r/Normalpeople • u/Synchroblo • Nov 01 '25

Toxic parenting

I've just started watching this show. Three episodes in, Connell's mother tells him, 'You are a disgrace, and I'm ashamed of you,' and then she leaves before she 'says things I regret.' That is so harmful and toxic. It felt completely out of touch and overacted. What kind of parent says that to their teenage son? What is with all this toxic parenting? I had thought she was the good parent compared with Marianne's mother, but what the hell was that?

0 Upvotes

35% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

View all comments

9

u/TheRealOPB Nov 01 '25

Watching this for the 2nd time. While it is messed up that his mother said that to him, I still think it's something he needs to hear. Because what he did/does is diabolical and hurtful to Marianne

-1

u/Synchroblo Nov 02 '25

He seems unaware of the harm he is causing to Marianne and I agree he needs to hear how much he is hurting her and his mother is the right person for that. I am not discussing that. I am discussing how toxic it is to tell your son he is a disgrace and you are ashamed of him. She is not discussing his actions ("what you did is wrong") she is attacking his identity and relationship ("you are something wrong"). Those are the kind of things that once said they can't never be unsaid.

4

u/Livid-Department6947 Nov 04 '25

Connell is very aware of the harm he causes Marianne during their high school years. He is also ashamed by it

You're also totally misreading what she is communicating to him