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Mom Tries to Teach Teen Daughter a Lesson by Leaving Her Alone in the Hospital on Christmas Day, Has Doubts About It Later On

"She didn't care because Christmas is only once a year, and she just wants to live a little."

Mom Tries to Teach Teen Daughter a Lesson by Leaving Her Alone in the Hospital on Christmas Day, Has Doubts About It Later On

A mom tried to “teach a lesson” on Christmas Day, and it blew up in her face fast. Her teen daughter ended up in the hospital after eating what she was told not to eat, and the mom says she did it on purpose, not by accident.

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The tricky part is that the daughter was already sick, and the mother’s plan was to leave her alone in the hospital while the rest of the family stayed home for the holiday.

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By the time the Christmas family gathering was over, the “lesson” looked less like parenting and more like a decision that could not be undone.

The teenager knew exactly what she was doing before she became ill, so her mom had a hard time feeling sympathetic

The teenager knew exactly what she was doing before she became ill, so her mom had a hard time feeling sympatheticAndrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
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Unfortunately, declaring a dish "off-limits" can sometimes make it appear more appetizing, but for most of us, the prospect of getting severely ill and having to visit the hospital is enough to deter us from eating certain foods. In essence, those trigger foods are like poison, and nobody enjoys following their meal with a shot of paint or household cleaner.

The story begins

The story beginsReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532
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No clear answer

No clear answerReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

A pretty good idea

A pretty good ideaReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

What the OP's daughter loves

What the OP's daughter lovesReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

She's older now

She's older nowReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Ending up in the ER

Ending up in the ERReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

The Christmas family gathering

The Christmas family gatheringReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

That’s when the whole “trigger foods” idea stopped sounding like a harmless rule and started sounding like a setup for disaster.

Food is a significant component of Christmas celebrations for many of us. Roasted turkey, tamales, gingerbread cookies, pecan pie, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, hot cocoa, and more are among the traditional holiday fare.

So we can understand why this adolescent would want to make the most of the holiday. However, spending Christmas in the hospital is not a joyful experience.

Christmas is a time to celebrate with your loved ones, and being in the hospital is a no-go

Christmas is a time to celebrate with your loved ones, and being in the hospital is a no-goAny Lane (not the actual photo)

There were varieties of food

There were varieties of foodReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

She chose to eat the trigger foods

She chose to eat the trigger foodsReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

The OP relaxed at home with the rest of the family

The OP relaxed at home with the rest of the familyReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

The daughter didn't take this well

The daughter didn't take this wellReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

The mom relaxed at home with the rest of the family, while her daughter was stuck in the ER with no Christmas cheer.

On Reddit, some people began speculating about the girl's potential medical conditions. She has not yet received a formal diagnosis, but a few possible explanations include a sensitive stomach, gallbladder problems, gastroparesis, or irritable bowel syndrome or disease.

However, the mother has highlighted that obtaining a diagnosis has been difficult, so they have been primarily focusing on managing the symptoms.

It’s a lot like the OP debating whether to cancel family dinner plans after a personal emergency.

Here are some of their comments below

Here are some of their comments belowReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

She should be smart enough

She should be smart enoughReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

This can be considered self-harm

This can be considered self-harmReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Pretty harsh to leave her all alone

Pretty harsh to leave her all aloneReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Model of restraint

Model of restraintReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Not a moment of poor judgment

Not a moment of poor judgmentReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

You had the power to stop her

You had the power to stop herReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Old enough to understand things

Old enough to understand thingsReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Some people believed the mother ought to have handled the matter differently

Some people believed the mother ought to have handled the matter differentlyReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

She clearly needs help

She clearly needs helpReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

An underlying condition

An underlying conditionReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Therapeutic help

Therapeutic helpReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

She is actively choosing to do this

She is actively choosing to do thisReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

There was never a point

There was never a pointReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Irreparable damage to her system

Irreparable damage to her systemReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Actions do have consequences

Actions do have consequencesReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

You're trying to prove a point

You're trying to prove a pointReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Some even advised the daughter to seek professional assistance because her actions might be seen as self-harm or an indication of an eating disorder.

Some even advised the daughter to seek professional assistance because her actions might be seen as self-harm or an indication of an eating disorder.Reddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Your daughter is self-harming

Your daughter is self-harmingReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

An unpopular comment

An unpopular commentReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

This is not normal behavior

This is not normal behaviorReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Is it uncontrollable pain?

Is it uncontrollable pain?Reddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

She needs support from her family

She needs support from her familyReddit/Hospitalthrowaway532

Once people saw the daughter didn’t take it well, Reddit started speculating about everything from gallbladder problems to IBS, because the diagnosis is still unclear.

And after the comments turned into debates about self-harm, restraint, and whether the mom had the power to stop her, the “lesson” story got ugly fast.

Regrettably, as many comments noted, 16 is an appropriate age to grasp that our choices have repercussions. She has a history of experiencing serious illness after consuming trigger foods, so why would she want to subject herself to that agony once more?

Many readers reassured the mother that her strict discipline was appropriate and that her daughter must take responsibility for her actions.

The Christmas dinner might have been peaceful at home, but the hospital version of the holiday left the mom wondering if she crossed the line.

Want another mental-health-first showdown, read about OP choosing self-care over her sister’s drama at family events.

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