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Birthdays are supposed to be one of the few days a year when a kid can count on being the center of attention.

For one teen, that tradition has always run through her mom, who never missed a cake or a present. But two weeks before her birthday, she forgot a chore her mom had asked about repeatedly, and her mom told her she’d forget something too.

The teen shrugged it off as another empty threat. It didn’t feel empty when the day arrived and her mom said nothing, then admitted at the end of the night that she had nothing to give her.

Soon the teen began to wonder whether she really deserved this vindictive treatment.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA My mom is pretending to forget my birthday

My 15th birthday is today, but around 2 weeks ago, I was doing a few things for my mom.

There had been a task that she had wanted me to do that she had asked multiple times, and I still had not gotten it done because I’m a pretty forgetful person and I forgot what she had asked.

So when she told her mom the truth, her mom was immediately vindictive.

So she asked if I had gotten it done. I said I forgot, and she got pretty upset and said, “Don’t worry, you wanna forget? I guess I’ll forget too.”

At the time, I didn’t think anything of it because she makes empty threats like that all the time.

But soon she realized her mom was serious about this threat.

Fast forward to now. After a while of going about my day, I realised everyone has acknowledged my birthday but her. (My father is out of the city right now, and even he at least gave me a call.)

So I asked her about it, and she said that she forgot.

Her mom really went all out in making this point to her.

It’s near the end of the day, and I asked her where any of my gifts are, because I hadn’t gotten a cake or any presents yet. (She’s done that every other birthday for me.) She says she doesn’t have anything and that she forgot.

I know it’s my fault for not remembering the task she gave me, but is this punishment justified?

AITA?

Kinda sounds like her mom overreacted a bit.

Redditors chime in with their takes.

This user finds this behavior incredibly toxic.

Her mom is in the wrong, but it also behooves her to try and work on her forgetfulness.

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This kind of behavior isn’t the kind you easily forget.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a woman whose family wants her to spend way too much time redoing paintings to make them match.

When you’re 15, acting like an adult is the parent’s job.

This mom had a problem with a forgotten chore and solved it by ruining her daughter’s birthday.

In this instance, the punishment really didn’t fit the crime. Her daughter did something minor, owned up to it when asked, and was punished with silence on the one day she was supposed to feel special.

Sure, the daughter has lots of room to improve her memory and her follow-through. But her mom has a far bigger apology to make.

Skipping your own daughter’s birthday is just cruel and unusual punishment.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.