Single Dad of 7-Year-Old Boy Sparks Debate for Telling His Son That Mom Is a Drug Addict

A single dad's honesty with his son about his mom's drug addiction sparked a debate on Reddit, with people airing their views on his approach.

When it comes to parenting, parents often wonder if they are doing things right or utterly wrong. One single dad, who uses Reddit, found himself in that dilemma.

The unnamed man narrated that he once had intercourse with a woman he referred to as Sally, severally. After a while, the woman asked him to stay away and never contact her again.

Sally made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him more than once, and he let her be. Fast-forward to a year and a half later, and he found out from the lady's mother that he has a son.

DNA testing confirmed paternity, and he took custody because the woman is a drug addict. Fast-forward again, and the little boy is seven, wants to know about his mom, and his dad told him,

"[Your mom] has a sickness called addiction."

The boy cried when he heard about his mother's drug use, and now the man feels like he made a mistake for sharing the truth. Also, the single dad's mom felt the boy didn't need to know the truth.

Reddit users, as per the course, jumped in to air their views. Many commended the man for being honest and telling his son the truth. Others felt age is irrelevant when it comes to being honest, as everyone deserves the truth.

The little boy is interested, and his dad believes it would help him to see that he is not the only one with a parent battling addiction.

A third group criticized the single dad's mom for scolding him, as times are different, and kids can handle more than they get credit for. The advice helped the man, and he brought back an update. He wrote,

"Thanks to everyone who commented. It gave me some confidence in my parenting… I have decided to get counseling."

The man is also getting counseling for his son. The little boy is interested, and his dad believes it would help him to see that he is not the only one with a parent battling addiction.

While being honest worked for the man, another Reddit user had mixed reactions. The person — a teenager — in a fit of rage revealed to her cousins that their parents who judged another relative for having a child out of wedlock had an abortion in their younger years.

Many thought that it was not the teenager's story to tell. They noted that she should have kept quiet, and channel her rage elsewhere.

Others praised her for exposing the secret and revealing her cousins' parents' hypocrisy. There was no middle ground here, and but one consensus they all had was that it's better to be honest than to lie.