Parents team up to teach teen son a lesson on gender roles after he says chores are for 'failed men'

From the moment children begin to explore the world around them, it's crucial to teach them that there are no "gender roles." If parents fail to challenge these outdated norms from the start, they might unknowingly raise a generation that perpetuates gender stereotypes and becomes insensitive towards others. In a related story, a father (u/low_affect3539 on Reddit) shared how he and his ex-wife taught their 16-year-old son an important lesson after he claimed that household chores are for "failed men."

The man began his Reddit post with a personal revelation, offering a glimpse into his past. He explained how he and his ex-wife were pressured into marriage by their families after they discovered they were expecting. "When they learned she was pregnant, they forced us to get married. They told me they wanted her as a stay-at-home mother (SAHM) and me to work," he added. Although the couple never expressed hatred toward each other, they "avoided each other" as much as possible.

Eventually, they decided to file for divorce after the man discovered his ex-wife had cheated on him. However, after their split, their relationship improved and became more cordial. "Now everything is very good between us and I even consider her a friend, now that she's no longer my wife," the man shared. After the divorce, he struggled to manage the household and admitted to turning to YouTube for help with chores. One day, while ironing clothes, he called his son and expressed his desire to teach him household tasks. "He said he doesn't want to and I just said he'll have to learn to do this at some point. He then said, 'Only failed men do stuff like this and I won't be one of them,'" the post read. 

Baffled by his son’s reaction, the father asked him to clarify. The teenager went on to explain his views, saying, "This is a woman's job to do and that only simps do simple household chores." Staying calm, the father advised his son to think before speaking in the future and made it clear that he would have to learn household chores, whether he liked it or not. When the teenager reiterated his stance, the father decided to send him to his mother’s house. While packing his son's bag, the father received a call from his ex-wife asking about the situation. He was surprised that after understanding the gravity of the situation, she too was on his side and said, "She'll help teach him a lesson."

The man further revealed that after living with his ex-wife and helping with the household chores, his son called him multiple times to apologize. The teenager even begged to return to his father's house, but the parents decided to keep him with his mother for a while longer. However, the man began questioning himself when a friend mentioned that he might be too hard on his son. The Reddit post received an overwhelming response, with many netizens applauding the father for doing the right thing in teaching his son a valuable lesson.

For instance, u/internationaltexan71 wrote, "I teach teens. Since you're both on the same page about teaching him a lesson, I applaud you. And points to you for recognizing it as toxic Andrew Tate nonsense. From here out, your young man makes his own lunch, does his own laundry and takes more responsibility. No backsliding allowed. I would question, based on your description, if he's getting these ideas from his grandparents. Something to consider." u/cpt_ppppp wrote, "It's scary how much boys these days get from the internet from sources like OP mentions. It needs strong parents to make it clear that this stuff is totally unacceptable and raise men, not just adult children."