My Mom Used Empty Threats to Control Her Kids
I vowed to be different, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be.
My mom yelled, threatened, and intimidated her kids to earn obedience. And most of the time it worked. At least with me (my older sister not so much).
Growing up, I loved my mom, but I didn’t like her. Usually, I resented her. Her words cut deep. I saw the aftermath of my sister’s battles with her and wanted no part in it. Their blowouts made me ache — in my heart and stomach.
As a teenager, I vowed to move away, never have kids, and be a different person than my mom.
I followed through on two of those vows. I moved four hours north and I’m the Yin to Mom’s Yang. But, I’m also the lucky mother of two amazing little dudes.
It’s important for me to keep my promises (even threats).
Mom used words as weapons. She threatened to ground us, take treasured items away, or not let friends come over to our house. Most parents use this type of punishment as an exception, not the rule.
In my Mom’s house, threats served as the rule. It took me a few years to realize that most of her threats were empty.
