Dad seeks help online after attempt to set boundaries for daughter's boyfriend makes things worse

Being a teenager can be confusing and dealing with a child going through that stage is also a challenge most parents need to navigate with care. A teenage kids' romance is one of those things that is a tightrope for parents to walk on as they have to stay calm, composed, and reasonable while having a say in the matter. It is tricky enough, but things get even more complicated when the partner turns out to be significantly older and problematic. Something similar happened with a 50-year-old father who goes by u/Familiar_Form9665 on Reddit, when he faced a major parental difficulty with his 18-year-old daughter's new relationship. 

Seeking support online, he wrote, "My daughter has been seeing this guy (26m) for 5 months now. I didn't like him from the start because of the age difference. He's very rude and arrogant. I can't physically do anything to him because he's a big guy. But he has been very disrespectful in my household." But this wasn't his only issue with his daughter's boyfriend. The father added, "He comes whenever he wants, without acknowledging me, and his 'activities' with my daughter can be loud sometimes and the walls in my house are thin." It's no wonder the dad's patience was wearing thin and so after complaining to his daughter about the boyfriend's behavior, he decided to take a firm stand, since explaining this situation to her was futile.

"I told my daughter about it, but he's still coming over to my house. So last week, I told my daughter that he's not allowed at the house anymore. He was pissed, but I don't care. However, she's now going to his place and coming home late," the agitated father added. This new arrangement, meant to fix the issue, brought its own set of problems. He concluded his post by asking the Reddit community whether he did the right thing by taking such a step.

People on the platform came forward to support the father and shared their views. "I mean, the daughter is really wrong for doing it as well. Yeah, she's a teen, the brain isn't fully developed, blah blah blah. I remember being in junior high and thinking underage people who dated adults were morons, lol. Boyfriend is way worse, but the daughter sounds like a trashy as*****e herself," wrote u/FartAttack911. "You can't do anything about your daughter dating him, but you can do something about what goes on under your roof," added u/BeachinLife1.

"You may not have a say in who your daughter chooses to date, but you absolutely have the right to decide what behavior is acceptable in your own home. Setting boundaries is important," pointed out u/ThrowRA_ashh while supporting the dad. "Ugh, I mean...yes- but also she is so young. She's in an unequal relationship and please god, let this be an educational experience for her," u/violetotterling quipped. "Absolutely right, he's disrespectful now and it will likely get worse if they get married. So, you are good for setting respect and boundaries to your house," u/Lanky-Mention-2192 wrote in support.