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Dad jokes, am I right?
There’s a particular kind of parental humor that probably makes total sense in the parent’s mind but just sounds terrible to their kids.
In this case, a dad asks the internet for help since his daughter, who admires his relationship with her mom, also dreams of having her “fairytale romance”.. at only 17.
After she dated a few guys he clearly did not approve of, he made an unfortunate “joke” and isn’t sure why it was so offensive, especially after he told the joke to a friend and she felt offended for his daughter.
Read the full story below.
AITA for calling my daughter’s assorted boyfriends “Baskin Robbins?”
My youngest daughter (17F), we’ll call her Sarah, has a Disney princess-style romantic side to her.
She wants her fairy tale relationship, and, like JG Wentworth, she wants it NOW.
Admittedly, she has the example of my wife and I set for her; we have an absolutely wonderful marriage, my wife is my best friend, and the house is always full of laughter.
The problem is, she wants that at 17, which I have tried to tell her, is not a realistic expectation.
It’s becoming an issue and a dangerous one.
This desire has led to a veritable string of pseudo-boyfriends over the last 2 years. Don’t ask me for a count, because I honestly don’t know.
It was enough that I had made a comment to my wife that, until one of them actually has 2 brain cells to rub together and sticks around, I’m not going to learn their names, and they’re all going to be “Baskin Robbins” to me, since they’re the “flavor of the week.”
He’s concerned and doesn’t know what to do.
Now, I love and adore my daughter; she’s incredibly sweet, kind, and has an absolutely manic goofy side to her.
She often reminds me of Gilda Radner during her SNL stint.
But in matters of the heart, and actual love, she has no experience because of her age, and any conversation with her regarding it ends in some variation of “you just don’t understand, dad” being thrown out.
He might have made a mistake that pushed her further away.
To my mom and dad, if you ever read this, I’m genuinely sorry for everything I put you through as a teenager.
I told my Baskin Robbins joke to a friend of mine recently, and she got visibly heated, and said I was an ******* for this, saying it “made my daughter out to be some kind of *****,” which absolutely blindsided me.
I’ve always viewed the joke as a reflection on the teenage male experience, not my daughter.
AITA?
He needs to apologize to her ASAP. If he wants to give her proper advice, then he needs to adapt and do his best.
What did Reddit think?
This person thinks he’s in the wrong.
Yikes.
Another hot take.
Something to consider.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a friend who is upset they missed out on cheap festival passes due to her pal’s indecision.
Yikes 2.
You can say something and not get why the other person feels offended, but it’s necessary to understand that how something is received matters.
Even if he didn’t intend to say something offensive about his own daughter at all, he is still responsible for the feelings and insecurities he caused by saying that.