A teenager says his mom told him he could go to a theme park with friends but then changed her mind for no reason.
Now, he’s wondering if he should go anyway. In a Reddit post — titled “AITA [am I the a——] for leaving home when told not to?” — the 18-year-old explained he lives at home with his “very religious” 60-year-old mom.
He added that when he recently asked her for permission to go on the trip, she agreed on the condition that he “go to church” the coming Sunday.
However, the original poster (OP) said that on “the day before the theme park,” his mom took back her permission, telling him he didn’t “deserve it.”
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The OP — who revealed he is a straight-A college student who works 30 hours every week — went on to write that when he asked his mother what he did to warrant her change of heart, she simply said, “I didn’t say you did anything wrong, you just don’t get everything you want.”
“My friends and other family have told me to just [go] and that I have to stand up to my mom because she’s not going to stop being controlling,” he continued before asking, “So Reddit, AITA for wanting to just go anyways?”
For the most part, fellow Reddit users felt that he was not in the wrong and that he should do what he wants, guilt-free.
“NTA [not the a——],” wrote one person. “You’re 18 and sound pretty responsible (straight As, full time college AND 30h work. That’s incredible!), so you should be allowed to just go out when you want to.”
“You are a grown adult. Stop asking mommy for permission and tell her what you will be doing,” added someone else.
Others, however, pointed out that there may be more nuance to the situation — and that the OP disregarding his mother’s wishes could have serious consequences.
“OP is a college student still living at home — [his mom] could easily throw him out in retaliation, and we have no idea if OP is in a position to live on their own,” wrote one reader.
Another commenter said that if the OP lives at home and doesn’t pay rent, then they feel it’s quite fair that he follows his mom’s rules, regardless of whether or not he agrees with them.
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“I lived with my parents for a long time, and they didn’t charge me rent and even supplied food. I had two jobs and they basically just wanted me to save money until I got 1 full time job that would support me,” the person wrote. “This meant I followed all their rules, when asked to help I did, and if I wanted to go on a trip I would at least mention it to them.” the person wrote. They added: “My point being, if you live at home and don’t pay rent, it doesn’t matter your age, your parents are still an authority in your life.”
Another person agreed, writing: “If you’re still living at home and relying on her financial support, you are giving her some authority over you, but that is limited to whether you think she’ll kick you out or cut you off and whether you can deal with that.”
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