A father recently took to Reddit to ask the community whether he was a jerk for telling his girlfriend she’s not allowed to tell his daughter what she can and can’t wear.
A Camping Trip
The original poster (OP) explains that he was leaving town for a camping trip. He left his 16-year-old daughter and long-time girlfriend at home together for the weekend while he was away.
OP said he has been with his girlfriend for over three years, and they decided to move in together six months ago.
Usually, everything was fine between the three, but drama ensued after he left for the weekend.
OP had given his daughter approval to go to a party on Saturday. However, the girlfriend had something to say when the daughter was ready to leave and join her friends at the party.
Dressed Too Provocatively
OP explained that when his girlfriend saw what the daughter looked like, she immediately made her change out of her “provocative” clothing and wash off her makeup.
The outfit caused a huge fight when OP discussed what had happened when he returned from his camping trip. They’ve hardly spoken since.
As a widower and single father, OP may feel responsible for raising his daughter and ensuring she is well cared for.
This may lead him to be protective of his daughter and to want to maintain control over her upbringing and well-being.
Understandably, OP might feel frustrated or upset when his girlfriend tries to step in and tell his daughter what to do.
On the other hand, it’s also important to consider the girlfriend’s perspective.
She Has a Right to Speak Up, Doesn’t She?
As someone in a relationship with OP and likely spends a significant amount of time with his daughter, she may feel she has a stake in the daughter’s upbringing and well-being.
She may see herself as trying to help and support the daughter and may not understand why OP is preventing her from doing so!
The daughter’s clothing and makeup issue raises additional questions about the role of OP’s girlfriend. Plus, there’s also the daughter, who, at 16 years old, is at a critical stage in her life where she is starting to form her own identity and figure out who she is.
It also seems important to fellow Reddit users to respect the daughter’s autonomy and allow her to make her own decisions and mistakes.
This can be difficult. However, it’s also important to recognize that the daughter is growing up and starting to take control of her own life and that she needs to be allowed to do so.
The question of whether OP is right or wrong for telling his girlfriend she’s not allowed to tell his daughter what to do is complex and can’t be answered easily.
Many factors are at play, including the perspectives of all parties involved, the daughter’s age, and the nature of the relationship between OP, his girlfriend, and his daughter.
Ultimately, Reddit users seemed to side with the father-daughter duo. It is not the responsibility of the girlfriend to tell someone else what they can and cannot do with their body in any situation.
OP made it clear from day one that he’s looking for a girlfriend and NOT a step-mom, but is it that simple?
What would you do in this situation? Does the type of clothing and makeup make a difference? Was the daughter taking advantage of the fact that her protective father was out of town?
The post Is He Wrong for Stopping His Girlfriend From Telling His Daughter What She Can and Can’t Wear? first appeared on Mama Say What?!
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Source: Reddit
