Teenager Defends Brother from Family Who Want Him to be a Miserable Champ

A 16-year-old girl gains the support and admiration of a popular sub-Reddit community for standing up to her dad and stepdad for the sake of her brother!

Going by the name u/throwaway_accnt_0 on Reddit’s r/AmItheA–hole forum, this girl tells the details of the cause of the problem that threatens the health, happiness, and future of her twin brother.

OP tells this part of their family life, “I do cheer and Cody does sports. We do these activities because we enjoy them, but Cody also puts in a lot of effort because he’s constantly seeking approval from our dad AND stepdad. The two don’t care for each other but are somehow the best of friends when it comes to Cody’s sports.”

Yes, unfortunately for Cody, he has to get involved in 5 types of sports. Their dad is a fan of hockey and lacrosse, while their stepdad is a football and basketball enthusiast. What made matters worse is that both men also enjoy baseball. If Cody chooses to quit one of these 5 sports activities, you can be sure of a riot in the family or an accusation of Cody’s playing favorites.

OP could feel how overburdened her twin brother is, with him sometimes just lying on his bedroom floor for hours and being uncommunicative. It is a behavior she has observed in him since they were 10.

The clash happened between her and their father, along with their stepdad, recently, while they were all having a celebratory lunch for OP’s older sister, who is going to college. OP’s older sister asked everyone if they would like to go to the mall, and all of them said yes, including Cody.

However, their dad quickly stopped Cody from going, since he did not want him to miss his practice that day. Cody tried to reason that he has never missed a practice before, and this one was just an informal activity. But their stepdad stepped into the argument, and both men cited OP as a good example of someone who excels because she never misses a practice.

OP relates what happened next, “I thought this was ridiculous. I’ve missed plenty of practices, and Cody has more awards than me. I asked them if they were being serious and told them what I just mentioned. My dad kept telling me to be quiet, but I called him and my step dad losers that need to realize that Cody is a human being with limits, not a doll they can program or play with.”

Her strong words embarrassed both men. Her father called her out for lack of respect, to which their mom joined in, claiming she was misinterpreting the situation due to her ignorance of male dynamics.

OP finally exploded and called the matter bulls–t, for which all the adults told her she needed to apologize. Their older sister understood OP’s point of view, but she did also tell her that OP’s act was disrespectful. Meanwhile, Cody refused to further talk about the problem.

To find out if she is really on the wrong side, OP is asking for the AITA members’ view of their family situation.

Of course, in a situation like this, only a fool will side with the father and stepdad! They are making the young boy’s life miserable with their selfish interests and ambitions.

“Dads trying to relive their ‘Glory days’ through their kids—-Or their Wannabe days, which is even more pathetic! They had their time, made their choices, now it’s the son’s turn. Let him live his own life, how he wants to, and learn from his own mistakes,” expressed one Reddit user who feels exasperated with OP’s father and stepdad.

“NTA – somebody has to stand up for your brother and since both mums in this scenario fail to do so, your brother is lucky to have a sister like you! Both your dad and stepdad are the AHs in this scenario. They need to grow up an realise that your brother quitting a sport from either “side” that that doesn’t count as him “playing favourites”. God, they sound so immature!” another angry AITA member remarked.

“You did the right thing and were a good sister, the ‘it’s a men thing, we dont get it’ is such a stupid old mentality. Stand up for your brother, he obviously needs someone to do that. NTA and you have my respect for what you did, standing g up to your family is not easy,” somebody else commented similarly with admiration for what the girl did for the sake of her brother.