Parenting can be challenging.
Each person has their own set of guidelines, traditions, and rules, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to raising children.
However, many people on Reddit had strong opinions about this woman’s decision to stop cuddling with her daughter…
The 37-year-old woman took to Reddit’s ‘Am I The A*****e’ thread to share a recent situation involving her young daughter.
“My daughter is very small for her age and as a result gets treated like a younger child sometimes,” she began her post.
“She loves to hop in my or my [husband’s] lap and cuddle with us on the couch or in a chair,” she continued. She noted that she had started to wonder if her daughter might be “too old” for such cuddling and whether continuing this practice might be causing her any harm.
The day before the woman posted, her 11-year-old daughter attempted to climb onto her lap for a cuddle. “I told her she was too old for that and to get off me,” the woman explained. “She got really upset, got off me and went to her room and slammed the door.”
Since then, the young girl has been avoiding physical affection, and there’s been noticeable tension at home. “She doesn’t talk to me unless she has to and when I hugged her goodnight last night she didn’t hug me back,” the woman explained.
“I feel really guilty because I obviously hurt her feelings but I feel like she might be too old for sitting on my lap,” she added, seeking advice from Redditors on whether she was in the wrong.
Unfortunately, the woman was labeled “the a*****e” in the situation, with many commenters criticizing her for dismissing valuable bonding time with her daughter. Her story was not well received.
“She’s not going to want to cuddle you much longer. You may have a year left. And you’re throwing that time away instead of cherishing it,” one commenter remarked.
Another commenter noted: “There’s nothing wrong with directing a child towards more age-appropriate behaviors or expressing that something is no longer comfortable for you. That’s part of helping a child grow up. But you do need to redirect them to a behavior that is appropriate (because they need to be taught, they don’t automatically know) and reinforce that while your relationship with them is changing, your love for them is consistent.
“If you told her to ‘Get off’ with no warning, it’s no wonder why she perceived that as rejection and is now completely confused as to what sort of physical affection is ok or will get her snapped at,” the commenter continued.
Another response shared: “I work at a nursing home. We have a 78-year-old man who comes to visit his 99-year-old mother every week. She has dementia and they hold each other and they both light up. You never outgrow the need for love and affection from your parents.”
What do you think about this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
