‘AITA for leaving my mom’s house after she forced my autistic son to eat food he hates?'

A father left his mother's house after she insisted that his autistic son eat the food he strongly dislikes, a decision that led to a heated disagreement.

The Reddit post titled "AITA for walking out of my mom’s house after she forced my autistic son to eat food he hates?" on the 'Am I The A**hole' (AITA) forum, has gained significant attention, receiving over 4K likes and around 800 comments from users sharing their opinions.

OP leaves mother's house after disagreement over autistic son's food preferences

The Original Poster (OP) explained, "I’m a single dad (32M) to my 17-year-old son, Ronnie. He’s autistic and has some pretty specific food sensitivities. It’s not just that he doesn’t like certain foods, some textures are genuinely overwhelming for him. Eggplant, asparagus, apples, and brussels sprouts are on his list of foods he just can’t handle, and I’ve always respected that."

Despite multiple explanations, OP’s mother dismisses these sensitivities as pickiness.

He said, "My mom, on the other hand, doesn’t. She’s never really taken the time to understand Ronnie’s needs and insists that he’s just being picky or difficult. I’ve tried to explain it to her many times, but she doesn’t seem to take it seriously."

When OP's mother invited him and his son to dinner, things came to a head. "Recently, she invited us over for dinner. She said it would be a nice family evening, and I figured we’d give it a shot," he wrote.

However, when the father and son arrived, OP realized that his mother had intentionally served foods Ronnie "struggled with" causing him visible distress.

OP stated, "When we got there, I immediately noticed that most of the dishes she’d prepared were things Ronnie struggles with. It felt intentional, like she was trying to prove a point."

"Ronnie was visibly uncomfortable but tried to stay polite. I could tell he was trying his best to handle the situation, but eventually, it became too much for him. He started tugging at his hair, something he does when he’s overwhelmed. Instead of showing any understanding or compassion, my mom became upset with him for it."

He continued, "At that point, I decided enough was enough. I told her we were leaving and took Ronnie home. He was really upset and told me how embarrassed and humiliated he felt. It broke my heart."

OP decided to leave with Ronnie, prioritizing his son’s well-being. Since then, the mother has sent angry messages, posted on Facebook, and painted OP and Ronnie as "disrespectful and ungrateful."

OP receives support after clash over autistic son's food choices

The Reddit community commended OP for standing up for his son and protecting him from an unsupportive environment.

One user wrote, "NTA but it doesn't seem like your mother has any respect for you as a fellow parent. I'd start putting up some boundaries where you can," while the other user wrote, "I agree! It's clear that your mother doesn't respect your role as a parent, and setting boundaries is essential for protecting Ronnie and your relationship. NTA."

Another user commented, "Yes! My son is autistic too. The way your mom treated him was cruel. Good for you for putting him first."

"Your mom is a bully . It’s good that you stood up to her cruelty. It’s modelling to your son that he shouldn’t tolerate bullies," a user said.

"NTA. Humiliating your son is not something a caring grandparent does. She’s supposed to be on his team. He has enough pressure working against him in society," another wrote, while someone else noted, "Everyone has their own food preferences, and it's important to respect that. NTA at all."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online