There’s nothing more gross than poor table manners, and if someone chooses to continue doing that after multiple warnings, nobody else is to blame!
An internet user asked, “Am I a jerk for laughing when my son came home from meeting his girlfriend’s parents because he chose to behave as he does at home?”
Here’s the whole story for your context.
BACKSTORY
The Original Poster’s (OP’s) son burps a lot while eating. OP has tried telling him multiple times that it is rude.
“I’ve told him to slow down so he doesn’t swallow air with his food. I’ve told him that it is disgusting”, says OP.
THE PROBLEM
OP’s wife will instantly jump in to defend him. She will say that’s just how he is and that it’s not his fault.
“The thing is, he can control himself when I remind him. He chooses not to”, says OP.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?
OP’s son just went on a date with his girlfriend last night, and it didn’t go well. It was his first time meeting her parents since they lived in another city.
THE INCIDENT
They went to a fancy restaurant, and OP’s son burped through supper. He came home almost in tears from his girlfriend chewing him out for behaving like a jerk in front of her family.
REACTION TO THE INCIDENT
OP heard him telling his wife about it, and he (OP) laughed. She asked what was so funny, and OP reminded them both that he had tried dozens, if not hundreds of times, to teach him table manners, and he rejected them, and she protected him.
He said that now his son is a grown man, and he had to learn the hard way.
IS OP A JERK?
Both OP’s wife and son think the girl overreacted, and OP is a jerk for being amused by his son’s experience. Is OP really the jerk?
TIME FOR HIM TO LEARN A LESSON
“Not the jerk. I also laughed at this. How old is your son? It doesn’t matter either way. There are times for this behavior. Dinner at a restaurant is not one of those times. The girlfriend did not overreact. Hopefully, he learns a valuable lesson from this.”
HE NEEDED TO BE LAUGHED AT
“Not the jerk. You laughed at something utterly predictable and shouldn’t have surprised your son. He needed to be laughed at since he still hasn’t learned and is blaming the girlfriend.
His mother has coddled him for so long, and he’s so thick that he’ll have to learn this the hard way again and again until he finally realizes that the problem is with him and not with other people.”
THAT IS JUST COMMON SENSE
“Not the jerk. That’s so funny. It’s common knowledge that burping at the table is rude (except in some cultures). Your wife is a huge jerk for encouraging this behavior his entire life. She really influenced him negatively. I don’t blame the girlfriend for getting mad. She had every right to be annoyed at her boyfriend for acting like a total jerk in front of her parents.”
SHE DID NOT OVERREACT AT ALL
“Not the jerk. The girlfriend did not overreact. She has every reason to be mortified by his behavior. He has no one to blame but himself because he knows how to behave appropriately. He just chose not to.
He made a mistake in front of his girlfriend’s parents and got scolded by his girlfriend. Now he’s crying to his mom about it. I might have laughed if I were there!”
YOUR WIFE IS WORSENING THE SITUATION
“Not the jerk. The sad fact is that your wife has been enabling his behavior for years and probably feels that no one is good enough for her baby boy. She needs to cut the umbilical cord, and he needs therapy, but so does your wife.”
ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
“Not the jerk; actions have consequences, and these are theirs. At 22, your son should know how to behave in public. Although I wouldn’t put up with that from a teenager or child unless they had a medical issue, age has nothing to do with it. My 6-year-old niece and 4-year-old nephew have better manners. Seriously, your son is gross.”
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This article was originally published on Mrs Daaku Studio.