The allure of pranking others can be enticing, promising amusement and thrills. However, what if the intended amusement morphs into a harrowing ordeal?
A user asked the forum, Am I wrong to tell my wife that she needs to get over being upset with me for pulling a scary prank on our son.
BACK STORY
The original poster ( OP ) is the father of two. His daughter and son are of age 10 and 9, respectively. Last Friday night, OP was hanging out with his daughter watching a movie.
OP’s Wife Was Working Late
OP’s wife was working late, and their son was hanging out with his friend. It was around 8 pm; OP got a message from his son’s friend’s mom that she would drive him home.
What Happened Next
OP thanked her and told her daughter her brother was coming. OP’s daughter suggested they would prank him when he (OP’s son ) came home by jumping out and scaring him.
OP Thought It Was Funny
OP thought it would be funny, and they wore Halloween masks and dimmed all the lights. And OP and his daughter were hiding behind a couch.
After planning all these, OP texted a friend’s mom that he and his daughter were watching a movie. So, he asked her to tell him ( OP’s son ) to join them in the family room downstairs when he returned home.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
OP’s son came home and entered the room, saying hello. When he came close, OP and his daughter jumped and scared him as planned.
OP MESSED IT UP!
OP thought his son would be startled for a second and would laugh with them laughing at the prank. But that didn’t happen. The prank OP and his daughter planned scared the son way more than anticipated.
He ran crying, trembling, and had an adrenaline rush for the longest time. OP and his daughter felt bad about it.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
OP’s wife came home and sat with the son. After knowing what happened, she comforted the husband. She was angry with OP for doing such things.
After the incident, OP’s wife didn’t talk to him, and he then got tired of it and said she should get over it. OP accepted that he underestimated how much a prank can scare his son.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
OP says, “She has stayed mad at me for all these days afterward. She will barely talk to me. I eventually got tired of it and told her that she needed to get over it. I screwed up but I didn’t mean any harm.
I just way underestimated how much our prank would scare our son. I also think that our daughter is seeing how she is treating me over it and is being made to feel way too bad over her idea that was just playful; not bad-natured. But she just says that I “should have known better” and won’t seem to forgive me.”
OP addressed that his wife was a mama bear, but he also loves his kids equally. In the end, OP questioned if his prank was beyond the pale and if he should be punished for it.
THE MASK WAS TOO MUCH
“It probably would have been fine if this was just jumping out without the masks, and the shows in the dim light at night were too much.”
KNOW YOUR KID
“This is it. It is about knowing your kid and understanding just because you enjoyed something doesn’t mean they will. My dad always used to scare me and my brother as kids. Those are some of my happiest memories because it was all good fun, and I enjoyed being scared in a safe environment.
My one nephew is exactly like my brother and me. As a kid, I loved Halloween, a good ghost story, and prank scares. My other nephew spooks easily and doesn’t have fun with that. The trick is generally down to following the kid’s lead. If they initiate that stuff, start small and work your way up.”
WHY NOT APOLOGIZE?
“Exactly, the first thing I thought was, “Why isn’t he mentioning an apology to his son, and why wasn’t he sitting with his son, hugging and comforting him for the damage he caused?!
Honestly, OP, if I came home to my kid in emotional distress caused by his father and his father wasn’t doing everything to comfort and console the child, I would be FURIOUS regardless of the reason. Add to that you were the reason because you didn’t think better of an idea from another child who doesn’t understand consequences in the way you should. You are supposed to be an adult and lead your children, not be led by them.
Hopefully, Your daughter will learn how “pranks” are rarely funny and sometimes have big emotional consequences. That “prank” was really scary for a 9-year-old, and nine is still pretty little. I hope you feel terrible and your daughter has apologized to your son too.
You are brushing off responsibility because what? You just don’t want to feel guilty anymore? These are the consequences of your actions. What have you ever done to rectify the situation?”
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This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.