“Why should I leave them anything?” The estranged mother will not give the children a cent

There’s this woman on TikTok called Mami Doormat, and she’s stirring the pot with some pretty controversial things about her estranged children.

Now, she’s asking if it’s okay to leave them out of her will.

“Should I include, ax or modify? What is it with ungrateful grown children and legacies?”

“What is the children’s side of the story?”

More than 1,200 people responded to it. Some viewers say, “Hell yeah, send them off!” while others say, “What about the children’s side of the story?”

Some even suggest leaving money to the grandchildren, but only if the parents don’t get a cent.

I find it all so interesting because apparently it is so common. Anna Russell recently wrote an article about New York Times about how grown children are increasingly distancing themselves from their parents and asks, “Is it empowering or just a disturbing trend in family dynamics?”

“I left my bike to my cat”

The last will I made was when I was five years old and I said I would leave my bike to my cat.

But now, as an adult with children, I know it’s something I should probably address. I’ve heard so many horror stories about families falling apart over wills and siblings dragging each other to court – money just complicates everything. After watching Doormat Mom, I got to thinking: what would I do if my kids decided they wanted nothing to do with me?

Obviously, Doormat Mom has a lot to say about her “ungrateful kids,” but honestly, I can’t help but wonder what her kids’ side of the story is. It reminds me of the saying, “Anger is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

Do we really want our legacy to be one last act of discontent?

I remember a time when I had a roommate who basically kicked me out before my wedding. Talk about stress. I was very tempted to leave it hanging without paying the rent when it was due, but my husband convinced me to do the right thing and pay it for a few weeks.

Even when my emotions were running wild, doing the right thing made me feel so much better in the long run – it helped me let go of that resentment.

Michelle Obama once said, “When they go down, we go up,” and maybe that’s a solid mantra when dealing with those “ungrateful kids.”

Inheritance is such a complicated subject. Do you owe your children anything? Should they expect anything?

“I brought them into this world”

Honestly, I think about how I brought them into this world and no matter how unhappy they are, my instinct is to take care of them.

It would be heartbreaking to face leaving, but I want my last act to be one of kindness and not bitterness.

Instead of voicing my grievances on TikTok, I’d rather leave something positive behind. One last act of kindness just might resonate with them more than a bitter blow.

I completely understand why a hurt parent might want to remove their estranged children against their will, but this feels like a low blow to me.

What do you think?