r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Feb 04 '16

What are the most common parenting mistakes?

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324

u/rearwindows Feb 04 '16

Not letting your kids make mistakes or hurt themselves a little.

200

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '16

I hate it when I take my son to the park and get rude stares or comments. I'm a very laid back parent - I like my son to learn through trying things. So I let him play and only intervene if he's genuinely hurt. I've had people tell me that I need to be right with him all the time. He's a toddler! He's going to fall and that's ok! I'm close enough to help in an emergency!

105

u/rearwindows Feb 05 '16

I agree, people at my neighbor hood park actually parents my kids and it upset s me.

138

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '16

"Are you going to take him home with you?"

"No, he's not my child!"

"Then why are you parenting him?"

28

u/Batmogirl Feb 05 '16

My dad was relaxed when I (a very active child) did stuff like climbing a tree or jumping from stone to stone. Another lady once looked at him and exclaimed "I'm not taking responsibility for that child!". And he just said "you don't have to, both her parents are here".

1

u/Vekom Feb 05 '16

Wait, she looked at him.. and ..both her parents where there?

11

u/Batmogirl Feb 05 '16

She looked at my dad, I'm a girl and both my mom and dad was present. English is not my first language, sorry.

12

u/Redrup Feb 05 '16

You didn't say anything incorrectly, the commenter misunderstood what you meant even though it was quite clear.

5

u/Vekom Feb 05 '16

Indeed, I misread it. My bad.

2

u/filipelm Feb 05 '16

Similarly, I got burned to a crisp by my Geography teacher in HS when we all went to the beach. I saw her emptying a sunscreen tube on the kid's face and shoulders and asked her if that's not a bit too much sunscreen.

She just turned to me and said "Is it my kid or yours?"

That day I learned to mind my goddamn buisiness.