Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Aggressive Guy Wants To “Track” 8YO Son As He Goes On Trip With Ex, Folks Warn Her To Be Cautious
Young boy holding suitcase handle indoors, illustrating mom plans trip to Europe with 8-year-old son tracking issue.

Aggressive Guy Wants To “Track” 8YO Son As He Goes On Trip With Ex, Folks Warn Her To Be Cautious

42

ADVERTISEMENT

In many cases, after couples are divorced, they don’t really want to be associated with their ex-spouse, but sometimes, it becomes difficult with co-parenting kids. Especially when such partners have an aggressively violent past, the whole thing can turn into a nightmare.

The original poster (OP) is still struggling with her aggressive ex-husband, who demands that she put an AirTag in their 8-year-old son’s shoe when she takes him on a trip. However, Reddit user Historical-Safe-7262 thinks that this is just his excuse to control her and refuses to budge!

More info: Reddit

RELATED:

    Co-parenting can turn into a nightmare after divorce, especially when there’s a violent history between a couple

    Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

    The poster is going on a trip to Europe with her 8-year-old son, but her ex-husband insists on putting an AirTag in the kid’s shoe

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Historical-Safe-7262

    Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)

    He says he wants to track the kid, but it doesn’t make sense, as he will be 10 hours of travel away with a 7-hour time difference

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Historical-Safe-7262

    She refuses to listen to him as she feels like he is just using the kid as an excuse to spy on and control her

    Today, we see quite a short story, but when you read between the lines, you realize the giant issue that OP is currently facing. She has a trip planned with her 8-year-old son (Jack) this year, but her ex-husband (Richard) is brewing up unnecessary trouble by demanding putting an AirTag in the kid’s shoe so he can track Jack on his phone.

    This badgering has created a lot of tension between the ex-spouses, and our poor OP is doubting herself. She also added that Richard refuses to let her register the AirTag on her phone, and she thinks it’s quite ridiculous. Considering the fact that he will be 10 hours’ travel away with a 7-hour time difference, we can’t agree more with her. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Besides, she drops a shocking bomb that Richard has an aggressive history, and all their exchanges with Jack only happen in the police station due to the man’s behavior in the past! She also adds that he can’t stop her from going on the trip or force her to carry the AirTag, but she still suspects that he is trying to be controlling.

    When she vented online, folks were quite alarmed by his violent past and nodded along that he is definitely trying to control her as well as spy on her. Some also enquired whether she is traveling to an unsafe place, but OP clarified that they are not, which further confirmed netizens’ doubts about Richard.

    Image credits: Daniel Romero / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Multiple studies have shown that controlling behavior is associated with a higher likelihood of physical aggression. The fact that even the cops are involved in this case is a big warning sign about how deep Richard’s behavior actually runs.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Research also suggests, “Violence is viewed as an expression of social power and is used as a way for men to control and dominate their female partners.” It might be that Richard is feeling powerless about the fact that mother and son are traveling without him, and that’s why he’s enforcing this control.

    It has been observed that people with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) often display controlling and violent behavior. Such people use manipulative tactics to make others doubt their own self-worth, and if you see, that’s just what happened with OP as she started doubting herself due to his constant badgering.

    Many people warned her that he might try to hide an AirTag whenever their son visits him and that she should watch out for that. Others also expressed concern about their safety if he finds out their location while on the trip, and warned that he might try to bring about an accident or something tragic.

    Honestly, we agree with everything that Redditors are saying because you can’t really put anything past a person who has a history of violence, can you? If you were in the poster’s shoes, how would you handle this situation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

    ADVERTISEMENT

    After hearing about the ex’s aggressive past, netizens said that the AirTag sounds like a big NO-NO, and asked her to be cautious

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Poll Question

    Total votes ·

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Total votes ·
    Share on Facebook
    Rutuja Dumbre

    Rutuja Dumbre

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hey, am Rutuja! A storyteller at heart and a writer at Bored Panda. I have a strange love for words, and I mostly survive on coffee which is the driving force behind my writing. I enjoy working on articles that purely entertain our readers. When am not writing or trekking, you can find me staying up late and watching all the matches of Football Club Barcelona!

    Read less »
    Rutuja Dumbre

    Rutuja Dumbre

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Hey, am Rutuja! A storyteller at heart and a writer at Bored Panda. I have a strange love for words, and I mostly survive on coffee which is the driving force behind my writing. I enjoy working on articles that purely entertain our readers. When am not writing or trekking, you can find me staying up late and watching all the matches of Football Club Barcelona!

    What do you think ?
    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't understand how he can still have unsupervised visitation rights if he's so dangerous the exchange has to take place at a police station. He's not allowed at his son's school or house but still has access to the boy? What kind of agreement is this?

    LB
    Community Member
    10 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    I've never heard of such an arrangement before. Seems fake?

    Load More Replies...
    Janelle Collard
    Community Member
    Premium
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Leave the shoes on the plane, at an airport, throw them away at some other place - there a lots of places to dump those shoes. Watching the ex's meltdown would be fun. :)

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You're too kind. The OP should mail her son's shoes to North Korea by way of Katmandu. Since there's no one there to accept the package, the return address should be Tierra del Fuego.

    Load More Replies...
    ADVERTISEMENT
    Sue Ellen Bowen
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd take the air tag and leave it on a train or mail it back to the ex from Europe.

    Load More Comments
    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't understand how he can still have unsupervised visitation rights if he's so dangerous the exchange has to take place at a police station. He's not allowed at his son's school or house but still has access to the boy? What kind of agreement is this?

    LB
    Community Member
    10 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    I've never heard of such an arrangement before. Seems fake?

    Load More Replies...
    Janelle Collard
    Community Member
    Premium
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Leave the shoes on the plane, at an airport, throw them away at some other place - there a lots of places to dump those shoes. Watching the ex's meltdown would be fun. :)

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You're too kind. The OP should mail her son's shoes to North Korea by way of Katmandu. Since there's no one there to accept the package, the return address should be Tierra del Fuego.

    Load More Replies...
    ADVERTISEMENT
    Sue Ellen Bowen
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd take the air tag and leave it on a train or mail it back to the ex from Europe.

    Load More Comments
    You May Like
    Related on Bored Panda
    Popular on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda
    ADVERTISEMENT