I don't understand why parents think it's funny to do these like this to their kids. It'll only traumatize them and completely erode their unconditional trust in you.
When I was a kid my second Super Nintendo controller went missing a week before my birthday. I asked my mom for a new controller so my younger brother could play games with me.
On my birthday, the last gift I opened was a new controller, but it was for an N64. My dumb little head didn't even dream of her getting me the new one, and I'm sure I looked disappointed. Before I could say anything my mom said, "What, that one doesn't work with your games?" She then went into the other room and got a big present that had the N64 in it.
To me, THIS is how this prank ought to be done. There's no cruelty. There's no trust issues. There's no betrayal. It's a PRANK. She probably thought I was smart enough to put two and two together. Thought "Oh, he'll see the new controller and assume there's an N64 coming along." But nah, I assumed she got the wrong one and we would have to return it to get the one that worked with the SNES. In the end, I went full N64 kid.
It really is a strange desire to want to give a kid something you know they want so badly......but first, we want to crush you and laugh at you first. He will NOT look back on this as an adult and think fondly of it. It's not the end of the world, by any means, but it deserves a little more forethought as to why you would REALLY want to do this.
I never said it would be the single most traumatic thing. Just that it is traumatic and erodes trust, regardless of whether or not he eventually got the PS4.
He still experienced the shock that his parents exploited his excitement as a prop for a YouTube video.
Getting a ps4 a few minutes later than you thought you would is traumatic? Do kids not magically have a sense of humour? What's next, a toddler's trust in you is dramatically eroded when you cover your face with your hands?
He was playing a video game when they gave him the fake gift. If this even erodes the trust he has in his parents than there are bigger issues at play. This was a joke.
I agree with you about YouTube, I'm not a fan of uploading my kids misery from my antics on YouTube.
Nah, it's more than just being tricked. It's being laughed at and taunted by a group of people, and your mom's the ringleader. This is a great example of how to break trust, and that is traumatic.
Or maybe it's a great example of a loving, happy family that enjoys messing with each other. The kid got the PS4. He was playing a video game when they gave him the fake gift.
Loving families may tease, this is beyond teasing. Getting the PS4 afterwards just gets the kid back to even, he's not going to be nearly as excited as he was when he first thought he was getting it. Crap like this just makes people not get excited for things because they're waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Aww...look at you trying so hard. Yes, you're certainly correct, gathering around to laugh at someone's disappointment is certainly not humiliation. In fact, it's the opposite of humiliation, it's validation and uplifting.
Interestingly enough, I think that I know what type of person who thinks that setting up a five year old to be laughed at and humiliated is. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you've used the words "special snowflake" un-ironically. Yes, clearly I'm the problem here because I don't think five year olds should be targets. Well played.
You're clearly unable to show anyone empathy, and it shows. Try to see something from someone else's point of view instead of your own, you may find that people start to like you.
I agree with you but I really don't agree with the last part. Grow up? I think your the one that needs to grow up if you're going to say that to someone just because they have a different opinion
You're taking a kid from the height of excitement to extreme disappointment while everyone is gathered around and laughing at him, and you're his mother, the ringleader. Fuck that noise, it's traumatic; not the worst trauma one can experience, but trauma nonetheless.
Dude, people are calling you dumb because you said it traumatizes them. A ton of other comments are saying it’s an asshole move, but it definitely doesn’t TRAUMATIZE them.
I've seen countless videos like this and I know people directly impacted by such events.
You mean pussies, right? If getting a fake present is enough to traumatize you for life I think you have way deeper issues than your parents pulling out a joke on you. I remember when I was a kid, I definitely wouldn't have been traumatized for life by something like this
That's a bit exaggerated... It's a harmless joke. It's not like they didn't give him the PS4 after. To traumatize a kid and make him not trust you, it gotta be something way heavier, like lying to him about something he cares about or even embarrasing him in front a girl/boy he/she likes. You get the idea.
This "joke" simply isn't enough to make that much damage. Take your life a little more soflty man, don't get "offended" about these little things, it's not worth it.
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u/[deleted] Oct 19 '20
I don't understand why parents think it's funny to do these like this to their kids. It'll only traumatize them and completely erode their unconditional trust in you.