If you were dating someone with a kid who started calling you a name that could destroy your career and everything you worked so hard to build, would you dump them to protect yourself? Or would you stick with them through their failure to properly parent?
This 48-year-old man is a teacher, and he started dating another 34-year-old teacher named Heather four years ago. Heather has a son, Dan Jr., while he has no children of his own.
Now, he used to actually teach Heather’s ex and the father of her child, Dan, back in middle school. Dan is a deadbeat, but Dan Jr. didn’t take after him and has the potential to grow up to be a decent man.
Dan Jr. was unproblematic for the duration of his relationship with Heather. But after he and Heather discussed getting married, Dan Jr. changed overnight.
“All of a sudden, he started mouthing off and misbehaving. Saying stuff like…I couldn’t replace his dad. He was confrontational. I’m a teacher. I’ve seen many of my kids go through this,” he explained.
“I talked to Heather about getting him some therapy. I also suggested family therapy. She has seen this in her students, too. She should know what he needs.”
Right after Christmas, Dan Jr. escalated and started calling him a name that could completely destroy his career, as it insinuates that he preys on children.
He tried to speak to Heather about this, who argued that Dan Jr. was only trying to deal with his feelings. He replied to Heather that he could see how mad Dan Jr. was, but with him throwing around a name like that, it could have dire consequences.
Heather didn’t want to hear it, and so he addressed it with their therapist. Heather once again defended her kid instead of him, and then Dan Jr. called him that name in therapy.
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“He said I could have been her teacher when she was in elementary school. While that is technically true, I never met her until she was 30. She was a whole…adult with a child,” he added.
“I can’t take any chances with my job. I broke up with her and moved out. She thinks I’m overreacting. Her folks think we just need to slow down and give her kid a chance to catch up.”
“I miss her. But [as] I said, I can’t have that word around me. And she couldn’t control her kid. Am I being [a jerk]?”
I can’t believe that Heather sided with her brat of a kid over him when her kid is using a term that absolutely could ruin his career and his life!
That’s not funny, and as a parent, you can’t blindly excuse your kid’s unacceptable behavior. Since Heather has no intention of doing the right thing, it’s wise that he dumped her. He can’t risk what he’s worked hard to build for himself.
What do you think? Is there any way he can repair his relationship with Heather, or is it smarter for his own self-preservation to stay away from her and her kid?
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By Bre Avery Zacharski
Hi, I'm Bre, Chip Chick's CEO! I have a degree in Textile/Surface Design from The Fashion Institute of Technology, and... More about Bre Avery Zacharski
