Family relationships can get complicated when feelings of attention and priority come into play.

In this story, a young woman was on a call with her boyfriend when her dad interrupted and started venting about feeling neglected.

He complained that she spends more time with her boyfriend and buys him gifts, while he doesn’t get any.

Now, she’s questioning whether she’s done something wrong by treating them differently.

Check out the full details below.

AITA for not getting my dad gifts when I get my boyfriend gifts?

For context, I (16F) and my boyfriend (16M) have been dating for about a year and a half.

My dad (36M) has been fully supportive of our relationship.

My dad has been divorced since 2018.

Although he dated for a few years after the divorce, he has not had luck finding a girlfriend since he and my mom broke up for the last time in 2021.

This teenage girl lives alone with her dad.

I have no siblings.

I live alone with my dad.

We live next door to my grandparents and aunts.

They are very close in age to me, 22 and 27.

She was calling her boyfriend when her dad went to her room.

Today, my boyfriend and I were on the phone.

My dad walked into my room and started talking to me.

I was already calling someone. He told me it would be “real quick.”

He kept talking for 25 minutes straight.

I basically did not say a single word back except for “right.”

He does this a lot.

She learned that her dad was hurt for not getting gifts from her.

Towards the end of the conversation, I tried to let him know that I was calling someone at the moment.

I said, “Excuse me, everything you’re saying is super interesting and I’d love to hear more.”

He cut me off. He started ranting about how I am not interested in what he has to say.

He also began ranting about how I abandoned him for my boyfriend.

One of the things he said specifically was that it hurts his feelings when I buy my boyfriend gifts but not him.

Now, she’s wondering if she should also buy him gifts.

I almost always only get my boyfriend gifts on couples-related occasions.

These include Valentine’s Day, his birthday, or our anniversary.

I get my dad gifts on his birthday and Christmas.

Should I be getting him gifts, too, each time I get my boyfriend a gift?

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AITA?

Hmmm… the issue seems bigger than just gifts.

It sounds like the dad may be feeling lonely and struggling with the fact that she’s already in a semi-serious relatonship.

I think she should find more ways to show her love and appreciation to her dad so that he won’t think that he’s competing for her attention.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about parents who want their young adult son to pay more toward household expenses.

Let’s see how others reacted to this story.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

Here’s an honest opinion from this one.

Here’s another sensible remark.

He needs to realize his daughter is growing up, says this one.

Finally, short and straightforward.

Some parents forget that growing up isn’t the same as growing apart.