Thread. My mum is absolutely mad. This conversation just happened over the phone. I’m in my room upstairs, and she’s downstairs.
She called and whispered “can you keep a secret”
Me: Um... sure?
Mum: I need you to come with me to go get a parrot.
Me: What??? Mum, not again.
Mum: please just come, if you don’t, I’ll go alone
Me: YOU CAN’T HAVE A SECRET PARROT IN THE HOUSE
Me: Um... sure?
Mum: I need you to come with me to go get a parrot.
Me: What??? Mum, not again.
Mum: please just come, if you don’t, I’ll go alone
Me: YOU CAN’T HAVE A SECRET PARROT IN THE HOUSE
Mum: I CAN
Me: HOW. How will you hide this parrot?
Mum: In the kitchen
Me: LITERALLY THE LEAST DISCRETE PLACE IN THE HOUSE
Mum: It could work
Me: MUM
Mum: WELL NONE OF YOU WILL LET ME HAVE CHICKENS
Me: oh don’t bring the chickens up again
Me: HOW. How will you hide this parrot?
Mum: In the kitchen
Me: LITERALLY THE LEAST DISCRETE PLACE IN THE HOUSE
Mum: It could work
Me: MUM
Mum: WELL NONE OF YOU WILL LET ME HAVE CHICKENS
Me: oh don’t bring the chickens up again
Mum: ...
Me: where would you even get a parrot?
Mum: I know a woman.
Me: Who?
Mum: just a woman. With parrots.
Me: [sigh] Where is she based
Mum: somewhere
Me: MUM.
Mum: Look, I need a parrot
Me: where would you even get a parrot?
Mum: I know a woman.
Me: Who?
Mum: just a woman. With parrots.
Me: [sigh] Where is she based
Mum: somewhere
Me: MUM.
Mum: Look, I need a parrot
Me: You don’t NEED a parrot, no one NEEDS a parrot
Mum: You’ll understand with age.
Me: ?????????
Mum: so are you coming?
Me: I... [sigh] you... [sigh]
Mum: is that a yes???
Mum: You’ll understand with age.
Me: ?????????
Mum: so are you coming?
Me: I... [sigh] you... [sigh]
Mum: is that a yes???
Me: When?
Mum: Now
Me: NOW?
Mum: Now.
Me: ... NOW???
Mum: get in the car.
Me: mum no, please. We can’t do this. Plus I’m busy until 3pm
Mum: 3pm. Be in the car.
Me: Omg dad is allergic to...
Mum: HE’S NOT, HE TELLS LIES
Me: MUM. Why would he lie??
Mum: Now
Me: NOW?
Mum: Now.
Me: ... NOW???
Mum: get in the car.
Me: mum no, please. We can’t do this. Plus I’m busy until 3pm
Mum: 3pm. Be in the car.
Me: Omg dad is allergic to...
Mum: HE’S NOT, HE TELLS LIES
Me: MUM. Why would he lie??
Mum: ...he has an agenda.
Me: [exasperated] what
Mum: an anti-parrot agenda
Me: please be reasonable, we have a cat
Mum: they will be best friends
Me: mum
Mum: 3pm.
Me: MUM
Mum: Be in the car.
Me: YOU’RE INSA- [she hangs up]
Me: [exasperated] what
Mum: an anti-parrot agenda
Me: please be reasonable, we have a cat
Mum: they will be best friends
Me: mum
Mum: 3pm.
Me: MUM
Mum: Be in the car.
Me: YOU’RE INSA- [she hangs up]
I’m going to try and talk her out of this. It’s ludicrous, we have two people in the house who might be allergic AND A CAT.
Will keep this thread updated
Will keep this thread updated

I TRIED TO TALK HER OUT OF IT AND NOW SHE’S SAYING ‘PARROT’ WITH AN ‘S’. She wants more than one???
Me: THIS IS RIDICULOUS
Mum: YOU CAN’T JUST GET ONE. It’ll need little friends.
Me: THIS IS RIDICULOUS
Mum: YOU CAN’T JUST GET ONE. It’ll need little friends.
I can’t believe I’m having to bargain with her. Trying to talk her down down from 4 to 1. PREFERABLY NONE.
She’s a stone cold liar. No one else in the house knows she’s going on this parrot mission. She just lied to my sister about where we’re going. My sister would actually scream if she knew about my mum’s antics.
Ngl, I’m starting to give in. Sitting here watching my mum lie like
Ngl, I’m starting to give in. Sitting here watching my mum lie like
We’re on our way to see the parrot lady. My mother looks crazy. She’s driving really fast and giggling to herself
My sister just called me asking where we are, my mum mouthed “TES-CO, say we’re at TES-CO”. I’m sweating.
My sister keeps calling. There’s going to be drama when we get home
You don’t understand. We’ve been having this bird argument for a decade now. My mum has been fighting to get birds in the house for YEARS. There’s 11 of us, and half of the fam have always protested. I tried to talk sense to her but she’s gone full rogue.
WE’RE PULLING UP TO THE HOUSE.
Sister: What... what have you done
Mum: I’ve done what needed to be done. I need them.
Sister: You didn’t NEED parrots!!
Mum: THEY’RE LOVE BIRDS
Sister: NOOR, why did you let her do this??
Me:
Mum: I’ve done what needed to be done. I need them.
Sister: You didn’t NEED parrots!!
Mum: THEY’RE LOVE BIRDS
Sister: NOOR, why did you let her do this??
Me:
Sister: you can’t just bring birds into the house
Me: I mean she kind of just did
Sister:
Me: I mean she kind of just did
Sister:
Me: LOOK, I had to talk her out of chickens. And she wanted four parrots but I bargained it down to two. This could’ve been a lot crazier.
[enter kids]
Kids: AWWWWWWWW
[enter kids]
Kids: AWWWWWWWW
Mum: just look at them, aren’t they precious?
Sister: Well yeah they’re adorable but we can’t keep them
Mum:
Sister: Well yeah they’re adorable but we can’t keep them
Mum:
All of the kids (& me):
Sister: [sigh] okay, well, let’s see what Dad says when he gets home. He’s allergic.
Mum: he’s not
Sister: mum.
Mum: he made it up
Sister: mum no.
Mum: As your mother, I am never wrong.
Sister:
Mum: he’s not
Sister: mum.
Mum: he made it up
Sister: mum no.
Mum: As your mother, I am never wrong.
Sister:
And now we wait for dad.
HE’S HOME.
Dad:
Mum: Do you love me?
Dad: Yes dear, I love you but I don’t think tha-
Mum: I don’t need you to think, I just need to accept the situation.
Dad:
Dad: Yes dear, I love you but I don’t think tha-
Mum: I don’t need you to think, I just need to accept the situation.
Dad:
Mum: I NEED them
Dad: You don’t NEED them
Mum: YOU DONT KNOW ME
Dad: WE’VE BEEN MARRIED FOR 42 YEARS, OF COURSE I KNOW YOU
Mum: THEN YOU KNOW HOW BADLY I NEED THEM
Dad: I HAVE ALLERGIES
Mum: I DON’T SEE YOU SNEEZING
Dad: THAT’S NOT HOW ALLERGIES WORK
Dad: You don’t NEED them
Mum: YOU DONT KNOW ME
Dad: WE’VE BEEN MARRIED FOR 42 YEARS, OF COURSE I KNOW YOU
Mum: THEN YOU KNOW HOW BADLY I NEED THEM
Dad: I HAVE ALLERGIES
Mum: I DON’T SEE YOU SNEEZING
Dad: THAT’S NOT HOW ALLERGIES WORK
Dad: What if we just kept one?
Me: They’re love birds and they mate for life, they’ll very literally die without each other.
Dad [to mum]: that reminds me, I’ve booked us a weekend away for our anniversary this year
The rest of us: awww
Mum:
Me: They’re love birds and they mate for life, they’ll very literally die without each other.
Dad [to mum]: that reminds me, I’ve booked us a weekend away for our anniversary this year
The rest of us: awww
Mum:
Sister: We really need to make a decision guys
Me: you’re such a mood killer
Sister: You better stfu, you’re just as bad as mum.
[long pause]
Dad: [sigh] what are we naming them?
Mum:
Me: you’re such a mood killer
Sister: You better stfu, you’re just as bad as mum.
[long pause]
Dad: [sigh] what are we naming them?
Mum:
The rest of us:
Dad [to me]: I guess it could be worse. At least she didn’t bring chickens home ha
...Little does he know she was asking the bird lady how much each hen costs and if they lay quality eggs
...Little does he know she was asking the bird lady how much each hen costs and if they lay quality eggs
Thank you so, so much for all of the kind words everyone
we love our mum and her spontaneity. Sorry that I can’t reply to everyone! My app is still crashing and I can’t keep up with all of the notifications. Legit cannot believe my mother’s antics have gone viral


Also just to provide a smidgen of context: my mum grew up in Pakistan tending to chickens, peacocks, goats, rabbits, and a variety of parrots! (Cats and dogs too of course.) She spent most of her time in the chicken coop, and the aviary.
But moving to the UK meant she didn’t have the means (or the time) to have any birds for a while. But now she does! We’re all happy to have our lovebirds, and we’re all on board! :)