A young man recently took to Reddit to ask for opinions after he told his younger brother that he was not the boy’s dad. This is his full story.
He Walked Out on Them
OP is a 19-year-old boy who lives with his 48-year-old mother and several siblings.
The children’s father has been absent most of their lives and left them for good in 2021.
The Boy Hardly Knew Him
Aside from several teenage siblings, OP also has a younger brother who is 6 years old.
Before their dad left, he worked abroad for 6 years, so the little boy hardly ever knew him at all.
He Stepped Up
Since the dad walked out, OP’s mother has been shouldering the responsibility of raising the children on her own, with no one else in the extended family to provide support.
The older siblings have stepped up to help, with OP taking on a lot of responsibility in raising his young brother.
It Was Harmless
Over the past few months, the boy has started calling OP “dad” instead of using his name.
Initially, OP believed it was a harmless mistake and didn’t think much of it.
They Were Playful
OP thought it was all just part of their playful banter. He and his brother had developed a special bond since their father left, and they were always teasing each other.
But He Was Confused
But his brother kept calling OP “dad”, both in private and in front of the family.
That left OP feeling confused and unsure about how to respond.
A Heartstopping Moment
One day after picking his brother up from school, OP joked to their mother that a random child had been following him around everywhere.
In response, his brother tugged OP’s sleeve and said, “How dare you say that! I’m your son.”
He Was Very Uncomfortable
OP thought the boy was kidding, but the comment still made him uncomfortable.
It had all been going on too long, and the lines were getting blurred.
He Set the Record Straight
This seemed like a turning point to OP, and he felt like he had to set the record straight. So he told the boy that they were brothers, not father and son.
He Was Devastated
The brother’s response was heartbreaking for OP. The boy said that OP was his dad now, since their real father was never coming back.
OP hugged his brother, but the boy walked away sadly.
He Had to Speak the Truth
Later, OP’s mother pulled him aside and told him he shouldn’t have dashed his brother’s spirits.
But OP told her he wanted his brother to understand their true relationship and prevent potential emotional devastation in the future.
Someone to Look Up To
Their mother offered another perspective, suggesting that the little brother may call OP “dad” because he is one of the few safe and positive male figures in his life.
He Has Second Thoughts
With time for reflection, OP started to feel guilty and now wonders whether he was too harsh in his response to his brother. He thinks that maybe his mom was right and the truth could have waited awhile.
Most Reddit commenters think OP did the right thing, but they understand his confusion and guilt. They say the family needs to keep speaking the truth to the younger brother so he doesn’t have the wrong idea as he grows up.
Many Redditors think OP’s mother is way off base by asking him to perpetrate a lie just to make her life easier in the short term. If the boy is forced to face the truth about his father, that could cause some behavioral problems and issues for his mom.
Some commenters tell OP that he just needs to keep being a good influence on his brother and to continue talking to the boy, reinforcing the truth.
So, what do you think of this story?
Do you think OP was right for telling his brother the truth about their relationship? Will doing so save them both some pain in the long run?
Or should OP have just bit his tongue for the moment and let the boy go on pretending they were father and son?
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The post He Feels Guilty for Telling His Brother That They Are Not Father and Son first appeared on Mama Say What?!
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / AS photo family. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit