Teenager Sparks Debate after Telling His Dad He Doesn't Want to Continue with 50/50 Custody

A teenager sparked a Reddit debate, after revealing that he no longer wants his dad to have joint custody with his mom.

While most children pray for their parents to get joint custody during divorce, one teenager wants his father to give up his 50/50 care, and let him live with his mom full time. The teenager took to Reddit to state his reason, and it sparked a debate.

According to the 14-year-old male, his parents got divorced when he was 7, and for the last three years, he has shuffled weekly between his mom and dad's place, a situation he loathes as no one asked him what he wants. He wrote,

"I officially [dislike] this schedule, I [dislike] the fact that I have to pack my stuff every [expletive] week."

The teenager continued,

"I don't feel like I fit in both families. They all get to stay in one place and be happy, and I feel like I'm just visiting them."

The young man acknowledged that he holds no grudges against his dad, whom he described as a "Good dad," but he wants to know if he's wrong, for requesting to live with his mom, as his dad blames his mom for his decision.

People reacted to the narrative in different ways. One person wrote,

"You are old enough to have a say in [the] decision since it's your life. But you also need to see it practically from his side. Maybe he just really wants to spend more time with his kid, and thought this is the best way to do it."

Others blamed the dad for pointing fingers at the mom, while a third group advised the teenager to explain to both of his parents how he feels, and the reason behind his decision.

While the teenager wants to live full time with his mom, another Reddit user, a parent, wondered if she made the right decision to keep her son away from her ex-husband's fiancée, who talks ill of her in front of her child.

Another parent wondered if he made the right decision by giving his 8-year-old son an ultimatum to either stay with him or his mom, who always picks him up when he has a tantrum.

In both cases, people gave varying opinions, but the dominant consensus was that in co-parenting, parents should put the interest of their children first.

Reddit users equally opined that divorced spouses should get their children into therapy to ease the transition, and talk about the way they feel. Divorces are never easy, but like the teenager said, children should have a say, and parents owe it to their child's happiness to listen.