20-Year-Old Female, Who Is Being Parentified By Her Mom, Wants To Move Out Of Her Home
She feels like a single mom to her four younger siblings.
Children are supposed to behave like children, and teens should be teens. Sadly, some parents expect their children to behave like adults.
This phenomenon is called parentification. It occurs when parents expect their children to take on greater responsibilities in the household.
These young ones are forced to be "mini parents" to their younger siblings. According to experts, parentification negatively impacts a child's development.
We know that it's completely fine to teach children some responsibility; after all, it helps them prepare for the real world.
However, when those responsibilities become excessive, they detract from their ability to engage in activities appropriate for their age. Parents should allow their children the time to grow, mature, and learn.
Today, we're examining the story of a 20-year-old woman whose mom constantly pushes her to take care of her four younger siblings.
She shared her experience on Reddit, detailing her plans to move out in the Am I the A**hole subreddit (AITA). According to the young woman, she feels more like a single mom to her siblings than their actual mother.
Is she wrong for wanting to move out? This is what she wanted to know when she asked the community.
Redditors were generally supportive of her decision. Let's take a look at their responses.
The original poster narrates her story.
Few_Blood1369Her plans to move out
Few_Blood1369At this point, the mom is and will continue to take advantage of her daughter.
RedditDK2
The original poster doesn't believe that her mom would be able to cope once she's gone.
Few_Blood1369
Contacting CPS could be the answer.
Diesel-King
Some suggested the next best steps after she finally moves out.
AdGroundbreaking4397
She needs to provide some guidance to her siblings as well.
AdGroundbreaking4397
The original poster needs to prepare for when her mom takes steps to prevent her from leaving.
rpsls
Contacting the fathers of her siblings is also a good starting point.
Corfiz74
No matter how much she loves her siblings, they are still not her responsibility. The original poster has her own life to live.
SchnootFarms
She needs to take charge of her life; otherwise, she'll be robbed of her young adult years.
MudLOA
Sadly, she doesn't know who the fathers of her siblings are.
RealTexasJake
What the mom needs to do
AccessibleBeige
Or she could take care of them herself. That's an option too.
Creative_username969
Even from afar, she can still check on her siblings.
RealTexasJake
She finally learns what her situation is called.
PineTreeMistress
The original poster has a choice.
Knitsanity
This is understandable.
Knitsanity
Her mom is manipulative.
carolinediva
In the first place, the original poster isn't supposed to be the parent.
AccessibleBeige
Accurate.
CoyotePatronus
She needs to take care of herself before taking care of her siblings.
aperturecake
The mom isn't being a mother to her children.
Sadly, the original poster is more involved in her siblings' lives. It's hard to make a decision in such a situation.
We hope that the original poster finds the best solution to this problem. With such an irresponsible mother, it may be best to involve CPS.
