35-year-old single woman skips Thanksgiving after her mom calls her an embarrassment for not having a husband and kids by now: 'Everyone else has a family. Doesn't that make you lonely?'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Nov 27, 2025 8:00 PM EST

She's better off happy and alone than miserable and married to a loser.

Treating one child better or worse than another is unjustifiable in 99% of cases. I'm not talking about garden-variety variations, where parents are slightly closer to one child because of common interests, but don't give that child unearned privileges just because they like baseball. I'm talking about purposefully excluding a child out of spite and refusing to repair the rocky relationship. 

It's common for kids and parents to go through stages where they're more or less emotionally close to one another. Still, it's the parents' responsibility to try to make it so their kids at least feel comfortable approaching them when they're in distress or need support. There's a big difference between a teenager self-isolating because they're at the age where they don't want to tell their mom everything, and a young adult never telling their parents anything because they can't trust them, as they have shown time and time again that they don't care or support them in the life they have created for themselves.

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  • Cheezburger Image 10580354304
    via Andrej Lišakov (Unsplash+)

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

  • The mother in this story is a real piece of work. She's angry that her 35-year-old daughter, who has her life together, isn't married with children. She's mad that she didn't stay with her ex-boyfriend, who cheated on her. She's just not a very good mother, and her daughter is dealing with the consequences.

  • Am I overreacting to skip Thanksgiving after my mom basically said I’m an embarrassment for not having a husband and kids by now?

    Sorry if this hurts your feeling. But. It's time for some tough love. You made a big mistake when you broke off with holes. I know you didn't like what he did. But giving up over it was stupid. Everyone else has a family. Your sister. Your brother. Cousins. Doesn't that make you feel embarrassed. To be the only one without a family? Doesn't it make you lonely. You are too old for roommates. It's time to grow up. Just my two cents. Don't shoot the messenger. Love you sweetie. Just something to th
    via u/howcanibequiltyassin
  • I'm 35F and single for 3 years. I was engaged but he was doing weird sing roleplay with people on a video game which was fucking disgusting. It really fucked me up and, yes, I've been in therapy. I have dated since then but nothing serious. I have NEVER had my mom say something like this to me. I do
    via u/howcanibequiltyassin
  • not want to go to Thanksgiving after this. The way she said "don't shoot the messenger" it's clear the rest of my family have been talking about me and she was the one "elected" to say it.
    via u/howcanibequiltyassin
  • Woman in a white jacket sitting on a bench during the daytime
    via Christian Buehner

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

  • I don't want to drive 2 hours just to sit with people who think I should have stayed in a relationship with a fucking cheating degenerate lil bitch.
    via u/howcanibequiltyassin
  • A man wearing headphones and sitting at a desk with a computer
    via Samsung Memory

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

  • Would I be overreacting for not going? Is that too much? I'm honestly too hurt and angry to be objective right now. Would you EVER say this to your daughter?! Like I have a good job, I'm educated, I have friends and hobbies. I own my condo and I have 3 car payments left. I have a cat. Why is the end all be all me having a husband and kids? Idk. I'm pissed. Help.
    via u/howcanibequiltyassin
  • Sea_Milk_69 NOR at all. I would never go to thanksgiving or any other family event again if my mother said that to me personally. You've got friends, hang out with them this holiday season.
    via u/Sea_Milk_69
  • Every-Audience-7998 Yeah, your chosen family. Hubby and kiddo are lovely things if the right people are involved but they aren't the be all and end all until then. Certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. Good for you OP, for choosing better for yourself. Just tell mom, "you're right. I'm too embarrassed to see anyone." Let her talk herself out of her nonsense.
    via u/Every-Audience-7998
  • hot_ho11ow_point Just make sure the rest of the family knows why you're not going to be there so the mom doesn't spin it as 'she was too embarrassed about her life to come'
    via u/hot_ho11ow_point
  • Accomplished-Menu741 This!!! And don't pull punches. Tell them exactly what she said. Enjoy your Thanksgiving living your life. Be thankful to not be in a terrible relationship. Be thankful that you can make your own decisions.
    via u/Accomplished-Menu741
  • MilkNPC "Don't shoot the messenger" Bitch, its YOUR message
    via u/MilkNPC
  • The_New_Spagora THANK YOU! It always kills me when someone takes this approach after saying something shitty. What happened to tact? Or maybe minding your own business. NOR. You'd think maybe a parent could uplift the choices their child made instead of cutting down the ones they have.
    via u/The_New_Spagora
  • Use YourIndoorVoice No, no that's all wrong! Every mother just wants the best for their child and that includes looking past deal-breaking behavior so the family holidays dont require an odd number of chairs!
    via u/UseYourIndoorVoice
  • Late_Boysenberry0478 Sounds to me like she's he's running out of things to brag about when she visits with her friends. "Oh. Is OP married yet? Got another grandchild on the way?"
    via u/Late_Boysenberry0478
  • Kitchen-Purple-5061 Your mother saying "you don't have a family" is crazy. Like ok mom what are YOU, then??
    via u/Kitchen-Purple-5061
  • susie-cue NOR. I'd probably never speak to my mom again, either.
    via u/susie-cue
  • troublefindsme i told my mom 'i don't want that for myself & im sad that you want that for me.' as in...being with a cheater.
    via u/troublefindsme

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single life family drama thanksgiving dinner single entitled parents single ladies thanksgiving mother entitled parent cheating cheating boyfriend family mom parents
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