'AITA for not letting my daughter go on her senior trip after finding out she cheated on her boyfriend?'

Parents often face tough decisions when their children refuse to do what’s right. 

A Reddit user, who is a single mother of teen daughters, shared her heartbreak upon discovering that her daughter cheated on her boyfriend. She revealed that she grounded her as a form of discipline and denied her request to go on the senior trip. 

The mother took to Reddit's "Am I The A**hole" (AITA) forum to ask whether she was wrong in doing so after faced critical comments from her ex-husband, who, after their divorce due to infidelity, urged her to stop punishing their daughter and let her go on the trip.

Mother of teen daughter confronts child for cheating on her boyfriend

In a post titled "AITA for grounding my daughter and canceling her senior trip after I found out she was cheating on her boyfriend?", the original poster (OP) shared the difficult decision she made after discovering that her daughter was cheating on her boyfriend.

The woman began the post with a brief introduction to her family. "I have two daughters, Lizzie (17 F) and McKenzie (14 F). Their dad and I divorced a few years ago after I discovered he was having an affair. I have the kids most of the time, and their dad has them every weekend and during the summers," she said.

The OP described Lizzie’s relationship with 18-year-old Jacob, who had been dating her for over a year. "Jacob is constantly at our house. He’s a sweet, good young man, and I believe he’ll be valedictorian of their class," she said.

However, she soon became suspicious when she overheard Lizzie on the phone with another guy. "At first, I thought it was Jacob, but then I heard her say, “Brandon.” I realized she was talking to someone else."

After further observation, the OP discovered that her daughter was not only seeing Jacob but also Brandon. "She mentioned to me that she was heading out to hang with a “friend,” and when I looked out the window, I saw her get into a car and greet a guy with a kiss. It wasn’t Jacob," the OP continued.

She further wrote, "Even after that, Jacob continued to come over, hanging out with Lizzie. He and Lizzie still acted like a couple—holding hands, laughing, and spending time together—just like they always had. I felt disgusted knowing my daughter was being a two-timer."

Feeling disgusted by the situation, the OP  confronted her daughter. "'Are you cheating on your boyfriend with another guy?' She said it was none of my business and that her personal life was hers only," she further said.

The woman then warned her daughter. "I told her she was wrong and that I raised her better than to treat people like this. She told me she was bored with Jacob and that Brandon was more her type now. I told her that if she wasn’t happy, she should just break up with Jacob."

The conversation took a turn when Lizzie admitted she was unsure whether she wanted to be with Brandon or if she was just enjoying the attention.

The mother, firm in her stance, told Lizzie, "I told her cheating was unacceptable and wrong, and as a consequence, I grounded her. I also told her she wasn’t allowed to go on her senior trip with her friends. She obviously did not take that too well and has been at her dad’s place for the last couple of days."

The situation became more complicated when the OP's ex-husband called to voice his disapproval over the issue. The woman explained, "My ex husband called me, saying I was being unreasonable not letting her go on the trip and that her and Jacob was just a 'high school thing'"

She added, "He then told me I needed to put my 'bitterness aside' and 'stop punishing his daughter.' I told him I was teaching our daughter right from wrong, and that actions have consequences.'"

Internet back OP's decision to not let daughter go on senior trip for cheating on boyfriend

After the OP asked whether she was in the wrong for not letting her daughter go on the senior trip after she cheated on her boyfriend, several Redditors shared their thoughts on the issue and praised the mother for her caution.

One Reddit user said, "She will probably learn to be better at cheating. What you're doing is not wrong but I don't think it will work."

Another shared, "NTA. Your post sounds like Lizzie's a Daddy's girl and he's been green lighting her behavior." 

One person commented, "NTA, because you’re trying to teach your daughter that actions have consequences and that treating people poorly isn’t acceptable. Cheating is disrespectful, and you’re holding her accountable." 

Another declared, "NTA it is a parents duty to teach their kids good behavior, morales, and that actions have consequences. You are the parent she needs, unlike her father, who could care less what type of person he's sending out into the world." 

One person remarked, "Good work mom. I support your decision." Another added, "NTA, glad to know there’s parents out there still trying to raise their kids right. Your kid is aware of what broke up your marriage and it’s a slap in the face to you for her to not see the fault in her behavior."

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