“AITA because a child was injured on my property and I don’t think it’s a big deal?”
My son had a friend of his come over, and they were goofing around in the yard. There’s a small dead tree I’ve been meaning to cut down but haven’t gotten to yet because I’m lazy. My son never had any interest in helping me with the tree. Every time I suggested he come help me he was “tired” or “busy” from/with all the many responsibilities teenagers have.
Since his friend was there, and be wanted his friend to think he was cool, he somehow found the energy. He went and got the ax from the shed and started to chop down the tree. His friend thought this was very cool and asked to try. My son gave him the ax, and he swung it at the worst possible angle.
The ax hit the tree and bounced off, lost a little momentum and hit him on the chin with the flat side of the ax. The boys ran inside. The ax didn’t break the skin, and I told him he was fine but he could put some ice on it if he wanted. Since it’s so cold, he did not want to. When his dad picked him up, he was furious.
He asked why I didn’t call. I didn’t think it was a big deal. Also, his son has a phone. He could have called. I said next time I’ll call. He said there won’t be a next time, and he’s going to look my ex-wife up and tell her about this.
I understand that times change and what once was acceptable isn’t necessarily still acceptable. I get that. He didn’t even bleed. Is this really a big enough deal to throw an adult tantrum over? If he was seriously hurt, I would have taken him to the hospital. He learned not to take axes from sheds without the permission of their owners, and I would say he got a deal on that lesson. Am I the ahole?
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
_gadget_girl said:
NTA. This is the kind of thing teenagers do. One of my friends came home to her son and his friends trying to cut a tree down in their yard. Her son had borrowed the car without permission, had an accident, and decided to try to cover it up by claiming a tree fell on it.
thequiethunter said:
NTA. Your son and his friend played a stupid game and won a stupid prize. The other father sounds like a chump. No blood? No foul.
Accurate_Muffin429 said:
You gotta be kidding me. Acting like this over a FOURTEEN YEAR OLD getting a freaking bump to the face?? Are you kidding me?!?! WTF is wrong with everyone saying OP should have called? A 14 year old is a high school freshman (grade 9 for the non-Americans).
Not a kindergartener. Boy needs to learn to care for himself when he hurts himself. If he wanted his dad to know he could have called or asked OP to call. NTA in anyway whatsoever.
Orphan2024 said:
NTA, at all. Is everyone just overlooking this arsehole threatened him with his ex wife?? Mother to a (now adult) teenage boy here, they do stupid shit all the time and you’re not always gonna be there to catch it unless you’re one of those parents that don’t let your kid have space to grow and learn consequences. His kid learnt a lesson, thankfully with no lasting consequences.
SnooCheesecakes93 said:
NTA they are old enough to know better.
Amareldys said:
NTA, No. This is not a big deal. If he fell out of a tree and broke his arm, yeah, you should call, but not for normal bumps and bruises. It doesn’t sound like you were worried his mandible was broken or teeth chipped. He’s gonna have an awesome time at school telling the story!
dogsforfun said:
NTA. Jeez some people on here are sensitive. Kids love getting into mischief and a bump on the chin is basically nothing, especially at the age of 16. Kids in other countries get sent to war at 16. Kids younger than 16 get jobs in coal mines (both of which are awful but still).
I think teens are meant to get bumps and scrapes from doing dumb things, that’s how they learn. I think I would have done exactly the same in your sitch, except maybe telling your son he should have mentioned his plans to you first so you could supervise.
