Kids spend a lot of time on screens, and while that’s not all bad, it’s good to be well-rounded. Spending time running around outside in the fresh air on a beautiful day is healthy for the mind, body and soul.

In today’s story, a boy wants to stay home instead of joining his family at the lake. The dad agrees to let the son skip going to the lake, but he finds another way to make sure his son spends the day outside.

Let’s see how the story plays out…

AITA for making my son help his grandpa on the farm for the weekend?

Me and the wife were about to pull the camper down to the lake.

It was me, the wife, my son (10) and my daughter (9).

As we were loading up the camper, the son and daughter got into a fight which made my son pout how he didn’t want to go camping if my daughter were around.

He agreed to let his son stay home but with a few conditions.

I initially brushed off his fit and just said something like “well why don’t you find the fishing poles and we can fish the banks for a while when we get there?”

Didn’t work, son’s mind was already made up. He was now adamant that he wanted to stay home and I was getting no where with him on the matter.

“Ok well you’re not going to stay inside all day playing video games or watching TV” I told him, and then followed up with telling him that I will be unplugging the Xbox’s and putting the cords in the gun safe, and he will have a babysitter.

The distraught look on his face all but confirmed to me that he was intending to play video games all day.

The son still chooses to stay home.

“I will also be assigning you some chores to do around the house, and I expect them to be completed when we get home, and the babysitter will be making sure you complete them. Changing your mind yet?”

Son then complains that I’m treating him like he’s grounded now, and I basically lectured him that the weekend weather is perfect for being outside, and then followed up in saying that he can play video games as a break from being outdoors with Monday’s triple digit heat index.

I offer him one last chance to join the family, and again he refuses.

He had an even better idea for a babysitter.

On a whim, I thought of one better than having a babysitter or doing chores around the house, helping his grandpa (my dad) on the farm.

I called Dad and he was over in a heartbeat to pick up my son.

I could tell that my son was even more upset with me when Dad instructed him to get in the pickup to check on his cows and sheep with him.

It definitely won’t be hard labor.

Will grandpa be putting him through hard labor?

Absolutely not, grandpa will only have him feed the little lambs which are friendly to people.

He’s also going to be able to swim in their pool as he’s done several times before.

Point is, we just want the kid to be outside.

Sorry that this turned into a rant.

It’s important for parents to set boundaries and make sure their kids do more than look at screens.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story…

This reader thinks the boy probably had a good time with his grandpa.

Another reader agrees that time on the farm was a good idea.

This person also thinks the farm was the perfect idea.

Another person feels that the dad did his job.

This person thinks it depends on the details of the conflict between brother and sister.

He probably enjoyed the farm even more than he would’ve enjoyed the lake.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.