My mom had a TIA in ‘92...and didn’t change one damned thing. She didn’t quit smoking, didn’t exercise at all, didn’t change a thing about her diet. And, to be honest, I kind of resent it since it’s become my problem and my life to deal with her physical/mental issues.

My father was an authoritarian too. I ended up an atheist, liberal, feminist, vegetarian—about as far from my Southern conservative baptist upbringing I could get. I also didn’t really talk to him much once I left home and I certainly didn’t tell him much about my life. Dude, your kids are going to think and say…

It’s going to build up a subscription base, collect as much data as they can and then they’ll sell it all to someone else for a hefty profit.

I, for one, welcome are cordycep overlords!

The idea that parents have to always put their children absolutely first is unique to our time. It’s weird and seems very narrow minded and limiting...not to mention that it’s often not good for the kids. It’s a lot of pressure to be the end all and be all of someone’s entire world/life.

Were you emotionally abusive like the LW? Cause I don’t think that’s salvageable.

It really, really sucks to grow up in a house where your parents are always in a state of conflict. It’s not always overt arguing with screaming matches, sometimes it’s passive-aggressive nastiness or them complaining about the other to you. I WISH my parents had divorced when I lived at home. They eventually did…

I can’t believe I got so far down the comments before someone finally said this. He is emotionally abusive full stop! He also takes the the usual tactic and blames it on everyone and everything except himself.

Any reasonable person, but especially one who’s in college and who has completed a year or more, should grasp that a large bruise on the abdomen after a fall is bad news. Or, you know, the seizures should be alarming; again, after a 15 ft fall HAIR (aka HEAD) first down the stairs. Or,maybe an obviously injured person…

I’ve never heard of this person and was expecting an intense story about some cat’s adverture.

Nah, he just calls her a slut all the way to the abortion clinic.

Why does it make you angry that a vegetarian can still enjoy a burger?

Cause I’m lazy and they’re quick meals.

No, it’s pretty common knowledge in social sciences.

Yes, because having kids guarantees they’ll be exactly what and how you want them to be. If that were the case I wouldn’t be a liberal, atheist, feminist who was brought up in a VERY conservative, Southern Baptist, traditional family.

Ugh, as a child of parents who stayed married mostly because of me, I have to say, it sucks. I wanted them to divorce. They didn’t while I was a kid but my mom finally got fed up and filed in ‘12 after ~44 years...way too late to be much benefit to me.

My birthday is in October and I was always one of the youngest. I think my parents put me in kindergarten when I was 3.5. I graduated high school and started college at 17. I do think starting school when I was a bit older would have helped a few things.

Last weekend I drove 3.5 hours to meet a guy. It was fine. He was just a bit boring; wanted to watch TV the entire time. I had the means to leave early or get my own hotel room though. So, all I can say is to make sure you can leave if needed.

When I was moving I thought the movers had let my cat escape. I spent hours going over my house looking for her. At that point there wasn’t too many places for her to hid. I finally had to leave the house to follow the movers over to the new place. When I got back to the house she was walking around the living room. I…

Of course they need outside independence. It’s taken me a LONG time to recover from my overprotective, terrified mother. I doubt I’ll ever be full recovered. The point is to raise a kid to be an independent adult; you can’t do that all at once when they’re 18. It has to start when they are young. If you can drive your…