Parenting

“Bad Moms” Are Unapologetically Sharing The Stuff They Let Their Kids Get Away With (15 Stories)

11. 

“I let my kids decide how to dress and how long their hair should be. Fun fact, both boys had very long hair for years and it drove my father CRAZY. Despite his very scientific theory, neither have yet to turn out gay (they are both teens now). I also never made them eat their dinner. They could eat all or part of what I made, but if they didn’t like any of it (which was rare) they could go make a sandwich. This was my mother’s hill to die on, and I am STILL pissed that I wasted so much time as a child, crying at the dinner table because I could not stomach canned peas. F*** YOU MOM. As teenagers I gave them lube and condoms and told them to be safe. I work for the coroner and have picked up TONS of overdose victims. I told my kids that if they ever wanted to get high, to come to me and I would get some from a dispensary (pot is legal here, but not for minors). One son took me up on it one time. He didn’t really care for the feeling. Both my kids are really chill and fun to be around. I’m sure I’ve made many mistakes, but honestly and transparency have worked really well for us.” — tripperfunster

12. 

“My daughter is grown now but when she was in school, once or twice a year I would call her in sick so she could get extra sleep ( usually for cramps or just general exhaustion from test week). We did fast food once a week or so, watched Nickelodeon until she fell asleep ( as a small child), co-slept until she was in high school ( I was a single mom). The world didn’t end, she graduated from college, grew up to be a productive adult and now has her own daughter.” — taxchick63

13. 

“I make my 9 year old son a decaf latte every morning and let him have sips of wine. I don’t care if he swears. I let him play a fair amount of video games (a surprisingly good source of social interaction during Covid). I want to be supportive of all the moms here by saying there is a lot of virtue signaling going on and ‘bad’ things that aren’t so bad (I let my kid have juice a whole once a week!! Sometimes we don’t eat organic! I let him overdose on PBS cartoons!!). Just be honest and revel in your occasional badness. I think it’s necessary to create kids who are comfortable being independent. Being a modern mother is IMPOSSIBLE and the standards are insane! Our moms would never have done any of this.” — urbanista12

14. 

“My kid has a horrible diet because I don’t fight with him on food. If he eats french fries, a fruit leather, and a string cheese, I consider it a healthy dinner. Another healthy dinner is Kraft mac and cheese with a side of sun chips. I am truly shameless and unapologetic on this bad mom behavior. I don’t feel the need to justify, explain, or offer other positive anecdotal parenting moments to attempt to sway negative opinions of my whole life based on the sliver of information I’ve shared.” — immaladee

15. 

“I let my kid (10) listen to explicit music. I’m a huge fan of Wu-Tang and I bought him a shirt from one of their shows. He was curious, so he asked if he could listen to some of their music. He ended up really liking them. Honestly, I think it’s an educational opportunity. He learns about a different culture and the struggles that they are forced to live through. We have open discussions about words they use and which ones he should not say. If he doesn’t understand a bar, we break it down together. It’s helping him develop an eclectic taste in music.” — raven_darkseid

More good or bad parenting, depending on your style:

Patricia Grisafi

Patricia Grisafi, PhD, is a freelance writer and educator. Her work has appeared in Salon, Vice, Bitch, Bustle, Broadly, The Establishment, and elsewhere. She is passionate about pit bull rescue, cursed objects, and designer sunglasses.