Internet Slams Mom Refusing To Accompany Teen Daughter to Her Dad's Funeral

The internet has slammed a mom for refusing to accompany her teenage daughter to her father's funeral.

In a viral post on Reddit, the woman shared how she had told her 16-year-old daughter that she would not attend her ex-husband's funeral because she did not feel comfortable seeing her former in-laws.

Posted by user ThrowawayPaige67 on the popular subreddit r/AmITheA**hole, it now has over 10,000 upvotes and thousands of responses in the comments.

ThrowawayPaige67 wrote: "My ex-husband (my daughter's father) passed away 2 days ago. My daughter begged that I go with her to the funeral because she said she doesn't know anyone there and needs my support and guidance. I refused because I did not feel comfortable...it's just not worth the pain. Plus, her grandparents and her younger uncle that she adores will be there so that is good enough.

"I offered to have my brother drive her there and return her home later, but she refused and kept begging that I go with her. I told her no and that I have my reasons and that's it."

The Redditor went on to share that her daughter had "unloaded" on her: "She called me bitter and selfish and said that my hatred for her dad is still there and is disgusting. I was really hurt but didn't punish her for what she called me because she's grieving and is processing her father's passing."

A study by Judi's House/JAG Institute, which in partnership with the New York Life Foundation developed the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM), estimated that 1 in 14, or 5.3 million, children in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent or sibling before they reach the age of 18.

In the viral post on Reddit, user ThrowawayPaige67 finished writing: "[My boyfriend] told me later that this is obviously something my daughter is not dealing with properly and suggested I go to the funeral because if I don't then there will be lasting resentment from my daughter. I went to bed but couldn't sleep over this. I feel like just because she wants this doesn't mean I just go with it. I never push her to do anything she doesn't want to do."

Shocked by the post, responses on Reddit overwhelmingly slammed the mother for her refusal to support her daughter. One commenter wrote: "That's your 16-year-old daughter and you're just not willing to support her doing the hardest thing she will ever do? You're not a mum. You just gave birth to her."

A report from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) said that for every 1,000 marriages in 2019, 14.9 ended in divorce—this is the lowest rate in 50 years. However, it also reported that the U.S. marriage rate hit an all-time low around the same time.

Another commenter said: "You told your daughter that her need for guidance and support during this tough time is less important than your own comfort, so no wonder she's p***ed at you. Better she deals with the death of her father on her own than you having an awkward conversation with former in-laws, I guess."

Many responses focused on how important it was that the poster support her daughter, and the negative impact that not being there could have.

One Redditor wrote: "You're an adult. This is your child you're talking about. She has just lost her father and is now facing one of the most difficult periods of her life."

Judi's House, which aims to help those struggling with grief, that: "Research shows that bereaved children are at an increased risk of disrupted development. Unaddressed childhood grief and trauma can lead to short- and long-term difficulties including decreased academic performance, mental health issues, and early mortality."

Newsweek has reached out to ThrowawayPaige67 for comment.