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516
Teen Gets Mad At His Dad For Interrupting His Date To Ask Him To Pick Up His Little Sister, Says He “Failed As A Parent”
Recently, a 43-year-old single dad turned to the AITA community on Reddit for a moral judgement.
In a post that amassed 15.7k upvotes and 3.7k comments, the dad explained that he usually picks up his 8-year-old daughter Lisa after school clubs, but one day, he had to stay late at work.
“I did try my best to negotiate out of it but my manager told me that the assignment was to be completed by that night so I just did,” the dad explained.
The only way to collect Lisa was to ask his teen son, who, it turned out, had a very different evening plan.
RELATED:
A single dad wonders if he was wrong to interrupt his teen son’s date so he could pick up his little sister, after the dad got stuck late at work
Image credits: stokkete (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Budgeron Bach (not the actual photo)
Image credits: helplesssdad2785
Being a single parent is not easy, there’s no doubt about it. But according to the data from the Pew Research Center, a whopping one-quarter of kids in the U.S. live with a single parent, which is the highest rate in the world.
Moreover, according to a recent report from LendingTree, there are over 1.5 million single dads in the U.S. — a number that’s anything but insignificant. This translates to more than 1.5 million single fathers.
As you may suspect, the number of single-mother families is much higher with more than 6.3 million or 19.1% of parent-child families.
The same report suggests that the average income for single-father families is $67,405 — a third less than the average for all families where parents raise their children ($101,536). Even so, it’s significantly higher than the average income among single-mother families ($40,500).
However, a growing body of studies reveal that children are better off raised by a single parent as opposed to living with married parents who conflict a lot. It’s also important to note that despite the initial challenges, children raised by one divorced parent sometimes have better outcomes than children raised by a parent who is remarried.
Image credits: Ketut Subiyanto (not the actual photo)
The dad later shared more information in response to these comments
Many people expressed their support for the author
Others thought that his boss was a jerk
What do you think ?
Casey McAlister 2 years ago
The boss is the a*****e. You can't just assign tasks to your employees in the evening and expect them to stay overtime with no prior notice. People have lives beyond their jobs.
Bina Wei 2 years ago (edited)
I agree that the Boss is the real ahole here. The boss could have allowed OP to pick up his kid and then OP could have continued working. There was no compromise at all.. Edit: Typo.
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censorshipsucks 2 years ago
I had my gf s**t on me for fetching my kids... she's not a teenager. She's in her 30s. Some people do not understand the relative roles of family, kids, and partners, and which responsibility comes first.
ToGo 2 years ago
Thank goodness! I was preparing for all the "YTA", which would be dead wrong. This man is a single parent. He has asked his son for help in a jam 3 times in 18 months. The son is being a selfish teenager and I hope he grows out of it. I understand that he's 17 and is starting to have his own life but his priorities are terrible. Man, I'd have been so grateful to get use of a car that I'd be happy to run errands as a thanks. I'd have also felt really horrible knowing my young sibling was being left alone with nowhere to go, but that's me. Dad needs to try have a talk with son and son needs a reality check.
Jake VanWagoner 2 years ago
After the third time I'd say the teen shouldn't lose the car for 3 weeks. I'd say "nope lol I'm selling the car. You've got a chance to buy it but I'm not loaning you the money." The kid is *borrowing* the car and the condition is that he uses it to help out when asked.
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Yoga Kitty 2 years ago
If I was the son's girlfriend and we were out celebrating when his dad calls, I would tell the boy to go and pick up his little sister! I would not go on with that date or the whole relationship if he refused. Gives you a good idea what kind of father/partner he will become obe day...
Jake VanWagoner 2 years ago
A girlfriend like that would be a total keeper. A girlfriend that would act every bit as entitled as Max would be one to dump. I sincerely hope that the girl dumped him as a result of this.
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CNarvaez 2 years ago
Two things here... First, family comes first. I'm glad I work a job where I'd I told my boss "sorry, I have to pickup my kid" he'd maybe ask if I could come in early the next day or finish at home after the kids are in bed if it's urgent. Second, for the teen, I would ask the 16yr for empathy by flipping the situational script.."if you were broken down somewhere bc you ran out of gas and needed a ride, but I was on a date and told you "sorry you are a failure as human because you forgot to fill your tank" and then shut off my phone to finish my date, assuming you'd then call a friend to get you.... who would be the AH in that situation? Sometimes they just need perspective in empathy.
Kathryn Baylis 2 years ago
My mother never learned how to drive (I do not know why). The moment I hit 16 and had my license, guess who got to take Mom grocery shopping (or anywhere else) after school, while Dad was at work? S**t happens. At least this kid didn’t have to be “the other” family chauffeur.
Bina Wei 2 years ago
We don't know that tbh. Nor do we know if OP has asked or expected help from other things (instead of just pick ups). We do know the Boss is a jerk for not letting OP at least pick up his kid, tho.
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DeMarcus Halliwell 2 years ago
NTA. That bratty kid needs to appreciate his family more. What if something bad happened to his little sister?? If it were a brand new relationship I'd probably understand. But SIX months in??? surely the girlfriend knows about the sister by now! its not like its a 1 year anniversary either; I'm a little surprised this story didn't end with the gf talking some sense into Max and telling him it's okay to take a little break during the date to go grab his sister. I 100% would be okay with my boyfriend going to pick up his YOUNGER siblings that could be stuck with no one else to get them. what the hell is wrong with spoiled brats like Max?
Jake VanWagoner 2 years ago
Yeah, an unseen part of the story is that either the girlfriend dumps Max or it turns it she's just as much of an entitled little $#1+ as Max is.
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Beck 2 years ago
The day one of my teenagers hangs up on me is the day i do not pay their phone bill for that month. May kids are pretty good and respectful, though. Dont see that happening.
LittleWombat 2 years ago
Agreed! Basic courtesy to someone who pays your bills should be a given. (Separate issue from picking up his sibling.) I'm not going to pay for a phone for my kid to use to insult me. I'm all for mutual respect, though. If I wouldn't hang up on my kid, I sure expect them to be equally courteous and respectful to me.
Load More Replies... Cindy Sullivan-Lewis 2 years ago
You did not fail as a parent. It is so hard being a single parent and you did everything right. Work emergencies happen and your son should be expected to step up. I was a latch key kid. I would not wish that on anyone now a days.
SkyBlueandBlack 2 years ago
Yeah, son is TA here. Thing is, though, where I live, 16-year-olds have provisional licenses. They're allowed to drive, but they're not allowed to transport minors, so son wouldn't have been able to pick up sister anyway. Yeah, sometimes things come up, but dad's boss is the other a-hole here -- what he did was a power play, just to show dad who has the power in the office. I had a boss that used to pull this s**t all the time, and since my coworker was a single mom, I got to know her son pretty well. She had to pick him up and come back to the office a couple times a month.
brandyy17 2 years ago
i think thats how it is in most places. i kno where i live its like that unless there is also an adult in the car then a 16 year old can drive with a minor. i honestly cant think of a place where that isnt the case. its all provisional licenses or driving permits. they both come with restrictions.
Load More Replies...
Casey McAlister 2 years ago
The boss is the a*****e. You can't just assign tasks to your employees in the evening and expect them to stay overtime with no prior notice. People have lives beyond their jobs.
Bina Wei 2 years ago (edited)
I agree that the Boss is the real ahole here. The boss could have allowed OP to pick up his kid and then OP could have continued working. There was no compromise at all.. Edit: Typo.
Load More Replies... censorshipsucks 2 years ago
I had my gf s**t on me for fetching my kids... she's not a teenager. She's in her 30s. Some people do not understand the relative roles of family, kids, and partners, and which responsibility comes first.
ToGo 2 years ago
Thank goodness! I was preparing for all the "YTA", which would be dead wrong. This man is a single parent. He has asked his son for help in a jam 3 times in 18 months. The son is being a selfish teenager and I hope he grows out of it. I understand that he's 17 and is starting to have his own life but his priorities are terrible. Man, I'd have been so grateful to get use of a car that I'd be happy to run errands as a thanks. I'd have also felt really horrible knowing my young sibling was being left alone with nowhere to go, but that's me. Dad needs to try have a talk with son and son needs a reality check.
Jake VanWagoner 2 years ago
After the third time I'd say the teen shouldn't lose the car for 3 weeks. I'd say "nope lol I'm selling the car. You've got a chance to buy it but I'm not loaning you the money." The kid is *borrowing* the car and the condition is that he uses it to help out when asked.
Load More Replies... Yoga Kitty 2 years ago
If I was the son's girlfriend and we were out celebrating when his dad calls, I would tell the boy to go and pick up his little sister! I would not go on with that date or the whole relationship if he refused. Gives you a good idea what kind of father/partner he will become obe day...
Jake VanWagoner 2 years ago
A girlfriend like that would be a total keeper. A girlfriend that would act every bit as entitled as Max would be one to dump. I sincerely hope that the girl dumped him as a result of this.
Load More Replies... CNarvaez 2 years ago
Two things here... First, family comes first. I'm glad I work a job where I'd I told my boss "sorry, I have to pickup my kid" he'd maybe ask if I could come in early the next day or finish at home after the kids are in bed if it's urgent. Second, for the teen, I would ask the 16yr for empathy by flipping the situational script.."if you were broken down somewhere bc you ran out of gas and needed a ride, but I was on a date and told you "sorry you are a failure as human because you forgot to fill your tank" and then shut off my phone to finish my date, assuming you'd then call a friend to get you.... who would be the AH in that situation? Sometimes they just need perspective in empathy.
Kathryn Baylis 2 years ago
My mother never learned how to drive (I do not know why). The moment I hit 16 and had my license, guess who got to take Mom grocery shopping (or anywhere else) after school, while Dad was at work? S**t happens. At least this kid didn’t have to be “the other” family chauffeur.
Bina Wei 2 years ago
We don't know that tbh. Nor do we know if OP has asked or expected help from other things (instead of just pick ups). We do know the Boss is a jerk for not letting OP at least pick up his kid, tho.
Load More Replies... DeMarcus Halliwell 2 years ago
NTA. That bratty kid needs to appreciate his family more. What if something bad happened to his little sister?? If it were a brand new relationship I'd probably understand. But SIX months in??? surely the girlfriend knows about the sister by now! its not like its a 1 year anniversary either; I'm a little surprised this story didn't end with the gf talking some sense into Max and telling him it's okay to take a little break during the date to go grab his sister. I 100% would be okay with my boyfriend going to pick up his YOUNGER siblings that could be stuck with no one else to get them. what the hell is wrong with spoiled brats like Max?
Jake VanWagoner 2 years ago
Yeah, an unseen part of the story is that either the girlfriend dumps Max or it turns it she's just as much of an entitled little $#1+ as Max is.
Load More Replies... Beck 2 years ago
The day one of my teenagers hangs up on me is the day i do not pay their phone bill for that month. May kids are pretty good and respectful, though. Dont see that happening.
LittleWombat 2 years ago
Agreed! Basic courtesy to someone who pays your bills should be a given. (Separate issue from picking up his sibling.) I'm not going to pay for a phone for my kid to use to insult me. I'm all for mutual respect, though. If I wouldn't hang up on my kid, I sure expect them to be equally courteous and respectful to me.
Load More Replies... Cindy Sullivan-Lewis 2 years ago
You did not fail as a parent. It is so hard being a single parent and you did everything right. Work emergencies happen and your son should be expected to step up. I was a latch key kid. I would not wish that on anyone now a days.
SkyBlueandBlack 2 years ago
Yeah, son is TA here. Thing is, though, where I live, 16-year-olds have provisional licenses. They're allowed to drive, but they're not allowed to transport minors, so son wouldn't have been able to pick up sister anyway. Yeah, sometimes things come up, but dad's boss is the other a-hole here -- what he did was a power play, just to show dad who has the power in the office. I had a boss that used to pull this s**t all the time, and since my coworker was a single mom, I got to know her son pretty well. She had to pick him up and come back to the office a couple times a month.
brandyy17 2 years ago
i think thats how it is in most places. i kno where i live its like that unless there is also an adult in the car then a 16 year old can drive with a minor. i honestly cant think of a place where that isnt the case. its all provisional licenses or driving permits. they both come with restrictions.
Load More Replies...
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