Having a good relationship with your family is somewhat of a blessing. Although many parenting philosophies exist, whether it’s the free-range or helicopter kind, family experts agree that kids who have a secure and healthy attachment to their parents have a better chance of developing content relationships with others in their life.
And a 32-year-old single dad who goes by the handle u/illbreakuo seems to be blessed to have such a relationship with his 16-year-old son. Except, his sister doesn’t think it’s particularly healthy.
In a lengthy Reddit post, the dad shared an incident he recently had with his sister who not only questioned his parenting style, but even accused him of being “creepy” for his loving relationship with his son.
Read on for the full incident as written by the dad himself down below, and share whether you think he's an “AITA for telling my sister that she’s sick and delusional” in the comment section.
A single dad snapped at his sister after she accused him of being “creepy” for hugging his son, and now he's asking Reddit if his reaction was adequate
Image credits: August de Richelieu (not the actual photo)
Parenting styles and dynamics is a sensitive topic. There’s no universal way one should raise their child and maintain a healthy relationship. But we all want one. After all, being loved and cared about by your parents is something every child needs, and it’s no different in father-son relationships.
But according to Roland C. Warren, a board member of the National Fatherhood Initiative, “too often, fathers think they’re doing a better job in these areas than they really are.” Every parent wants what’s best for their child, and they seemingly put all the effort they can into it, but are they really?
Roland starts with the concept of nurturing. “Nurturing means a lot of things. It certainly includes hugging and kissing our boys on a daily basis and telling them that we love them.” He stressed that “yes, even boys need hugs and kisses,” an idea which angered the sister of the author of this Reddit post so much.
So he shared the whole incident on the AITA subreddit
People weighed in on the incident and shared what they thought of it
But Roland says it’s not only about being affectionate. Nurturing also “includes taking care of their daily needs, like cooking for them, giving them baths, playing with them, reading to them, and helping their mothers.”
Stereotypically, nurturing one’s child is a practice often associated with mothers. But “despite the conventional wisdom that nurturing is primarily mom’s territory, the root meaning of 'nurture' is 'to protect'—a role that most dads are comfortable with.”
A dad’s love for his son doesn’t end with nurturing. One of the most crucial things is that of a son's innate need to be affirmed by his own father. “Your affirmation prepares your son to enter the world with the confidence and 'emotional armor' that he needs in order not just to survive, but to thrive,” explained Roland.
Telling your son how happy you are about him, not because of his accomplishments, but because of who he is as a person, is something every child greatly benefits from. Even when the relationship feels strained at times, and it’s normal if that happens, knowing that whatever happens, you have your father behind your back is one of the most valuable things any parent can bring their child.
And this is what people had to comment on the incident the anonymous dad posted on Reddit
