Everyone says that communication is key when it comes to relationships. But some folks just don’t know how that works in the first place. So, what do you do?
Well, having them deal with the consequences of their actions and flat out kicking them out of the family potluck is definitely an option. A person recently wondered if they’re a jerk for doing just that after asking numerous times for their son-in-law to stop bringing prank potluck dishes—but he never stopped.
No matter how much you tell someone to knock it off, it might just go over their head
Image credits: Askar Abayev / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Well, this time, it went over one too many times and this one parent had to kick out a chronic prankster for making potlucks problematic
Image credits: Jonathon Burton / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Smart_Finish_8886
Image credits: Alex Green / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Despite the author of the post’s daughter saying she’ll deal with it, she too was livid to learn her hubby was booted out
So, OP has a son in law who keeps “misinterpreting” the family potluck dishes that everyone gets to bring and ends up going with a prankster version of them.
This, of course, irked the in-law and host of the event—as it just means folks often end up with hunger pangs all because someone decided to be funny. It was funny the first time, but none of the other times it happened.
So, the last time, he got booted, and now both him and the daughter are livid.
Well, commenters were of a different opinion—they approved of the kicking out. The general consensus is that he shouldn’t be invited anymore. And if he is, it should only be with the daughter who promised to keep him in line.
In fact, some even ventured to say that the son-in-law isn’t a prankster, but rather just a jerk—a prankster would’ve still brought the salad once the prank was over. If anything, he’s never a team player and that alone means he doesn’t deserve to dine with everyone else.
Image credits: ELEVATE / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Remember that it’s hard to know where the line is between “harmless” and “too far”—so it’s best to stay away from it altogether
Pranks in and of themselves aren’t something that the law prohibits per se. After all, April Fools and Halloween are a thing and there’s this whole culture of silly pranking that’s still prevalent in the US. But you gotta know your limits.
The problem with understanding the boundaries is that they are never clear and always changing. You likely wouldn’t think that prank calls are something that could get you into trouble beyond a good yelling once you’re caught, but nope. Caller ID tech makes dialing 911 never a good idea, and even calling random folks can be legally interpreted as harassment, hate crime or disorderly conduct, which in turn gives ground to get you into trouble.
Heck, even wearing a scream mask outside of Halloween can be considered aggravated assault or even felony child abuse depending on who you decide to run after as a joke. And, so, remember that “rules are always written in blood”, meaning that particular experiences lead to laws being updated—and so the line between “harmless” and “too far” is pushed off and faded out even more.
So, what are your thoughts on any of this? Be sure to leave your takes and stories in the comment section below! But if you want to learn what the right kinds of pranks are, Bored Panda’s got you covered. And if you want actual comedy, we got that covered too.
Folks weighed in on the issue, claiming the host was never the problem here—the son in law with zero understanding was
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She must be on a round-the-world balloon trip. I would.
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After the first instance I would have made it perfectly clear that if he didn't contribute exactly what was expected, he wouldn't eat anything but what he brought. Nothing else. And if he dared to bring only enough for himself, he wouldn't eat at all. I did that to my brother and he tried me two times. Then he found out the hard way that he might be a practical joker who doesn't care for people's feelings, but I am a crabby a$$hole who doesn't give a f**k for people's opinions. When others tried to make me give in, I told them if they didn't like what I did they knew where the door is, but that they shouldn't believe their illusion that they'd welcome back if they choose a pranksters feelings over mine. My home, my rules, no pranks. Take it or leave it. He never tried anything again. He also finally understood that if one of his pranks would go wrong, I'd call the police for real. People care too much about the feelings of such people. I just cut them out after two strikes.
I give the kids at my work 3 chances and then that's it. They've learned I don't f**k around, especially when it can lead to one of them getting hurt. If an adult does s**t like that, I'll be the one doing the hurting. They're goddamn adults, and though we don't need to give up things like cartoons, plushes, spontaneous singing, we do need to learn when and where those things can happen. It's called responsibility, and way more idiots nowadays need to learn this rule that seems to be going to the wayside.
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He has SEVERE Peter Pan Syndrome...a child inside, who will NEVER EVER grow up. I am not kidding.
She must be on a round-the-world balloon trip. I would.
Load More Replies... After the first instance I would have made it perfectly clear that if he didn't contribute exactly what was expected, he wouldn't eat anything but what he brought. Nothing else. And if he dared to bring only enough for himself, he wouldn't eat at all. I did that to my brother and he tried me two times. Then he found out the hard way that he might be a practical joker who doesn't care for people's feelings, but I am a crabby a$$hole who doesn't give a f**k for people's opinions. When others tried to make me give in, I told them if they didn't like what I did they knew where the door is, but that they shouldn't believe their illusion that they'd welcome back if they choose a pranksters feelings over mine. My home, my rules, no pranks. Take it or leave it. He never tried anything again. He also finally understood that if one of his pranks would go wrong, I'd call the police for real. People care too much about the feelings of such people. I just cut them out after two strikes.
I give the kids at my work 3 chances and then that's it. They've learned I don't f**k around, especially when it can lead to one of them getting hurt. If an adult does s**t like that, I'll be the one doing the hurting. They're goddamn adults, and though we don't need to give up things like cartoons, plushes, spontaneous singing, we do need to learn when and where those things can happen. It's called responsibility, and way more idiots nowadays need to learn this rule that seems to be going to the wayside.
Load More Replies... He has SEVERE Peter Pan Syndrome...a child inside, who will NEVER EVER grow up. I am not kidding.
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