Strollerderby

This is not just a parental issue, this is a mental health issue. My mother is also unstable, self-centered and at times downright hateful, going from calm to enraged in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, the mental health system is not set up to help people like her because, on the surface, she can take care of herself and seems perfectly normal until you get to know her. I feel for those kids; they've got a long ride ahead of them.

Funny thing, I remember times when my mom was mad she chased my brother and sister around the house with a knife.  They would run into their bedroom and shut the door.  Nothing ever came of it.  The three of us came out relatively well adjusted.  We all have kids now and we're raising them well and we all ended up having great relationships with her.  No one ever went to therapy either.  It's bizarre how some things just work.  I guess what they say about how resiliant kids are is true.  Obviously I wouldn't recommend this method of child rearing but it's funny that it didn't seem to hurt us much.  

The "nobody loves Mommy" crap is just that- crap. My brother and I grew up with our mother constantly laying heavy guilt trips on us about how we didn't appreciate her and maybe she should just "go get hit by a car". WTF?! That kind of baloney was more damaging than if she would have pulled a knife. Maybe not damaging to our psyche, but certainly to our relationship with her. We both have less respect for her as adults and certainly don't pity her when she has a problem. It's aweful to feel this way about someone you genuinely love.

So, tangent! Sorry. But really, as a mother, I know my kids won't always say "thanks for everything, you're the best, we love you" but I'll be darned if I start spouting that nonsense at them.

My mom and dad were both like that, always threatening to kill/beating the crap out of me when I was growing up, as a result I moved out on my 18th birthday and never spoke to either again. Some parents just suck, they shouldn't have become parents in the first place and I think this lady is a prime example of the benefits of forced sterilization. (<-that was a joke btw, the last part, not all the rest)