Parents recently got real and revealed what "parenting trend" they "strongly disagree" with. From comments like, "Abusing the talents of your child just to boost your self-image in society," to "Recording everything your kids do and putting that on social media," people didn't hold back with their opinions on the subject.
The now-viral Reddit post where the matter was discussed, which has garnered over 17,000 upvotes and 9,000 comments, was shared to the subreddit "Ask Reddit" on February 5 by u/qquackie. The post is titled, "What parenting 'trend' do you strongly disagree with?"
Some examples of parenting trends include the use of kids' subscription boxes, limiting children's time with electronics, and parenting apps and software that can track kids' activities, according to Marriage.com.
Nothing was off-limits for Redditors who took part in the discussion. One person revealed what they strongly disagree with is denying a kid "any negative experiences or emotions." They also added, "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."
Another user brought up parents not setting very clear boundaries with their kids. "You are the adult, not the kid," the Redditor reasoned. "Children benefit so much more from clear rules and consequences."
A Redditor recalled a prank parents have played on their kids by pretending to give them a PS5, which can be found on YouTube. "The kids are freaking out with excitement, but then it's just a PS5 box filled with books or something," they said. A commenter responded, "I didn't know this was a thing ... This is so cruel ... "
A user mentioned a situation where people don't say "No" to their child, admitting they need to learn to deal with hearing that at times, "and having a chat about why it is no and whether it could be a yes another time is also an important part of them learning to deal with no."
One Redditor chose "nonstop supervision" as the parenting trend they disagree with, which includes hovering over the kids. "Whatever happened to tossing them in a play area in another room and letting them create, explore, and get the occasional bumps?" the user expressed.
Some people recounted their own experiences in their comments. A Redditor mentioned parents that make their child scared to fail. They themselves were told if they got a C or below, they 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."
Another user mentioned parents that talk down to their children and make them feel "stupid." They also added some words of advice: "Don't talk to them like they are stupid because they are not. The only thing that does is lower their self-esteem and makes them feel small."
A Redditor added their own comment from prior experience. "Giving the kids whatever they ask for, happened to a lot of kids at my school," they said. "They're all huge a**holes."
One user noted the trend of putting academics, extracurricular activities and admissions for college over everything. "Give your kids some chores and let them hang out with their friends outside of structured sports and musical activities," they reasoned.
Newsweek reached out to u/qquackie for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
