03. “I never said that!”

Hearing this can be incredibly disorienting, especially when you know she did say it. It’s not about memory—it’s about control. Denying past words or actions is a subtle form of gaslighting, which chips away at your trust in yourself. You start questioning your own recollection of events, even when you were totally sure before. This can leave you constantly walking on eggshells, unsure what’s real anymore. This isn’t unusual when it comes to controlling moms. This kind of denial as a common way toxic moms rewrite history to avoid blame.