Dad Upset That His Teen Daughter Did 'Nothing' For Him On Father's Day After He Banned Her From Talking To Her Mom On Mother's Day
He accused his daughter of being petty and childish for ignoring instead of celebrating him.
4 PM production | Shutterstock A teenage girl admitted that her dad had become frustrated and punished her for not doing anything to celebrate him on Father's Day.
Posting to the subreddit r/AITA, the teen claimed that she had no inkling to do something for her dad because of the way that he treated her mom.
Her dad got upset that she did 'nothing' for him on Father's Day after he banned her from speaking to her mom on Mother's Day.
In her Reddit post, the 13-year-old explained that her dad was pretty upset that she didn't get him a gift or card for Father's Day, but she admitted that the only reason was that he refused to let her speak or spend time with her mom on Mother's Day.
"My dad has banned me from talking to my mom, who is actually my ex-stepmom, but she's been in my life since I was 4, and I'm 13 now, and my biological mom isn't really around much since they got divorced," she wrote. Her dad has argued that her stepmother is incredibly "toxic" but refuses to give her any details about why he has that opinion.
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She's attempted to talk to him and make a compromise, but her dad is seemingly stuck in his stubborn ways, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. She began texting her mom without her dad knowing, but since he routinely checks her laptop and phone, he eventually found out.
Her next approach was straight-up asking him if she could just say "Happy Mother's Day" to her mom, but he refused to give her the devices back so she could.
He claimed that since she's not her biological mom the teen has no reason to tell her Happy Mother's Day at all.
What this teen's dad doesn't realize is that Mother's Day isn't just reserved for biological mothers, grandmothers, or aunts but for chosen families, as well.
She clearly feels a connection to her stepmother even if they aren't related by blood, and she should be allowed to express that love without her dad trying to police her and punish her.
Following her dad's behavior and his refusal to let her celebrate her stepmom on Mother's Day, she chose to give him that same energy back. "I don't do anything for my dad on Father's Day, but he got so angry about it. He said I was being petty and childish."
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Her dad shouldn't let his personal feelings about his ex-wife compromise the relationship that his daughter has with her.
If she wants to speak to her on Mother's Day or spend the day with her, then she should be allowed to, especially since he can't come up with any reasons why she shouldn't besides his own vendetta against her, which isn't enough.
Unless she's an actual danger to his daughter, then he should step in, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.
People in the comments section agreed that she wasn't wrong for ignoring her dad on Father's Day.
"Is it possible to find a way to sit down with your dad and tell him that he’s really hurting you by not letting you have access to your mom?" one Reddit user suggested.
"Maybe tell him that if she really did do something that makes it not safe for you to be around, that you would really like to know because right now you just don’t understand and it hurts?"
Another user added, "She may not be your bio mother, but she was obviously a mother figure to you. Keeping her from you without telling you why is some bad parenting. How can he expect you to act like a grown-up and not allow you to make your own decisions?"
"I am so sorry you have to go through this. What your father is doing is unfair, and quite frankly, he absolutely deserves what you did. You are at a tough age right now with your parental relationships and your own development and ambitions. Seek support and advice from wherever you can and never be afraid to ask for help."
It's clear that her father's actions are pushing her away, and if he continues down this path, he won't be able to spend another Father's Day with her.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.