Teen Is Asked To Look After Little Sister While Mom Rushes Son To The ER, She Leaves Her At A Stranger’s House Instead
A single mother of three is seeking support on Reddit’s ‘Am I the [Jerk]?’ community after an argument with her eldest daughter, Polly. The woman had to take her son, Trevor, to the ER and asked Polly to watch her younger sister, Cassie.
However, the teenager ultimately decided to place the burden on someone else and go out to blow off steam instead. The mother was furious upon discovering what had happened and the two of them quickly got into a fight.
This single mom is trying to raise three kids
Image credits: Elina Fairytale (not the actual photo)
And she wants her oldest daughter to commit more to the family, but the teen is having none of it
Image credits: Lisa Fotios (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
Image credits: dratonallthings
Judging from the post, it doesn’t sound that the mom and her teen are understanding each other
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
Sadly, this post is an example of a broader problem. A 2019 Pew Research Center study of 130 countries and territories revealed that the U.S. has the world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households.
Almost a quarter of U.S. children under the age of 18 live with one parent and no other adults (23%), more than three times the share of children around the world who do so (7%). Interestingly, the study, which also looked at how people’s living arrangements differ by religion, found that U.S. children from Christian and religiously unaffiliated families are about equally likely to live in this type of arrangement.
For comparison, 3% of children in China, 4% of children in Nigeria, and 15% of children in neighboring Canada live in single-parent households.
But family conflicts with a teenager growing up are nothing out of the ordinary
Image credits: RODNAE Productions (not the actual photo)
While it’s difficult to give Polly a pass for her behavior, we can’t forget that the teen years pose some of the most difficult challenges. Dealing with hormonal changes and an ever-complex world might make you think that no one can understand your feelings. Especially parents. As a result, teens can find themselves angry, alone, and confused in the face of complicated issues about identity, peers, sexual behavior, drinking, and drugs.
Parents are also often frustrated and angry that the teen seems to no longer respect their authority. Methods of discipline that worked well in earlier years may no longer have an effect, and parents may feel frightened and helpless about the choices their teen is making.
The teen years are ripe for producing conflict in the family. Let’s hope this one finds a solution for theirs.
As the story went viral, its author provided more details
People have been having strong reactions to the family drama
There's a bigger concern than payment, grounding etc., and that's Polly's LACK of concern for her sister's safety. She needs a serious discussion about how dangerous that could have been.
That's my concern too. I'd seriously have her in therapy. This level of self-centeredness is really concerning. I'd be worried that only punishment wouldn't get at the root of this problem. Which was just an extreme lack of concern for anybody but herself. Didn't care about mom, the neighbor, brother, or sister. Did not stop to consider how she was affecting a single one of these people. That needs some looking into.
Load More Replies...
Loads of commenters here have made incredibly valid points - and I wholeheartedly agree. This mother seems wonderful, making sure her daughter is able to enjoy her childhood. However, I feel so sorry for the Mum because if there's another emergency she's not going to feel like she can trust her nearly adult daughter even. She has no-one. That's a really s****y position to be in
And it's always on the mom while a*****e father just gets to walk s away when it gets too hard. Every. Freaking. Time.
Load More Replies...
Not sure what the mom did wrong in raising her firstborn, but that girl is going to get a serious reality check. Because OF COURSE we have to change our plans inn family emergencies. Over and over, for the rest of our lives. And, no, kids don't get paid for doing family chores. There are some things that are just our duty to do and chores are one way of learning that. That girl better gets some more feedback on her selfishness or she is in for some terrible life lessons.
.... Might not be an education flaws.... I dread to throw the word but..... That total absence of empathy toward a sick baby?........... That smells sociopathy to me
Load More Replies...
There's a bigger concern than payment, grounding etc., and that's Polly's LACK of concern for her sister's safety. She needs a serious discussion about how dangerous that could have been.
That's my concern too. I'd seriously have her in therapy. This level of self-centeredness is really concerning. I'd be worried that only punishment wouldn't get at the root of this problem. Which was just an extreme lack of concern for anybody but herself. Didn't care about mom, the neighbor, brother, or sister. Did not stop to consider how she was affecting a single one of these people. That needs some looking into.
Load More Replies... Loads of commenters here have made incredibly valid points - and I wholeheartedly agree. This mother seems wonderful, making sure her daughter is able to enjoy her childhood. However, I feel so sorry for the Mum because if there's another emergency she's not going to feel like she can trust her nearly adult daughter even. She has no-one. That's a really s****y position to be in
And it's always on the mom while a*****e father just gets to walk s away when it gets too hard. Every. Freaking. Time.
Load More Replies... Not sure what the mom did wrong in raising her firstborn, but that girl is going to get a serious reality check. Because OF COURSE we have to change our plans inn family emergencies. Over and over, for the rest of our lives. And, no, kids don't get paid for doing family chores. There are some things that are just our duty to do and chores are one way of learning that. That girl better gets some more feedback on her selfishness or she is in for some terrible life lessons.
.... Might not be an education flaws.... I dread to throw the word but..... That total absence of empathy toward a sick baby?........... That smells sociopathy to me
Load More Replies...
69
206