Imagine this: you are coming downstairs in the morning, and in the living room you see your precious 17-year-old teenage daughter asleep with a naked boy, observably after doing a lot of sweating in the night.
What would be your reaction?
A Russian father posted his story on Reddit, telling what he did when found this scene in his house. To put you on the right page, the story was happening in the USA, so his Russian daughter had been making out with an American boy.
I would have never thought of anything like this, but this father’s actions were out of this world. (I hope you have created a strong image in your mind, and could provide your own view later.)
The Russian gentleman asked his other two children, a younger daughter and an older son, as well as his wife, to come quietly downstairs and sit down at the dining table, conveniently located in the same room, where the young lovers fell asleep. He made breakfast, put it on the table, and woke up the sleeping teens with a loud request to join them at the table.
The boy managed not to die of shame in an instant, put on his pants, and sat down with the girl’s family — which already showed he was the man of courage, in my books. He had been asked, in the most uncompromising voice of a Russian father who had just found out his sweet princess was no longer a girl, to answer a question, which would determine his fate… What question do you think he asked? What would you ask?
I am pretty sure you haven’t guessed the correct answer. The Russian father asked the young chap, “Do you like cats?” (If you wonder whether the boy did like cats, the answer is yes.)
The story gets tearier as you are reading it (which I encourage you to do), with the father later finding out that the boy dating his daughter was homeless for over 3 years. His father killed himself and the drug-addicted mother took off soon thereafter, leaving her 15-year-old son to battle through life on his own. The boy had to leave the school and had been working construction jobs, living where he could, from park benches to friends’ couches and Salvation Army overnight beds.
What would you do at this point in time? I am sure by now you could have guessed it, the Russian father got completely mad, told his daughter she was thoughtless and careless, and — have you guessed it? — immediately gave the boy marching orders a key to the house.
Fast forward 15 years, his daughter and his newfound son own a business together, got married, and gave him 2 grandchildren. The happy ending.
I know. That’s totally not the image you would have of a Russian father. Neither would I. Although thinking about it, this might be how my father could have handled it — assuming my mother weren’t around, because she would totally freak out and instigate a huge scandal.
So, here is your Russian story for today. I would love to find out what you think!
(I found this story through The Good Men Project.)
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I liked how the father handled it. His daughter was old enough to make her own decisions and for him to embarrass her or the boyfriend and himself would’ve done no good for anyone
Bill,
You are right, that’s actually a reasonable thought, although I feel for many people it could be completely foreign.
I am proud of such people. The girl’s dad is very clever and original. More importantly, he is not embarrassed teenagers. And now he has two grandchildren. His doughter is happy.
cant imagine such a future -viewing good father …
maybe he might be a some good incubator .
If you trust your child, it’s probably not that hard as you think. The daughter could be just weeks away from her 18th birthday, which means she could just walk out, never to be seen again. Children do have relationships when they grow up, you know. The first love is crucial for a girl. If it’s good, she will have a good model for future relationships. If it’s bad or tragic, her future relationships may be bad. By shaming his daughter the father could make her feel like a slut and think of herself as “bad” or worthless. Later in… Read more »
Dear Elena, I like your comment about the father being sensitive and not spoiling the later emotional health of his daughter with a conflict. But even father need to grow up and let go of their princess eventually. Why let it come down to a “moment of thruth” that can go either way, depending on the circumstances? Parents need to be aware this will happen and will manage this long before it comes down to an awkward moment. Being a parents does not mean to set up rules and borders and make a conflict when these are violated. They need… Read more »
This story is more or less common when parents come to the children bedrooms and see the surprise. But it’s uncommon by the end. And the father, of course, is a great man. He acted right. Everybody is happy – boyfriend, daughter and the whole family. The young man is lucky to meet such a family and such an understanding girl’s father. He trusted his daughter and it’s wonderful.