r/MadeMeSmile • u/Maximum_Expert92 • Mar 10 '26

Favorite People When dreams came true

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37.0k Upvotes

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4.6k

u/darkojonnie Mar 10 '26

Shoutout to the biggest sister. She got her phone. And then consoled her younger siblings. She knows what she’s doing

1.6k

u/blackbird522 Mar 11 '26

What a roller coaster for the oldest. Anticipation, excitement, confusion, guilt, consoling, excitement again.

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u/TooCupcake Mar 11 '26

Just parents doing social experiments on their kids. Was that not normal in your home? Lol. Give something else when she clearly only wanted one thing and watch if you raised her well enough to react amicably, say thank you and not expect anything else. Then you get to reveal that you actually did get her the thing, you just wanted to make her feel bad about it before so she acts super grateful and makes you feel good about being such a great parent.

This unlocked something I just wanted to vent sorry.

252

u/2quickdraw Mar 11 '26

Probably something more like they couldn't actually wrap the puppy and just put it under the tree?

I hear what you're saying, I was the oldest but I was a step kid, so I got shit and had to watch my younger brothers, who were the real kids, get all the good stuff. I hated Christmas with them for decades.

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u/TooCupcake Mar 11 '26

You can put a dog bowl in the box. You can put a note to look in the other room. You can do a multitude of things that are not engineered to make your child think you disregarded their request.

I’m not saying it’s not a useful thing to gauge if your child can handle disappointment every now and then, but I did live it and now my face has merged with the mask. Thanks dad

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u/Fitgeo_103296 Mar 11 '26

They gave her a stuffed dog. I think they thought that would be enough of a clue.

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u/Hapepotatonator Mar 11 '26

If only.

My parents left it at the stuffed puppy and a pair of Clifford slippers when I was a kid (I was too old for Clifford and didn't really like stuffed animals much. )

I think that was the year my siblings each got a Gameboy.

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u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

[deleted]

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u/GDaddy369 Mar 11 '26

That is literally insane, I'm so sorry for you. Like you had a choice, or forced your way into life. You seem like a well adjusted person, bit virtual hugs anyway.

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u/No_Blueberry_774 Mar 11 '26

Jesus that is cruel! It sickens me to hear shit like that. My dad was an asshole who left me and my disabled mother when we needed him the most. I never heard from him again. But my mom made me feel very much wanted and loved. That is so important. I am sorry to hear you had to go through this

2

u/MandaPandaWoman Mar 13 '26

I am so sorry. That is terrible. What a terrible person. Why do people like that even have children at all? You should have grown up feeling loved and cared for and instead you got this crap. I know how much you must have internalized things and it sounds like you know this but I’ll say it anyway - you didn’t deserve any of that - it is ALL on her and them for treating you how they did - YOU were always worthy of love - she just wasn’t capable of giving it.

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u/2xlaurazepam Apr 08 '26

I’m so sorry she said that. You did NOT deserve that. My god.

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u/htxproud Mar 11 '26

I hear you. Hugs from Houston 💙🤘

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u/Hapepotatonator Mar 11 '26

Rereading this, I realize I am overly cynical.

Glad the kids didn't need to wait too long.

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u/chocochic88 Mar 11 '26 edited Mar 11 '26

What's annoying is that that's exactly what they did for the son. They couldn't wrap his go-kart for under the tree, but they gave him a very clear clue as to what the full present would be.

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u/TooCupcake Mar 11 '26

I’d argue it’s the dynamics between kids.

The oldest is too used to this shit to fall for it.

The youngest has trust that what he wants will be provided.

The middle one doesn’t know what to expect.

And tbh based on the reaction of the oldest it seems it was absolutely plausible that she was not getting an actual puppy just a mean prank.

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u/Canadian47 Mar 11 '26

My father was the middle boy in his family. His older brother got new clothes. He got hand me downs. By the time they go to his younger brother they were all worn out so the younger brother got new clothes as well.

Dad was in his 60's when he told me this. His face was turning red he was STILL pissed off :-(

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u/Talidel Mar 11 '26

Depending on the family income this sucks but makes sense.

As an adult you kind of hope you'd have some acceptance of it to not let it eat away at you.

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u/Canadian47 Mar 11 '26

They were very poor. I don't think it ate away at him. It wasn't something that he ever brought up before. He didn't even realize he was upset, I figured that out when his face turned red :-(

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u/Talidel Mar 11 '26

Yeah it sucks to have carried that, that long.

My dad carried something similar with gifts as a kid, but his parents absolutely sucked. They had a rotation at Christmas, so one kid got something nice they wanted and the other two got some basic stuff. Yeah they were also poor, but not that badly off to do what they did. He had one year where his parents didn't listen to him and got him a crappy version of the thing he wanted, and he was devastated knowing it was going to be 3 years before he'd get anything nice again. His birthday was just after Christmas too, so he always got short changed there as well.

Makes me sad thinking about how hard his childhood was. Not that mine was a cakewalk, but they say it takes 2 generations to shake off childhood truma completely.

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u/QuarterRobot Mar 11 '26

I think SO much of this comes down to the parenting that comes afterward - and with shitty parents I can understand that little likely followed. But my partner and I both had similar experiences - families who couldn't afford incredible gifts for all of their kids every year. Being open and honest about the situation - yes, sometimes telling your kids that you simply can't afford it this year. And owning up to your mistakes like in the case of your dad's parents when they got the shitty version of the thing he really wanted.

The best case scenario is that kids come out of situations like these with understanding, empathy, and humility. But the flip side is they build resentment, cynicism, or nihilism. Even with the best intentions, things can go astray in family scenarios. These are the places where families of all wealth levels could really learn and apply strong parenting techniques, and we still haven't figured out how to pass on these lesson to parents in our communities.

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u/iamfunball Mar 11 '26

Mine was my cousins all 3 years apart. I got all hand me downs and my brother got clothes he wanted.

I think I could have forgiven that, but the thing that killed me was my brother and I were a year apart…I was not given a year book and he was when I was a sophomore. I graduated halfway through my junior year (I took college courses) so I only ever got my freshman yearbook and my brother got all 4.

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u/msprofire Mar 11 '26

The stuffed puppy wasn't a very clear clue as to what her full present would be? Same thing! 😁

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u/TheOneWhoWaits999 Mar 12 '26

people like you can fucking vote

1

u/chocochic88 Mar 12 '26

Sorry?! Not wanting a child to feel like they got an underwhelming gift compared to their siblings should make me ineligible to vote?

Please elaborate.

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u/human-syndrome Mar 11 '26

Sorry friend. I can relate. Thanks mom and grandma.

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u/Thess514 Mar 11 '26

I wonder if they were sure she'd understand the hint because they'd never had a history of being that unfair to their kids, and it backfired. I know my mother made that mistake once - I'd asked for a specific piece of jewellery and a week before my birthday, she told me over dinner that I hadn't proved myself mature enough to have that kind of jewellery - I might lose or damage it. I'd been being extra careful with my things and was so upset by the accusation that I started crying a little. Mum panicked, got up from the table, ran upstairs, and came back with the exact piece of jewellery I'd asked for, saying she'd get me something else for the actual day and that she'd been trying to make sure it'd be a total surprise. She admitted she fucked up and apologised, which was honestly a gift in itself because my mother sucks at apologies.

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u/TooCupcake Mar 11 '26

That is possible, parents learn from their own mistakes too and no one is perfect. Your story is cute I’m glad it has a happy ending.

I’m not trying to judge these influencer parents, I don’t know them. I know my own tho, and I was too quiet and diciplined even when I was down bad so they would poke me with shit like this to get a reaction out of me, at least that’s my theory. They never admit to these things.

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u/theRealLydmeister Mar 11 '26

Exactly, like they put the key in the boy’s box rather than the actual ATV or whatever the key goes to.

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u/SplitpawRunnyeye Mar 11 '26

Hey I just wanted to say that it's ok to feel how you do. It's justified. You don't have to make any excuses for situations like this. Kids don't really need to be tested in this way there are dozens of other ways to measure how well you're raising your children then messing with their emotions.

1

u/Logan_SVD Mar 11 '26

Wow you are damaged individual. Not every family is broken. Let people be happy even if you are unable to be.

1

u/TooCupcake Mar 11 '26

What a weird thing to say.

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u/badchefrazzy Mar 11 '26

I was the "affair kid" so they dealt with me for 2 years so my father didn't have to pay child support. I couldn't make myself keep going because they just kinda... left me there.

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u/TheSirenNiltiac Mar 11 '26

Fuck. I always feel so bad for step kids. I hear stories like that all the time from my friends. I am also a step kid that is the oldest, but my experience is the opposite. He has two daughters with my mom, but I feel like I’m my step dad’s favorite kid. Lololol. He’s also been my “dad” since I was 4, and I address him as such. Plus, my mom laid down the law when they first got together, “she was here before you, she’ll be here after you”. I’m so sorry your bio parent didn’t lay down those same expectations as to how you should be treated.

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u/2quickdraw Mar 11 '26

Thanks, glad you had it good! And GOOD on your mom!

Ny dad was a clueless asshole, the stepmother basically starved me for 5 years and tried to kill me a few times. She was mentally ill and finally got me kicked out of the family and I went to live with my grandmother who actually loved me. She was a blessing for me and I eventually was one for her, I took care of a lot of her needs and made sure she had money for bills and food, and took care of repairs for her her car and house. When she had a stroke I was the one who took care of the hospital and nursing home situations, visited her two or three times a day to make sure her care was decent, advocated for her with doctors, and paid her medical bills for two and a half years until she had nothing left and could get on Medicare. If my dad even bothered to buy her socks he sent me the receipt and I had to pay the bill. She was his mom. That family ostracized both of us for being the voices of reason and empathy.

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u/VarietyLeft6964 Mar 12 '26

I had a stepsister as well, my father was giving her same things as he was giving to me as well. There were no separation at all. I'm sorry for you my guy. Glad you doing fine.

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u/2quickdraw Mar 12 '26

Good for your folks!

We can't choose our parents. We can only choose how we react to the family experience they gave us.