't care enough about them to put in the time and effort to choose a meaningful gift. You don't have to spend a lot of money on someone, but if it's clear your gift took absolutely no thought or effort, you might've been better off refraining from giving them a gift at all.

It's one thing to be a genuinely unskilled gift-giver who cannot for the life of you figure out what to get for your friends and family, but if you buy something that's just plain cruel to the recipient, you can't expect them to act all happy that you went to the effort of buying them a gift. There's a reason many parents don't want their kids to open their birthday presents at their birthday party in front of all their friends. If they react negatively, they don't want everyone to be a witness to that.

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  • A woman in a party hat holding a birthday cake
    via Ramsés Cervantes

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The mom in this story takes the theatre of opening presents a step further. She insists on filming her daughter's reactions to her insulting birthday presents and posting them on Facebook for all to see. When her daughter isn't overcome with joy after being given leg wax, she throws a fit.

  • Am I wrong for not acting excited enough when opening my birthday gifts?

    Today was my (16F) birthday, and I get stressed out opening gifts in front of my family because I'm not able to perform the level of excitement they expect, and it's a huge problem every year.
    via u/Disastrous-Pace5638
  • They want me to jump up and down and cry, and my reactions are not extreme enough for them.
    via u/Disastrous-Pace5638
  • My mom especially will always film the birthday videos to post on Facebook, and she gets mad when everyone doesn't sing happy birthday perfectly in sync, which causing screaming arguments with my dad.
    via u/Disastrous-Pace5638
  • So that happened, and my dad was angry that she kept making everyone re-sing it over and over again, causing the candles to melt all over the cake.
    via u/Disastrous-Pace5638
  • Then he stormed off before I opened my presents. I opened the gift from my mom, which was a waxing kit for waxing your legs, but I don't even shave my legs so I was like "oh!
    via u/Disastrous-Pace5638
  • Woman getting legs waxed at a spa
    via Curated Lifestyle (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • This is such an interesting gift! How did you come up with this?" She was filming my reaction to post on Facebook, and I didn't get excited enough, so she got mad and was like "what, you don't like it?
    via u/Disastrous-Pace5638
  • I'll just take it back then?" | was like, "No, I'm just wondering what made you decide to get this." She then turned off the camera and was crying dramatically, saying to herself "how did I raise a daughter like this." This kind of always happens, and I asked why she always has to cry and ruin it every year.
    via u/Disastrous-Pace5638
  • She said "I guess I'm just the worst mom ever then" and walked away.
    via u/Disastrous-Pace5638
  • Person wearing purple jacket standing near black wall
    via Marks of Mana

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • NTA TrifleGlittering7870 You and your Dad have to sit Mom down and tell her FB is no longer invited to family occasions. For what it is worth, I don't get overly excited at family gift giving. Mostly because like you, they don't really get me - so while I'm grateful for the generosity of a gift, I'm not necessarily super excited at the contents. I don't think your reaction to the gifts is the issue here tho. I suspect you are being scapegoated by someone with a social media/external validation p
    via u/TrifleGlittering7870
  • Connect-Thought2029 To be honest it's a terrible gift, especially if you don't wax your legs. NTA
    via u/Connect-Thought2029
  • katzklaw oh kid... ( you are not an asshole here at all. YOU DID NOTHING WRONG here.... you have been raised by an emotionally neglectful and abusive narcissist. i strongly suggest you look into what that is, and look into how to put up with that for the next couple of years till you can get out. when you are old enough, do exactly that. by any means. do NOT allow her to guilt you into staying. she. is. abusing. you. no one deserves treatment like that. and you deserve to have a nice birthday, n
    via u/katzklaw
  • Camille Yun I'd enforce a no filming rule from here on out. what a horrible ordeal!
    via u/CamilleYun
  • MerlinBiggs NTA. It seems your mum is the problem.
    via u/MerlinBiggs
  • geekylace Wow, both of your parents sound incredibly emotionally immature. NTA
    via u/geekylace
  • DisastrousWeb8112 It's astounding how some people value the validation of online interaction and attention as opposed to family and friends who are physically present. NTA
    via u/DisastrousWeb8112
  • Only-Breadfruit-6108 She bought you a waxing kit and filmed your reaction to it for social media? Woah. Next time be honest. "No, I don't really like it, if you could return it that would be great, thank you so much" NTA. No need for so much stress
    via u/Only-Breadfruit-6108
  • Life_Gift_3931 I feel so bad for you. You deserve better
    via u/Life_Gift_3931
  • trucksandbodies I feel for you OP, sounds like your Mom is emotionally immature and is putting her own perceived failings on you. Rough stuff. Talk to your Dad about no more filming, maybe everyone together can get her to put the camera down and be present. You've got a long road ahead, a couple years before college. Once you get there, check into counselling resources to help you heal from your Mom. Someone else called what I suspect, but I'm not a doctor and don't know your Mom, so... I will s
    via u/trucksandbodies

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parents of teens family drama gifts presents present birthday mother teenagers bad parenting bad parents raising teens family waxing birthday present daughter mom
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