One of my friends has helicopter parents, and we often mock him about it. However, that’s only on the surface, because we see him struggle with the most basic things every day, and it’s really sad. Unfortunately, cutting ties with them is not an option for him.
Just like this woman who went back to stay with her parents after graduation, and her life turned into a nightmare. Her mom scoffed at the idea of privacy and made a super creepy demand about locked doors that drove her crazy. Scroll down to uncover all the drama that followed!
More info: Reddit
Helicopter parents can be insufferable, mainly because of how their actions traumatize their children
When the poster moved back in with her parents after graduation, she lost all privacy, as her mom always barged in whenever she wanted
The neurodivergent poster couldn't unwind or have any personal space, so she locked her door overnight, but her mom went ballistic
The poster was tired of having no privacy, but she couldn't do anything about it as she didn't have any savings to move out and live alone
Image credits: Awkward_Guess5547
Eventually, they came to a compromise about locking the door just during the day, but the older woman was still unhappy about it
Today, we dive into the life of the 22-year-old original poster (OP), who was troubled after graduating and moving back in with her parents. Her mom barged into her room constantly, and so did her dad and grandma, as both had dementia. The author was really sick of having no privacy or personal space, even when she was sleeping, changing, or working.
Since she was neurodivergent, she wasn’t able to fully unwind, knowing that her mother would come just any time. That’s why she told her parents she needed a lock and was surprised when they agreed immediately. Well, the OP started locking her door when she needed to. However, one morning, she woke up with a start to her mother banging incessantly on the door.
The poster was appalled when the woman gave a lame excuse of fearing for her “safety,” so she wouldn’t lock the door. She grew sick of having no personal space after mommy dearest brought up the “not under my roof” card. Unfortunately, the poster couldn’t really move out, as she didn’t have any savings and felt unsure how to resolve this exhausting issue.
According to her update, they settled on her locking her door whenever she wanted during the day. As for the night, she would only lock it if someone came in again. While it was not the perfect solution, the poster was glad for the compromise. However, her mother was upset by it, and netizens said there was a high chance she would break her word soon.
Her mother’s actions came off as extremely bizarre, and it was clear that she wanted to control her daughter. According to Pew Research, more than four-in-ten parents (45%) say they tend to be overprotective of their children, with about half of mothers (51%) more so than 38% of fathers. Little do they know how much damage their behavior costs their kids.
Experts highlight that helicopter parenting has been consistently linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression in children, adolescents, and young adults. Moreover, because of this excessive control, these children are more vulnerable to internalizing problems. Also, let’s not forget how unhinged her mother got when she couldn’t just barge into her daughter’s room one morning.
Peeps online were quick to point out that apart from being controlling, the woman was also emotionally cruel. Studies emphasize that long-term exposure to such psychological mistreatment can result in diminished self-worth, emotional dysregulation, and relationship challenges. The worst part is that the OP claimed this was actually much better behavior.
I shudder to think what her mother’s “worst” must be, and the poor poster suffered through it during childhood. Since her mom refused to see reason, the only thing the author could do was soldier through it till she got her own place. What do you think? Also, how would you handle the situation in the poster’s shoes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Peeps online found her mom extremely creepy and reassured the poster that she wasn't insane for feeling this way about her
