Why does my child say they hate everything they love?
Children often go through phases of rejecting familiar favorites by reflexively declaring they dislike things they usually enjoy. Hearing this constant negativity wears parents down emotionally, turning routine moments into exhausting power struggles.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1responding neutrally with phrases like okay, cool or bummerDid this help you?
- 2calling out the behavior with humor or sarcasmDid this help you?
- 3reinforcing boundaries while letting them know they do not have to like everythingDid this help you?
- 4Continuing to flag the spouse's tone in real-time rather than intervening during a direct argumentDid this help you?
- 5Allowing the spouse to deal with the natural consequences of their behaviorDid this help you?
- 6Talking to the child about respectful behavior while encouraging minimal interaction between themDid this help you?
- 7Asking the child to leave the houseDid this help you?
- 8Charging a small amount of rentDid this help you?
- 9Setting up a formal list of house rules with a 30-day noticeDid this help you?
- 10Treating them strictly as a tenant requiring market-rate rentDid this help you?
- 11Approaching behavior like training a puppy and using a firm 'no, try again'Did this help you?
- 12Refusing to engage with disrespectful language by saying 'I only listen to nice words'Did this help you?
- 13Calling out the behavior directly by asking if that is how communication will be going forwardDid this help you?
- 14scolding the childDid this help you?
- 15guilt tripping the child about ruining a good moodDid this help you?
- 16lecturing the child about listening to the other parentDid this help you?
- 17ignoring the bad mood and staying out of itDid this help you?
- 18hiding in the basement with a popsicleDid this help you?
- 19telling the child to go to their room or the yard if they want to have an attitudeDid this help you?
- 20Telling the child they love them regardless and recognizing it as a sign of a bigger emotional problemDid this help you?
- 21Answering with statements like 'it’s not my job to be popular. It’s my job to be Mom'Did this help you?
- 22Shrugging it off as a phase and reminding oneself that the child is just a kidDid this help you?
- 23Talking through where the language was learned and teaching alternative ways to express feelingsDid this help you?
- 24Using humor or stern boundaries like telling them they are lying or joking about going to a 'Mommy Store'Did this help you?
- 25continuing to try hard and remain understandingDid this help you?
- 26waiting for the phase to passDid this help you?
- 27improving communication and real honestyDid this help you?
- 28Having the other parent step in to handle discipline and bedtime.Did this help you?
- 29Giving in to demands to lie down with the child to prevent them from screaming and waking up siblings.Did this help you?
- 30Sitting on the floor at the child's door for hours.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Lo and behold, she has started talking to my wife in the same tone. My wife is telling me to “back her up.” I’m like babe, you’ve talked to her like this for 5 years. This is all she knows now.”source ↗
“our 8 year old has started doing this to things we know he loves”source ↗
“in the last few months she has been saying “I don’t like this” to EVERYTHING. Even things I KNOW she likes.”source ↗
“hearing “I don’t like this” over and over is exhausting.”source ↗
“Lately, he has become very disrespectful, and it feels like I can’t even have a conversation with him without getting an aggressive response.”source ↗
“He also refuses to follow the rules and expectations we have in our home.”source ↗
“I’m not sure what else I can say or do at this point. I just feel guilty and constantly question whether I’m doing the right thing as a parent.”source ↗
“How do I deal with a grumpy teenage daughter who’s constantly snappy, rude, and insulting toward me. and only me, not her mum or anyone else in the family?”source ↗
“Am I not allowed to have feelings about it? Am I just supposed to get over it straight away?”source ↗
“I have straight up told my 12 year old that if she wants to have an attitude and be a generally unpleasant person, she can do so in her room.”source ↗
“We’ve had a long history of my 5 year old being really difficult but only to me at bed time. She will cry and cry unless it’s me reading to her but then when I do, probably once or twice a week it’s like she just decides to mess with me”source ↗
“I have to lie down with her or she will scream and scream and wake her brother up, sometimes I can sit on the floor at her door but either way it takes hours of her messing around”source ↗
“I asked her to please leave me alone and she said no, I’m not leaving you alone until you get up, and just started flicking the bedroom light on and off and kicking the wall”source ↗
“I just feel so confused and sad and fucking tired. It feels like she wants to make me upset and I don’t know why. My husband can step in and send her to her room and she doesnt argue with him at all, or do any of the shit she does to me”source ↗
“My son and I have had the worst arguments. He says that I misunderstand him and don’t listen to him, when I try my hardest to.”source ↗
“Last night he found out about something from my past and he has been upset about it ever since.”source ↗
“He has been calling me out of my name, telling me he hates me and everything you can think of underneath the sun.”source ↗
“He says he wants me to change and I’ve tried to better myself for him, but it seems like everything I do, doesn’t make matters better, it just makes them worse.”source ↗
“I should have nipped this years ago but didn’t. Each time I gave in when my wife would say I’m not being a united front. But I’m tired of the way she talks to our daughter.”source ↗
“I have said things like that to my wife. She comes back with “she’s completely disrespectful to me and you allow it.””source ↗
“My sister does the same to all her kids, and now that they're getting older, she's constantly asking why they're so disrespectful to her and where is this behavior coming from.”source ↗
“he only sleep 2-3 hrs then he has to go to work or wake up to do chores I become the bad person which is not ok because he is usually angry, has an attitude and start cursing at everyone”source ↗
“11 has been the hardest age. My oldest is about to be 14 and he's finally starting to be a pleasant person again.”source ↗
“My 5 year old does.”source ↗
“Oh yes my 5yo son says 'I hate you' and 'I'm not your friend mom' whenever he's upset with me.”source ↗
“My daughter is 5, when she was 3-4 she would say 'I'm not your best friend anymore' and 'I dont like you anymore'”source ↗
“Yes my son has said these things.”source ↗
“My kids have done that and I told them, “That is a LIE and I am not going to allow you to lie.”source ↗
“Should I be sad about this or should I be brushing it off as "meh... shes a 7 year old." And the main issue... How do you parent this?”source ↗
“Today she got up, put her stuff on and went and faced the door with her back to me.”source ↗
“She said nothing. She usually gets up in the back seat getting her backpack on getting ready to get out and gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek and tells me how much she loves me.”source ↗
“Haven't slept more than 5 hours/night in the past week. One of my preteens has been acting argumentative and entitled all weekend.”source ↗
“Do your kids tell you they hate you when they’re upset, dysregulated, etc? Or worse use foul language and derogatory name calling when they’re upset?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 8How to deal with a 12-year-old's constant bad attitude
- 5Why does my child get angry when I praise them?
- 4My child is constantly loud but their hearing is fine
- 11How to motivate a child who doesn't care about punishments
- 11How to handle a child hanging out with bad influence friends
- 2How to handle a child who has to win every game