A 34-year-old man was looking forward to a rare, meaningful day with his dad: breakfast, a historic steakhouse dinner, and a rodeo they already had tickets for.

But what started as a favor-filled morning quickly turned tense when his dad used breakfast to criticize his career, appearance, and repeatedly suggest therapy, despite having promised months earlier to stop bringing it up.

After multiple requests to change the subject were ignored, the son got up and left, and canceled the rest of the day entirely.

AITA for walking out on my dad at breakfast and refusing to go to a rodeo we had tickets for?

I (34M) had plans with my dad to drive from LA to Ontario, CA for dinner at a historic steakhouse and a rodeo last Saturday evening. I was really looking forward to it.

My dad had been all alone in the house for a week while my mom and younger sisters were in Europe. My mom had even sent their dog to a dog-sitter for the week!

On Saturday morning my dad asked me for a favor – I drove 52 miles round trip to pick him up after he dropped off his car at the tire shop. Then we went to a breakfast at a place he chose – that neither of us has been to before.

That’s quite the favor.

At breakfast, my dad was increasingly uncomfortable. He wasn’t happy with the unhealthy menu, he didn’t like the coffee, the service was slow and awkward. He was probably feeling lonely in the empty house. Then he began criticizing my lack of a career.

And look, he’s not wrong to be disappointed in my lack of adult success. I took 10 years to finish college and haven’t managed to get a traditional job since graduating 5 years ago. I’m overweight (working on it) and have long hair and a beard (intentional) – he can’t stand any of it.

Anyway, my dad asked what my plans were for making more money this year. I said honestly that if I knew, I’d have done it already, and asked if we could move on.

Yikes.

He ignored this and asked if I wanted him to pay for therapy, and if I’d “given up on ever having a job.” I said no to both and again asked to change the subject.

He kept going – asked if I wanted to be a lawyer, suggested I’d need to cut my hair, asked if I’d talked to anyone about “this.” Then he brought up paying for me to go to therapy, again.

At this point, I told him he was crossing a line that would be relationship-ending with a friend. He ignored me and continued.

End of conversation.

I stood up and said “I’m going, and I’m not going to the rodeo tonight.” As I was leaving, he asked “Aren’t you going to drive me home?” I’d forgotten I was his ride, but I was already walking out, so I said “are you kidding?” and left.

Important context: We had this EXACT conversation 2 months ago where I told him that suggesting I need therapy when I’m not asking for it is a personal attack I’m not okay with – and he promised to stop bringing it up.

I’ve actually been to a good amount of therapy over the years – so I’m not opposed to the idea on principle. But there’s a difference between going to therapy and being told you need it.

Of course.

He later texted asking if he should resell the rodeo tickets. I explained I’d asked him to stop at least 3 times and that he couldn’t have expected me to sit through more.

He responded: “I don’t know why you set lines. The person who sets lines in the sand is often hostile.” Then immediately asked if I could drive him to pick up my mom’s car.

AITA? I feel bad about missing the evening I was looking forward to, but I don’t think I should have to sit through being told I need therapy and have “given up on life” after explicitly asking someone to stop – even if that person is my dad.

Now he’s wrestling with guilt over abandoning plans he genuinely wanted, while also feeling justified for enforcing a boundary he’d already clearly set. Was walking out an overreaction fueled by pride, or the only way to stop a conversation that crossed into disrespect after repeated warnings?

This person says everyone’s kind of in the wrong.

But this person says NTA.

This person agrees…he is NTA.

Setting boundaries may ruin plans, but ignoring them ruins relationships even faster.

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.