Mom Destroys Her Kid’s Room To Teach A Lesson About Folding Clothes, Family Says She Needs Mental Help

Every parent has their own method of raising their children, but sometimes, a well-intentioned lesson can backfire. This Redditor, who’s always been a stickler for cleanliness, took it a step further by making a mess of her daughter’s clothes to teach her how to properly fold them.

What started as a way to reinforce good habits quickly escalated into an emotional situation, with her daughter upset and planning to leave the house.

The Redditor’s family is now divided, with her husband, sister, and mother all against her actions. The Redditor feels her approach was justified, believing it would help her daughter stay organized. Was this an overstep, or did she have every right to teach her children her standards of tidiness? Read on to see how this difficult family dynamic unfolded.

A mother makes a mess of her daughter’s room to force her to fold clothes properly, causing a family conflict

2 months later, OP posted an update:

When a parent enforces strict order, especially by turning a child’s room upside down to make a point, it can feel more like punishment than a lesson.

Research shows that harsh parenting, defined broadly to include yelling, shaming, or actions that undermine a child’s autonomy, often leads to negative emotional and behavioral outcomes. For example, children raised in environments with high levels of punitive discipline tend to have poorer emotional regulation, self-esteem issues, and behavioral problems.

One long-term effect of harsh parenting is poorer emotional regulation. A recent study found that children whose parents used harsh or punitive discipline struggled more with self-control and were more likely to exhibit behavioral problems compared to children raised in more supportive environments.

In contrast, experts who study child development, such as Laura Markham, argue for a different approach: guiding rather than punishing. According to Markham, discipline should mean teaching and supporting behavior, not forcing compliance through fear or humiliation.

Applying this to this situation: yes, wanting her home to be tidy is reasonable. Teaching children to organize their clothes responsibly isn’t bad. But when the method becomes destructive, rifling through drawers, dumping clothes on the floor, it shifts from boundary setting into a power struggle. That can make the child feel shamed, powerless, and disrespected.

When a child responds by running away, staying with an aunt, or refusing to return, that’s a strong sign that something has gone wrong emotionally. That reaction suggests the response wasn’t just “firm parenting,” but triggered distress, embarrassment, or a sense of betrayal.

What’s more troubling is this: children raised under harsh or controlling discipline often learn compliance, not understanding. They may obey rules out of fear, but they fail to develop self-discipline, self-esteem, or the capacity to make good choices independently.

Research also shows that parenting styles matter: families where parents combine warmth, guidance, and clear boundaries (called “authoritative parenting”) tend to raise children with healthier emotional regulation, self-esteem, and better social outcomes.

Given that, the parent’s behavior seems to lean toward a more authoritarian, punitive style, the kind research flags as risky for emotional and relational health.

Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:

This group slammed the parent for being controlling, pointing out that the behavior was abusive and that trying to impose perfectionism on children is harmful

These commenters speculated that this issue was part of a bigger pattern of controlling behavior

These users emphasized that the parent needed therapy to address control issues and avoid further alienating their children

Do you think the mom’s need for control is justifiable, or was she crossing a line? Share your thoughts below!