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is this normal for other people

hi, I'm wondering if this is normal for other people or if it's overstepping or unfair. I'm the oldest child of my mom's (I have 2 older step-bros I never met from my dad) I am 15 almost 16. My mom is always taking my phone or breaking them if I don't do chores one day (I pay for my own phones) recently she started talking $300 every time I don't do them as she had my phone for the past 2 months she threw away all my art and my camera away last night (it was worth like $2000) I am a good kid and ik some people will say just do the chores its not that hard but I'm in sports year round I got work I got endless home work I have to take care of my pets and bring my dog on runs and when I do everything its already around 12-1 in the morning then I have homework so I'm not getting much sleep but last night ****ed me off It was my first free night in the past year and I got loads of chores and I spent 6 hours on them before work and when I came home my mom said I was being lazy and ungrateful for the things she does (she also just came home from a 16 hour shift) and she told me if I kept being a brat I would have to quit my job and sports but then she gave my brother (13 yrs old) his phone back and he's failing 3 classes and only did a load of laundry bc he didn't have clean clothes and she said it was bc he was being good and doing chores which he wasn't (she also pays for his phone) I am so annoyed bc she always says I'm not enough or I'm lazy when in trying so hard like to the point where my physical and mental health went to cr*p I'm so confused like does she hate me am I useless like she says I'm so tired of every thing and school I have no friends I can talk to no one I am starting to feel like I'm never going to be good enough for someone to love and I should just give up I just don't know what to do anymore

Reply 1

First of all, I have to give hats off to you. You're doing a lot and your ability to persevere for even this long at this age shows a lot about your character.

To answer your question, your mom's behaviour is definitely not normal and unjustifiable. I would say to try and have a word with her but from your description she sounds very hard to confront.
Does your brother know about the way she treats you? Maybe if possible, you can ask him to cover some of the chores for you when you can't do them. Leaving your job in my perspective, wouldn't be such a great idea as your mom doesn't seem to help you out financially. But if possible, try and cut down on the number hours you're working and how many times a week. With sports, it really isn't going to be easy. As someone who loves playing sport but wasn't allowed to join any clubs outside school, I would say to prioritise what's more important. For example, if you're participating in like 4 sports, cut it down to 2. What sport do you prefer the most, and if this is also a goal, what sport do you see yourself go professional in?
One thing that helps me when I feel alone is praying to God. It might seem silly but it helps me a lot. In His eyes, you are worth dying for (literally). Jesus will always be by your side, even if it seems like everyone has gone against you. He loves you more than you can imagine.
If you want anyone to talk to, you can always message me privately. I'm usually always reachable (as I'm almost always on my phone). I'm sorry you have to go through this and I pray that God helps you each step of the way 🙏🏾❤️ Hope things get better x
No this is absolutely not normal at all.

Is there a teacher in school you can confide in, or a student support facility? As you're only 15 it must feel as though you have no say in the matter (after all, your mother is your legal guardian), but if you can explain the situation to another adult perhaps they can intervene on your behalf.

Reply 3

Original post
by AyomiC
First of all, I have to give hats off to you. You're doing a lot and your ability to persevere for even this long at this age shows a lot about your character.
To answer your question, your mom's behaviour is definitely not normal and unjustifiable. I would say to try and have a word with her but from your description she sounds very hard to confront.
Does your brother know about the way she treats you? Maybe if possible, you can ask him to cover some of the chores for you when you can't do them. Leaving your job in my perspective, wouldn't be such a great idea as your mom doesn't seem to help you out financially. But if possible, try and cut down on the number hours you're working and how many times a week. With sports, it really isn't going to be easy. As someone who loves playing sport but wasn't allowed to join any clubs outside school, I would say to prioritise what's more important. For example, if you're participating in like 4 sports, cut it down to 2. What sport do you prefer the most, and if this is also a goal, what sport do you see yourself go professional in?
One thing that helps me when I feel alone is praying to God. It might seem silly but it helps me a lot. In His eyes, you are worth dying for (literally). Jesus will always be by your side, even if it seems like everyone has gone against you. He loves you more than you can imagine.
If you want anyone to talk to, you can always message me privately. I'm usually always reachable (as I'm almost always on my phone). I'm sorry you have to go through this and I pray that God helps you each step of the way 🙏🏾❤️ Hope things get better x

my brother is kinda like haha I don't have to do anything or I got my phone and you don't he likes being annoying he wouldn't do something to help me and I tried talking to my mom but then she just says I'm being ungrateful. I don't care Abt her taking money tho I know shes struggling to pay the bills bc my dad wastes money on stuff we don't need or drugs and hardly works I care Abt how unfair it is between me and my siblings mainly my brother tho bc my sisters are 5 and 3 and the 3 year old helps me sometimes bc she wants me to play dress up with her but anyway I care Abt how unfair it is between me and my brother and how she takes away stuff that make me happy if she thinks I'm not good enough bc. also I forgot to mention that if I say something Abt me not having enough time to do something she will say that if she killed or got rid of my pets I would have more time I'm trying my hardest to avoid that bc I love them so much and they are like my last source of happiness I have 2 cats I got from my uncle for free and a husky that I got for $3000 and she just turned 1 the other week my family isn't much of an animal person

also I kinda feel like my mom isn't a fan of me bc she says if she didn't have me she wouldn't have to be with my dad now and she says its my fault her life is hard
Original post
by idkk...
my brother is kinda like haha I don't have to do anything or I got my phone and you don't he likes being annoying he wouldn't do something to help me and I tried talking to my mom but then she just says I'm being ungrateful. I don't care Abt her taking money tho I know shes struggling to pay the bills bc my dad wastes money on stuff we don't need or drugs and hardly works I care Abt how unfair it is between me and my siblings mainly my brother tho bc my sisters are 5 and 3 and the 3 year old helps me sometimes bc she wants me to play dress up with her but anyway I care Abt how unfair it is between me and my brother and how she takes away stuff that make me happy if she thinks I'm not good enough bc. also I forgot to mention that if I say something Abt me not having enough time to do something she will say that if she killed or got rid of my pets I would have more time I'm trying my hardest to avoid that bc I love them so much and they are like my last source of happiness I have 2 cats I got from my uncle for free and a husky that I got for $3000 and she just turned 1 the other week my family isn't much of an animal person
also I kinda feel like my mom isn't a fan of me bc she says if she didn't have me she wouldn't have to be with my dad now and she says its my fault her life is hard

Your mother sounds deplorable.

Don't believe a single thing she's telling you - it is absolutely not your fault that her life is hard. It's also nothing to do with you whether she's with your father or not.

As for threatening to kill your pets, if she does, you can have her arrested for animal cruelty.

Where do you live? You're talking about dollars so presumably the U.S., but which state?

Reply 5

Original post
by idkk...
my brother is kinda like haha I don't have to do anything or I got my phone and you don't he likes being annoying he wouldn't do something to help me and I tried talking to my mom but then she just says I'm being ungrateful. I don't care Abt her taking money tho I know shes struggling to pay the bills bc my dad wastes money on stuff we don't need or drugs and hardly works I care Abt how unfair it is between me and my siblings mainly my brother tho bc my sisters are 5 and 3 and the 3 year old helps me sometimes bc she wants me to play dress up with her but anyway I care Abt how unfair it is between me and my brother and how she takes away stuff that make me happy if she thinks I'm not good enough bc. also I forgot to mention that if I say something Abt me not having enough time to do something she will say that if she killed or got rid of my pets I would have more time I'm trying my hardest to avoid that bc I love them so much and they are like my last source of happiness I have 2 cats I got from my uncle for free and a husky that I got for $3000 and she just turned 1 the other week my family isn't much of an animal person
also I kinda feel like my mom isn't a fan of me bc she says if she didn't have me she wouldn't have to be with my dad now and she says its my fault her life is hard

Yh this situation sounds way worse than I first thought. You need to contact a trusted adult, maybe in your school because this sounds way out of hand. Also, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT that your mom is with your dad, she may push the idea that it is but it's not. You are not the cause of misery in her life. But you need to speak to a trusted adult cause these threats, tho small now, can get way out of hand sooner or later.

Reply 6

Original post
by PinkMobilePhone
Your mother sounds deplorable.
Don't believe a single thing she's telling you - it is absolutely not your fault that her life is hard. It's also nothing to do with you whether she's with your father or not.
As for threatening to kill your pets, if she does, you can have her arrested for animal cruelty.
Where do you live? You're talking about dollars so presumably the U.S., but which state?

Minnesota

Reply 7

Original post
by AyomiC
Yh this situation sounds way worse than I first thought. You need to contact a trusted adult, maybe in your school because this sounds way out of hand. Also, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT that your mom is with your dad, she may push the idea that it is but it's not. You are not the cause of misery in her life. But you need to speak to a trusted adult cause these threats, tho small now, can get way out of hand sooner or later.

my school called my mom and nothing happened when I talked to them except I got in trouble she says she has to stay with my dad bc its better for the kids in her words honestly I kinda wish they separated don't know who I'd go with prob my dad if they did I can take care of my self and my dad doesn't care Abt much

Reply 9

Reply 10

I kinda wonder what can I even do Abt it tho bc I don't think talking to my mom or the school will change anything and I don't think its bad enough to go to the police abt

Reply 11

altho she says she is like that bc our whole family is strict

Reply 12

Original post
by idkk...
hi, I'm wondering if this is normal for other people or if it's overstepping or unfair. I'm the oldest child of my mom's (I have 2 older step-bros I never met from my dad) I am 15 almost 16. My mom is always taking my phone or breaking them if I don't do chores one day (I pay for my own phones) recently she started talking $300 every time I don't do them as she had my phone for the past 2 months she threw away all my art and my camera away last night (it was worth like $2000) I am a good kid and ik some people will say just do the chores its not that hard but I'm in sports year round I got work I got endless home work I have to take care of my pets and bring my dog on runs and when I do everything its already around 12-1 in the morning then I have homework so I'm not getting much sleep but last night ****ed me off It was my first free night in the past year and I got loads of chores and I spent 6 hours on them before work and when I came home my mom said I was being lazy and ungrateful for the things she does (she also just came home from a 16 hour shift) and she told me if I kept being a brat I would have to quit my job and sports but then she gave my brother (13 yrs old) his phone back and he's failing 3 classes and only did a load of laundry bc he didn't have clean clothes and she said it was bc he was being good and doing chores which he wasn't (she also pays for his phone) I am so annoyed bc she always says I'm not enough or I'm lazy when in trying so hard like to the point where my physical and mental health went to cr*p I'm so confused like does she hate me am I useless like she says I'm so tired of every thing and school I have no friends I can talk to no one I am starting to feel like I'm never going to be good enough for someone to love and I should just give up I just don't know what to do anymore

you need to move out and block her

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