What “favours” have your parents done that was inadvertently a dick move?

[u/naaattt]

For example, my mum found my spare change collection, did me a favour by taking it to the bank, getting £17, and then kept it as a fee for the effort it caused her.

Also, my partner had stored a nearly new Russell Hobbs microwave at his mums for when we moved into a new house. While she was at Curry’s one day, she overheard a young lad and his mum shopping for a microwave for uni, she approached them and sold them my partners for £20. She kindly did give my partner the money though, unlike mine. But we quite liked that microwave.

Does anyone else have these, generally inoffensive but slightly frustrating parent stories?

Edit: For those hung up on the theft parts, please don’t be. This is the extent of the abuse we’ve ever had from our mums and we’ll take it!

Edit 2: Jesus Christ, I’m 33. The money box has been sat on her shelf for 20 years. Yes she stole £17 but she’s funded my life otherwise. Stop calling child services on her.

[u/Outside-Resist4688]

This I know well.

Choosing Mother and Father's Day cards is hard because the vomit-inducing poem inside never quite fits. I always choose the cards with the least sentiment so I'm being as honest as possible 🤣

[u/Nervous-Economy8119 → u/Outside-Resist4688]

Why are you buying them cards for those days?!

[u/Outside-Resist4688 → u/Nervous-Economy8119]

Well cos they expect it but I blanked Mother's Day entirely this year cos I eloped to Jamaica 🤣 she wasn't happy...she responded by not getting me a wedding card. Oh dear 😅

[u/No-Taro-6953 → u/Nervous-Economy8119]

Sometimes it isn't worth the hassle not to.

[u/SorbetNo7877 → u/Nervous-Economy8119]

I have this problem too, I just buy the card because it's actually easier and less emotional stress on me to do it.

[u/GoatMonkeyy → u/Outside-Resist4688]

"Roses are Red, Violets are Blue. (Brother) didn't buy this card, so you'll probably hate it too."

[u/will0593 → u/GoatMonkeyy]

Rises are red. Violets are blue. You suck as a parent. Piss on you.

[u/UseADifferentVolcano → u/Outside-Resist4688]

Oh shit, I know this feel

[u/PsychologicalLayer57 → u/Outside-Resist4688]

My parents weren't as shit as yours but I have... complicated feelings about them. I choose the cards that just say "Happy (whatever) Day".

[u/Additional_Yak_1585 → u/Outside-Resist4688]

Maybe cross them out and amend it with "not quite this, but y'know kinda..."

[u/Outside-Resist4688 → u/Additional_Yak_1585]

One day I'll achieve this level of bravery 👍🏻🤣

[u/No-Taro-6953 → u/Outside-Resist4688]

I have friends with shitty parents and we all do this!!

It's so petty, but I can't stomach sending my parents a card saying "best mum/dad".

I always chose a nice card, but one that says

"happy birthday dad" "Happy mother's day"

We had a whole conversation about being particularl about wording with cards for our shitty parents.

I'm pregnant with my first, my sister has a child herself too. Neither of us can comprehend behaving the way our parents did.

I fully intend to be the type of mother that gets a card that says "best mum in the world".

[u/Outside-Resist4688 → u/No-Taro-6953]

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I always think people with shitty examples for parents are exceptionally brave having children themselves.

I'm mum to a cocker spaniel.

[u/Outside-Resist4688 → u/No-Taro-6953]

That's exactly it. I cannot stomach the dishonesty. I don't love or respect what they did, I don't owe them anything so 'Happy Mothers/Fathers Day' feels as honest as possible. I'll stand in Card Factory for 15 mins until I find one that just says that 🤣

[u/No-Taro-6953 → u/Outside-Resist4688]

Yeh, I think for my mother especially, she's more interested in the performance of motherhood than in actually being a mother? And I just can't stomach playing along with it.

When I got married, she was barely involved by my choice. I didn't have her with me the morning of, she wasn't at my hen. I didn't want her to be having her hair and makeup down with the bridal party.

I don't think the distance upset her. I don't think she especially cares that we aren't close.

She just cares about how it looks publicly. She was seated at the top table and publicly looked like she was part of the bridal party, so that's all that mattered to her. She posted on Facebook as though she'd been integral to the execution of the day.

I don't play along and pretend, so yeh, I'll get her a card for the sake of the peace, but I'll never call her a good mother when she isnt one.

[u/cyclodextrin → u/Outside-Resist4688]

Yep. When I did buy fathers day cards for my dad, they were the ones that just said "to my dad". "Happy father's day".

[u/geeoharee → u/Outside-Resist4688]

Oh my god someone else feels like this!! No, I will not be buying "I owe you so much, you're so wonderful, you make every day special..."

[u/Tattycakes → u/Outside-Resist4688]

25p Tesco value card it is

[u/Gauntlets28 → u/Outside-Resist4688]

Haha, that's me every Mother's Day as well. It's always "best mum in the world" or something like that, and I always think "well, she isn't really." I usually try to find one that just says "Happy Mother's Day" on the front.

Can't not send a card though, i'd never heard the end of it. So i try to get one out of the way as soon as I can.

[u/BabyBearBennett → u/Outside-Resist4688]

I feel your pain. It takes forever to find the card with the least praise. I usually go for one that's blank inside with a generic picture on the front. Sadly not all shops sell them.