Parenting can be challenging, and parents don’t always agree about the right way to handle different situations. For example, if you wanted to go out on a date night with your spouse, what would you do if your teenage daughter refused to stay home and babysit her younger brothers? Would you get upset and force her to babysit, or would you find another babysitter?

In this story, one dad is in this situation, and his wife doesn’t think he handled it well at all.

Let’s read all about it.

AITA for taking back the money I promised my daughter for her trip after she refused to watch her younger siblings for the evening?

My daughter Zoey “17” has been planning a trip with her friends for weeks and asked for my wife’s and my help with money.

I promised her that I’ll be paying for her part of the trip which is about 80$ from stuff she needs for the trip, food, and other expenses.

Zoey appreciated this a lot since she normally pay for trips and other fun things with her own money but she left her summer job not too losing ago.

He asked Zoey for a favor.

2 days ago was my wife and I wedding anniversary. We planned to go out and celebrate in the evening and I asked Zoey if she could watch watch her younger siblings (3, 9) while we’re out.

She said “sorry, I have plans for tonight”

I asked her to elaborate and she said she wanted to meet her best friend at a party before she leaves town as her friend will be moving away this month. She suggested we get a babysitter but it was already late for me to call and arrange for a babysitter.

My wife suggested calling my sister but my sister has enough on her plate to be watching our kids.

He ended up getting pretty upset.

I tried to convince Zoey to skip going out and watch her brothers but she refused and said my wife and I could stay home and celebrate, but I told her we already reserved a table at the restaurant.

I was getting mad. I brought up the trip that I was paying for and told her I will take the money back if she refused to watch her brothers for the evening.

She said no and told her no trip then unless she gets the money herself because I’m no longer paying for it.

She screamed at me calling me unbelievable for taking money back just cause she wanted to attend her best friend’s goodbye party and not wanting responsibility for her brothers.

His wife is on Zoey’s side.

I refused to discuss it. I took the kids to my mother’s house and left.

My wife said I was too harsh on Zoey especially since it’s not her fault she doesn’t want to be responsible for her brothers for the evening.

I was puzzled. I told her it’s just one evening.

But still my wife thought I punished Zoey over nothing by taking thee money I promised for her trip.

Zoey isn’t speaking to me and is cold shouldering me because of this.

He was too harsh. If taking the kids to his mother’s was an option, what’s all the drama about? Zoey wants to go to her friend’s party instead of babysitting on zero notice. It’s not a big deal.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

This person points out that his daughter deserves respect.

Exactly!

They really should’ve asked her earlier.

One person had parents like this.

He owes his daughter an apology.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a stepmom who has had it with her stepdaughter “pretending” to sleep to get out of giving rides to school.