It’s tough to explain to kids what it’s actually like to be a parent. From a teenager’s perspective, it might seem like all fun and games or, most likely, they’re just not really considering the reality of having a baby that young. But as we all know, the harsh realities of parenting are exactly that: harsh realities.
One dad came up with a detailed plan for teaching his teenage son what it’s really like to take care of a baby. After his son got his girlfriend pregnant, this father wanted to make sure his son truly understood what he was getting himself into. The dad explained, “I don’t want my 17-year-old shackled to a baby when neither of them are ready for this. If anything, I want him to realize how this is going to be, and to as least look at options.”
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Some of his methods included:
- “I wake him up twice a night, 2 hours apart after he has fallen asleep. I open the door, scream as loud as I can until I know he is awake, and I shut the door. I’ve done this 5 nights in a row.”
- “I purchased a sack of flour for him and dressed it in a diaper. I have made him change the diaper every 2 hours, and if he doesn’t, I shut off the internet until he changes it. I will sometimes smear Nutella in a diaper for added effect/mess.”
- “While playing one of the games, I told him his “baby” wanted to be held. Giving me a truly shit-eating grin, he told me he has no issue playing his game and holding the baby. I placed a sack of flour in his arms and he continued to play one-handed. While he was doing this, I went to the kitchen, grabbed a small cup of applesauce and splashed it on his shoulder while he was playing. I told him that his baby spit up and he might want to pause his game to care of that.”
The dad shared his plan to Reddit, the “Am I the A**hole?” subreddit, specifically, and asked the community there if he was going too far with things. Many people agreed that it was a ridiculous, but effective, way to teach his son what it’s like to have a baby.
“In all seriousness though, yes it’s a tad ridiculous what you’re doing,” one person wrote in the comments. “But, it’s realistic. It’s proportionately appropriate to what your son is going to have to deal with. There are so many people who get all over the moon excited when their teenage children get pregnant, and frankly I find it repulsive that we encourage that. I think you’re doing the right thing.”
Others, though, thought the whole thing was over the top, especially considering that his girlfriend is already pregnant. “It’s too late about making an ‘informed decision.’”, said one user. “The girl is pregnant and if she chooses not to get an abortion, he has to step in and do his part no matter what, whether it be raising the kid with his girlfriend or paying child support.”
Do you think this dad went too far trying to teach his teenage son about the harsh realities of parenting? Sound off in the comments!
[H/T: Cafe Mom]
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