Son severs ties with mother after she kept demanding a share of his inheritance and monthly allowance

SINGAPORE: With Christmas just around the corner, a time usually reserved for awkward family dinners and forced cheer, one man has shared that his own family celebrations are firmly off the table this year, thanks to a long-running dispute over money.

Taking to the r/askSingapore Reddit forum on Tuesday (Dec 23), the man wrote that he is now estranged from his own mother because her repeated demands for money became too much to handle.

For context, the man explained that his mother has “never worked in her life”, yet continues to live comfortably after inheriting a mid-six-figure sum and a fully paid home from his late father.

Even so, he claimed she wanted more. According to the man, his mother began asking for a share of “his inheritance”, while also expecting him to provide her with a monthly allowance.

Over time, the pressure wore him down, leading him to cut off contact entirely.

“I still have to intentionally avoid her and not post about my whereabouts online lest she come to harass me,” he wrote, adding, “Given how small Singapore is and the society’s tendency to side with the parents (filial piety and all), it’s not easy.”

Feeling stuck and unsure if he was alone in the experience, he turned to fellow Redditors for support, asking: “Anyone estranged from their parent(s)? How do you cope?”

“You are not responsible for your mom’s happiness.”

The post struck a chord with Singaporean Redditors, prompting many to come forward with their own stories of strained or broken relationships with their parents.

One Redditor shared that he has been estranged from his father for some time following a serious disagreement that escalated beyond words.

“It’s been a while since I spoke to my dad. We pretty much had an argument regarding my future, then we got into a physical fight. Since that day, I haven’t spoken to him. For me, it’s simple since I don’t need him to function, so I just don’t talk to him at all unless my mom forces me to,” he wrote.

Another Redditor recounted an extreme incident involving his mother, who had reported him as missing after he left the family home.

“My mother is insane. She put out a missing person report on me last year, which quickly closed after I spoke to the IO about the situation. But I’m doing well. For context I left in 2019 as a full-grown adult with a full-time job,” he shared

A third wrote, “I cope by living my best life without my dad! No stress, no thinking of him. Except on days when posts like these come up.”

Others, meanwhile, offered advice and support, encouraging the man to let go of the guilt that often comes with cutting ties with a parent.

One said, “You are not responsible for your mom’s happiness. Stop feeling guilty about it and go on with your life.”

Another commented, “If you’re estranged and have no need for contact, why is she on your social media? You can make a clean cut—and familial relations are only maintained if there is time and effort put in—so it shouldn’t be difficult to leave things to die if you so choose.”

In other news, a Singaporean employee shared on social media that fear of unemployment and financial insecurity has forced her to remain in a toxic, mentally draining role.

In her post on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Monday (Dec 22), the employee detailed her situation, explaining that her agency is “notoriously known for poor work-life balance” and that, during her short tenure, she has already witnessed a steady stream of colleagues resigning, describing them as “dropping out like flies.”

Read more: ‘I want to quit but I’ll be broke’: Singaporean employee feels trapped in mentally draining role