Dad Shuts Down 12-Year-Old Daughter's 'Period Party'—Internet Agrees

Newsweek

3 days ago

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A father who canceled a surprise "period party" planned by his wife for their 12-year-old daughter has been backed on social media.
In a Reddit post titled "AITAH [Am I the A******] for putting a stop to my 12yo daughter's 'period party'?" u/YocaLocaChoca detailed how he intervened to protect his daughter's privacy and emotional well-being when his wife tried to throw an unsolicited celebration to mark her first period.
Newsweek reached out to u/YocaLocaChoca via Reddit direct message.
Stock image: A young couple have an argument at home.
Stock image: A young couple have an argument at home.
PeopleImages
The original poster, a 43-year-old father of two daughters, said that the younger of the two recently confided in him—visibly upset—that she had gotten her first period.
The dad offered calm support: comfort, practical guidance, and even Midol and ice cream. She was grateful and asked for nothing more.
But, when the girl's mother got home, she had other ideas. "Wife starts crying, 'my little girl is growing up,' then asks who should be invited to the 'period party,'" he wrote.
Their daughter, already shy by nature, was immediately uncomfortable and declined the idea.
Two days later, despite the daughter's clear wishes, the mother went ahead with the party plans anyway.
The father came home to find their house decorated "like something from My Super Sweet 16," with guests already arriving.
Their daughter, sensing what was happening, ran upstairs to do homework in the father's office seeking refuge.
That is when he stepped in. "She told you specifically she DIDN'T want one of these," he told his wife, blocking her from dragging their daughter into the party.
The two argued in the hallway as the mom said the celebration was "for her own good." Despite being told he "wouldn't understand," the dad stood his ground.
Eventually, he addressed the gathered women himself, calmly explaining that his daughter had explicitly said she did not want a party and was being pressured into one anyway. Guests quickly dispersed, and the daughter returned once the coast was clear.
In the aftermath, the mother was angry for a week, accusing him of undermining her authority and embarrassing her in front of their social circle.
At the time of writing, the post has received more than 28,000 upvotes and a further 4,700 comments of support for the father.
"Puberty is an awkward, embarrassing time. Having your parents shine a spotlight on every confusing milestone would be a nightmare," one user wrote.
"Your wife wanted the period party. Not your daughter. This was your wife trying to gain social points with her friends using your daughter as a prop for her little empowerment show," another posted.
Krista Walker, LCSW, J.D., and clinical director at The Ohana Addiction Treatment Center, told Newsweek that this is a good example of how a parent's expectations are clashing with their child's boundaries.
"The child has stated her boundaries. She did not want the period party, yet the mother threw one anyway," Walker said. "This invalidates the child's feelings and dismisses her boundaries. While the mother might have had good intentions, this is not OK."
Walker added that the father responded in a way that supported his daughter and respected her boundaries.
"Ideally, there is open communication between the parents and alignment about these types of issues," Walker said. "In this case, these things were missing. Ideally, the parents would have handled the situation better and not in public."