Did your parents ever tell you that you look stupid/gormless? If yes, why?

[Anonymous]

Yes.

No.

Other / I want to see results.

[Lliam]

My dad was a stick in the mud and objected to my fashion choices when I started displaying my own tastes as a teen. He wanted me to be his mini-me.

But my mom supported me and bought clothes that I wanted. When she did, my dad pretty much kept his mouth shit and only signaled disapproval.
He was particularly disapproving of any non-conservative hair styles. (He was a WWII vet.). He despised even slightly long hair that became popular in the second half of the 1960s.
He even thought the early Beatles were long-haired hippies.

In 1971, when I was 17, I decided to defy my dad and let my hair grow out. He showed his disapproval by basically shutting down and disassociating from me.
My mom remained cool about my clothes and hair even though she didn't like my long hair. She saw the hair styles on TV and in music. She even liked some of the music I was listening to. All she did was occasionally suggest that I get my hair trimmed or styled.

By then, I was a rock guitarist and vocalist. I wanted to look like a rock star.

When I was 26.5 years old, I got a job with an insurance company. I had to get a regular hair cut and start wearing a suit. Only then did my dad became proud of me again. It's too bad that he couldn't have just let me express myself when I was young and carefree. It forced me to rebel. It's important for kids to fit in with their peers.

[Oncewildtwiceburned]

Unless you did something very stupid, that’s wrong, sounds like something a psychopath mom who hates the boy’s father would say, or something a dad would say but only if you did something very very bad/stupid. The homeless part gives it away that a mother said it though.

[Asker]

My birth Mom never said that I am gormless; stop spreading misinformation.

[Beckybooboo]

Yes lol my parents and my brother's said I looked ridiculous when I tried wearing false eyelashes 😂😂. When I was in high school, it was a fad that I tried. They were right, so I never wore them again.

[PeachyPie93]

For the most part my parents didn't insult me growing up unless they were mad at each other and drunk so I never took it seriously.

[Unit1]

Yes, but only if i started to experiment a little with my looks, mostly hair style. And they were yelling that at me with a loudness of 100 decibels.

[Smashingdoozy]

My birth mother on the first meeting with her after 12 years told me to "not dress like a whore next time"

[Asker]

If you don't mind me asking, are you still in contact with your birth Mom or have you gone no contact?

[Smashingdoozy]

No contact for 8 years now

[Kingofkings1992]

She sounds like a real piece of work. I know the feeling. I didn’t get along very well with my father either

[Smashingdoozy]

@Kingofkings1992 she still emails, messages, sends letters on the regular. Usually big ol paragraphs about how horrible I am (keep in mind this woman left me in an airport bathroom and fucked off back to the UK)

[Kingofkings1992]

Oof 😓 I’m sorry. I jacked up my dad’s face pretty bad when I was teenager lol ( he deserved it) . She abandoned you at the airport when you were a child?

[Smashingdoozy]

@Kingofkings1992 yup I was like 2. Had to be sent back to the UK on a plane with a social worker. She said she "forgot". Then we ended up moving to USA. Long story short I was voluntarily put in foster care and they eventually left the country

[Kingofkings1992]

Damn that’s fucked up

[Smashingdoozy]

@Kingofkings1992 sure is 🤪 and people wonder why I'm so fucked but hey could be worse

[Asker]

If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your birth Dad and do you have any contact with him?

[Kingofkings1992]

@Smashingdoozy you and me both my friend. We’re all fucked in one way or another 🤣

[Smashingdoozy]

@asker no he just went along with everything

[Asker]

I got issues too. My birth Mom missed both my high school and college graduation because she was in jail for 2 different reasons. Latter reason was breaking into a home that she lost due to foreclose (several years after foreclosure) and trying to change the locks etc. She repeatedly said bad things about my birth Dad (i. e. parent alienation) and told me to not trust anyone including my siblings. She was homeless for sometime during my high school years, and I remember one time trying to wish her Happy birthday and she pissedly said something along the lines of, "Do you think this is funny?". Birth Dad had custody of me and was good provider for food/water/clothing, but he had issues. He gaslighted me a couple times (e. g. said he taught me how to ride bicycle when birth Mom actually did), threw out a box (smaller than a shoe box) of childhood items/memories claiming something like he needs to clean up or make room for something, would occasionally put me down (e. g. say I am dafter than a brush or comment on a picture of me smiling that I look gormless). There is other things too, but just wanted to share a bit.

[Asker]

@smashingdoozy Thanks for sharing.

[Smashingdoozy]

Wow I'm sorry you had to experience that

[Unit1]

Many parents indeed deserve nothing less than a middle finger and no contact 😑

[Smashingdoozy]

@Unit1 absolutely agree. Some should never have children at all 😬

[ShellyB]

They did not call me stupid, though I was gently teased about being airheaded sometimes, I don’t think that counts but someone else might think it does. Wut is a “gormless”? :)

[Anonymous]

My mom did. I can forgive her given she’s human and she often said and did wrong things out of stress and frustration.

But she virtually never apologized for any wrong she’s done. I know I have to let it go but it’s hard.

[just_a_potato]

All the time, specifically my mother. I think she may have been projecting to be honest.

[DrPepper12]

My mullet, earrings, bracelets, denim jacket, denim jeans, timberland boots & concert t shirts.

I was 80s 🔥🔥🔥

[RingOfFire]

Wow! I pride myself on my vocabulary. But I had no idea what gormless meant and had to look it up. I guess it's a regional word.

[Anonymous]

My mother said it frequently about americans. lol Thanks for the memories.

[MemeSupreme]

yes

bc my mom is a bitch lol

[Apple1996]

Nah my parents tell me I'm pretty

[satinpetals]

What is gormless?

[Unit1]

An inconsiderate asshole

[satinpetals]

@Unit1 ah!! Thank you, I did not know that’s what that meant

[Unit1]

No problem Lady

[Asker]

It is a word my British birth Dad had used. According to the online Cambridge Dictionary, gormless means "stupid and slow to understand" (accessed 1/21).

[Asker]

@satinpetals, ss far as I am aware, it does not mean "inconsiderate asshole". @unit1, where did you get that definition from?

[Unit1]

I got it from killing floor where i heard this insult "you gormless tosser". It is a team. Based survival game and it was prominently used when a team member is not acting like one.

[TheSpaceGnome]

Nope.

[Anonymous]

Nope

[Tomisworthless]

🤨🤨🙄