Mom Tries To Teach Teen Daughter A Lesson By Leaving Her Alone In The Hospital On Christmas Day, Has Doubts About It Later On

"She didn't care, because Christmas is only once a year and she just wants to live a little"

Maryjane

• Published in Christmas
• January 13, 2023

Nothing is worse than being sick around Christmas. While everyone else enjoys their holiday snacks and opens presents, you are stuck in the corner, feverish, making many trips to the restroom, and feeling sorry for yourself.

Even though it would be terrible to spend Christmas in the hospital knowing that everyone else was enjoying themselves, most of us make an effort to stay healthy throughout the festive season. We avoid others who have recently been sick, constantly wash our hands, and—most importantly—avoid activities that we know will make us sick.

Although it may not be enjoyable to avoid gluten, sweets, oils, or anything else that might be a trigger for this teen, many other people must do the same thing for their health. A mom recently asked for help on Reddit, questioning whether it was bad of her to have left her 16-year-old daughter alone on Christmas Day in the hospital.

The mother who told this tale pointed out that she went out of her way to provide her daughter with a wide range of safe options, so there was no reason for her to continue eating the trigger foods. The problem, though, is that the adolescent was fully aware of what she was doing before becoming ill, making it difficult for her mother to feel empathetic.

You can judge for yourself if she ought to have spent Christmas in the hospital by reading the complete story below.

The teenager knew exactly what she was doing before she became ill, so her mom had a hard time feeling sympathetic

Unfortunately, declaring a dish "off limits" can sometimes make it appear more appetizing, but for the majority of us, the prospect of getting severely ill and having to visit the hospital is enough to stop us from eating some foods. In essence, those trigger foods as poison, and nobody enjoys following their supper with a shot of paint or household cleaning.

The story begins

No clear answer

A pretty good idea

What the OP's daughter loves

She's older now

Ending up in the ER

The Christmas family gathering

Food is a significant component of Christmas celebrations for many of us. Roasted turkey, tamales, gingerbread cookies, pecan pie, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, hot cocoa, and more are among the traditional Thanksgiving fare.

So we can understand why this adolescent would want to make the most of the holiday. However, spending Christmas in the hospital is not a joyful experience.

Christmas is a time to celebrate with your loved ones and being at the hospital is a no, no

There were varieties of food

She chose to eat the trigger foods

The OP relaxed at home with the rest of the family

The daughter didn't take this well

On Reddit, some people started speculating about the girl's potential medical conditions. She has not yet received a formal diagnosis, but a few possible explanations are a sensitive stomach, gallbladder problems, gastroparesis, or irritable bowel syndrome or disease.

However, the mother has highlighted that getting a diagnosis has been difficult, so they have been mostly concentrating on how to manage the symptoms.

Here are some of their comments below

She should be smart enough

This can be considered self-harm

Pretty harsh to leave her all alone

Model of restraint

Not a moment of poor judgment

You had the power to stop her

Old enough to understand things

Some people believed the mother ought to have handled the matter differently

She clearly needs help

An underlying condition

Therapeutic help

She is actively choosing to do this

There was never a point

Irreparable damage to her system

Actions do have consequences

You're trying to prove a point

Some even advised the daughter to seek professional assistance because her actions might be seen as self-harm or an indication of an eating disorder

Your daughter is self harming

An unpopular comment

This is not normal behavior

Is it uncontrollable pain?

She needs support from her family

Regrettably, as many comments noted, 16 is an appropriate age to grasp that our choices have repercussions. She has a history of having serious illness after consuming trigger foods, so why would she want to subject herself to that agony once more?

Many readers reassured the mother that her strict discipline was appropriate and that her daughter must take responsibility for her actions.

Maryjane