Woman Praised Over Response to Father-in-Law Who Told Her to Iron His Shirt

A woman has gone viral after detailing how she exacted sweet revenge on her "sexist" father-in-law after he told her to iron his shirt.

While the role of women at home and in the workplace has changed significantly over the past 70 years, some old habits still die hard, particularly when it comes to household chores.

A 2020 Gallup Poll found married or co-habiting heterosexual couples in the U.S. still divide housework along traditional lines with women largely responsible for duties like laundry (58 percent), cleaning (51 percent) and cooking (51 percent).

However, one woman found a way to strike back against gender roles after her husband's dad made the mistake of assuming she would happily iron his shirt.

Writing in a post upvoted over 45,000 times on Reddit, the woman recalled how her future father-in-law came to stay with her and her then-fiancé ahead of their engagement party.

The flashpoint occurred while she was busy getting ready for the party.

"I had my hair half curled and my makeup half done, with not much time left. I was visibly rushing," she wrote. "He handed me his shirt and said 'iron this for me.'"

According to the woman's post, her father-in-law is a "terrible, sexist man" and there was "absolutely no question" he was demanding she iron his shirt because "that is what women do."

"I took it off him with a smile and ironed the vinyl print on the highest setting and ruined his shirt," she wrote. "Melted the logo and got scorch marks on the shirt."

Acting dumb to the blunder, she said that her father-in-law had to wear an "ill-fitting replacement" from her now-husband as a result noting that "he ironed that one himself."

Proof that revenge isn't always a dish best served cold, the woman's apt response to her father-in-law's everyday sexism resonated with many on social media.

"Love this," Abby2692 wrote. "I know people can be like 'He's a fossil just do it, don't mind him.' But the fact that he's grown to be a fossil means he's had enough time to learn basic decency."

Caffeineandvodka was similarly scathing of the idea the dad is "from a different time" when such behavior was acceptable. "Things change, people adapt. You're telling me they can't grasp the concept of treating women like people because they were born before 1985?"

LadyToker applauded the woman's "quick thinking" in that kind of situation. "I've been hurled into doing things for my in-laws but never know what to say quick enough," she said.

Toweringpine, meanwhile, thought it was "a fantastic way to lay out how it's going to go" once she joins the family while AsymptotesMcGotes couldn't resist a pun, writing: "He must have been steaming."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment.