Father's Day is usually a holiday where families gather around the man of the household and spoil him with food, love, gifts, and appreciation. Many dads look forward to the day just simply to spend time with their families. But many kids also look forward to a chance to give their dad a super meaningful and sentimental present.
There are also times when children want to give their dad's a "gag gift" or a gift that's supposed to be a bit funny and silly. Some kids, however, take things a bit too far and present something offensive and cruel. When this happens, it can turn any occasion into a pretty awkward and uncomfortable situation.
Recently, one dad posted on Reddit about his decision to throw out the gift his stepson had bought him for Father's Day, and surprisingly, Reddit is rallying behind him for his decision.
The dad shared that he married a woman three years ago who already had a teenage son.
He explained in his post to Reddit's AITA forum that he and his stepson, who is now 16, have never really been "close," but they are cordial. His wife's ex-husband is still in the picture, so his stepson has never truly seen him as a "dad" and moreso just as his mom's husband.
He also shared that his stepson causes a bit of trouble in the family, such as getting into trouble and expecting his stepdad to "bail" him out and pay for damages.
One major problem the Reddit user has is the way that his stepson mocks his sobriety.
The Reddit user shared he has been sober for three years, and it's something he's incredibly proud of. He said his life has become much better after he got sober, and anyone who has struggled with addiction knows that it's a hard road.
Having his stepson mock him has been triggering for him, but speaking to his wife about her son's behavior hasn't gotten him anywhere.
Then, on Father's Day, his stepson took things way too far.
After the family had dinner together on Father's Day, his stepson presented him with a gift.
The Reddit user said it "took him by surprise" because it was out of character for the stepson. But the "smug look on his face" made him believe it wasn't something sincere or genuine. He opened the gift anyway and was in shock with what he received.
His stepson had given him a flask and a glass.
The Reddit user was furious.
"I felt like he just made fun of, or mocked one of the biggest, most difficult struggles in my entire life. I froze … I didn't know what to say or how to act since everyone was literally watching me. Jake was giggling hard and that's when I got pissed," he wrote.
He decided to throw the gift in the trash.
He told everyone watching that the flask and glass had "no place in their house," walked outside to the trash can, and threw it out.
He and his wife got into an argument, because his wife thought his behavior was "childish" and said her son was just "having fun" and joking around. The Reddit user, however, did not believe mocking his sobriety was "lighthearted" and fun.
People online are rallying behind the stepfather's choice.
Although his wife may not have agreed with him, many Reddit users shared that he absolutely did the right thing.
"Your stepson is a bully. Instead of protecting you from this bully, your wife is supporting it," one commenter shared. "If your stepson and wife are not willing to be allies and support for you in your sobriety, maybe they aren’t the best people for you to be around."
Many agreed that sobriety is not something to mock.
Reddit users insisted that not only is the stepson being a jerk, but the Reddit user's wife also is wrong.
"This is a serious deal breaker to be honest. It’s damn near impossible to have a healthy relationship with someone who doesn’t support your sobriety," one person commented. "The kid’s a jerk for sure, but the real AH is your wife."
One person added that his stepson may be trying to ruin their marriage.
One person chimed into the conversation saying that it sounds like the stepson may just not want his mother's marriage to work out.
Clearly, he knew the gift was wrong and that it would cause a problem. Some kids try to do things in the most toxic and selfish type of ways to achieve their end goal.
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
