Once upon a birthday bash, in a land not too far away, a little prince turned four. Our narrator (Original Poster), a proud dad at 21 years young, embarked on a quest to celebrate this milestone with a sprinkle of family fun—as was the usual.
The thing is, OP’s family had a quirky tradition when it came to blowing out birthday candles. It was usually a group effort, a chorus of puffing cheeks and shared wishes. But OP’s son had other plans.
Since the little trooper turned two, he waved the flag of independence, marking his spot as a lone candle blower. He neither participated nor wanted any foreign gusts of air quenching his candles. And when he didn’t get his way? Well, let’s just say the resulting tantrums were one for the books.
Last year’s drama was still fresh in everyone’s minds—the endless tears and refusal to eat his own cake. Fast forward to this year’s birthday bonanza, and OP laid down the law: no sharing the wish-making magic.
His brother wasn’t thrilled, but his sister-in-law promised to prepare their kids for this new development. The D-day finally swung by, and the moment of truth arrived.
As the birthday boy geared up his cheeks to release that magical puff, OP’s hawk eyes spotted a rebellious nephew about to do the same! Thankfully, his ninja-like reflexes saved the day as he put a hand over the six-year-old’s mouth in the nick of time.
The nephew started to cry, and OP’s brother was just furious. He ended up storming off with his family, but OP’s son remained blissfully unaware of the chaos as he embraced the joy of being four and surrounded by playmates.
Was OP wrong to stand by his son’s obvious wish?
The story in detail
A bit of background
OP covered his nephew’s mouth to make sure the little boy or any other person doesn’t participate in blowing out his son’s candles
OP’s action caused a big fight between him and his brother, who accused him of not allowing the kids to have fun
OP’s mom branded him the AH and asked him to apologize. However, OP’s girlfriend and sister were on his side
We gathered some reactions from the Reddit community:
“Your brother and SIL are clearly in the wrong for not teaching their kids basic manners.”
“NTA It’s your Kid’s birthday, Not your nephews.”
“The fact your brother thinks his kids enjoyment is more important than your son on his birthday is shocking.”
“NTA. A birthday is special, he doesn’t need to share that moment. And your nephew needs to learn it’s not always about him.”
“His kid is just following the dad’s example, if the wife doesn’t win this parenting battle the 3 sons are gonna be little a**holes too.”
“NTA – I understand the value of family traditions, however your son has expressed his wishes and it is fair of all the accept it.”
This was a clear-cut NTA case for the Reddit jury. It was OP’s son’s special day, and he shouldn’t have to share that moment if he didn’t want to. Case closed.
As for OP’s brother, who calls a four-year-old such vulgar names over some cake candles? Everyone agreed he might want to get his temper checked, along with teaching his son some basic manners.
Do you agree with this verdict? Let us know in the comments.
