Practically everyone has a story or two about how their parents did things “their way.” Some of it was harmless. Some of it was anything but. They might laugh about these habits now, yet they’ll also make a promise to never do the same thing again to their kids. Here are 17 parenting habits people grew up with and are definitely leaving in the past.
Clean-plate club with no exceptions
Dinner wasn’t over till your plate was spotless, no matter whether you felt full or hated what you were given. You simply weren’t allowed to leave the table. Some kids sat there until their food went cold, and it led them to decide to never treat their kids the same way. They don’t believe that food should be a power struggle.
Sending kids to bed without dinner
Missing dinner also worked as a punishment. Backtalk or bad grades, even a forgotten chore, could lead to you going to bed hungry while everyone else ate. It’s something that many parents these days remember. It has made them realize that food should never be part of discipline, and that kids should be allowed to eat even when they’ve had a tough day.
Locking kids outside until dinner
Sure, being told to “go play outside” sounds fun. But then the door actually locked behind you. Parents meant well because they wanted kids to run around, yet hearing that you couldn’t return home until dinner felt rather brutal. There was no break from the heat or a chance to use the bathroom. The people who lived through such treatment are fine with outdoor play, just with snacks and shade.
Taking bedroom doors off the hinges
Messing up badly enough could mean that you’d come home to find your bedroom door leaning against the wall. Your privacy was gone, just like that. The idea was that it was supposed to teach respect, but most kids remember it as plain humiliating. It was too much for them. The people who grew up with it chose to keep their kids’ doors on all the time.
Hot sauce or pepper on the tongue
A few parents would punish their kids by using Tabasco sauce. They’d put a little on their kid’s tongue to teach them a lesson, and it’d cause them to cough or cry. They would be sent to their room afterward. Everyone who went through that still remembers the exact bottle, so these days, they keep hot sauce strictly for food, not discipline.
Withholding water after dinner to stop bedwetting
The “no drinks after six” rule was a normal part of many households. It meant that cups disappeared and the kitchen was off-limits after dinnertime. Why? Because parents wanted to stop their kids from wetting the bed, although it didn’t always help. People who grew up under that rule remember it all too well, and now allow their kids to keep water bottles wherever they want.
Assigning the oldest child daily babysitting
The oldest sibling in the family was more of a form of free childcare in some households. They had to make sure homework was completed and dinner was eaten, all before their own stuff. It was essentially unpaid work. Today, the oldest kids laugh about it, but they also make sure their own teens get to just be teens.
Toothbrush-on-the-floor scrubbing
Breaking a rule sometimes led to you being forced to use an old toothbrush to scrub baseboards. You’d be on your knees scrubbing grout lines and corners until your back hurt. Some parents said it helped build character, but the kids who were doing it thought differently. They’d rather stick to normal chores for their children.
Early ear piercing without asking
You might be surprised to learn just how many parents think piercing their child’s ears early is cute. But the kid had no say in it. They simply had to suffer with sore lobes because their parents had made the choice for them, which left the children with lasting memories. Now, they allow their own kids to actually ask whether they can get their ears pierced, rather than assuming.
Whiskey or cough syrup for sleep
It used to be normal for parents to put a splash of whiskey in the bottle or a spoonful of nighttime syrup to help their kids sleep. They’d leave the bottles next to the medicine cabinet thermometer. But not anymore. Sure, adults who grew up on that trick may joke about how they felt well-rested, but they understand the dangers of giving nightcaps to kids. They won’t do it.
Spanking
A belt hanging behind the door was a rather common sight in many households, and it reminded kids that they needed to be disciplined. Most people who grew up with that memory claim that it’s still burned into their heads, and that’s why they’ve chosen to stick to boundaries that teach with their kids. No belts, and certainly no fear.
Children should be seen and not heard
There used to be a real emphasis on quiet kids, so they weren’t allowed to chime in when adults talked. It didn’t matter even when they were talking about you. Many kids remember spending whole dinners, staring at their plates in silence while the grown-ups chatted away. These same people now prefer to see their kids talking. They’d rather allow them to tell stories at the table because they understand that family time’s supposed to feel like connection.
Silent treatment as discipline
Parents who got mad would sometimes go quiet instead of yelling. During breakfast or car rides, they’d give nothing but cold silence, and the quiet was a wall for the children. Many people who had that growing up say it was worse than being yelled at. They’d rather just talk things out with their kids, especially when tempers are high, because honest conversation is better than silence.
Using “because I said so”
The phrase “because I said so” shut down more arguments than any other, and anytime a parent used it, they ended the discussion. But it didn’t teach the kids understanding. It simply taught them to be obedient, and kids who experienced it grew up to break the pattern. They’d rather give actual explanations, even when the answer’s still no. Rules exist with context.
No apologies from parents
Grown-ups refused to admit when they messed up, and they chose instead to blame or yell at kids. They’d expect the kids to move on like nothing happened. For most kids, it was the lack of acknowledgment afterward that hurt more than the yelling, and now those same adults say “sorry” to their kids without hesitation. Owning a mistake shows your kids what accountability looks like.
Forcing kids to finish every extracurricular
The rule used to be that when you started something, you finished it, no matter how much you might’ve hated it. It didn’t even matter that it made you miserable. Kids were forced to stick with things they disliked just to avoid the guilt trip that would come from their parents. It’s why these people now let their kids quit sometimes. Learning what doesn’t work for you matters as much as learning what does.
Comparing siblings in front of everyone
Parents once shared labels without thinking about it, like saying one child was “the smart one” or “the lazy one.” The labels stuck with the kids for years. The siblings remember their labels and how hard it was to shake them. They’re doing things differently as grown-ups, as they refuse to compare or rank their children. They’d rather let their child be their own person.
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