This Teen Recently Told His 6-Year-Old Brother To Stop Calling Him Dad, And Now His Mom Thinks He Was Too Harsh
Some people who are older siblings have to take on a role that’s similar to one of a parent for their younger sibling. It could be for several reasons, but regardless, it’s an intense situation to be in.
One young man feels unsure of what to do after telling his younger brother to stop calling him ‘dad.’
He’s 19-years-old and has a 6-year-old brother named Ed. He also has a few other teenage siblings, and they live with their mom. Their dad was in and out of the picture ever since Ed was born.
“My father has been in and out of our lives for the past six years,” he explained. “He was working abroad and providing for us during that time, but us kids have slowly started to forget his presence around the house.”
Then, in 2021, his dad told them he was leaving town for a relative’s funeral and never came back.
It’s been really hard on their mom, trying to raise a bunch of kids on her own, so everyone has pitched in to help. He’s been especially helpful in helping his mom bring up Ed.
“Ed always used to call me by my name, but recently, he’s picked up the habit of calling me dad,” he said.
“I felt very awkward at first, but after some thought, I figured it was an honest mistake and didn’t pay much attention to it.”
However, Ed has been referring to him as ‘dad’ more often, whether it be in private or in front of friends and family. It’s been making him very uncomfortable.
morrowlight – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
The other afternoon, after picking up Ed from school, he started playing a little game with him and joking around. He told his mom that a random child was following him around, referring to Ed. It’s been an ongoing joke the older siblings pull occasionally.
But then, Ed said, “How dare you say that! I’m your son.”
He instantly became uncomfortable and felt he needed to be super clear with Ed about their situation because he didn’t want Ed growing up thinking he was someone he wasn’t. He clearly told Ed that he wasn’t his dad, he’s his brother, and they share the same mom. Then, Ed seemed sad and told him he was his dad now since his real dad was never returning.
Ed’s words broke his heart. His mom pulled him aside and told him he shouldn’t have said those things to Ed because his feelings were hurt. His mom also thinks that Ed only calls him dad because he’s a safe masculine figure in his life. Now, he feels guilty and wonders if he was being too harsh with Ed.
Was he being too harsh with his little brother, or did he need to clarify their relationship?
You can read the original post on Reddit here.
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