AITA: Internet divided as father refuses to buy daughter’s boyfriend Christmas gift
A father has sparked a heated debate online after revealing his decision not to buy his daughter’s boyfriend a present for Christmas. The original poster (OP), 74tommyboy, shared the scenario on Reddit’s popular forum 'Am I The A*****e' (AITA).
The post has since garnered over 2.1k likes and 1.8k comments, splitting opinions across the platform.
Man decides not to buy his daughter’s boyfriend present for Christmas
In the post titled “AITA for not buying my daughter's bf a present?” OP explained the situation, writing, "My daughter (19) has been dating a boy for two years. My kids also recently started using an app to list their wishlist. My wife asked if I had seen my daughter's boyfriends list as 'we need to buy him something'. Maybe it's just me, but growing up, my parents didn’t give two craps about who I was dating."
OP emphasized his stance, stating, "In my opinion, a bf/gf relationship is typically a temporary one and as such, doesn't warrant adding the person to the gift list. Now, if some reason they ended getting married, well that then changes the equation. But until then.. I'm a nope on this tradition being imposed on me."
He further elaborated in an edit, clarifying that the family lives 12 hours away from the boyfriend, making it difficult to "know him better," and that this situation pertains specifically to Christmas gifting.
Reddit users react to dad’s refusal to buy daughter’s boyfriend Christmas gift
Redditors were divided in their responses, with many supporting OP’s viewpoint.
One user commented, "I was thinking the same thing. No, they absolutely don't need to go full-out for the bf, but if he's coming over for Christmas or something, you should probably have a small gift for him. Mostly slight YTA for his attitude. I don't know anything more than what's in the original post, but I feel like Cam in Modern Family, saying to Mitch, "Yes, and I'd like you and your daughter to have the same healthy relationship that you and your parents did."
Another added, "Something small to unwrap would be a nice gesture. Maybe an ice scrapper and a gift card. My mom was a big fan of giving socks with cash. Nothing to grand, just something to make him feel included. Maybe suggest that your daughter & bf open the gifts with the rest of the family."
"Your boyfriend's parents got you something as an acknowledgement of your importance to their son. I have gotten my daughter's partner (if she had one at Christmas time) a small present just because they were important to my daughter around that time of year. Didn't matter to me how long they were dating because at that time, they were important to my daughter," another user noted.
"When I was 17 my bf’s parents got me a spotify premium gift card for like 1-2 months? And a pair of gloves, really appreciated the thought!" a user said.
Another user observed, "I still have a couple gifts from my ex's family. I wasn't expecting a gift at all, but it was so sweet of them."
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