Mum sparks debate after telling 11-year-old daughter she’s ‘too old to cuddle’

21 February 2023, 12:13 | Updated: 21 February 2023, 12:15

A mum has divided opinion after saying her daughter is too old to cuddle. Picture: Getty Images [Stock image]

By Naomi Bartram

A mum has been criticised after she told her young daughter she’s too old to sit on her lap and cuddle.

A woman has sparked a debate after telling her daughter she needs to grow up faster.

The anonymous mum explained her situation on Reddit, saying her daughter is "very small" for her age and gets treated like a "younger child".

"She loves to hop in my or my husband's lap and cuddle with us on the couch or in a chair,” she wrote.

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“I have been thinking that she may be too old for that sort of thing and maybe I'm hurting her by letting her continue.

A mum has been criticised for saying her daughter is too old to hug. Picture: Getty Images

"Yesterday she tried to hop in my lap and cuddle and I told her she was too old for that and to get off me. She got really upset, got off me and went to her room and slammed the door.”

The mum went on to say her daughter hasn’t sat on her lap since and ‘things have got really tense’.

“She doesn't talk to me unless she has to and when I hugged her goodnight last night she didn't hug me back.” she said.

"I feel really guilty because I obviously hurt her feelings but I feel like she might be too old for sitting on my lap."

A mum has sparked a debate after telling her daughter to stop sitting on her lap. Picture: Alamy

The post has divided other users, with one person writing: “She's not going to want to cuddle you much longer. You maybe have a year left. And you're throwing that time away instead of cherishing it.”

Another said: "I didn't realise there is an age limit for parental affection. When I'm too big for my mum's lap, I'll start holding her. My 16 year old still curls up for snuggles."

And a third wrote: "You made her feel like she'd done something wrong. People sit on their parents' laps at all ages. I've seen full-grown adults do it. She's a child. No wonder she's upset with you."

While a fourth said: "Your kid obviously loves you and shows love through cuddling up with you guys and feels comfortable. What you did by saying this basically makes her feel embarrassed/bad about showing you guys love. Yikes."

Luckily, many users believed the situation was easily fixable, as another person added: “Not wanting to baby or spoil your child is normal, though, and you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. This is a very simple situation, you can easily fix it by apologising to and hugging your daughter."