Teenagers are a handful in the best of situations, but when a child has gone through something as traumatic as losing a parent, it can be so much harder.

The father in this story never wanted to be a dad at all, and wasn’t in his son’s life for most of his growing up. After his mother passed away, however, his son eventually moved in with him. Not surprisingly, his son was quite troubled and kept causing problems.

Out of frustration, the Dad threatened to send his son to military school or to put him into the foster care system. Of course, his son is upset about this and said that his dad is awful for threatening this. Dad isn’t sure if he was out of line or if he was being reasonable due to his son’s behavior.

Honestly, it is hard to believe that any parent could be this awful, but it does happen. Read through the details below and see what you think about this heartbreaking situation.

AITA for telling my kid that if he cannot behave perhaps we should reconsider the foster care system or military school.

I do not have any legal rights to my son Danny. This is just a messed up situation.

Wow, he really didn’t want to be in this poor child’s life.

I never wanted kids. Met a woman who felt the same until we got pregnant. Three kinds of birth control failed. I have since gotten snipped.

I agreed to sign away my paternal rights and pay child support until he was adopted by her partner. Whomever that might be in the fullness of time.

How awful. At least the grandparents are there for him.

My parents insisted on being involved in his life. I was fine with it. He is a good kid most of the time.

Unfortunately life or in this case death happens. My ex passed away. She has no family and she left Danny with my parents when he was twelve.

The transition will be difficult; that is no surprise.

My parents are very old and are a huge reason why I never wanted a kid. Danny’s mom was an okay parent but pretty lenient.

Going from that to my parents perfectly curated house must have been a shock. He was okay for a while. He is in counseling.

Kids at that age are always a handful.

He is fourteen now and as much of a pain in the ass as you can imagine a fourteen year old boy to be.

Six months ago my parents threw in the towel. They said that if I didn’t come take him he would be going to military school.

Finally, Dad is stepping up. It is no surprise that the child is acting up, given all he has gone through.

I hated military school so I took him in. All legal. My parents are his legal guardians but I am letting him live with me and trying to socialize him.

He isn’t having it. He has trashed my home a couple of times. He refuses to do his chores or his schoolwork. He is just being a jerk. I have been going to counseling with him for six months and it hasn’t helped.

Getting him professional help is important. But he seems to mean putting him in foster care.

I sat him down and told him flat out that if I had to deal with him wrecking my stuff, not cleaning up after himself, or not doing his homework I was going to talk to my parents and see if perhaps being under professional care will help his behavior.

He said I was a jerk and that I was never a father so why am I trying now. To be honest I’m trying because I loved his mom. I know she grew up in foster care and would hate knowing that’s where he ended up.

AITA?

This ‘father’ has been terrible from the very beginning. Maybe he is trying to turn that around now, but it certainly doesn’t seem like it. The child has been through a lot and is acting out. Of course, he can’t just let that continue, but considering foster care shouldn’t be an option.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a son who is left wondering how to hold up a collapsing fence while his dad runs for the nails.

Read on to see what the people in the comments have to say about it. I can’t imagine anyone will be taking his side.

This commenter could be right. Dad needs to step up.

No child should have to go through this.

Danny needs a lot of professional help and love. Dad wants to give neither.

Danny has been a victim of bad luck and a bad parent his whole life.

It is heartbreaking that any child has to go through this.

This poor child has been through so much, and Dad is really only making it worse. Maybe the child would be better off in military school, or even foster care, but don’t pretend that he is doing it out of what is best for the child.

Dad doesn’t want to be responsible for his child and is looking for validation. He won’t get it here.