Our parents are a product of how they were raised. That means there’s a good chance that they may pass on the teachings and principles they got from their folks, for better or worse.
For some people, it’s unfortunately the latter. In a recent Reddit thread, they shared the weirdest, most absurd rules their parents ever imposed. Responses ranged from TV shows they couldn’t watch to questionable rituals that made absolutely no sense. The worst part is that they never realized the ridiculousness until they grew older.
Scroll through the list and see if you have any similar experiences.
#1
I (female) was no allowed to cut my hair. Like at all. This was my father’s rule. When I was about 13 I told my grandma I had the money and asked if she would take me to great clips. She did. Imagine my dad’s surprise when I walked in with a very short pixie cut! He didn’t speak to me for over a month. 🙃 Now I have 2 beautiful little girls myself. My 7 year old is obsessed with KPop demon hunters and asked if she could dye her hair purple… guess who is rocking purple hair!? My beautiful girl!
Image credits: Klynnbay
#2
If you go to the kitchen to cook something for yourself, you have to offer to cook for everyone in the family too. Can't be simple food either, has to be a balanced meal.
I would fast until someone else caved and cooked.
This made me grow up HATING cooking so much. Still makes me irrationally angry.
Image credits: FermentedEel
#3
Once a month I had to pee in a bag, my mom claimed it was so she could test it to make sure I was healthy, but I learned later in life she was a long time d**g user and used it to pass d**g tests.
Image credits: cpufreak101
We had the opportunity to speak with several experts who shared valuable insights about these unusual parenting practices. Counselor and psychotherapist Hanna Lewis from Compare My Health Insurance says parents implement unusual or rigid rules to either manage uncertainty, exert control, or protect their kids from perceived harm.
As Lewis tells Bored Panda, these rules may reflect their anxiety about safety or their need for structure that feels reassuring.
#4
No pooping in the house.
Not mine, but a classmate’s dad had this rule and he was SERIOUS about it. So any sleepovers there was a zero tolerance rule about s******g in his house. We had to hold it or go on a group exodus to the nearest store to poop together.
What’s strange is this was in the Bay Area where everyone was on city sewer and septic wasn’t a thing. Also his house was massive (6 beds, 5 baths) so it wasn’t an issue of availability.
To this day I have no idea why he didn’t want kids s******g in his house.
Image credits: ohlookahipster
#5
In my teen years, I had to wear clothes many sizes larger than what I actually was to hide my figure. Like, pants were size 8-12 and shirts size large.
When I moved away from home and gained independence, I realized I was a size 4 in pants and a size small in tops, and it wasn’t “s**tty” or “revealing” to wear clothes that fit properly.
Image credits: obigimli2022
#6
My parents told me to not put their contact info in my phone under “mom” or “dad.” It had to be their first names so it wouldn’t be obvious who to contact if I was ever taken. I didn’t question it until I told a friend in my teens and their response was, “Wait so your parents don’t WANT to be contacted easily if you’re kidnapped?!”.
Image credits: pocket_Ninja456
Licensed marriage and family therapist Lea Trageser concurs that questionable rules may be a product of fear on the part of parents. But as she points out, these actions aren’t done for no reason.
“The rules are maladaptive attempts at fixing a problem that the parents witness or fear,” she explained.
#7
We weren’t allowed to watch anything that involved witchcraft or magic. We’d watch the Little Mermaid, and my mom would fast forward through the part where Ariel sells her soul and gives up her voice. Lion King? The scene where Rafiki summons Mufasa’s spirit. Snow White? When the crone makes the poisoned apple. I couldn’t watch or read Harry Potter until I was well into my teens and that was only after a serious conversation with my parents explaining how none of it was real and to read it with a “discerning eye” to avoid…tarnishing my soul? I don’t know. Anyways, I’m super into fantasy books and tv shows now so it kind of had the opposite effect intended.
Image credits: lylalexie
#8
Okay, so growing up, my parents had this super strict rule that we couldn’t wear socks in the house after 6 PM. Like... what?? 😂 They said it was because your feet need to breathe in the evening. I didn’t question it. Just barefoot all night like it was some kind of family ritual. I remember once I had friends over and one of them got scolded for having socks on at 7:30. I was like, Oh nooo, you broke the sacred foot law. 😅
Image credits: 1108susiep
#9
Growing up, my mom (and sometimes my grandma) used to tell me not to gesticulate so much and pointed out how wrinkled my other grandma was. I was a total Jim Carrey-style clown, always making faces and exaggerating expressions. They’d warn me that if I kept it up, I’d get really wrinkled when I got old.
I was honestly tired of hearing it but never had a clever comeback, until one day, after a tea-time visit at my friend’s place. Her mom made the same comment, and I just said: “At least when I’m old, I’ll be able to say I was happy and enjoyed life”. I mentioned this to my mom and she said that was clever.
My friend passed away at 35 from osteosarcoma. In our last call, she told me: “Get those wrinkles for me.”
The thing is, these unusual rules carry potential repercussions, particularly on the child’s psyche. Trageser says that if a child grows up in an environment where they aren’t allowed to ask “why,” they may struggle to stand up for themselves.
Meanwhile, Lewis says irrational rules may suppress a child’s curiosity, autonomy, and trust. And when they grow up, they may carry guilt, anxiety, and resentment as adults.
#10
My sister and I had cats growing up. Our cats were absolutely not allowed in our rooms.
UNLESS...we asked and were given permission. getting to sleep with our doors open so the kitties could come in and jump up with us was treated like a rare treat, like a special occasion.
Now at 31, i still get a little feeling of "ooooo!" when I'm at someone's house and they just...have their bedroom open and their pet's chilling on their bed.
Image credits: kbyyru
#11
We weren’t allowed to have any lights on after 9 pm. like, no lamps, no tv, nothing. thought it was normal until I realized most people just… live in their houses at night.
Image credits: Impressive_Cod5502
#12
We had to stand in the doorway of our bedrooms waiting for ‘inspection’ before we were allowed out of our rooms on Saturdays. Even if you had to go to the bathroom right across the hall, you had to stand (with your legs crossed) until mom thought your room was clean and tidy enough. I hated when my one brother got inspected first as he always had something to pick up and put away and it would take forever. You couldn’t just push things under the bed or closet as these would be inspected too. It made me compulsively neat and organized but it took me a long time to stop having to do it all before Saturday.
Image credits: Suitable-Dot5576
There is also a possibility that these rules will become obsolete as the child grows up. According to parenting author Tim McCarthy, some children may eventually become more ready to comprehend their parents’ explanations. However, parents must also do their part.
“When the child is older, change the rule or at least explain why you made the rule, so they understand,” McCarthy said.
#13
Under no circumstance could i lay down after eating. supposedly my great grandpa died from choking on a peach pit. which like dude why are you eating the pit and how is that even connected????
Image credits: kjojo03
#14
Well, I wasn't allowed to walk down the street to the convenience store - with a friend who happened to be a boy - after school because it made people think I was a "Street Walker" aka s*x worker. I was also s**t shamed at 3 for normal exploratory behavior with a friend, along with a lot of other stuff over the years. I'm almost 48 and still have personal issues regarding modesty and sexuality because of it, despite therapy. My mother is dead, and I'm not sad about it.
Image credits: nattastic77
#15
I wasn’t allowed to eat until my parents said I could and only what they allowed. I would go to sleep so hungry most days. When I couldn’t take it anymore I would go to the kitchen in the middle of the night and eat anything I could that they wouldn’t notice. Spoonful of peanut butter, regular butter, a slice of bread, a couple saltine crackers, etc.
Image credits: zaftpunk
It would be a natural knee-jerk response to deem such actions as irresponsible parenting. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to them trying to do their best.
McCarthy put it succinctly: “Parents don't have to be perfect; they just have to be loving and do the best they can.”
#16
My mom (rest in heaven, Mom) forbade us from sleeping with our hair wet... Bc we'd wake up blind.
My friend's mom wouldn't let him keep his pet turtle bc, according to her, turtles made you dumb.
Image credits: bala_means_bullet
#17
No Harry Potter books on the property because it "invited evil spirits on the ground"... I'm surprised I made it through childhood alive with that mother, you wouldn't believe how many demons are out there guys!!
Image credits: CaramelAcceptable353
#18
I was forced to throw away a book about evolution and another one about mythological creatures because they "went against God".
I have searched for both as an adult so I could own them in spite.
Speaking of parents taking action, Trageser encourages parents to reflect on generational patterns. She emphasized the importance of, at the very least, trying to break the cycle, especially if they were also raised in an environment where absurd rules were in place.
“Without the guidance of a professional or intentional self-reflection, that is when the attempts can become harmful and maladaptive,” Trageser said.
#19
I met a girl who said she wasn’t allowed to watch/read Harry Potter when she was little. I’m like, “Oh, is your family religious?” She says, “No. My dad just didn’t think it was realistic.” So then I’m like, “Ohhh are your parents really strict but intellectual? Like ‘science is the only thing we believe in here!’?” And she responds, “Well no. My parents weren’t big on science-y things like going to the doctor and or vaccines.”
So no Harry Potter but not for religious reasons. They don’t believe in God or science…so..what?
Image credits: meganam38
#20
We had to take our shoes off before getting into our dad’s car. He’d even brush our shoes and feet off of any dirt that might’ve been accumulated. He didn’t want to get the inside of his car dirty. We couldn’t put our shoes back on until we were out of the car.
One night he was driving home and saw this man in a wheelchair pushing himself backwards along the side of the road. It was raining so dad decided to offer him a ride (this was the late 80’s early 90’s). He helped the man into the car, got him situated and drove him to his destination. Dad noticed his passenger seat was pretty wet.. much wetter than it should have been considering it wasn’t raining that **hard**. Turns out the man had peed his pants and it soaked into the seat.
That rule went out the window that night lmao.
Image credits: vixiecat
#21
Couldn’t wear watches because ‘time is a social construct’. Yes, we were late to everything.
Image credits: BasisRemarkable4482
If you were a child who grew up following rules that didn’t make sense to you, Lewis advises looking back from a perspective of empathy. As she stated, many parents act out of love, but also due to limited resources or outdated beliefs shaped by their upbringing and generation.
And while it does not erase the impact, Lewis says trying to understand where parents are coming from and why they did what they did helps explain their behavior.
#22
I wasn’t allowed to wear black two days in a row because I might be perceived as “gothic.”
Image credits: chaoticgoodness789
#23
Not falling asleep on the couch of a bar in the middle of the night because that would reflect bad on my mother. Why would she be still in the bar if her children were so tired?
As if, being at the bar accompanied by two children in the middle of the night, on a school day, wasn't that bad.
On top of that, don't fall asleep at home when she was drunk and needed to tell her story, and help by picking her up from the floor. That's just plain rude.
On top of that, don't interrupt her sleeping all afternoon, or, on "better days" don't complain you're tired when she wants to go swimming/tanning and to the poolbar at 11 a.m. Why would you complain about doing something fun? Other children love to go to the pool! Ungrateful.
Also, don't expect you can bring your nintendo DS and sit covered up in a towel watching the screen (sun made it hard to see) because you're supposed to get a tan in summer, such a sabotage.
Don't complain when she wants to the regular bar after the pool closes at 7 p.m, because, you had your fun at the pool and now she deserves her fun at the bar. We could play our nintendo ds there tho, it kept us quiet.
Repeat.
#24
My parents had this rule where you couldn't eat cereal after 6pm because your body doesn't digest grains properly at night. I didn't question it just quietly accepted that Weet-Bix was a morning only thing. Years later I realised it was complete nonsense and probably just a tactic to keep us from raiding the pantry before bed.
Now I eat cereal at 11pm out of spite.
#25
When I was in high school, my dad would take my car keys if my grades slipped (in his definition, anything under a B+). Which in and of itself wasn't too crazy...except that if I wanted them back before the next report cards came out, I could "earn" them back by *donating blood.*
I was never able to get him to explain the reasoning behind it. It was just like this weird blood sacrifice ritual to summon car keys back from the shadowlands or something.
Image credits: Proof-Mongoose4530
#26
It’s not a rule, but it was a daily occurrence that I later realized was insane:
My dad used to buy us each at least one 2-liter bottle of Coca Cola **every day**, since I was about 13. We’d just stroll around drinking it all day. Bring it to the dinner table. Have it while doing homework, whatever. This went on until I was probably 20. It means I probably drank well over 2,500 2-liter bottles of Coke in my life.
It’s like we were trying to hydrate, but with dibeetus juice.
No, there weren’t any concerns for our health for some reason. Yes, we are both diabetic (he passed long ago). Yes, I do wish that was never normalized in my home.
In the last decade, I’ve probably drank less that 10 liters of Coke.
Image credits: phalangepatella
#27
As a child, I wasn’t allowed to wear black. It was considered a “grownup” color.
I also could only wear white or beige underwear. No other colors bc they were “fast.”
Now my entire wardrobe is black and I have a huge collection of lace and trapdoor panties….
#28
As an adult living in my parents’ house, I had to get permission from my mom to download an app on my phone…like for real she had parental controls on my phone that wouldn’t allow me to download any app without her code.
That is one of very many weird, controlling things she did into my adulthood. Then she cried and wondered why I wanted to move out and live by myself….
Image credits: lil_liberal
#29
My mom laughs about a girl she knew growing up who had a strict 10 pm curfew because “you’ll get pregnant if you stay out too late.” All through school this was the rule and her parents were adamant about it.
Fast forward a few years, mom’s like 21/22 and she runs into another old friend. They start talking and, guess what friend heard? Curfew girl is pregnant!
Mom’s response? “Huh, guess she stayed out after 10 o’clock.”
#30
We kids weren't allowed to laugh, because "if someone's laughing, someone's about to get hurt" like ????
#31
We weren’t allowed to read The Berenstain Bears because the dad bear was portrayed as a doofus and it wasn’t acceptable to have parental figures portrayed negatively.
Image credits: PM_ME_LEFT_BOOB_ONLY
#32
I wasn’t allowed to paint my toenails black because….Satan. Yup. They were dark blue for years because it was as close as I could get to black.
Image credits: Whole_File_7315
#33
You were only allowed to take two slices of cucumber from the communal salad bowl at dinner, no more. There was no cucumber scarcity or anything like that. Just that my mother insisted on making sure everyone had an exactly equal share. Just cucumber though, nothing else.
#34
I had a mate (UK - 1980s) who wasn’t allowed to come back to his house for any reason during the day, even to go to the toilet. If he did he’d be forced to stay inside for the entire day.
So if we were hanging out and he needed the toilet, he’d have to go in some bushes and wipe his a**e on a Dock leaf. Ffs!
Image credits: Majestic-Pen-8800
#35
Nobody was allowed to go to the toilet at night, we all had buckets (with lids) in our bedroom...
Image credits: kampernoeleke
#36
I wasn't allowed to shower before my stepdad in the morning, even if it made me late to school, and my shower was only allowed to be 5 minutes or he would turn the light off and lock the door from the outside knowing I had a massive fear of the dark.
He also worked from home and not on a set schedule, and we had a decent hot water tank, but he would purposefully crank the heat up and let it run before he had a shower just so there wasn't any hot water left.
#37
I lived with a parental dress code in high school. White socks, black shoes, pants an inch too short (making the white socks more obvious), button down collared s***s, and crew cut - made me look more like a geek than the horn rim glasses did ‘66-70.
Image credits: ratherBwarm
#38
We had 20 mins to eat a meal and couldn't talk during dinner.
#39
No flushing at night (unless it was poop) because I couldn’t wake dad.
Had to go up the stairs on my tippy toes because I couldn’t wake dad. Still go up stairs weirdly quiet to this day.
If dad was napping during the day, had to have the TV on low. If it got loud/woke him up, I would hear about it/be guilted.
Friends couldn’t ring the doorbell in case my dad was taking a nap.
Dogs couldn’t go outside when he was asleep because they might bark.
It wasn’t until I had a bad migraine in college and my roommates kept on living though I was trying to nap that I realized it wasn’t normal.
#40
We weren't allowed to scrape the butter knife of peanut butter, butter, mayo, jelly, things of this nature back into its container. They called it 'the devil's share' and you had to just waste whatever was left on the knife because if you didn't, the devil would be mad at you.
My family was f*****g weird about it and I never once saw the devil lick it clean, so I'm not sure why he'd make a fuss about it.
Image credits: DlVlDED_BY_ZERO
#41
We were never allowed to wash our hair directly with the shower head, it had to go into a bucket first and then we had to pour it on our head. My mom was convinced it would prevent hair-loss in the future and sadly it didn’t work.
Image credits: ConsecratedSnowfield
#42
Forcing me (36f) to bathe with my friends until I was ten and straight refused.(Mostly but not exclusively female)Started a whole argument. Next time she tried to make me shower with the neighbor I fought and fought. She gave up. Im in the u.s. it was like 1998 and we didn't have any real reason why that was necessary.
#43
There were certain rooms we could not walk in because it messed up the vacuum lime pattern.
#44
My Mom's had a rule that my sister and I couldn't fly on the same plane together. We always had to fly offset where my dad would fly with me and her with my sister etc. One of the biggest arguments we had was when we were in our early twenty's and went on a trip together - on the same plane obviously.
No rules about riding in the same car or anything like that even though that's way more dangerous.
Image credits: ewo32
