We’ve all heard of over the top rules enforced by strict parents, whether it be a 5 pm curfew or no dating until adulthood.
However, you may have never heard of one mother’s especially strict rule that forces her children into bed before dinnertime and forbids them from getting up for any late-night snacks.
The mother is seeking advice after “catching” her son getting food at 1 am.
Posting her story to Quora, the mother asked the opinions of other forum users after she reportedly caught her 17-year-old son up in the middle of the night sneaking food.
The mother has four children, including her 17-year-old son, a 10-year-old son, an eight-year-old daughter and a one-year-old daughter.
Despite the age differences between her children, the woman enforces the same bedtime for all of them.
The children are sent to bed at 6:35 pm.
Other Quora users could not believe what they were reading. According to the mother’s profile, she claims that her 17-year-old son “hates school, the Church, watches YouTube instead of going to sleep, and once ate [her] breakfast.”
One Quora user, named Marian was horrified by the mother’s strict bedtime rule, especially given that most people have not likely even had supper at that time.
“Let’s be fair, this poor boy doesn’t have much of a chance, does he, to live any kind of life in the h–l hole that your home appears to be,” she commented on the woman’s post.
“If you’re sending a 17-year-old boy to bed at 6:35 pm, I can well imagine that he was getting food at 1am – he would have been starving.”
“Teenagers are growing; they need lots and lots of food and at regular intervals!” Marian pointed out.
“You are not a nice parent at all, judging by your horrible questions.”
Other Quora users agreed and were disgusted by the mother’s treatment of her growing teenager.
“Got caught? It’s food, not drugs. Feed the child. Christ, why is this even a question? If they’re hungry at 1am, that means they didn’t eat enough at dinner,” one user commented.
They suggested that the mother organize a late-night snack platter to support her hungry child.
“Either feed them more during regular hours or make sure you leave plenty of healthy snacks or at night for them,” another user wrote.
“Clearly they’re a growing child and growing children, like many other human beings, get hungry and require food.”
“Bow you head in shame, walk to your closest mirror, look up at yourself and repeat “I am a terrible parent and will from here on out do better,” another user added.
“Why are you micromanaging what a teenager is eating? They are hungry. Let them eat.”
According to medical professionals, teenage boys going through puberty should eat between 2,500 to 3,000 calories per day to support their growing and changing bodies.
The American Academy of Sleep recommends anywhere from eight to ten hours of sleep per night for teens between the ages of 13 through 18.
Judging from this poor teenager’s strict sleep schedule and lack of meals, it is safe to assume that he gets much more sleep than needed.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.
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