Should parents get to mandate their kid’s major in exchange for tuition money? Your answer to that question will likely shape how you respond to this recent Reddit AITA post. A dad took to the forum to share that he had originally agreed to pay for his daughter’s college tuition because she said she was going to major in computer science. He had been concerned she would pursue illustration, a subject matter she’s really interested in, because he didn’t think there would be enough steady work. So, awesome! Computer science and a wide scope of job opportunities to come, he thought.
Then, he found out that his daughter lied. “She’s majoring in illustration. She got some mail about some art exhibition at her school,” he wrote. “I thought nothing of it at first because I knew she was a computer science major. After looking into it a bit more, I found out her work was chosen to be displayed in the exhibition.”
The dad was furious. They had made an agreement that the tuition money was going towards a certain major. He told her he would no longer support her and she’d need to pay for college herself, ask her mom to pay or, he added, “she could begin to pay me back for the money she stole from me, interest free.” His wife disagrees. She thinks it’s unreasonable to ask their daughter to pay her own tuition. However, he’s standing firm.
“Now my wife and daughter are upset with me,” he wrote. “I’m starting to reflect and think maybe I could’ve been nicer about the situation.”
The Reddit dad received a lot of feedback — the majority of which advised him that he was in the wrong. Lots of people emphasized that getting a degree in illustration isn’t an impractical decision and there are plenty of jobs in the field and lucrative paying jobs at that! A former college advisor also hopped into the discussion to make a very valid point about choosing majors. “You would’ve wasted your money paying for a degree she didn’t want,” the user wrote. “If she didn’t want to study it for four years, what makes you think she wants to do it all day, every day, for the rest of her life? Stastically, she’d almost certainly have dropped out or changed paths within five years.”
Others pointed out that his daughter’s work was being exhibited and that was something to celebrate, not brush off. The lie, many told him, isn’t the part of the equation he should be focusing on.
“YTA. Yeah, so she lied about her intended major and you’re disappointed in her for lying to you,” a user noted. “She’s doing so well that she’s part of something exciting, and really important to her, and that will look GREAT on her resume!! THIS, right here, right now, is what’s more important than a couple of white lies. Be ready and willing to support her by offering congratulations when deserved.”
The dad is clearly having some second thoughts on the way he handled this situation. Now, the big question remains. What can he do next and how can he rectify his actions? Some suggested that he attend her art show and offer his support as a first step (in addition to continuing to pay for her tuition!) What do you think he should do?
These celebrity fathers are all proud to be “girl dads.”
Source: Read Full Article