Her dad kept joking about women being moody on their periods — his daughter's instant reply left him tongue-tied in front of his friends

The saying "Don't dish it out if you can't take it" is the perfect phrase to sum up a father who kept making misogynistic jokes about his daughters. A 19-year-old woman who goes by u/Top_Pressure_7878 on Reddit shared how her father responded after she gave him a taste of his own medicine. Her father's jokes about women's moods during their period were a common occurrence. He told one during a family dinner with his friend, his friend's wife, and their son. Following his lead, she told a joke in the same vein, but instead of laughing, her father was red-faced. The post was shared on May 10, and it received 17,000 upvotes and 1,100 comments.

It was just a joke

The author and her older sister had moved out of their father's house for college and work. But during their meal, her father joked about how "lucky" his friend was to have a son. Apparently, living in a house full of women was "difficult." Instead of stopping there, he continued his "joke" about how "moody and miserable" women are on their periods. He also pointed out the change in the house atmosphere during this time, but he said it in a joking tone. 

The author responded in the same tone, saying, "Honestly, if he had a son exactly like him, it would probably be worse, because he's moody and irritable all the time already, so it’s like he’s permanently on his period." The guests thought the joke was funny and they all laughed.

Double standards

She went on to say that the joke was not even accurate. She played sports while on her period; her sisters were not "moody and miserable" in the manner that he described them. The author doubled down and told the guests, "Most of the time when there was tension at home, it was usually him starting arguments and then blaming it on 'women's hormones' if we reacted badly."

When the guests left, her father pulled her aside and asked why she had insulted him in front of his friend. He thought she was "rude and disrespectful to compare a man to 'having a period.'" Her joke touched a nerve and made him feel 'weak' as a man. The author did not understand why her father could make a joke like that and refuse to take a similar joke himself. 

Humor as a parenting tool

Professor of pediatrics and humanities at Penn State College of Medicine, Benjamin Levi, said, "Humor can teach people cognitive flexibility, relieve stress, and promote creative problem solving and resilience. My father used humor, and it was very effective. I use humor in my clinical practice and with my own children...How does one constructively use humor?"

The poll from Professor Levi's study revealed that 71.8% agreed that humor can be an effective parenting tool. 63% who had good relationships with parents shared that their parents used humor while they were growing up. 68.4% who believed their parents did a good job at parenting revealed that their parents also used humor. The author's father, however, chose to be upset when his daughter used humor instead of just rolling with the joke.

 Is he on his period?

Despite the dad's reaction, people in the comments thought the joke was funny. u/Amydgalis commented, "NTA. Sounds like Dad is living in the last century regarding gender roles and bullying. If he can dish it out, he can take it. He’s making fun of you to feel better about himself, which is even worse because you’re his (adult) kid." u/ExcellentHalf9317 tripled down and wrote, "NTA. Dad got his delicate fee-fees hurt because you compared his moodiness to a woman on her period. If it wasn't true, why was he so offended?"

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