'AITA for what I said to my son after he scribbled on my husband’s home office walls?'

In this scenario, a mother finds herself questioning if she was in the wrong for praising her son after he scribbled on his father’s home office walls. The incident occurred while the mother was painting a mural for her unborn baby’s nursery, with her son showing interest in creating something similar for his father. The son, aged 3, went into his father’s office and scribbled on the walls under the supervision of his grandmother.

Upon discovering the scribbles, the mother responded positively, telling her son “good job” and acknowledging his effort as a present for his dad, while gently guiding him that paper should be used for such creations in the future. The husband, however, reacted differently, remaining silent in front of their son but expressing his displeasure later. He felt his wife shouldn’t have praised their son for what he viewed as vandalism, despite the son’s innocent intention of making a gift.

The mother offered solutions like repainting the office or turning the scribbles into a mural, but the father remained upset, choosing to lock his office to prevent future incidents. He perceives the mother’s praise as encouragement for inappropriate behavior, while the mother sees it as supporting their son’s good intentions. The conflict revolves around differing perspectives on how to handle the situation and whether positive reinforcement was appropriate.

In conclusion, the mother is grappling with whether her response was appropriate given her son’s innocent intentions, while the father feels justified in his disappointment over what he considers inappropriate behavior in his office. The situation underscores the challenges of balancing parental reactions to children’s actions and navigating disagreements over discipline and encouragement.

Read for more info Reddit