Everybody makes mistakes, but some are greater than others. Children who make mistakes might find out how easily it can snowball and become even bigger if it isn’t corrected fast. That’s why parents help their kids figure out how to tackle life’s problems and offer support so that they can learn and grow.
But there are also parents who punish their children severely for doing something wrong. That’s what happened to a man who got his girlfriend pregnant at 15 and ended up being kicked out by his parents.
More info: Reddit
Guy who was kicked out at 15 for getting a girl pregnant suddenly meets parents after 13 years, they apologize and ask to meet their granddaughter
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
Guy shared how he got kicked out at 15 and had to live with his aunt after telling his parents he got his girlfriend pregnant, to which they said “they were ashamed to have [him] as their son”
Image credits: Julia M Cameron (not the actual photo)
His GF initially looked after the baby, but one day she decided “she wasn’t meant to be a mom” and left the kid with him, so he looked after the girl with the help of his aunt and cousins
Image credits: Ashley Williams (not the actual photo)
The man managed to finish school, get a job, and settle down 2 hours away from where he grew up and he felt content with his life
Image credits: ice_fall_
At his daughter’s soccer tournament, he ran into his parents who apologized to him for overreacting, they said they would love to get to know him again and meet their grandkid
The author is a 29-year-old man who lives with his 13-year-old daughter in a condo that’s 2 hours away from his childhood home. He shared that when he was 15, he got his girlfriend pregnant. When he told his parents, their reaction was worse than he could have ever imagined. They kicked him out and said he was stupid and that they were ashamed of him.
Kicking out a child who is under the age of 18 and not emancipated can be considered child abandonment, which is a crime. Parents might go to such an extent when they are riled up or feel that their child has gone too far. But they also have to understand that the emotional impact that abandonment has is often more significant than its physical impact.
When the author was thrown out of his home, his widowed aunt (whom he refers to as Aunt B) welcomed him and looked after him. The guy also told commenters how he felt about being shown the door as a teen: “I realize how young I was at the time I got kicked out just 2 years older than my daughter is now. I could never do to my daughter what my parents did to me… I could never kick her out or completely cut off contact in just 2 years from now.”
After his girlfriend gave birth, their baby lived at her house for the first 2 months. The poster would spend time at her place and look after his daughter. But one day, his girlfriend told him that she wasn’t meant to be a mom and asked him to look after the kid if he wanted. That’s when the teen found himself playing the role of a single parent.
He told commenters that his daughter is what kept him going and that everything he did was for her. He also got support from his aunt and cousins which is how he was able to complete his schooling and get a good job. He told people that, “as my daughter has gotten older I’ve realized how young I was at the time and that I was just a kid taking care of a kid… I’m still young and figuring sh*t out.”
Image credits: Kindel Media (not the actual photo)
The poster mentioned that one day, he was attending his daughter’s soccer tournament which was over 2 hours away and quite close to where he grew up. Suddenly, someone called out his name and he realized that his parents were there too. They asked him how he was doing and he said, “well, after you kicked me out I had a daughter who’s 13 now, I’m here for her.”
His parents apologized for their actions and asked him if he would allow them to meet their granddaughter. But the guy was confused and decided to take his mom’s number and then think the matter over. He was worried that they would cause “mental harm” to his kid the same way they did to him.
Studies have shown that parental rejection is a traumatic experience for a child and it can cause both physical and psychological damage. The child may also struggle with feelings of worthlessness and shame. Parental rejection can impact the way a kid views the other relationships in their life. This is exactly what the man meant when he said that he didn’t want his parents to emotionally scar his child just like they did to him.
People wondered if he had told his daughter about the strained relationship he had with his parents and why it was so. He told commenters, “I plan on telling my daughter about the situation she was just a few years younger than me when it happened so I think she’s old enough to hear it and get an understanding of her bio grandparents and that whole situation. I think I would have to get to learn them first before they’re ever near my daughter if she would be interested in meeting them.”
People sympathized with him and told him that he didn’t owe anything to his parents. In this kind of difficult situation, it’s important that he takes care of himself and his daughter first. The post got 6.5k upvotes and a lot of comments with others expressing their anger at the parents for abandoning their kid. Do you think the poster should mend his relationship with his parents and let them see their granddaughter? Tell us your honest thoughts in the comments.
People told the man to protect his daughter and that his parents had more than enough time to express their regret and that it made no sense doing it now
