@cari.fund: Just a note: this Reel isn’t about shaming parents. 🙂 It’s about reminding the adult child that you are worthy of the life you dream of, and you are not obligated to keep participating in relationships that keep breaking you when accountability is continually replaced with excuses. And it’s also for the cycle breakers. The current parents. The future parents. ✨ Sometimes you don’t realize how something felt to a child until you hear it from the other side. “I was young.” “I did the best I could.” “I had trauma too.” “I didn’t know better.” Those things may explain why something happened. But explanation and accountability are not the same thing. An explanation tells me why. Accountability asks what we do with it now. I never needed a perfect parent. I needed a parent willing to hear that something hurt me without immediately making me responsible for understanding why they did it. And now that I’m a mother, I understand something even more clearly: Breaking a cycle isn’t about becoming a perfect parent either. It’s about being willing to reflect. To listen. To apologize. To repair. To do something differently when you realize something you’re doing is hurting your child. So yes, I hope this reaches adult children who need permission to stop carrying relationships alone. But I also hope it reaches parents and future parents who hear it and think: I want to do differently. That’s how cycles actually get broken. Parents, adult children, cycle breakers: what does accountability look like to you? Tell me below. And if you’re learning how to build healthier relationships than the ones you inherited, follow along.
How about being told, “you deserved it” by your mother? In terms of the abuse.
2026-09-07 02:23:56
21
_airiannamarie :
i can’t wait to have kids one day and make sure they have 2 loving parents who don’t make them feel worthless
2026-09-06 19:25:54
15
YokaiYankee91 :
"It's my first time living too. 🥺"
You've lived for much longer than me and you have never failed to make sure your behavior in public was much better than it was back at home. Not only have you lived long enough to know better, you've shown that you DO indeed know better so why didn't I deserve better from you as my parent? I'm your child and yet you were always nicer and more understanding of complete strangers than you ever were with me. Where's the "buh-buh-but we're family" over that? Hmm?
2026-09-07 03:16:13
14
Adrian :
mine hit me with "it was diferent times" havnt had anything more than a generic small talk with him ever since
2026-09-30 11:21:37
1
Me :
• Accountability can't be forced.
• Feelings are 100% your responsibility.
• Victim mentality is dangerous.
• Everyone has a different perception of what abuse is.
• Children in adult bodies don't know how to regulate their emotions so they discard people insread.
• You can't force people to be who you need then discard them when they don't fit into your mold. That's called manipulation
2026-09-06 23:04:30
3
iSnowBored :
My moms go to is “I had it worse”
2026-10-06 05:14:26
1
. :
It infuriates me when their actions are explained away because of their childhood. It makes me want to scream when someone says that
2026-09-30 18:12:33
2
oh.its.yoshi :
My mom used all of those in one email at the same time
2026-10-04 06:41:28
1
Starfiyre :
Wow this hot home about my mother
2026-09-06 19:20:16
5
Richard Ball1333 :
Baloney
2026-09-07 00:16:02
1
Mariah :
My mother has said every single one of these lines time and time again.
2026-09-07 00:51:34
2
Clarissa.A :
You where difficult. Look how good you came out. Only cause I was hard on you.
2026-09-07 00:53:22
5
damira :
Ok. I’m doing this the best I can. Trying really hard not to make excuses or gloss over the hurt they endured at my hands. I accept accountability. How do I repair? Please do one of these to show what I need to say as I’m accepting accountability and hoping for repair. Do one that shows what moving forward looks like with rebuilding our relationship with love and trust. I love my kids so much. I’m so sorry for the pain I caused. All I want is to have a loving relationship with them again and I’ll do anything.
2026-09-07 00:28:00
0
The Dark Side :
Parents need to acknowledge not make excuses.
2026-09-06 19:40:01
5
Chelley :
both my parents had bullshit excuses for not raising me right. Not enough support and too much stress. Yeah, they were grown adults and just chose not to seek more support and chose not to deal with their stress levels. Not my fault and I still haven't gotten over it. And no, counselling, medication and psychotherapy is not curing me.
2026-10-05 11:47:25
1
christina.cant.cook :
As a child, I was able to forgive my mother for the way she treated me. I do acknowledge she was young and didn’t know what the hell she was doing. It’s the way she treated me as an adult that made me go no contact.
2026-09-06 19:17:42
6
⦻LemonBoy🏳️⚧️🇵🇸 :
My mom’s apologies are always “I’m sorry but i don’t remember.” I told her that doesn’t matter cuz it still did damage and she needed to take accountability of her actions. Her response was “I actually don’t need to take accountability for something I don’t remember.” How convenient for you.
2026-09-07 01:36:58
4
Brittany Nicole :
And that’s why I went no contact with my dad, I also have no kids
2026-09-13 17:31:34
1
Elle, RN :
This is how every conversation about the past goes with mom. 😕
2026-09-06 20:03:49
1
Ilyana Rice :
I wonder what kind of books that our grandparents have to read to parent us, because our parents cannot be bothered ?
2026-10-07 16:36:16
0
Tok Sic :
Mine deny it altogether. 21 years of no contract, 21 + years of running a smear campaign that I’m mental, a drug addict, in and out of jail and mental hospital (all false). Both court ordered diagnosed NPD. Scapegoats, I see and feel you! Stay strong 💪
2026-10-01 16:49:23
0
Tabo :
my mom asked me why I never reported my dad. after she had screamed and guilt tripped me into silence as a child. as a teen. I asked why she never did if she knew the whole time? for 20 yrs
2026-09-29 15:34:11
0
Giggle_Wolf :
This showed up at the right time. For a long time I had issues with my adopted mom. The only route I could do it was through a message because accountability is not her forte. I sent her a long message explaining what I have been feeling for a long time and I was as respectful as I could about it and I set a boundary that I also deserve respect just the same.. and when she replied, she claimed to not recall one situation but conveniently remembered what else she said in that same previous conversation. Also justified the rest.. so I am in this place where I just have to move on with my life. I can't and won't hold onto hope anymore that maybe she will come around and we can have a good relationship. It is what it is.
2026-09-07 02:20:21
0
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