Two parents are facing an impossible choice when they have to decide between protecting one child from another, and living with both of their kids under the same roof, as detailed in a Reddit post.
*This is a work of non-fiction sourced from social media discussion boards and verified experts/specialists.*
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The author begins by explaining that she has a 14-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son. She continues that her daughter was stricken with a “rare mouth infection” when she was younger, as explained in the post:
“When our daughter was eight, she developed a very rare mouth infection that just absolutely devastated her teeth and gums. She ended up losing all her teeth in both sets, and had to have some corrective work done just so she could have regular dentures. Obviously, this was very traumatic for her, and she's still in therapy to help cope to this day.”
Though she adds that her daughter and son have a good relationship between the two of them, her son’s recent and shocking actions have unfortunately severely damaged that sibling relationship:
“My son somehow recorded his sister taking out her teeth without her noticing, and then showed all her friends when they were over. Not only have they all turned on her, but half the school is teasing her nonstop, she even had to change her phone number because dozens of kids were texting her the most vile things imaginable. I have never been more ashamed of one of my children until that moment, I don't know where we went wrong raising him, but apparently, he thought it would be funny.”
The shame, guilt, and anger the author experienced from this event are understandable, particularly from a parenting perspective, as touched on by Empowering Parents. The weight of accountability for a child’s shameful or destructive behavior is a heavy blow to a parent, and all harmful actions come along with potential consequences or larger ramifications, according to Psychology Today.
In response to her son’s actions, the author has decided to make a rather drastic move:
“After I kicked out her "friends" who were mocking her and helped her through a panic attack, I called my father to pick my son up, and told my child to pack a bag and get out. He's been staying with my parents two towns over, they didn't know what happened until two days ago. That came up because driving him to school was becoming a hassle, and they wanted to know what was up. When I explained they were disgusted, but still wanted to know when they could bring him home. I asked them if they'd take care of registering him for school in their town, and they agreed but were shocked.”
The parents must now face a terrible decision, choosing between forgiving their son, or protecting their daughter, the true victim of the incident. The author concludes with:
“My husband and I talked, and we just cannot have him here. His sister hates him, we're so ashamed we can't even think of calling him. It sounds awful but I don't think our relationship can recover from this, and maybe this is what he needs. No friends, no family aside from his grandparents, having to start over might just set him right. My parents are willing to keep him until he's 18, but think we're too emotionally charged to be making this decision now.”
What do you think?
Are the parents justified to kick their teenage son out after the incredibly cruel thing he did toward his sister, knowing how much it would hurt and traumatize her?
Or should a parent never choose one child over the other, and they need to find a way to help the children reconcile?
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