‘What’s something your parents used to go mad about that doesn’t bother you?’ – 23 things that weirdly used to infuriate our mums and dads

Like everything else in the world, parenting styles go through different trends and fashions, and the things that were normal to our parents, and their parents, seem a bit weird to us as parents.

They’ve been discussing this on the AskUK page after user franki-pinks posted this:

Parents of the UK, what’s something your parents used to go mad about that your kids do and doesn’t bother you?

My parents used to go mad at us for going in and out the house and they’d say ‘That’s enough! You’re either in or out!’. My boys and their friends are playing in the woods behind my house and they must have been in and out 20 times so far for drinks and snacks and it honestly doesn’t bother me at all.

And this got people thinking about the things that they don’t mind about but made their mums and dads inexplicably furious, like these…

1.

‘Anything relating to appearance. Mine can have any hairstyle they want, wear what they please, do as they choose with accessories and piercings (when old enough to make proper choices about pain and permanence and care), etc. I am in my late 40s with multiple children and an established career and the like and my mum still has really silly tantrums about things like my hair colour and shoes.’
–pikantnasuka

2.

‘Asking why. I’m autistic. I needed to know the reasoning behind decisions, to understand them. I have always shown my children that courtesy, even if the answer won’t be one that they like.

My daughter’s step-mum calls it ‘talking back’. I call it having a conversation. And my answer is never ‘because I said so’. And no, my children aren’t spoilt or brats. They hear and accept ‘no’ when that’s the answer.’
–DrainpipeDreams

3.

‘Asking to stop for a wee on a long drive.’
–isabella_bombella

4.

‘Would also like to speak to the 80s mums about this… because I need to stop regularly for toilet breaks, let alone the kids. Did same rule apply to them?’
–Shepford

5.

‘My mum used to get mad at me if I was ill and needed to stay off school, like I was doing it on purpose or something. Could never understand it. I wouldn’t dream of telling my children off if they were ill.’
–Realistic_Goat85

6.

‘I was never allowed to stand in public with my hands in my pockets. Bloody psychopaths.’
–rumbletom

7.

‘Elbows on the table when you are eating dinner. Used to get told off aaaall the time for this as a kid. Utterly pointless’
–Little-green-car

8.

‘My mother would go on a mad rant if she thought the orange cordial was being drunk too quickly. It was the 80s and she was buying the cheapest crap she could find (we weren’t exactly poor) that must have cost all of 12p per litre.

It’s cordial. My kids can have as much as they like.’
–Extreme-Kangaroo-842

9.

‘Making an accidental mess/breaking stuff. My parents would go ape shit if we dropped and broke a glass or spilt something, proper spit flying rage level anger. I used to be terrified and would lie through my teeth to cover up if something was broken or spilt.

My toddler went to get the dog a treat after I had asked her to wait for me to come and help (I was mid-pee) yesterday and ended up knocking the jar off. It smashed and the glass coated contents went everywhere. My little girl came running to tell me she’d had an accident, told me exactly what had happened and that she was okay but it was broken. The pride I feel knowing she will tell me and ask for my help, even after doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing, is immense.’
–EDStraordinary

10.

‘Eating in public. Better that than go hungry! And I have wet wipes to clean hands before and after. Oh and my mum still berates me for not washing and ironing the whole family’s bedsheets every Sunday. I tell her I’m keeping the Sabbath.’
–Rhubarb-Eater

11.

‘Clear your plate! Nope, if they don’t like something, as long as they’ve tried it, we’re good. Yes, I will then make them a ham sandwich so they aren’t going to bed hungry.’
–Acute-mangina

12.

‘Leaving lights on doesn’t really matter now LED bulbs exist. It genuinely cost a lot when my parents were complaining about it.’
–AirconGuyUK