Adults With Overly Permissive Parents Reveal The Most Absurd Things They Could Do
We all know freedom to explore (and sometimes fail) is important for a child to grow into a healthy adult. Almost all of us huffed and puffed about not being allowed to do something at some point in our childhood. A smaller portion of us, though, grew up a little bit differently. Some of us had parents that were too permissive - like to the point of ridiculousness. One Reddit user asked:
And honestly, reading these answers we're just glad and kind of shocked that you guys all survived this long. Good jobs.
Roughing It
I was allowed to saddle up my horse, take my gun, some beef jerky, a canteen, a sleeping bag and bed roll tied to my saddle and ride up into the Ochoco Mountains and camp over night. Then ride back the next day. Also did the same with my motorcycle. I was about 13 or 14 at the time.
But No Harry Potter
As a kid my parents were perfectly ok with me flipping the golf cart in to the ditch, towing people behind ATVs on plywood, and shooting each other with Roman candles. However they didn't let me watch Harry Potter because they "didn't want my faith to be in witches and wizards."
Hello, Seattle!
My mother was insanely strict, but she used to send me to spend summers with her sister because she couldn't afford summer camp or anyone to watch me.
My aunt gave 0 shits and didn't want to be bothered with me. I was left to my own devices to.... wait for it...
Wander around downtown Seattle.
Alone.
At like 10-11 years old.
I did not have a phone. I did have plenty of "go away and leave me alone" cash. I was not required to check in. Or even be home by any certain time.
This was in the 90s.
As a kid, it was amazing. As an adult, I cringe when I think of how easily something horrible could have happened.
Helping Your Kid Rebel
My mother told me at an early age that one day I would rebel, and instead of fighting me she's going to guide me through it. Said that she'd rather know which women I'm dating so that she can provide said guidance than for me to hide it. Said that she wanted me to "sow my wild oats" while I was young, so that I could buckle down when it really mattered. And, well, that's exactly what she did.
And all of it was absurd.
We were dirt poor, living in a mobile home in the s*** part of town when I turned 12. Between child support, disability and welfare she was only getting about $600/mo. (when she went after my father for more child support, raising it from $50/mo to $400/mo he counter sued for custody... that was fun...)
ITo her credit, she was able to use the situation to make friends of all of my friends, and use them to control me. They would do whatever she wanted because they didn't want to lose their invitation to the party. If she didn't like someone she would turn the group against them. She knew everything I ever did, too.. She was like a mob boss, who's only purpose in life was me. ...And she was right about sowing my wild oats - by the time I was 18 I was pretty over partying. And went into said relationship with ample experience for my age...
I ultimately got an engineering degree and will have been married 16 years in 4 days. Live a nice, quiet middle class existence.
For The Love Of Crab Cakes
Upper middle class upbringing here. My parents got me a car and didn't give a s*** about what I did as soon as I got my license. I once drove 150 miles to Baltimore after high school one day to get some crab cakes.
"Happy Hippie Trip"
I wanted to try mushrooms, I told my mom and she agreed to trip sit me- basically, let me and my friends do mushrooms in the living room.
She helped us steep it into tea, and then once we were all gone, she carefully timed her steps and ordered a pizza, baked cookies and watched movies with us, making sure everyone was having a "happy hippie trip".
To this day, my mom advocates her "happy hippie trips" of doing drugs with a sober babysitter.
I've now moved out, I do smoke cannabis with prescription, but I'm a rather functional human being with no party drive, but a deep love of quality time with my mom over a pizza.
Dublin And Manchester Aren't Even In The Same Country...
From the age of 15 I didnt have a time that I had to be in at on the weekends.
When I was 16 myself and a group of my mates decided to get the boat from Ireland to Wales and get a train up to manchester to see if we could score some football tickets. We left on the friday morning and didnt come home until the following monday
My mum called me on the sunday asking me where I was, I told her I was "at the football" and she said enjoy, that she wasnt putting a dinner out for me so
Edit: I was living in Dublin at the time
Taking All The Fun Out Of Rebellion
My mom was worried I was not getting drunk with my college friends. I never took up drinking, despite all her efforts. I grew up as a straightedge designated driver.
That lady knew what she was doing, let me tell you that.
Home Blaze
Buddy of mine had a mom who would let us blaze at his house ("so that we wouldn't get caught by cops smoking on the street").
No Rules, Just Consequences
My dad's rule was that I could do whatever I wanted, but I had to live with the consequences of those actions.
Do you want to drink? Fine, but understand the pain of a hangover.
Do you want have unprotected sex? Fine, but you'll have to get a job and pay for the child.
Do you want to quit school? Fine, but understand the difficulty that will cause you in finding a job.
Because my father made sure I understood the consequences of poor choices, that I was free to make, I never made any.
Free-Range Childhood
From the age of 10 or 11 on basically no oversight what so ever. Both parents worked at night, I had a babysitter that didn't even watch me.
I could do literally anything 4 or 5 nights out of the week including weekends from around 8pm til 5am.
You know what I did? Virtually nothing, went to a few parties but didn't drink. Everyone else had to be home so I'd be home too. I basically didn't use any of the freedoms, never did drugs, never drank. I'm so boring. I had the longest leash in the world and didn't wander.
Not sure if i was just a great kid or if all that freedom took the excitement out of going crazy.
Tattooed Teens
They allowed me to get a tattoo (rainbow butterfly on my shoulder)
I regret every single one, especially the chest piece, which I had modified over the years, and will need continual touch ups because my skin doesn't really like ink.
The Ukraine
When I was 14 I spent a year in the Ukraine. Just me and my sister (18)
We didn't go to school, and we pretty much did whatever we wanted.
(My parents lived in the US)
Also, a Rabbi handed me my first beer when I was 9
Beach House
I lived at the beach in a tent for a couple of months between my Junior and Senior years of High School. My folks didn't even realize that I was gone.
H/T: Reddit