October 1, 2026 at 3:10 pm

She Responded To Her Dad’s Text With Just A Thumbs Up, But He Got Furious That She Didn’t Say More

by Jayne Elliott

teenage girl looking at her phone

Shutterstock

What is good texting etiquette when it comes to communicating with your parents?

In this story, a father and daughter completely disagree about what is and is not acceptable when a teen is texting their parent.

If your dad asked you a question via text, how would you respond? If you could respond with very few characters or even an emoji to get your point across, would you think that’s acceptable?

This teen did, but her dad got pretty upset.

Keep reading for the whole story.

AITA for speaking to my dad in a “simple” way?

I will quote the texts of our conversation

Dad : “I will pick you up at around 10 pm tomorrow ok?”

Me : 👍

Her dad wanted more than an emoji.

Dad : I’m not your buddy. Don’t just show me the sign from now on!!

Dad : Who teaches you this? Your mom? Your teachers? Or your buddy???

Me : I’m sorry, what should I say next time

They definitely disagree about what proper communication looks like.

Dad : How old are you? How many years you are already in school and take education?? Why you still need me to teach you how to say properly to your parents?

Me : I’m sorry I didn’t realize that my response was bad. It won’t happen again

Me : I thought that the “thumbs up” was enough to show that I understood/complied

I mean, I think she got the message across. I guess her dad prefers a full sentence.

Let’s see how Reddit responded.

This person thinks the dad is being unreasonable.

2026 09 25 at 11.36.07 PM She Responded To Her Dads Text With Just A Thumbs Up, But He Got Furious That She Didnt Say More

Another person thinks the dad may just not like emojis.

2026 09 25 at 11.36.20 PM She Responded To Her Dads Text With Just A Thumbs Up, But He Got Furious That She Didnt Say More

Here’s another theory about why the dad got upset.

2026 09 25 at 11.36.33 PM She Responded To Her Dads Text With Just A Thumbs Up, But He Got Furious That She Didnt Say More

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a sister who held up her end of a college savings bargain only to be ripped off by her scheming older sibling.

Another parents shares how their kid texts them.

2026 09 25 at 11.36.45 PM She Responded To Her Dads Text With Just A Thumbs Up, But He Got Furious That She Didnt Say More

Less is more when it comes to texting. Why write a full sentence when you can send a simple emoji that gets the point across?

The dad really overreacted, but maybe next time she should avoid sending her dad emojis.

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Jayne Elliott | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Jayne Elliott is a contributing writer and editor for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and family dynamics. With over 12 years of editorial experience in digital publishing, Jayne excels at analyzing complex online communities and transforming viral social debates into thoughtful, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating internet drama, Jayne brings a sharp, empathetic editorial eye to everyday dilemmas. She has a unique talent for unpacking the nuances of pop culture and online conflicts, providing readers with relatable, well-researched commentary.

Based in California, Jayne spends her free time outside the newsroom exploring theme parks with her family or beach-combing along the coast.

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