'Ugly Details': Dad Slammed for Detailing Split From 10-Year-Old Son's Mom

Internet commenters were left disappointed after one father recounted what he told his 10-year-old son about his split from the boy's mother.

Posting on Reddit's r/AmITheA**hole, Redditor u/ObjectiveNo8088 (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said his son recently asked why his parents are no longer together and detailed the brutally honest answer he gave back.

Titled, "[Am I the a**hole] for telling my son about why his mom and I aren't together?" the post has received more than 5,000 votes and 1,700 comments in the last day.

Explaining that his relationship with his son's mother jumped from "physical attraction" to "having a kid very quickly," the original poster said the former couple shares custody of their 10-year-old and are only ever around each other for large celebrations, like the boy's birthday or Christmas.

The original poster also described his parenting style as "very honest," and said that when his son inquired about the separation, he couldn't help but tell his version of the truth.

"I told him that his mom is one of those people where if she's not choreographing and directing everything around her, she's not happy," OP wrote. "I told him I just felt like I was losing myself the more I was around her."

Despite his belief that his explanation was "pretty tame," and didn't venture towards a profanity-laced rant or anything like it, the original poster said that last night, he learned that his side of the story had been relayed directly to his son's mother.

"I get a phone call from my ex telling me that, in the heat of an argument with her about cleaning up his room, [my son] let it fly about what I said," OP wrote. "She said I should've passed on the question...my point to her was, I don't believe I said anything toxic or outlandish."

In the U.S., roughly half of all children will witness their parents' marriage come to an end, according to Owenby Law Firm.

Although data collected by Statista shows that millions of children across the country live with just one parent, shared custody agreements remain common, with 40 percent of states pushing for equal custody time for both parents.

But shared custody agreements, and time spent with both parents, can lead to unintended consequences, especially when it comes to the specific reasons any type of custody agreement was implemented in the first place.

When children of divorce inquire about why their parents are separated, Parents magazine recommends a multi-step response process, involving patience, honesty and a keen ear for any follow up questions confused youths may have.

However, Parents also suggests that parents fielding difficult questions about their divorce consider their audience before answering, and make sure not to overshare negative feelings and inappropriate details better suited for older demographics.

Throughout the comment section of the viral Reddit post, Redditors echoed this sentiment and noted that, while the original poster wasn't overly aggressive in explaining his split from his son's mother, he planted seeds he'll never be able to take back.

"[You're the a**hole]," Redditor u/notlucyintheskye wrote in the post's top comment, which has received nearly 21,000 votes. "You took a s**t on your ex rather than saying 'it just didn't work out, that happens sometimes.'

"It was a mild s**t, but not really appropriate to tell a 10-year-old," they added.

Redditor u/bounty_hunter1504, whose comment has received more than 4,500 votes, offered a similar response.

"A simple 'we weren't compatible and discovered we are better parents for you when we aren't together' would have sufficed," they asserted. "Kids don't need to know the ugly details; that's information for grown-ups only."

"This would have been a perfect answer at any age," Redditor u/anaisaknits chimed in, receiving more than 5,000 votes. "Going into details is very unnecessary."

In a separate comment, which has received more than 9,000 votes, Redditor u/lil-ernst expressed skepticism and questioned why the original poster's explanation to his son didn't match up with what he wrote in the viral post.

"In the beginning of your post, you tell us that it didn't work out with your son's mom because you figured out that you were too different," they wrote. "When your son asked you, the reason you gave put the blame solely on your wife for being too controlling.

"Why didn't your son get the version about you being incompatible for mutual reasons?" they added.

Newsweek reached out to u/ObjectiveNo8088 for comment.