Dad gets mad when a teacher wants to force him to invite all of his son's classmates to his birthday party

by Mark Bennett

April 30, 2022

Dad gets mad when a teacher wants to force him to invite all of his son's classmates to his birthday party
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A dad lost control during a phone call with his son's teacher about his child's birthday party. The father told his story on Reddit, hoping to receive a second opinion from followers and evaluate if his behavior was excessive or not. The whole argument revolved around the birthday party of Al (real name), the 6-year-old son. According to his teacher, whom his father calls by the fictitious name of "Ms. Goldbaum", all of Al's classmates should have been invited to the party and not just a select few. The father continued to explain that in his house, outside of school hours, his child could invite whoever he wanted to his, but certainly he was not forced to invite all 24 children in his class along with their respective parents. The argument then degenerated, and now Al's father wonders if he made the right decision.

via Reddit

Flickr / woodleywonderworks / Not the actual photo

Flickr / woodleywonderworks / Not the actual photo

Al's teacher phoned the child's dad to express her concern about her little student's upcoming birthday party. Ms. Goldbaum learned that Al would be celebrating his birthday with only a few of the children in her class and, expressed her worries: Al should invite all of his classmates - 24 children - so that no one would feel excluded. The father immediately responded with some counter-arguments of his own: in the class, there were some children who do not get along with Al and, as if that were not enough, he could not host 24 children with their parents. The teacher, however, continued to make her point:

"Then she tells me that there is a rule that if some children in the class are invited to a party, then all the children in the class must be invited. I told her it is an event that will be held outside school hours on a private property - my house. She can't tell me what to do at my house and decide who I can and who I can't invite - just as I can't decide who will be invited to her Thanksgiving dinner, " explained the father annoyed by the persistance of the teacher.

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Wikimedia / Not the actual photo

Wikimedia / Not the actual photo

The problem, according to the teacher, was that many of her young students would have felt excluded having not been invited to the party. This means that, between children and parents, Al's family should have been willing to host about 72 people in their home. The father continued: "Besides, Al also has friends in the other classes, so should I invite the whole school?". The teacher replied while keeping her original point: "Al is in my class. He is under my supervision. This is my rule." Of course, the father retorted: "It is me who is organizing my son's party and she cannot set the rules for my home or for me." The teacher, however, said that if an issue concerned her class, then she had a right to intervene.

Arriving at a stalemate in the conversation, the father lost his temper and silenced the teacher by raising his voice: "Madam, it is quite clear that you are too used to commanding children who are forced to listen to you, But you do not seem to understand that your little fiefdom ends at the end of the school day and does not extend beyond the school gates. I am not a 6 year old in your class. I am a 38 year old union electrician and I am planning a private event at my home, outside of 'school hours ". Shortly after these delivering this rebuke, insults flew and it is this behavior that the father regrets.

The majority of Reddit users, however, have fully agreed with this dad, condemning the behavior of the teacher, even if it was motivated by "good intentions". What do you think about this bizarre story?

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