‘She wanted to show us off’: Singapore man says mother pressured children to succeed despite little support
SINGAPORE: A young Singaporean has shared how his mother, who he said never achieved the educational and career milestones she had hoped for, placed considerable pressure on him and his siblings to succeed so she could take pride in showing off their accomplishments to others. Posting on the r/singaporespeaks subreddit on Wednesday (Nov 11), the man recounted how his mother never attended…
In Singapore, a young man shared his story on the r/singaporespeaks subreddit about his mother’s relentless pressure to succeed. His mother, who never attended university and left her job at her father's insistence, had limited savings in her Central Provident Fund (CPF) account. Despite her father's infidelity, she chose to stay with him, leaving behind mental scars that affected their lives.
Her main goal was for her children to achieve greatness in university to show off to others. The young man struggled with mental health issues and ADHD, yet his mother provided no support during these times. He eventually landed his dream job but refused to share the news with his mother and cut ties with her instead. When he sought therapy and requested ADHD diagnosis, his mother initially refused but later changed her mind.
The young man faced criticism for not understanding his mother’s perspective, with some commenting that her expectations were shaped by her experiences. Others pointed out the sacrifices stay-at-home mothers make, urging empathy and understanding.
Written by urgent.news from The Independent Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
