Latest news with #birthdaydinner
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man Is 'Tired of Dealing with' Picky Family Members After His Birthday Dinner Plans Lead to 'Hostile' Interaction
The man says he's spent years adjusting every meal around his dad's wife and her son's extreme dietary needsNEED TO KNOW A man chose a restaurant he liked for his birthday dinner, upsetting his dad's wife and her son who have restrictive diets The family demanded he move the dinner out of state to suit their preferences — he refused The man is now facing backlash for holding firm, but says he no longer considers them real familyA man seeks support from the Reddit community for advice following a tense birthday dinner that reignites years of unresolved family tensions. In his post, the 22-year-old explains how choosing a restaurant for his birthday sparked backlash from his father's wife, Kathleen, and her son, Benjamin. 'My dad got married to Kathleen when I was 15,' the poster shared, noting that Kathleen has two children of her own, one of whom he has never met. The one he does know — Benjamin, now 18 — has multiple allergies and an extremely limited diet, which has long dictated the family's eating habits. 'Benjamin is allergic to peanuts and shellfish,' the man wrote, adding that the allergy is just part of the challenge. 'On top of that him and Kathleen are very picky eaters.' He recalled how meals were always restricted when he lived with them. 'His diet when I lived there consisted of pizza, fries and burgers and beef and cheese tacos,' he shared. 'He didn't eat fruits or vegetables. He didn't eat any meat except for beef.' Kathleen, too, has a long list of dislikes. 'I can't remember all the stuff she wouldn't eat but it included any kind of fish, any kind of potato, rice, pasta, bread and stuff like that," the Redditor wrote, noting that this limited nearly every family meal to just a few fast food spots. Ordering takeout or dining out as a family became an exhausting routine. 'The food was never great but could've been worse,' he added. 'I think the part that sucked was every time we ordered out for my birthday or went out for my birthday it was one of the two places we had.' Even simple options like tacos were difficult to manage. 'A taco place was out unless they'd remove all veggies and extras except for the meat and cheese,' he recalled. 'And some places still put 'gross s---' to quote Benjamin on them when they did seemingly comply.' As he grew older, he began skipping their 'family meals,' tired of being forced into their limited choices. 'Anytime still they want to do a family meal out they expect us all to go to their chosen fast food places that work for Benjamin and Kathleen,' he explained. 'And I'm tired of dealing with them.' This year, for his birthday, he decided to do things differently. 'A few weeks ago I had a birthday dinner with my girlfriend and some family and friends,' he wrote. 'Dad wanted to come and he expected Kathleen and Benjamin to be invited too.' The poster made it clear that they were welcome—as long as they were willing to eat at the restaurant he picked. 'I told him that was okay if they'd eat where I had chosen,' he shared. But soon after, he was met with resistance. 'I got an email from Kathleen and calls from dad where I was told my restaurant of choice did not meet the needs and requirements of Benjamin and Kathleen," the Redditor explained. The pair even suggested that he and his guests travel out of state for a more suitable dining option for them. His response was firm. 'My answer was no and I told dad he could still come but I was not changing where I have MY birthday dinner," he wrote. However, Kathleen did not take the refusal lightly. 'Kathleen sent another email asking why I was being so hostile like her daughter and I should care about my family's health and interests,' he noted. The message struck a nerve, especially since he's never even met her daughter. Tensions rose further when his dad and Kathleen learned that other members of his dad's family traveled to join the birthday celebration. 'Dad and Kathleen were more upset to learn some of dad's side flew out to join us for dinner when they typically won't accept plans from them to eat out," the original poster continued. Now, he said, he's facing even more backlash for simply choosing a restaurant he liked. 'So now I'm facing more of their anger for my choice of restaurant,' he shared. But as he turns to Reddit to ask if he's in the wrong, the support he receives is clear. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'NTA,' one commenter wrote. 'It's your birthday. And it sounds like she is fully just your dad's wife. Not any kind of stepmom.' In response, the original poster shared what seems to be the heart of the matter. 'That sums it up,' he wrote. 'I don't consider either of them any kind of real family. Only people my dad chose as his family.' Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Teen Decides to Eat at His Favorite Restaurant for His Birthday. His Parents Say He Should've Catered to His Brother
A teen finally gets his dream birthday dinner, but it leads to fights, blame, and a battle over family favoritismNEED TO KNOW A 16-year-old chooses his favorite restaurant for his birthday dinner after years of being denied it His younger brother, who usually gets his way, sulks and insults the restaurant, causing a family fight The teen is blamed by his parents, leading him to ask Reddit if he was wrong for finally picking a place he enjoysA teen seeks support from the Reddit community following a birthday dinner that sparked family tension and exposed deeper issues of favoritism. In a post, the 16-year-old explains how what should have been a joyful celebration turned into yet another reminder of how his family dynamics leave him feeling second best. 'My parents never let me eat at my favorite restaurant when we celebrate my birthday or other stuff,' he writes. 'My brother doesn't like the food there and they say any celebration needs to include stuff we all like.' But he points out a double standard that's hard to ignore. 'We always eat at his favorite place,' he says, even though it's a 'really small pizza shop' where the food is, in his words, 'awful.' 'I should like some of the stuff but it tastes so gross,' he continues. 'I'm not the only person who thinks so either but since my brother loves it they don't care if I hate the food there.' There have been times when he's had nothing but water during meals there. On other occasions, he's forced himself to eat and ended up feeling sick afterward. His dad even gets stomach issues from the food, but still goes along with it to please his younger son. Meanwhile, none of the 16-year-old's top choices are ever seriously considered — even on his birthday. 'They always go with choices I'm just okay with because my brother likes them,' he shares. 'I have tried telling them I don't like those restaurants anymore and they say I can find something but none of my top five places work for my brother.' Meals out only happen for special occasions like birthdays, graduations or really good report cards. Still, even on those rare outings, the family always defaults to places that cater to his brother's preferences. So when his grandparents came to visit in June, right around his birthday, he saw a rare opportunity to actually celebrate his way. They asked him privately where he wanted to go, and he didn't hesitate. 'I told them about the Thai place that's my favorite ever,' he writes. His grandparents, well aware of how overlooked he usually is, told him his parents "couldn't dictate to them.' When the big day came, the grandparents surprised the rest of the family by announcing they'd be eating at the Thai restaurant, taking full credit for the choice. 'They said they heard us talk about that place before and knew it was my favorite and how they wanted to surprise me,' he says. The teen was thrilled and described the night as a rare moment of joy. 'It was the best meal out I had with my family in forever,' he adds. But his 14-year-old brother sulked the entire time. 'He insulted the food, the restaurant and the staff the whole night,' he says. The grandparents stood up for him and scolded his parents for allowing the behavior. That only escalated things into a fight between the adults at the table. Despite the chaos, he says he was just happy to enjoy a meal he genuinely loved. But the joy was short-lived. Later, his parents confronted him and said they knew he was the one who chose the restaurant, even though his grandparents had claimed responsibility. 'They told me I knew my brother didn't like it,' he recalls. He pushed back, reminding them that he's expected to go along with his brother's favorites all the time. 'He knows I don't like his favorite but [I have] to go there,' he told them. That didn't sit well with his parents. 'They told me not to turn it back on him, that I'm 16 and that's old enough to know better,' he says. They claimed part of being a good host is catering to your guests. But OP told them, 'He wasn't really my guest though,' which only made them more upset. Since then, the issue hasn't been dropped. His parents have brought it up several times and have even had more arguments with the grandparents because of it. Meanwhile, his brother has been lashing out in petty and childish ways. 'He threw water all over me and tried to make me eat mushrooms (ick),' he writes. The parents didn't discipline his brother for those actions. Instead, they blamed him, saying, 'It was my fault for the stunt with the restaurant.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. He ends the post wondering if he was wrong for choosing his favorite place after so many years of being denied that simple joy. The reaction from readers makes it clear they don't think so. 'Good for your grandparents,' one commenter writes. 'Also, sounds like your parents are grooming a monster AH Golden Child.' He responds that it's not the first time his brother's behavior has caused tension with the rest of the family. 'They pissed off dad's side a couple of years ago when we all went to this really nice restaurant and he was loudly insulting the restaurant and the food.' Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
