Dad Makes Daughter Do All House Chores In Return For Menstrual Pads
Part of raising a child is teaching them responsibility and basic chores like cooking and cleaning. However, this usually entails teaching it to all your kids. This dad only made his daughter do chores while never asking anything out of his son. His reasoning was that he pays more for his daughter's pads, so she should earn it.
The dad (ThrowAwayGirlVsBoy) asked Reddit whether he was in the wrong, and Reddit clapped back.
The Single Dad Was Widowed
The 50-year-old prefaces the post by explaining that he lost his wife ten years ago. He was left alone with a 17-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter.
However, he recently got into a big feud with the rest of his family when they learned that he makes his daughter do all the chores, but asks nothing from his son.
Doing Chores Was The Dad's Way Of Getting Paid Back
To defend himself the dad explained: "it's because I have to spend extra on my daughter each month, not only for her extracurriculars, but for her monthly supplies, so it's my way of having her pay me back."
The dad assigned his daughter with cleaning the shared living spaces and bathrooms, and cooking four meals a week.
The Dad Was Spending Twice As Much On The Son's Activities
The unfairness of the dad's treatment was pointed out by his brother. It turns out the dad was spending twice as much on the son's extracurriculars. By the same logic, the son should be doing chores too.
"I explained he didn't because I feel his could help him get into college but hers were just a hobby in my opinion."
The Daughter Finally Complained
The daughter overheard her dad's conversation with her uncle and felt upset. She retaliated by refusing to do the chores. She claimed it was unfair.
"I told her she’d still be doing her chores and life isn’t fair so stop being a brat, or I’d refuse to pay for her extracurricular stuff or pads."
The Daughter Ran Away
The dad explains that he wouldn't actually stop paying for her activities but that he was speaking in the heat of the moment.
However, the daughter had enough and packed a bag and left. She went to stay with her aunt. The dad demanded that the daughter come back home but her aunt told the dad he was abusive.
The Dad Is Furious
"My brother and sister are coddling her and I'm furious. They said I was being a jerk and that’s why she left. I’m completely fed up with the whole thing. "
So, he's looking for a little backup by asking Reddit if he truly is a jerk for expecting his daughter to do chores.
The Dad Thinks His Son Has A Better Chance At A Scholarship
The son plays football and baseball while the daughter is in a choir and a dance group.
The dad believes this means that the son has a better chance at getting a scholarship.
Redditors Agreed That The Dad Was In The Wrong
Many Redditors couldn't believe the story was real. One pointed out "You make your daughter do chores because you have to pay for period supplies monthly.... which she literally cannot help?"
Many comments echoed the same feeling with another sarcastically saying "If she was a good daughter she would train her uterus not to shed its lining."
Others Pointed Out That He's Not Teaching His Son Basic Skills
By having the daughter do all the chores, the son isn't learning how to cook, clean, or do laundry. One commented: "I'm also quite shocked that, aside from the obvious mistreatment of his daughter, he is also failing his son by not instilling in him the skills he will need to survive once he has moved out."
Even the son is saying this treatment is unfair.
The Dad Claims That He Is Not Sexist
Reddit didn't react in the way that the dad expect, and he needed to defend himself.
"I'm not sexist and I don’t appreciate being called one, and for those of you messaging me saying you hope someone calls CPS on me, I’m not doing anything wrong so that’s just stupid."
Dad Tells Stepdaughter She Can't Leave Period Products In The Bathroom
The reality is that boys and men don't get a firsthand experience of what it means to have that time of the month and don't fully understand menstruation. So it makes sense that men shouldn't have an opinion on the matter. Period.
One dad went online seeking empathy for a menstrual situation with his stepdaughter, but he didn't exactly get it.
Let's Be Real: Periods Suck
You don't have to experience one to know that they aren't exactly fun.
Between the painful cramps, the tendency to increase acne, and the straight-up discomfort of bleeding for a week, it makes sense that periods aren't a walk in the park.
However, Most Boys Don't Know Much About Them
Unless they have a sister, girlfriend, or mother who's very open about their monthly cycle, most boys grow up without any real understanding of periods and might even be grossed out about them.
That can continue on into adulthood.
One Stepfather Had Some Things To Say About It
This stepfather took to Reddit to share a story about an argument that went down in his household.
He wrote in hoping to get some sympathy from people online who would support his side of the story.
So What Exactly Happened?
The man had moved his new wife and her daughter into his house six months prior, following their wedding.
Before this, he had just been living with his three teenage sons.
He's A Big Fan Of His Stepdaughter
He spoke well of his stepdaughter, a 19-year-old, who gets along well with his own kids.
He called her a good influence and a very kind young woman, and he really does enjoy having her around.
However, There Was One Issue
All four of the step-siblings share one bathroom.
One week, one of the sons came to his father to say that the step-sister disposes of her used period products in the trashcan in the bathroom without disguising what they are.
The Boys Have Never Really Had A Woman In The House
This father has had pretty much full custody of his sons for most of their lives, them being aged 18, 16, and 15 respectively.
They've never lived with a woman, so they were uncomfortable with seeing period products around.
He Decided To Bring It Up
While the stepdaughter was doing schoolwork at the kitchen table with her mother nearby, the stepfather decided to speak up.
He told them both that his sons were uncomfortable with her disposing of her period items openly in the bathroom trash can.
Her Mother Came To Her Defense
Her mother immediately laughed it off, saying that the concern was "rich coming from a man who sheds like a gorilla."
The mom proceeded to explain that menstrual products can't be flushed and that it's wasteful for her daughter to fully bag and hide each one she has to throw out.
The Stepfather Wasn't Happy About It
In a later conversation with his wife, he said that it was unfair to her to make his sons uncomfortable.
In response, the wife said that her daughter has had her period of almost 10 years and knows how to handle it. Instead, she proposed that the sons "get a grip."
The People Of The Internet Did Not Lean In His Favor
Most of the people said that he was being the jerk in this situation.
Instead of asking his stepdaughter to change her behavior, many suggested that his sons instead should be more sympathetic to her and get over it.
Others Pointed To The Impracticality Of Worrying About The Boys' Discomfort
People pointed out that he can't shield his sons from the realities of a period for the rest of their lives: eventually, they might have to live with other women.
Others mentioned that it wasn't like the stepdaughter was being messy. In fact, she was doing exactly what one is supposed to do with used period products: throwing them out.
Harmony Was Restored In The End
To fix the situation, the mother and daughter put together a presentation—slideshow and all—on periods and had the male members of the house sit down and listen.
The sons and stepfather ended up apologizing to the stepdaughter, and all was right in the family.
