Having children can be the most gratifying yet most demanding experience in one’s life. The turmoils of motherhood are not to be scoffed at, especially when taking into consideration the life-changing transformations to the body, the mind, and to her own sense of self. We’re also not forgetting the social pressures mothers face on a daily basis.
Having said that, the child is the mother’s responsibility, a responsibility which should be shared with those that fully agree to take it on. However, there have been situations where moms have felt entitled to ask, and then pressure, acquaintances to take care of their offspring, arguing that it takes a village to raise a child.
This is the situation that Reddit user artinthegarage faced, sharing her tale on the subreddit r/EntitledPeople. One mother’s suggestion turned into a full-on peer-pressuring event by her friends, who the Original Poster (OP) called the “Mommy Group,” yet it seems the OP got to have the last laugh. Quite literally.
Dear Pandas, please leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below. Was the OP right to react the way that she did? What would you have done? Also, if after all this you’re still craving some spicy entitlement stories, I’ve got you covered! Let’s get into it!
The last thing some people want is to be bullied into being responsible for 3 stranger’s children, all for the grand reward of $20
There come forth situations in life where you can do nothing else but ask for help. Whether it be family members, friends, acquaintances, or members of your yoga class, there are always those that could be open to lending a helping hand. As long as you’re not an entitled bully that can’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
Reddit user artinthegarage, whose actual name is Jennifer Nicole, is an artist with 15.6K followers on Instagram. She quite recently shared her experience with an entitled mother who would not allow her to refuse to look after her 3 children, all under the age of 10, and got her flock of friends to help ‘persuade’ her. Lots to unravel here, so many layers, but it’s quite an interesting one, so let’s bite into it.
One Redditor decided to share such a story on the r/EntitledPeople subreddit, and the story is one heck of a roller coaster. Have a look for yourself:
The struggles of being a single mother should never be understated; however, the OP was being pressured by someone she barely knew to be a nanny for their kids
I love taking the stance of the Devil’s advocate, especially in cases when the person described is so clearly in the wrong. So, in order to do this, let’s investigate three things: the social burden of motherhood, entitlement and peer pressure, as well as having a community there to help raise a child.
In many societies, being a mother is still seen as an unavoidable, positive, and sought-after goal in a woman’s life. For dozens of years, it was the norm for the child to become the center of their mother’s universe, taking precedence over her own interests, and forcing her to be completely involved in the role of caretaker.
Only recently have the realities of motherhood started being discussed by candid women all around the world: the roller coaster of emotions and the physical demands that come with the title of ‘mother.’ What was once seen as unnatural and even pathological, such as negative feelings toward motherhood, are being brought to light.
Filipa César and colleagues believe that the exposure of concealed negative feelings towards motherhood may have an important role in changing the way society views parenthood, helping to enhance the mother’s well-being beyond the mother-child relationship, and in considering the serious difficulties associated with motherhood.
Filipa César and colleagues believe that the exposure of concealed negative feelings towards motherhood may have an important role in changing the way society views parenthood, helping to enhance the mother’s well-being beyond the mother-child relationship, and in considering the serious difficulties associated with motherhood.
The “Mommy Group” of friends emailed and called to peer pressure the OP into babysitting, because “it would be a nice thing to do for a single mom”
Now, where do entitlement and peer pressure come into this equation? Let’s start with some definitions. Entitlement, according to Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, is a belief that one is deserving of certain privileges. And, according to VeryWellMind, peer pressure is the process by which members of the same social group influence other members to do things that they may be resistant to, or might not otherwise choose to do.
In general, a person with a sense of entitlement has a self-absorbed view of the world. They think they deserve special treatment and that their personal needs come before everyone else’s, and they act like victims and blame other people or outside forces for their problems, causing a big scene when their demands aren’t met.
On the flip side of the coin, we have peer pressure. Direct peer pressure is when a person uses verbal or nonverbal cues to persuade someone to do something. It can quickly turn negative, as the person is faced with doing something they wouldn’t normally do or don’t want to do as a way of fitting in with a social group.
Both of those elements are very much prevalent in this story that we’re discussing at the moment. It’s not the fact that the mom was asking for help, but rather the guilt-tripping and emotional manipulation that followed. No one should have to deal with peer pressure from what the OP called the “Mommy Wagon Train”—emails, calls, and even bullet lists for how one should live their life.
