Some people need more strict parenting.
They might think what they’re doing is just harmless fun, but they could get hurt or get someone else hurt by being irresponsible.
Redditor No-Orchid-7277 encountered this very issue with their family. So they turned to the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit for moral judgment.
They asked:
“AITA for canceling the family trip because my stepson damaged my plants?”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“I grow indoor plants and keep them around the house whether by the kitchen window or out on the front porch. I have a variety of plants like Lily, aloe vera, also flowers and they all require care and attention.”
“It’s a hobby of mine and because I don’t own enough space I just stick to indoor planting.”
“I have a 16 year old stepson Sean who loves to pull all kinds of pranks and has been trying some weird pranks on me lately. I don’t mind it as long as he’s happy and also because nothing is too serious just hiding my farming tools/replacing them with damaged ones and so on.”
“He just keeps messing around like any other kid.”
“Days ago he posted a FB video of him spraying cold water on me when I was sleeping. It was embarrassing since he shared it with family. I got mad at him and had him delete it despite him begging me to let him keep it.”
“He kept sulking afterwards and had his mom try to convince me to let him repost the video but I thought that was crazy request.”
OP’s stepson wanted to get back at him.
“Sean suddenly became friendly and asked if he could water my plants, I was glad he asked and gave him the watering can and told him to start with the plants in the kitchen. He was gone for few minutes then he got back and started watering all the plants in the house.”
“Later in the evening I was cleaning my tools and there was a weird smell coming from the watering can. It smelled like bleach. I freaked out and checked my plants and the same smell was coming from them.”
“I confronted Sean and asked what he watered the plants with. He acted dumb and said nothing but I found a bottle of bleach in his room which made me lose my temper. He admitted watering my plants with bleach to get back at me for making him remove the video.”
“I was mortified I immediately canceled the weekend trip to the national park that he was looking forward to.”
“He started crying saying it was too much and he made a mistake in moment of clouded judgement. I refused to discuss it. My wife feels bad Sean hasn’t been eating well since I canceled the trip but he damaged my plants and caused me hurt and pain.”
“She thinks an apology was enough, he is a kid and made a mistake.”
“She wanted me to let it go but I said canceling the trip is his official punishment, Period I got called unreasonable and stubborn for this and that I don’t respect her as a parent too and said taking away the only thing he cares about the most and look forward the most reeks of abuse.”
“Sean has this mentality that if he admits doing something wrong then he’ll be forgiven. This isn’t how it should be but his mother thinks admitting to it and apologizing should be the end of it.”
Redditors gave their opinions on the situation by declaring:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Redditors agreed OP was the a**hole.
“NTA. That seems like a reasonable punishment for a horrible, hateful act.”
“He’ll get over it.” ~ WebbieVanderquack
“I know right? He isn’t eating well? Who cares? Is the mom really this easily manipulated? He’s two years from being an adult and right now he is acting like a remorseless sociopath.” ~ SlickStrick
“I was shocked that stepson was 16. He destroyed OP’s plants and he did all that because OP told him to delete a video that he was in and embarrassed him? Him not eating and crying because he couldn’t go to the trip and having the mentality that “because I apologized, everything is 100% alright” it’s so childish.”
“OP’s wife is probably worse because she allows her kid to do these stuff without consequences and is the one who put that mentality in his head.” ~ OreSanjou1234
People were hoping OP could give their stepson a taste of his own medicine.
“Yes. She’s letting him treat an apology like it’s a reset button.I guess if OP apologizes to her and stepkid for cancelling the trip (but leaves it cancelled) then everything’s back to being great, right?”
“ETA: Wow, thanks for the awards, people!” ~ Senator_Bink
“Omg OP should totally do that. ‘Sorry I cancelled the trip Sean. There, I apologized so it is all better right?’ And see how he reacts.” ~ GrayBunny415
“It’s like the broken plate analogy. Throw a glass plate on floor, tell it sorry, did it fix it? That’s not how apologies work. He cause damage to literally all the plants because he knew it would harm them. I’m just glad it wasn’t, oh I don’t know, a younger sibling or a family pet. NTA.” ~ Gittybear
“I like the plate analogy.”
“‘glad it wasn’t.. a sibling.. or pet.’ Exactly.”
“Frankly, if my kid did this to me, a cancelled trip would be the least of their problems. No phone, no xbox, no friends and they need to spend their own money to replace the plants. They would have to dump the contaminated dirt, rinse the pots, and replant the plants they bought.”
“I’m very forgiving of fuck ups everybody has one now and then. That was petty revenge and MASSIVELY DISRESPECTFUL. I put up with mistakes, but not disrespect.” ~ Ex_Intoxicologist
“My mum loves her plants. She will toss us out if we deliberately hurt her plants. Like imagine being so petty that you hurt something that is considered living. Like just imagine if OP had a pet and this kid fed them poison, he would have been in jail for animal abuse.”
“OP, don’t put the trip back on, no matter what your wife says. This isn’t abuse, it’s parenting, which by the way, your wife is doing nothing of.” ~ Great_Finder
OP’s stepson was completely disrespectful.