I canceled my daughter’s 10th birthday when she wasn’t making the dishes

A MOTHER who canceled her daughter’s 10th birthday party because she didn’t finish her job sent her child’s friends away when she cried.

The woman, 32, sparked a wave of criticism after posting the punishment strategy on Reddit’s Am I The Asshole thread.

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The mother of five, whose name is not in the post, explained that she and her husband of thirteen years have a small three-bedroom townhouse and don’t have a dishwasher.

They live as frugal as one large family with student loans and a mortgage, she said, so “teach children the value of housework from an early age”.

The mother wrote: “When it was time for her daughter to make the dishes last Sunday, the young lady did not finish them because her siblings kept distracting her.

She said: ‘Every time I go to the kitchen, she’s not there and I have to go find her to bring her back.

“She said water made her hands itch, too many dishes.

“Finally it’s bedtime so I said she’ll have to make them tomorrow.”

Throughout the week, she said, the young woman repeatedly failed to complete her work.

Depressed, her mother tells her that if she doesn’t finish the dishes before bed, she will cancel the birthday party.

She posted: “She got mad at first and cried. Then she didn’t seem to believe me. That afternoon she washed a few things but ended up playing outside.”

The angry mother said that her daughter continued to avoid the food so she announced the party was over.

She said: “She threw a huge tantrum. She said I ruined her birthday and she only turns 10 once.”

Text messages were sent to all the parents of the invited friends, but some didn’t receive the messages and turned away.

She posted: ‘My daughter won’t come out of her room screaming at her roommates.

“She called my aunt (my sister) on the family landline and my sister said I was too harsh and I hurt my daughter.

“My husband said what we did was nobody’s business, and that she was growing up and needed to learn how to help around the house and learn about the consequences of nature.”

Realizing she might have taken her response too far, she turned to Reddit for advice.

She asked other users of the platform: “Did I go too far by canceling the party? I thought I might have been an asshole for doing that and now some other punishment has ruined the whole thing. her birthday set and attitude about housework.”

The post attracted more than 2,700 comments with many people having a negative opinion, agreeing ‘yes’ – she was wrong.

One popular reviewer commented: “Sounds like some great doctors”.

Another said: “Yta (you’re an asshole) big time”, while another posted: “Your kid turns 10; give her a break. YTA”

One concerned commenter wrote: “KIDS DO NOT WORK FOR FREE”.

Some commentators spoke harshly about parenting, with some people lamenting the lack of justice in both parents.

Another wrote: “I just do the housework for the kids. I give the housework to my kids. But, if you can’t manage the house with all your kids helping, you need to think. some of my options.”

In an attempt to justify why this might be, one person suggested: “Sounds like the OP realizes she can’t afford to throw the party (“we live frugal” ) and find any reason not to throw it.”

Another saw the funny side: This made me laugh. “My husband said it’s nobody’s business”… so imma put it on Reddit. ”