Every parent has a soft spot for their kids and wants to make sure they are taken care of and that they do well in life. Sometimes, though, the children may take things too far, which might even force their parents to reconsider whether they can support their actions.
This is the unfortunate situation a mom found herself in after her son fabricated a whole series of events just to steal her TV. She wouldn’t have doubted him but began sleuthing after checking out the home’s CCTV footage.
More info: Reddit
Sometimes, parents have to make tough choices if they want to hold their kids accountable for their actions
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The poster’s 28-year-old son said that while he had been babysitting his 4-year-old niece, she pulled down the TV and broke it, which is why he took it to get rid of it
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The man’s sister felt bad about her child destroying the TV, so she paid for it, but the parents were suspicious about the incident and checked their security cameras
Image credits: eanstudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The parents realized that their son had lied about the incident and had taken the TV despite it not being damaged. His girlfriend later told them he had brought it to their house
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The poster decided to hold her son accountable for his actions, so she filed a police report, got her TV back, and planned to press charges against him
The son in this story probably believed that he could pull the wool over his parents’ eyes and that they would blindly believe anything he told them. That’s why he made up a lie about his niece pulling down the TV and shattering it, saying that it had to be taken to the dump. He didn’t consider that the home’s security footage would tell a different story.
In situations like this, where an adult child might be lying to their parents or crossing boundaries, it is essential for the elders to confront them about it. A healthy relationship involves mutual respect and consideration, so if either the kid or the parents don’t treat each other well, new boundaries must be established.
That’s exactly what the OP decided to do. First, she learned the full story from her son’s girlfriend, and then she decided to act upon the information. The couple filed a police report, recovered their stolen TV, and then decided to press charges against their son to help teach him a valuable lesson.
Sometimes, tough love is an essential tool to bring about change. When an adult child engages in problematic behavior, the parents’ first thought might be to sweep things under the rug, but it’s better to push them to own up to their actions. This will help them learn and grow from their mistakes.
Image credits: Ahmet Kurt / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The mom did wonder if she was being too harsh by thinking of pressing charges against her son, which is why she reached out for advice. This might be the concern of many parents, but by protecting their children from the consequences of their actions, they are robbing them of an opportunity for growth.
Netizens also mentioned that if the man doesn’t get pulled up for his lying and stealing, he might end up doing even worse things later on. He even felt that it was okay to blame his 4-year-old niece and had no qualms about letting his sister pay to cover the cost of the “damaged” TV.
Just as the OP seemed to be feeling in this situation, many parents experience guilt when they stand up to their adult children. Psychologists say that it’s important to embrace such feelings and to forgive yourself if it’s weighing heavily on you. The first step to treating one’s kid like an adult is to let them make their own mistakes and deal with the consequences.
It’s difficult to know how to handle situations like this that involve close family members. Nobody wants to cause their loved ones any pain or discomfort, but maybe sometimes it’s warranted, especially if it involves an easily verifiable lie.
Do you think the OP and her husband were right to call the police on their son? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Netizens were divided, with some feeling like the parents were right to press charges against their son and others feeling like the poster and her husband took things too far
