What petty resentment are you holding on to years later?

[ClumpingBambooIsALie]

Mine is that I was put in for Foundation level GCSE Double Science despite having good grades on my coursework, only found out when I got into my exam and saw the Foundation paper in front of me, and was therefore capped at a CC. Twenty years ago 😂

What's yours?

In all my four years of junior school, I was never chosen to light a candle on the Advent wreath.

I left the school in 1965, and I was frightened of striking matches (but they didn't know that).

Many of these posts demonstrate there are an awful lot of adults who shouldn't be allowed within 100 yards of any child because they're simply incapable of dealing with them fairly and intelligently.

Oh FFS, what were your parents thinking? I've heard this once before - big shot Oxbridge scholar who sent his sons to Eton and girl to local school.

Though in his case, there was a second marriage, to a woman from the left-leaning French intelligentsia, and that time round both son and daughter went to fee-paying school. Didn't redeem the situation for me. I had a hard time not being rude to him the one time we met.

Wasn't allowed to go to performing arts school as a pre-teen as my parents thought it wasn't proper. Was made to go to a horrible snobby prep school that didn't suit my strengths. Years later friends from the performing arts school are excelling in the field. A passing comment from my mum: 'Yeah, we probably should have let you go, you would have really enjoyed it.'

Being around the age of three and watching my older brother and older neighbour kids playing up and down the road on MY pedal car. I wasn't allowed out of the gate just in case I got run over, (rural, cul de sac, end house, no cars were ever going to run me over)

Above was response to torquewench, for clarity

When I was in Primary school I used to go horseriding. I asked my parents if I could have a horse for my birthday and my parents said Yes. I went out and bought a bucket, brush, hoof pick and all the stuff necessary.I was told that it would be in the garden on my birthday. So on the day I woke up and looked out and ...you guessed it....no horse. I was absolutely crushed and to this day have never ever forgotten it. 60 years later. I swore never ever to do anything like that to my children.

Ah! The ones where siblings were treated so differently are heart wrenching.
for you all and rage for your awful parents.

@Notbitter

I've name changed for this as it is so outing and lots of people know the story

Aged about 14 or so I was staying with best best mate at her grannie's in the summer holiday and we were playing scrabble with her grannie and grannie's long term partner, a former headmaster and a very didactic pompous man. I used the word "id' and he said it wasn't a word. I told him what it means and where it came from and with great sanctimony he explained that it was only a game and I really didn't need to make things up. I was mortified and said it would be in the dictionary. I watched in horror as he fetched an ancient black leather volume of The King's English that dated from the early 1900s and of course it wasn't there.
I've never recovered and contrary to my temporary username I remain bitter.

If that had happened to me I'd be muttering about it on my deathbed.

My MIL never bought or gave anything to my second born son, she’s a great knitter and one day I went around and saw a big bag of knitted toys and clothes in blue I was so pleased! she then took each item out to show me…. They were for the couple next door who just had a baby, I was heartbroken.

Even now my niece has lots of knitted toys but both my sons have nothing despite asking and hinting.

My primary school used to have a Hobbies Festival for the pupils, there were lots of different categories so it was a bit like the baking & craft tents at a village show - Victoria sponge sandwich, cheese straws, sewing, knitting, model-making etc. Everything displayed on tables in the hall and pupils/parents were able to go in and look at everything. Officially it was an informal fun thing which we could all participate in. But there was some form of judging involved as some of the entries would be deemed worthy of a Merit certificate (not sure who decided this - maybe the head teacher and some of the other teachers?).
I had been taught to knit as a young child so I knitted a teddy bear, I admit it may have been a bit funny-looking but it was quite technically challenging for a child, with increasing/decreasing, knitting all the parts separately, sewing them together and embroidering the features. I didn't get a merit certificate, however another girl in my class did. She had knitted a scarf - it was a nice enough scarf & well-knitted but just a strip of straight plain knitting so not technically very difficult. I was really disappointed. My mum said it was clear that the judges knew nothing about knitting!

This must be over 40 years ago now and I'm still hanging onto the resentment!

@pizzicato why on earth did they say yes if they weren't going to get you one?! Thats an awful thing to do to someone.

I always loved art from the earliest age I can remember. I also had a series of really inspirational teachers, and had dreamt of making my living with art in some form or another, graphic design was a particular passion of mine.

Fast forward to near the end of 6th form, and my Art head of department called me in to his office to say that a friend of his, who was a lecturer at a fairly prestigious Art School had dropped in to see him and had noticed a piece of my artwork on the wall. He had asked if I was going to apply for a place and the HoD had said he didn't know. The friend then said words to the effect of well if she does, I will definitely lobby to accept her. You cannot imagine how completely happy and overwhelmed I was when I got told I was virtually (but not 100% obviously) guaranteed a place!

I rushed home, so eager to tell my parents (DM and Step Father) only to be informed by step dad that he expected me to go to secretarial college and do a 1 year course, learn how to type and get an office job so I could start paying rent as soon as possible. He told me that as the eldest of 5 children (blended family) there was no way he was paying for me to mess about painting for 3 or 4 years instead of earning money and paying my own way at home. I tried so hard to persuade him that I could get a partial grant, and that the Art School would help with that, but to no avail.

I had no choice, I ended up learning to type and had a series of really soul destroying office jobs until I could save enough money to leave home.

Eventually I broke out of that path and found my way to a very fulfilling (but not art related) job. I also made sure that I have never been in the position of being financially reliant on anyone else ever again. A hard lesson, but useful.

... but I still resent my stepfather for destroying my dream of a more creative life and career ... although I still paint and sculpt as hobbies.

@noideawhatusernametochoose do you know I feel strangely comforted sharing the same lane intrusion pain with you! Thank you.

@pizzicato my mother used to frequently tell my daughter “granny’s going to buy you a pony / donkey”. She didn’t seem to get that child would actually expect her to see it through… it was just repeatedly uttered as a platitude

I woke up one morning to find my beloved barbie bus GONE. Mother, and I use the term loosely here, had given it to my friend because 'it's broken anyway'. It fucking well wasn't. Fuming then, still fuming now. I also voice my displeasure at any given opportunity 30 years later.

44 years ago ... I was 11 and helping to put the mats away after P.E.

A little boy ran past just as I lifted the edge of a mat, so I accidentally tripped him up. He got up straight away and ran off, saying 'yes' over his shoulder when I asked if he was all right.

But we had a temporary teacher who had taken a dislike to me, and she saw this incident from across the P.E. hall and decided that I had deliberately tripped him up. She ignored my protests, marched me over to apologise to the very confused little boy, then gave me a loud telling off in front of everyone.

I'm still furious.

My eldest sibling turned 17 and was gifted a course of driving lessons, paid for until they passed. As was next eldest sibling.
I turned 17 third and was given a book and some clothes.
Never did learn to drive.

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

They didn’t make me Sixer of the Elves. 42 years ago.

That’s mine too! I was Second in the Elves and when our Sixer left I was fully expecting to be made Sixer. (31 years ago)

Unfortunately another girl who had only joined a few weeks ago was made Sixer instead, over my head, which had never happened in our Brownie pack before - it was understood that if the Sixer left her Second would be promoted to replace her.

It may well have been related to the fact that the new girl was Brown Owl’s daughter. I went off Brownies that day and I left a few weeks after. I just couldn’t get over the unfairness.

What happened to you?

@Mischance

When I was 5, I was chosen to be Mary in the school nativity play - I was thrilled to bits. I then went off sick for a few weeks (I had hepatitis) and was mortified and terribly upset when I returned to school and found some other girl had been given the part. I was robbed! I will not tell you how many years ago this was!

Oh god that’s just reminded me, last year of primary school so finally the year where you could get a good role in the school play. They got us all to read out a part and then sing. I was put forward to do another singing bit the next week before half term to see who got the lead part. The next week I was off sick fora few days with a cold (I had asthma so potentially a bit more concerning). My parents insisted that I stay off the full week to properly recover as it was the school trip to France at half term. I begged them to let me go into school for the audition but they refused. What part did I get in the school play? One miserly line, “Brr, it’s cold out there”. Great. To make matters worse I can’t do the Brrr noise, still can’t now at nearly 50. After embarrassing my self in front of everyone at rehearsals trying to copy the teacher, they eventually cut that word, thereby reducing my part by 20%. Still haven’t forgiven my parents… I mean seriously, what were they thinking, health over stardom!

Op, i feel bitter about not having been allowed to do honours english and that was THIRTY TWO years ago.

Some of these are not petty!

My non-petty one is that when my parents acrimoniously split up, they sold my dog.

My dad had originally bought the dog as a working dog but following an early injury he became my dog and he was everything I had during a very emotionally difficult time. My mums view was always that she had never wanted a dog, my dad had brought the dog home in the first place and ultimately responsibility for the dog thus rested with him. When my dad moved out I begged to keep the dog with me, which my mum reluctantly agreed to but after about six months when it started to get dark in the early evenings she didn’t want me to walk the dog alone (I was nine) and she was resenting having to help me look after him. Eventually there was a huge row, my mum told my dad he would have to have my dog live with him, I was in bits, and my dad revealed that he couldn’t as he was moving in with his girlfriend (whom I had met once) and could only take one dog. His own.

So my dog was sold. The next time I arrived at my dads he was gone and I was never able to say goodbye.

My mum has since apologised but it was by far and away the worst thing they ever did to me and I’ve never managed to get over it.

There was a similar standard path but they forgot about me because I was quiet and brought someone in from another Six.
They offered me Sixer of the Gnomes as a consolation prize but I wasn’t having it.

I missed a maths test in try and me and 1 other child had to do it during the next lesson. The teacher put the two of us into a little side room and carried on with her lesson. She came back in and as she did I turned to the direction of the door which was also the other child direction.

Teacher started shouting she'd caught me cheating and looking at the other child paper. She rang my mum who believed her and I got in a lot of trouble.

I hadn't cheated, i didnt need to cheat at maths I was good at maths but after stopped putting effort in until final year. I'm still cross with my mum for believing her as I never cheat

*in year 6

When I was little my step mum got my hair caught in the hairdryer as she was drying it. She said for being so brave I’d get a present when we went shopping that day. Still haven’t got that present.