Doing favors for people generally would be met with some sort of reciprocation or thanks, and you would generally expect to be compensated for any of your own resources you might spend helping them. Say, something like paying someone for gas when they've given you a ride or picked you up from the airport. It's not an equal transaction because you're not compensating them for their time or for the service they've provided you, but you're at least saving them from bearing the most direct financia…

Let's face it: a lot of us were miserable about stuff when we were kids and teenagers that we would later go on to regret. Even if you have the most positive home environment, it's a confusing and difficult time in your development. Even still, I know there were times when I caused a stink about something only to go on to have the best day, leaving me with lifelong regret for making it difficult for my parents in the first place. But, when you're a teen , there's a high likelihood that you're g…

It's one thing to have a messy house , but these people have taken their messiness to the next level. Sometimes, the best way to clean up your home is by inviting someone over. It immediately makes you consider your home from an outsider's perspective. You start to think about what your guests might notice, like crumbs on the table or a streaky mirror. They say you should clean surfaces first, then the bathroom, then the floors, and by that point, you have a pretty clean home to invite your gue…

Doing chores and contributing to the household is just a part of being a member of the household, especially as you get older. The harsh reality is that when you're a teenager, soon the gloves are going to come off, and you're going to be faced with the harsh reality that surviving day to day as an adult requires 10x as much effort just to maintain functional normality as you anticipate when you're a kid at home. Plus, your parents are doing these things daily just to keep the family (what ofte…

There's a whole lot going on in this post that's really difficult to un- pack (hah, get it) and that I really just can't quite wrap my head around. So, let's start here: Why on earth does a 13-year-old need FIFTY backpacks? With a single bag alone costing $500. And why in the heck does a 13-year-old have their own influencer account?.. And where in the heck are they storing all of these backpacks? At the risk of sounding very “old man yelling at clouds here,”… what in the heck is going on with…

This kid doesn't know just how iconic he is for doing what he did. After trying to reconnect with his birth father, both of his biological parents sat him down over a video call and asked for his understanding if they go no-contact. Yup, you read that right. For a little backstory, the Redditor was the by-product of an extra-marital affair (both of his biological parents had spouses and stayed with them). He was primarily raised by his mother's grandparents, with his birth father secretly provi…

Everyone likes to think that they're the exception to a rule, usually because they're so certain that they're so much better and smarter than everybody. The reality of the situation couldn't be further from the truth, and the truth is this: If you think you're the exception, the rule exists for you. This couldn't be truer than when it comes to parents who think that their kids should be an exception to “child-free” events, either bringing them anyway without saying anything or making some drama…

It's a tricky thing to make someone feel something that they don't feel. And when you're a teen there's so much changing emotionally that it's sometimes hard to make sense of the things you're actually feeling without trying to force it—or having someone gaslighting you and saying that you said something that you never said. When that person is your parent, it makes things a whole lot more complicated; this is the person who is supposed to be showing you the way, and while they probably think t…

Far worse than a cash bar

Family is difficult, perhaps even one of the most difficult things. Even when the relationships are fairly "traditional" and straightforward, let's be honest: what is straightforward? Is there even really a straightforward when it comes to family? The reality is that there hardly ever is, and the families that try and act like things are straightforward are the most likely to be hiding something. When families are more complex, mixed, or “blended” things get even further from simple. And who is…

As you get older and watch your parents morph into full-blown Boomers, you start to realize just how wild their logic can get. Take this guy’s dad, for example, who believes that senior citizen discounts aren’t just a business tactic—they’re an honor bestowed upon Boomers for everything they’ve done for this country.

It takes a village to raise a child, though some people have taken this too literally apparently and have taken it to mean that they need not raise their child themselves. Or at least that's how it seems with the number of feral children that are allowed to run rampant in public spaces while their parents either sit idly by… or are nowhere to be seen at all. Some parents expect bystanders to raise their children for them, demanding a “teachable moment” from the stranger who dares call into ques…

Money between family and friends is a tricky thing, but giving money to help out can be a huge blessing when times are tough. Still, it's often said in these situations that you should never lend money that you expect to see back, essentially considering it to be a gift. When that money comes from the loss of not one but two close and important family members, it really shouldn't be treated like a bonus that needs to be burned, and it's not an “easy come, easy go” type of situation. That money…

There's not much a deadbeat dad can do that'll make his children think less of him–except crawling out of the woodwork years after announcing he had a secret family only to ask them to share their college fund with his love child.

When this mother's 28-year-old daughter, Jessica, moved back in with them after a breakup, she asked her mother to partake in a “rewatch” of the popular 00's TV show “Gilmore Girls” with her. The mother didn't know much about the show outside of the fact that she was not a fan regarding the titular characters as being “very entitled” and remarking that the show relies on the viewer finding their “yelling matches” to be “endearing.” Keep reading to see her account of events as she shared with th…

Family dynamics are always tough, even in the best of circumstances… Parenting teenagers is difficult enough when they're your own flesh and blood or they're otherwise your sole charge and are obligated to follow your direction. It gets infinitely more difficult when you have another adult who is influential in your life—especially one of their parents who is undermining you and just generally poisoning the well and encouraging them to be toxic towards you at every possible chance. You'd think…