I have been incredibly lucky to have parents who believed in private conversations over public humiliation, understood the importance of not forcing me into uncomfortable situations and didn’t dismiss my feelings as irrational or absurd. Instead, they have been extremely patient with me, let me find my own way, pulled me back up when I was drowning, and had level-headed conversations with me when they thought I was doing something wrong.
However, as I looked around at many of my friend’s parents, I saw that their parenting style was very different. Shouting, hitting, strict painful punishments and creating a public nuisance were very common tactics in “disciplining” the child. Many of them considered blackmail and downright harassment to be love languages. And people on Twitter have been sharing their experiences dealing with such Indian parents.
The conversation began when one user tweeted that most Indian parents shouldn’t have become parents in the first place. After the tweet went viral, people started sharing stories from their own lives where they witnessed parents who were being extremely abusive to their kids.
Have a look:
When I was in fifth standard, my parents forced me to go to entrance coaching on weekends and one time I told my Dad I don’t want to go and he slapped me on my cheeks so hard it had impressions of his all 5 fingers. Then he made me go to the entrance with that on my face, https://t.co/owZ2ZsOtqB
— Manhoe 🥭 (@pesto_paagal) June 1, 2023
When i was 13 i clearly remember my mother telling me to go to school tomorrow and then don’t comeback. “Just kill yourself..jump of the top floor and don’t comeback”. https://t.co/eSUCC2sWix
— Bodhi (@Arey_Aster) June 2, 2023
There was a group of college boys that used to harass girls outside our school.
A few of them started following my classmate every day which obviously terrified her.
She finally gathered the courage and told her parents. They beat her up and made her drop out of school. https://t.co/AYg5oSiCWe
— unawarewolf (@yadudewhatever) June 2, 2023
After a friend’s eleventh b’day party we along with b’day girl’s dad were going to drop another friend to her home. Her mom met us halfway breathing fire yelling, abusing her daughter for being out late.That public humiliation killed that talented girl’s spirit right there! https://t.co/QHD7S1h4ue
— Bee (@s_oworld) June 2, 2023
i love both of them …. i have enough freedom as well …. not asking for more but there is something my father should learn is trust their daughter . What my father said to me once did do actually broke me into million pieces. A parent especially a father would thing twice https://t.co/szxqqDc6a3
— ✦jasًً 🏳️🌈🧸):)| Ot12|FAN ACCOUNT| (@j_070820) June 2, 2023
It was at a doc’s clinic, where two kids were playing. One kid spanked the other for some reason. Immediately, the parent of the other kid shouted at his kid that why he didn’t beat him back and also shouted at the other kid at the top of his voice!
— Savitha Sampath (@Savi_Sampath) June 2, 2023
When i was like 8, there was a naughty boy in my neighborhood who must be around 10-11 years old. One day his mother was beating him, taking him all throughout the neighborhood while he was naked and kept crying and begging for her to stop. This kept happening for HOURS :/ https://t.co/GnehCSWBQb
— ashy⁷ (@MANGBharDo) June 2, 2023
not having a lock on my door and anyone being able to barge in at any time without knocking regardless of what i was doing really fucked with my head so much i was terrified just to change in my room bc of the amount of ppl (even strangers) who have walked in while i’m changing https://t.co/iREuoVo7eX
— shay⁷ FESTA¹⁰ 💜🏳️🌈 (@134340heartbeat) June 2, 2023
In most cases, people don’t think about whether they are ready to become parents. They decide to have a child because social convention dictates them to do so. Some don’t even consider whether they are fit, have the emotional and financial means, and have the time and help to raise a child. These are important conversations that every couple and family should have in the first place.