A Mother’s Shocking Confession: “I Hate My Daughter”

A listener has contacted the show with an admission most parents would probably be afraid to say out loud. She says she despises her own 14 year old daughter.

She describes a home filled with constant rows, disrespect and resentment. She says she has tried grounding her daughter, taking away her phone and laying down rules, but every time she attempts to discipline her, her husband steps in. He believes the punishments are too harsh and accuses her of treating their daughter differently from their other two children.

The listener says things have now reached breaking point. She admits she genuinely dislikes her daughter, feels miserable in her own home and believes the conflict is starting to destroy her marriage and affect the entire family.

In this episode, Niall talks to callers about one of the most uncomfortable parenting questions imaginable.

Can a parent simply reach the end of their tether with a difficult teenager, or is saying you despise your own child a sign that something has gone badly wrong in the relationship? Is the husband right to intervene, or is he undermining his wife and making the problem worse?

And perhaps most importantly, what do you do when love, anger, resentment and guilt all become tangled together inside the same family?

Niall hears from callers with their own experiences, opinions and advice for a mother who says she no longer knows how to live with her own daughter.