80 Most Shocking Bad Parents Quotes You’ll Read Today

Bad Parenting Quotes

 

 

Bad parents quotes that will make you cringe and shake your head. Unbelievable stuff, check out this collection of shocking quotes about bad parents, that are worth sharing!

 

At the same time, these quotes for bad parents are also the ones that will make you think about your own parenting skills and maybe even question them.

Let’s be honest here: Being a parent is one of the most challenging things anyone can do. But being a good parent is even harder!

If you’re a parent, you probably understand all too well how hard it is to be a good parent and how easy it is to make mistakes. Kids are tough and parenting isn’t easy.

Ideally, we should all agree that good, loving parents are those who put their child’s needs before their own, sacrifice their time and energy to put them first and give them ample love and support no matter what.

But what about those who don’t measure up? Those who are bad parents?

These are people who ignore their children, are absent from their lives,  verbally or physically abuse them, neglect them or even leave them without food or shelter for days on end.

In fact according to CDC, in 2020, 1,750 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States.

Whether you think these parents are real or just characters in movies, there’s no denying that these quotes about bad parents will forever haunt you.

The following list contains some of the best controversial parenting quotes. These are the ones that make you stop and think about how far you have come as a parent in comparison to these people.

 

Let’s dive right in:

 

Bad Parents Quotes/Sayings In English

 

Do you ever feel like this? Parents can be the worst: No matter how hard they try, they always seem to be doing something wrong.

That might be the reason why we feel like we can relate to the following quotes for bad parents:

 

1. Too bad for any parent who has become accustomed to ruling by force, because at some point the kids just get too big to slap around. — Barbara Ehrenreich

2. Whatever parent gives his children good instruction and sets them at the same time a bad example, may be considered as bringing them food in one hand and poison in the other. — John Balguy

3. If mental abuse was a punishable crime, a lot of parents would be in jail serving a long term – Maddy Malhotra

4. There’s a reason why people who’ve had bad relationships with their parents listen to angry stuff. — Chris Martin

5. I hate the phrase “kids will be kids”. I think it should be replaced with “Bad parenting results in assholes”.

6. Bad kids come from bad parents. Stop blaming music, television, movies bullying, peer pressure, teachers, school system, government and society for your shitty parenting.

7. Today’s troubled homes are made by parents who want to have children but don’t want their children to have parents. Agona Apell

8. Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; You are raising a human being. Kittie Frantz

9. It has been my observation that parents kill more dreams than anybody. Spike Lee
10. Do your kids see your kindness or are you always telling them NO? Brenda M. McGraw

 

 

Quotes About Selfish Parents

 

 

Children should be more important than anything else in the world to their parents right? After all, it’s every child’s birthright to have their parents’ full attention at all times.

Unfortunately, however, there are a lot of selfish parents out there who put their own needs first and only make time for their children if they want something from them.

These 10 quotes about selfish parents can help you understand how a selfish parent behaves and what not to do:

 

11. It is the selfish parents who are to blame. Pay attention, be involved in your children’s lives. They are your legacy, your only hope. — Aaron B. Powell
12. Anyone can have a child and call themselves a parent. Real parents are those who put that child above their own selfish needs and wants.” — Unknown
13. Selfish people don’t consider how their decisions affect others. Their own convenience is all that matters.” — Unknown
14. Leave your pride, ego, and narcissism somewhere else. Reactions from those parts of you will reinforce your children’s most primitive fears. – Henry Cloud
15. Statistics show that a narcissistic mother has a 98% chance of raising a narcissistic son. As a result, he will lie, cheat, steal, & in some cases, kill.― Mitta Xinindlu
16. When you have child, your “wants” come lost. It’s about their needs & wants first. If you can’t do that, you don’t deserve to be a parent.– Unknown
17. Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” – Unknown
18. Selfish people lost so much in life because even when they realize they are wrong, they don’t know how to ask for forgiveness or show regrets. – Unknown
19. It is the selfish parents who are to blame. Pay attention, be involved in your children’s lives. They are your legacy, your only hope. – Aaron B. Powell
20. Being a parent shouldn’t be when it is convenient for you. It is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year commitment. – Unknown

 

 

Toxic Parents Quotes

   

Everyone has that one family member who is just… toxic. Whether it be a friend, a parent, or an ex, you know the one.

That person who always made you feel bad about yourself, who always acted like their life was so much more difficult than anyone else’s, who always got what they wanted because they knew how to manipulate people.

Especially when a parent is the one who’s toxic, well it can be so psychologically damaging.

 

Find below some of the best quotes on toxic parents:

 

21. Toxic parents care more about how you make them look than how you actually feel. – Anonymous
22. It has been my observation that parents kill more dreams than anybody. – Spike Lee
23. The most loving parents and relatives commit murder with smiles on their faces. They force us to destroy the person we really are: a subtle kind of murder. – Jim Morrison
24. Toxic parents are the root cause of all dysfunctional families because the fish rots first at its head. – Anonymous
25. An unpredictable parent is a fearsome god in the eyes of a child. – Dr. Susan Forward
26. As long as you continue to react so strongly to them, you give them the power to upset you, which allows them to control you. — Susan Forward, Craig Buck,
27. Some scars don’t hurt. Some scars are numb. Some scars rid you of the capacity to feel anything ever again. — Joyce Rachelle
28. You can’t change the toxic behavior of your toxic parents but you can decide how you respond. – Anonymous
29. Sometimes, narcissistic parents are also better loved from a distance to avoid further emotional damage. – Anonymous
30. It’s no use to argue with parents who always think they are right all the time and you are always wrong. – Anonymous

 

 

Αbsent Parents Quotes

 

 

Quotes about absent parents are not well known. Absence or abandoning of parents or guardians can be a difficult experience for children to endure.

The feeling of loneliness, sadness and fear can result from their separated relationship. Children need to feel loved and supported at all times.

 

Here are some quotes on the absence of parents:

 

31. If a man cannot be a father to his own child, there is nothing worse than that.
32. Having kids doesn’t making you a parent. Raising them does.
33. If it’s important to you, you’ll find a way. If not you ‘ll find an excuse.
34. To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.
35. It’s a sin if you are a father, but are not around to support your children . – Unknown
36. An absent father needs to realize his child’s needs before it is very late – Unknown
37. Children feel let down and becomes hopeless when parents leave them alone. -Unknown
38. It is much easier to become a father than to be one.- Kent Nerburn
39. Your presence doesn’t matter if your absence doesn’t have any impact. – Unknown
40. To feel that you aren’t important to your mother leaves a hole. Most often it is felt as a hole in the heart. It’s the hole where Mother was supposed to be.”- Jasmin Lee Cori

 

 

Overprotective Parents Quotes

 

Parents have a lot on their plate: they’re balancing three jobs — being a parent, being a parent, and being a parent — as they strive to teach their children life lessons while keeping them out of harm’s way.

That said, some parents are going too far. While it’s important to be vigilant, it’s also important not to let fear rule your decisions.

Here is a collection of quotes from different sources on overprotective parents and their effect on their children:

 

41. Great parenting happens when you start controlling yourself and stop controlling your child — Unknown
42. Instead of promoting healthy development, they unconsciously undermine it, often with the belief that they are acting in their child’s best interest. ― Susan Forward
43. As parents we have a tendency to overprotect; it’s okay to try and show them all positives but we cannot forget that the real world has teeth ― Johnnie Dent Jr.
44. This is the tragedy of modernity: as with neurotically overprotective parents, those trying to help are often hurting us the most. – Author: Nassim Nicholas Taleb
45. Overprotective parents raise the best liars. – Unknown

46. Now that I have kids, I’m probably more overprotective than I’ve ever been. My wife’s nickname for me is ‘red alert.’ I sometimes check just to see if the kids are breathing. But I try not to be a helicopter parent. – Matt Damon

 

47. There’s a word like overprotective to describe some parents, but no word that means the opposite. What word do you use to describe parents who don’t protect enough? Underprotective? Neglectful? Self-involved? Lame? All of the above. J. Palacio
48. Real protection means teaching children to manage to manage risks on their own, not shielding them from every hazard. – Wendy Mogel
49. A lot of mothers would do anything for their children except from letting them be themselves.
50. I’m that sneaky child my strict parents created.

 

 

Bad Relationship With Parents Quotes

 

 

Quotes are very powerful and can have a huge impact on our lives. The right quote can inspire us, make us laugh, or help us get over a bad relationship.

Here is a collection of quotes that are sure to help you in your bad relationship with your parents:

 

51. A good family will see your boundaries and move around them, a toxic family won’t even realize they’re there.
52. Saying “No” to family doesn’t make you a bad person, it makes you an honest person.
53. Parent-child relationships aren’t created at birth, they’re created in life.
54. You don’t have to leave your whole family in the past, just those who don’t deserve a place in your future.
55. You are not part of a dysfunctional family if you walk away.
56. Family is where you’re meant to be most free, don’t let blood chain you down. – Michelle Meleen
57. Dysfunctional parents let their children know how burdened they have been by their children and how many sacrifices they had to make in order to raise them. Dr Marita Sirota.
58. Sometimes the no contact is the best contact you can have.
59. Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.
60. There is a difference between giving up and knowing when you’ve had enough.

 

 

Quotes About Bad Mothers

 

A bad mother is often a self-involved one, preoccupied by her needs, shutting down to the needs of others.

Some mothers see parenting as a chore, or a hassle, or simply something to endure rather than enjoy.

It’s hard to call such mothers “good” mothers — but it’s also important not to judge them too harshly.

Here are some quotes about bad mothers that might make you laugh or cringe, but they’ll also make you feel better for the mother you are to your children:

 

61. More than any other personality trait, my mother seemed to be ruled by anger and sadness. She seemed to hate being a mother. Watching her unhappiness as I grew up made me conclude that the answer was to try and be as unemotional as I could, which many therapists have taught me is a bad idea. It also made me want to avoid marriage and having children. — Merrill Markoe
62. If a good mother is one who loves her child more than anyone else in the world, I am not a good mother. I am, in fact, a bad mother. I love my husband more than I love my children. — Ayelet Waldman
63. I work too much to be an appropriate parent. I feel like a bad mom to my dog some days because I’m just not here enough. I just feel like I would do a bad job if I took the time to literally give birth to a kid right now and try and juggle everything I’m doing. — Rachael Ray
64. Bad moments don’t make bad mamas. — Lysa Terkeurst
65. There is no such thing as a perfect parent, so just be a real one. — Sue Atkins
66. One of the darkest, deepest shames so many of us mothers feel nowadays is our fear that we are Bad Mothers, that we are failing our children and falling far short of our own ideals. — Ayelet Waldman
67. The ‘good’ mother, with her fixed smile, her rigidity, her goody-goody outlook, her obsession with unnecessary hygiene, is in fact a fool. It is the ‘bad’ mother, unafraid of a joke and a glass of wine, richly self-expressive, scornful of suburban values, who is, in reality, good. ~ Rachel Cusk
68. My interests still are my interests. That doesn’t make me a bad mother. I think that makes me a really good mother, because when I go and creatively satisfy myself and those interests, I come home satisfied. ~ Charlize Theron
69. ….it was hard to be a mother when you had never been mothered yourself. Your children’s needs remind you of your needs. Their pain reminds you of your pain. All of it reminds you of how bad it felt, how hard it was, how much you wanted and needed and didn’t get. It’s very hard. – Author: Sarah Dunn
70. I am a bad mother.’ Every Christmas, this is what I think because the holiday season fills me with such anxiety. I’m sure that other mothers are happily baking cookies, decorating trees, and finding perfect gifts for everyone. – Author: Tess Gerritsen

 

 

Funny Bad Parenting Quotes

 

We all wish we had the perfect parenting guide. But sometimes, what we really need is a good laugh.

Because parenting is hard and thank God for the parents who can make light of it.

Here are some of the funniest bad parenting quotes ever:

 

71. Silence is golden…unless you have kids, then silence is just suspicious!
72. Parenting is a lot like the bar scene: everyone is yelling, everything is sticky, it’s the same music over and over again, and occasionally pukes!
73. One day I will be thankful that my child is strong-willed, but that will not be today!
74. My kid is turning out just like me. Well played, karma. Well-played.
75. 90% of parenting is just thinking about when you can lie down again!
76. Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the sidewalk before it stops snowing. —Phyllis Diller
77. Motherhood – when 90% of your time is spent putting other people’s crap away!
78. The easiest way to teach children the value of money is to borrow some from them. Anonymous
79. Once you sign on to be a mother, 24/7 is the only shift they offer.” ― Jodi Picoult
80. My kids will walk right past their father sitting on the couch and come bang on the shower for me to open a fruit snack pouch!

 

 

Inspirational Quotes For Parents

 

 

No matter what situation you’re in, there will always be someone out there who has it worse than you.

So when something bad happens, remember that there is always someone else who has it worse – and they are probably not even aware of it!

This can be a powerful reminder to be thankful for the people in your life, and to strive to do everything you can to avoid putting yourself or your children in a position where you would need to rely on someone else.

Inspirational quotes for parents are a great way to remind yourself that you are not alone, and that you can make it through anything if you put your mind to it!

 

“A good parent is not someone who has never made mistakes or never does anything wrong. A good parent is someone who cares about their children, takes responsibility for the things they do wrong and tries to learn from their mistakes.”- Barack Obama

 

When you feel like you are giving them nothing: Remember that you have always given them roots and wings.

 

Perfect doesn’t exist in parenting, and that is okay.

 

“There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child.” – Henry Ward Beecher

 

“A parent’s love is whole no matter how many times divided.” – Robert Brault

 

“As your kids grow they may forget what you said, but won’t forget how you made them feel.” – Kevin Heath

 

“Love is giving your kids your undivided attention and time.” – Kevin Heath

 

“We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future.” – President Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

“It’s not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us see what we do with ours. I can’t tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself.” – Joyce Maynard

 

“Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first.” – Matthew Jacobson

 

 

 

Examples & Signs Of Harsh/Negative Parenting – What Does Bad Parenting Do To A Child?

 

Bad Parenting Effects

Bad parents are those who are emotionally, physically, or mentally abusive. They may emotionally manipulate their children into thinking they are incompetent, unworthy, or unlovable.

and if that’s not enough, these toxic parents may have high expectations and make it clear that failure is unacceptable. They may also be overprotective of their children, making them feel unsafe and unable to make mistakes.

But that’s not all, they may constantly criticize the child’s behavior, appearance, or performance.

Bad parents are also generally uninvolved with their child’s life and are usually very critical of their abilities and decisions.

They may also undermine their child’s self-esteem and confidence, causing them to feel inadequate or inferior.

As you can see, bad parents can negatively affect their children in a variety of ways, including causing emotional distress, making them feel like they have no confidence in themselves, or sending them the message that they need to please others in order to gain their approval.

 

 

Why Do I Hate My Parents

 

 

When you are young, especially when growing up in a negative environment, it is normal to have feelings of anger toward your parents. They have made some mistakes along the way and may not always be the best role models.

However, if you never get the chance to express that anger, it can fester and grow into something much worse.

You might hate your parents because they didn’t do enough to support you. They may have been too busy or not interested in what you liked.

Or they may have been unwilling to put in the effort that was needed. In those cases, it’s best to try to understand what their reasons were and why they did what they did.

If you can accept that, then you can start to see that your parents weren’t bad people—they just had different priorities than you did.

As you grow up, you may start to resent others who were born into better circumstances than you. You may also start to blame them for things that were out of their control.

If this is the case, it is important to take responsibility for your own life and learn from your experiences.

To try to understand why you’re feeling this way, talk to a counselor or therapist.

By talking things through with someone trained in these kinds of things, who understands both sides of the story, you might be able to move past your resentment toward your parents and start to see them as people who made mistakes but who also cared about you and tried their best.

Ultimately, if all of this is causing enough pain for you, then it would probably be best for you to take some time off from seeing them and just connect with people who give you positive emotions.

 

 

How Do You Treat Toxic Parents

 

Toxic parents can be hard to deal with because they tend to lead inconsistent lives. When they are around, they may be loud and disoriented. They may also be unpredictable in their demands and choices.

As we mentioned before, they may even be physically abusive, which can cause a child to feel anxious or uncomfortable around them.

These types of parents often have attachment issues that make them respond inappropriately to their children’s needs.

It can be very hard for children to cope with this type of environment, which is why toxic parents are so often labeled as “bad role models.”

So how do you deal with these kind of parents?

The most effective way to deal with toxic parents is first to be aware of the negative impact they are having on your life and to take action to remove yourself from the situation as soon as possible.

You can do this by becoming more assertive, standing up for yourself when you feel the need, and developing strong friendships outside of the home that give you the support you need.

When dealing with a toxic parent, it’s also important to remember that you are not responsible for the way they behave.

You must understand that your boundaries cannot be violated and that your needs must be respected.

You should also be careful about what you say and do when around them in order to avoid setting off a fight.

Do Toxic Parents Love you?

 

Toxic parents love their children in a very different way than other parents do. In fact, toxic parents may be more concerned with protecting their children than they are with loving them.

This is why many of their actions can seem like they are driven by a need to control you. For example, toxic parents may micromanage your every move or try to control how you spend your time.

They may even use guilt or shame to get what they want from you.

All toxic parents are ultimately motivated by love – but it is a twisted and destructive form of love that breeds fear and insecurity instead.

They have a deep-rooted need to be needed by someone else, so they will often go to great lengths to make sure their child needs them.

This type of love is toxic because it triggers feelings of unworthiness in the child.

As a result, the child may start feeling like she has to earn her parent’s approval before she can feel good about herself – which is not going to help the child as an adult.

Instead, it’s going to make him/her feel stressed out and overwhelmed.

 

 

Is it OK to Cut A Parent Out Of Your Life?

 

You may have a parent who is not involved in your life. If you feel like they are intruding or upstaging your own life, it might be OK to cut them out.

After all, parents are their children’s number one role model and biggest influence on their lives. So when there’s a disconnect between the two of you, it can be hard to feel like you’re truly living your own life.

There’s no right or wrong way to handle this kind of situation; it just depends on how closely you’re connected with your parent.

If you feel like they’re interfering with your happiness or making decisions for you, then it might be time to re-evaluate the relationship.

Or even if they aren’t interfering much but you still want some space from them, that’s perfectly fine too.

 

Bad Parents Quotes Final Thoughts

 

So there you have it! 80 quotes on bad parents that are actually sad to read but also a make us all rethink our behavior as parents.

We all make mistakes don’t get me wrong. As parents especially, we are not perfect. There are times when we can lose track of where we are, and get carried away.

Or at other times we may treat our children the way we were treated ending up hurting their feelings instead of giving them safety and unconditional love.

These quotes are meant to  help you see if you might be making the same kind of mistakes other parents made and try to get better.

What mistakes do you find yourself making? Let me know in the comments below!

 

If you need more quotes/captions posts check these out:

50 Quotes For Smiling Through Pain [Get Utterly Empowered]

Best Caption For Brother [160 IG Captions To Choose From]

135 Cute & Short Self Love Captions For Instagram

 

And of course, if you enjoyed today’s post, just make sure to share it with your friends and join our email list to get even more.

Also don’t forget to follow our team on Facebook and Instagram!

Thank you for being here!

 

Till next time, have fun! take care! xx

 

Cheers

 

80 Most Shocking Bad Parents Quotes You’ll Read Today