Have one of your parents ever forgotten a birthday?
May 6, 2026
Just as the title reads. Have one of your parents ever forgotten a birthday of yours, and if so, how did that make you feel?
I’ve had a couple of missed ones, and I’ve never missed any of my kid’s birthdays (YET).
29 comments
No but I forgot theirs once
My mom forgot mine when I was in my teens, I didn’t care
Last year my parents and my brother both forgot it was my birthday. I’m in my 40s.
How hard are calendar reminders? How did I feel? Bit annoyed, but I got over it.
Yeah, as an adult they have. I noticed but it wasn’t a huge deal. My family wasn’t like really big on celebrating stuff anyway.
They didn’t forget my birthday, but they did once forget to pick me up from school
Oh sure. One year it was everyone. Mother, daughter, partner, not one person remembered.
As a man it’s just a thing you gotta live with
If I’m lucky, my mother has forgotten that I’m even alive. Haven’t spoken to her in years.
I’ve forgotten theirs a few times. I think they’ve probably forgotten mine on multiple occasions, though I don’t really care. I honestly would rather they not call or try to make it a thing, my mom is just awkward about it and I’m No Contact with my dad anyway.
Growing up, I don’t remember my mom forgetting, though it also wasn’t a big enough of a deal to really matter. I think I only had 1 birthday “party” that I can recall.
pretty often for me. By younger brother has his birthday about 2 weeks before my. I was 9 the first time they *forget* my birthday. After that, my mother just said they would celebrate our birthdays together, but it was always on my younger brother’s birthday and the cake was always written for his age.
No but I forget theirs All the time my dad’s birthday is right in the middle of what I call birthday month, where 6 family members have a birthday in the same month, 2 on the same day. I feel bad but he understands
I don’t think my father knew my birthday ever.b
No, but my father would often forget my age, or laws applicable to said age. When I was 18, he sent me out to get beer.
Yes, but also, I’m in my mid 30s, and haven’t lived with them in a long time. It’s a lot easier to forget things like that when you aren’t 100% around someone. I’m not exactly going to be upset that my parents forgot to call on my 32nd birthday.
One time, a few years ago, my dad forgot to call me on my birthday. He usually does. I just figured he was busy. He called me later. He forgot. But it was fine, I didn’t get mad.
Former Jehovah’s Witness here. All the fuckin’ time.
Yes. My 16th birthday. I said nothing and just let it ride. My life was better when my parents didn’t notice me.
The next summer I worked and saved to buy a car. A month before my 17th birthday I asked my stepmother if I could get my driver’s permit. She said, “No. You are only 15.”
I said, “I’m 17 next month.”
She thought for a second and then went and talked to my father.
They agreed I was almost 17, but didn’t apologize for missing my 16th. They also did nothing special for my 17th birthday.
My parent’s also forgot my 55th birthday. I had a heart attack a month before.
I didn’t take it personally. I never cared about birthdays after the 16th.
My dad can’t keep track of any of our birthdays, not even my brother (the one he is closest to literally and psychologically). He is usually off by a seven day spread. Same man gets big mad if you don’t call on his birthday though. Oh, and he’s a number nut.
This really is a cultural-specific question. Not all cultures celebrate birthdays (or even if they do, then in the same ways).
When I was a kid, my mom always woke us up on our birthdays with “birthday kisses.” Once in my teens, she forgot. I went down for breakfast. She said nothing. It was shortly before having to leave for school that she suddenly remembered, freaked out, and then showered me with kisses and then an apology for forgetting.
Very sweet.
Yep, one or two years in my 20s lol.
My parents were traveling to Europe at the time. I forgot too. My sister reminded me lol
Never, my my mom has every extended relatives birthday in her phone and written on the calendar hanging up in the kitchen. I usually get a text the day before and couple the day of. They care more about it than I do.
Yep, my dad has forgotten several times. It hurts but he doesn’t do it maliciously
lmao yessssss. I’m pretty sure my father isn’t actually aware of my exact birthdate! He just knows I was born in may. My mum has forgotten once or twice, but it’s eh 🤷♂️ because she at least calls the day after / before.
Day never
Year yes
No, that has never happened to me.
Nope, I’m 43
i think this counts but on my 14th birthday my mom picked me up from school to go shopping at a thrift store. i don’t remember what happened on that day just that she was there for an hour, feeling crappy that she forgot
Mother annually forgets me and sister’s birthday. Me and sis have the same birthday.
Yes. She has dementia though.
yeah, it happened. my dad forgot my birthday once. it felt pretty upsetting, like the day meant more to me than it did to him. actually now I understand adults can just get overwhelmed or distracted, but the feeling still kind of sticks with you.
29 comments
No but I forgot theirs once
My mom forgot mine when I was in my teens, I didn’t care
Last year my parents and my brother both forgot it was my birthday. I’m in my 40s.
How hard are calendar reminders? How did I feel? Bit annoyed, but I got over it.
Yeah, as an adult they have. I noticed but it wasn’t a huge deal. My family wasn’t like really big on celebrating stuff anyway.
They didn’t forget my birthday, but they did once forget to pick me up from school
Oh sure. One year it was everyone. Mother, daughter, partner, not one person remembered.
As a man it’s just a thing you gotta live with
If I’m lucky, my mother has forgotten that I’m even alive. Haven’t spoken to her in years.
I’ve forgotten theirs a few times. I think they’ve probably forgotten mine on multiple occasions, though I don’t really care. I honestly would rather they not call or try to make it a thing, my mom is just awkward about it and I’m No Contact with my dad anyway.
Growing up, I don’t remember my mom forgetting, though it also wasn’t a big enough of a deal to really matter. I think I only had 1 birthday “party” that I can recall.
pretty often for me. By younger brother has his birthday about 2 weeks before my. I was 9 the first time they *forget* my birthday. After that, my mother just said they would celebrate our birthdays together, but it was always on my younger brother’s birthday and the cake was always written for his age.
No but I forget theirs All the time my dad’s birthday is right in the middle of what I call birthday month, where 6 family members have a birthday in the same month, 2 on the same day. I feel bad but he understands
I don’t think my father knew my birthday ever.b
No, but my father would often forget my age, or laws applicable to said age. When I was 18, he sent me out to get beer.
Yes, but also, I’m in my mid 30s, and haven’t lived with them in a long time. It’s a lot easier to forget things like that when you aren’t 100% around someone. I’m not exactly going to be upset that my parents forgot to call on my 32nd birthday.
One time, a few years ago, my dad forgot to call me on my birthday. He usually does. I just figured he was busy. He called me later. He forgot. But it was fine, I didn’t get mad.
Former Jehovah’s Witness here. All the fuckin’ time.
Yes. My 16th birthday. I said nothing and just let it ride. My life was better when my parents didn’t notice me.
The next summer I worked and saved to buy a car. A month before my 17th birthday I asked my stepmother if I could get my driver’s permit. She said, “No. You are only 15.”
I said, “I’m 17 next month.”
She thought for a second and then went and talked to my father.
They agreed I was almost 17, but didn’t apologize for missing my 16th. They also did nothing special for my 17th birthday.
My parent’s also forgot my 55th birthday. I had a heart attack a month before.
I didn’t take it personally. I never cared about birthdays after the 16th.
My dad can’t keep track of any of our birthdays, not even my brother (the one he is closest to literally and psychologically). He is usually off by a seven day spread. Same man gets big mad if you don’t call on his birthday though. Oh, and he’s a number nut.
This really is a cultural-specific question. Not all cultures celebrate birthdays (or even if they do, then in the same ways).
When I was a kid, my mom always woke us up on our birthdays with “birthday kisses.” Once in my teens, she forgot. I went down for breakfast. She said nothing. It was shortly before having to leave for school that she suddenly remembered, freaked out, and then showered me with kisses and then an apology for forgetting.
Very sweet.
Yep, one or two years in my 20s lol.
My parents were traveling to Europe at the time. I forgot too. My sister reminded me lol
Never, my my mom has every extended relatives birthday in her phone and written on the calendar hanging up in the kitchen. I usually get a text the day before and couple the day of. They care more about it than I do.
Yep, my dad has forgotten several times. It hurts but he doesn’t do it maliciously
lmao yessssss. I’m pretty sure my father isn’t actually aware of my exact birthdate! He just knows I was born in may. My mum has forgotten once or twice, but it’s eh 🤷♂️ because she at least calls the day after / before.
Day never
Year yes
No, that has never happened to me.
Nope, I’m 43
i think this counts but on my 14th birthday my mom picked me up from school to go shopping at a thrift store. i don’t remember what happened on that day just that she was there for an hour, feeling crappy that she forgot
Mother annually forgets me and sister’s birthday. Me and sis have the same birthday.
Yes. She has dementia though.
yeah, it happened. my dad forgot my birthday once. it felt pretty upsetting, like the day meant more to me than it did to him. actually now I understand adults can just get overwhelmed or distracted, but the feeling still kind of sticks with you.