10 Parents Who Take Boundaries and Smash Them Into Dust

How far is too far? Is it fine to show up to a wedding and have a kid playing games loudly through the vows? Or is it no problem that your MIL is snooping through your hospital bag? These are just a few boundary-busting stories about parents who just can’t seem to understand the word “no.”

• I recently went to a wedding where a friend of mine brought her son, handed him an iPad, and let him play games on it at full volume during the entire ceremony. It was honestly pretty distracting, especially during the vows. I get that kids can get bored, but it felt like there was no effort to keep things quiet or respectful of the moment.
  I tried to mention it to her beforehand, asking if she understood the basics of wedding etiquette, like keeping noise to a minimum during the ceremony. Apparently, that made me come off as rude, but I just couldn’t ignore how inconsiderate it was. I get that her son might need the distraction, but there’s a time and place, you know?

• I am 39 weeks pregnant. Over the course of my pregnancy, I have had several issues with my MIL, the two biggest being her wanting to be in the delivery room when I give birth, even though I have made it clear since the beginning that the only person I want there is my husband.
  However, the biggest issue has been her wanting to know the baby’s name. The baby is going to be named after my grandfather, whom I have been extremely close to my entire life, because of this, we decided to keep it a secret so it could be a surprise to him once she is born. My MIL even went as far as snooping through my hospital bag to try and find either the sweater or the welcome-to-the-world sign that has her name on it.
  Luckily, I caught her before she found them. Yesterday she called my husband again, asking why she can’t know the name, even going as far as saying, “What if something happens to me and I never get to know my baby’s name?” For reference, she is in good health and does not work a dangerous job. © Routine_Exit_4306 / Reddit

• I am married and live in a different state from my parents. I’ve had iPhone’s Find my friends app since I had a phone at 12 years old that my parents set up. When I got married, my husband found it strange that my parents could see my location once we moved out, but I just figured they would want it on for safety.
  Two years later, my brother, who still lives with my parents, gives me a heads-up that my parents were judging my actions based on my location. I figured it would be a good time to remove that app and, thus, deleted their ability to see my location.
  This blew up into a whole situation where my parents are now saying that it was providing them comfort and safety to know where I was, and it was just a ‘mishap’ and a bad day for them. Additionally, my dad decided to retaliate and remove my access from all streaming services he paid for and threatened to remove my brother from the Wi-Fi for tattling as well. © Diz_Savvy / Reddit

• A few years ago, I was a caregiver for my husband, who was recovering from back surgery, and my mother, who was in the final stages of dementia. On top of that, I was working full-time. It was overwhelming, so I hired a cleaning service to come every few weeks to help keep things manageable.
  After my husband’s surgery, my in-laws came to visit. Later I learned they had gone into areas of our home that were off-limits to guests, rummaged through personal items, and made unsolicited remarks about the cleanliness of certain parts of the house.

• Yesterday, I was heading home from college with a friend when, out of nowhere, I felt something hit my pants. I looked down to see that a water balloon had splashed right onto me. I glanced up and saw a woman and her kid ducking behind a bush, clearly trying to hide.
  I was fuming because why were they throwing water balloons at strangers? I went up to their door and knocked repeatedly until the mother answered.
  I asked why she was encouraging her kid to do that, and she just shrugged, saying, “So what? It’s just fun.” I told her, “It’s not fun for everyone, especially when we’re carrying important things.” She just looked at me and shut the door.

• My parents decided to invite my uncles and their families for dinner. I don’t mind them coming over, but the thing is, their kids do not have any manners. Despite 3 nannies accompanying the families wherever they go, they refuse to correct the children if they are doing something damaging to the house, like spilling water on the floor or breaking an ornament.
  The nannies are scrolling through their phones while the children’s parents are having discussions with our family in the living room. I have a lot of valuable things in my room that I do not want the kids near, as I know they’ll cry and ask for it and break it. So I simply decided to lock my room so no one could enter and everything would be safe.
  Now, throughout the dinner, everything went well until I saw one of the aunts with a buzz of kids carrying her 2-year-old daughter outside our room. She called me over and said the room wasn’t opening and that we’d have to call the key master. I said the room wasn’t opening as I’d locked it, and she could use any other room to change her daughter if she liked.
  She didn’t say anything; she just looked at me a bit weirdly and went to the other room. I know she complained about it because after the dinner ended, my grandmother was not happy with me and said I was disrespecting my uncle and aunts. She said my cousins also have a right to this house and to see what’s inside the room. I think I did the right thing. © Candid-View-3616 / Reddit

• So we’re in line to see Daisy, and my two-year-old is about to melt down. It’s hot, she’s tired, and she wants to hug Daisy. I’m physically restraining her and telling her we have to wait our turn. It’s not fun.
  Another mom just let her kid jump the line by running up and hugging Daisy. Instead of apologizing with a mortified face, she just let her kid do it and then told the CM to take a picture of them. © LtCommanderCarter / Reddit

• I still live at home with my parents while I attend college. I pay for my own tuition and contribute to household expenses when I can, but since my school is local, living at home saves me a ton of money.
  Recently, my older sister and her two kids moved back in after her divorce. She’s struggling financially, and my parents are letting her stay here rent-free until she gets back on her feet. I get that it’s a tough situation, and I’ve been helping out with the kids when I can.
  My parents want me to give up my bedroom, so my sister’s kids can have their own space. We have a small house, and my sister is already taking the guest room, so the kids are currently sleeping with her. My parents think it would be better for them to have their own room and are asking me to move to the couch or “make do” by squeezing into their office space.
  I said no. I’ve lived here my whole life, and this is still my home. I need my own space, especially since I have a heavy college workload. I don’t see why I should be the one to sacrifice my room when this situation isn’t my fault.
  My sister is upset, saying her kids are uncomfortable, and my parents are disappointed in me for “not being more understanding.” Now the whole house is tense, and I’m wondering if I’m being selfish. © HellenMiller_2007 / Reddit

• A month ago, my brother asked me to watch his kids for a few hours. I (a) already had a packed schedule, (b) had been feeling drained lately with barely any time to relax, and © knew he had two energetic kids who would need constant attention. I didn’t want to do it, and I told him I was overwhelmed with everything going on in my life.
  Last weekend, we got together. He treated me to a nice lunch, a relaxing foot massage, and even took me to an art exhibit. It was a great day, and we had a lot of fun. He asked how I was doing, and I opened up about some of the things that have been weighing on me. We shared a lot of laughs and really enjoyed the time together.
  The next morning, I woke up to a text from him saying if I could still babysit his kids. I was livid. I felt like he treated me just to ask for a favor.

• A close friend asked me to babysit her 5-year-old for an hour. He is naughty and very spoiled. An hour passed. She didn’t come, so I called her.
  She said that she’d come only tomorrow, because she wanted to sleep and go shopping. I dressed her son, took him outside, and texted her that if she didn’t come, I would leave him in the street. She immediately picked up her son, but took offense! © Podslushano / VK

When it comes to respecting personal space, there are even more serious risks at play. What seemed like a harmless kiss from a well-meaning adult turned into a serious complication for the child, who now faces the possibility of losing an eye.