Mother demands children give her gifts on their birthdays to thank her for giving birth to them

A mother has been criticised for demanding that her children celebrate her on their birthdays for giving birth to them.

In a post on Reddit’s Am I The A**hole community, a 25-year-old explained that she and her three siblings aged 10, 16 and 18 have been made to buy their mum gifts on their own birthdays.

The oldest sibling explained: “It was taught to me as 'giving thanks for carrying + giving birth to us'. Which I'm all for, I am grateful as we wouldn't be here without her.

“The issue is though, it becomes less of our birthday and more-so an anniversary for the day our mom gave birth.”

For their recent birthday, they said they received some items they needed for their new apartment, while their father got their mother a new MacBook.

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Next, they went on to reveal that their 16-year-old sister pulled them aside and apologised that they couldn’t afford to get them more than a jumper, but their mother was pressuring her to buy her a $300 necklace.

They wrote: “Apparently my mom had been dropping hints for month and my sister was worried our mom would be upset and feel underappreciated if she didn't get it.”

This was enough to tip the oldest sibling over the edge and they said they confronted their mum and “chewed into her” about the gifts.

Next, they explained: “Mom started crying and my dad kicked me out. Mom won't answer calls but my aunt (mom's sister) called and said I was a POS [piece of s**t] for not respecting my mother and that I'm a selfish, narcissist child for being jealous of the gifts mom got.”

After two weeks, they explained, their mother still wasn’t answering calls and was instead posting inspirational quotes on Facebook about “letting go of the toxicity in your life, how blood doesn't equal family, and how hard it is to be a mother”.

With family members replying to those quotes with comments directed at the sibling, they questioned whether or not they were in the right.

It seems Reddit users were very much on the child’s side and said they should apply some of their mother’s advice themselves.

One person replied: “NTA [not the a**hole]. It was her choice to carry 4 children and give birth to them.

“Your mother sounds self-centered and selfish. As far as toxicity in one's life and how blood doesn't equal family, I think you should apply that to your mother, not to you.”

Another wrote: “For once, OP's mother is perfectly correct. Remove toxicity from your life, dear OP, blood doesn't equal family.”

Someone else pointed out: “I always find people that post inspirational quotes.....have the most messiest lives.”

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