Boy Becomes Man of the House While Dad Is in the Service – Story of the Day

After his mother meets with an accident, a little boy steps into a grown-up's shoes and becomes the man of the house while his dad is deployed in the military.

Arlo was six when his mother, Lara, found love again in John, a man who was overly devoted to his country. John was a soldier, and when Lara married him, she thought he would be enough to put her naughty little son in place with strict rules and discipline.

Arlo brawled for even the silliest things and made a scene for almost everything. He would quarrel with his little sister, Maya, for candies, pull her pigtails and invite her to fight! The things Arlo did! They would be funny and annoying, and anybody would want to yell at him, only to melt at seeing his big, brown eyes screaming, 'sorry, 'twas a mistake! I'll not do it again!"

Lara and her two kids from her previous failed marriage moved in with John after the wedding. Two years ticked away in bliss, but things slowly slid downhill for the family after John grew jealous of the love between his wife and stepkids...

Arlo, who was then eight, started noticing the differences in his stepfather's attitude. John would scold him for simple things like not giving him the TV remote or laughing with his mom in the kitchen.

"When I was your age, I learned to help my parents. I did all the housework. Look at you. Your mother spoiled you so much," he often told off little Arlo, who could do nothing but hang his head down and then stare at his mom with big, pleading eyes.

The boy often thought, 'what the hell is wrong with my dad?' but would let it slide, doing things kids his age did, like listening to music, roller skating, or bike riding.

Kindness comes in different shapes and sizes.

Day by day, John's cold attitude toward his family, especially the kids, worsened. He stopped giving attention to the children and did not take part in their upbringing at all. Since Lara worked in a private bank, he held her responsible for raising them on her own. Not that John was running away from his duties as a family man. But he was just not ready to do anything out of his way for his wife and children. He loved Lara but was not yet mentally prepared to accept her kids.

Although Lara was unhappy with the transitions in John's behavior, particularly toward her son, she could not say much. She was afraid he would leave her like her ex-husband, and coping without him was the biggest worry that haunted her. Lara was not ready to take that risk again and silently endured John's coldness.

One day, John was called back to the military base due to an emergency. Lara knew the depths to which her husband loved his country. Although she was upset he was leaving too quickly, she could not help but fake a smile. She worried about Arlo and his tantrums because he was obedient as long as John was home. Now that John was going to stay away for a few weeks, she knew she would have a hard time getting Arlo to behave.

A week passed, and everything seemed okay with Arlo's behavior. Lara was relieved, but another mighty blow came her way very soon. She fractured her leg and hand in a minor accident on her way to the bank and panicked when the doctors recommended bed rest for a few weeks.

"How will I cook for my kids? I cannot drop them at school in this condition. They have their exams next week," she cried, not knowing Arlo was watching her from the doorway with a plan brewing in his mind.

The next morning, Lara awakened to something burning in the kitchen. She grabbed her crutches and rushed out to check, and saw the toaster with a burned toast popping out.

"Arlo, sweetie, what is happening here?" she was alarmed as she emerged through the smoke.

"Mommy, why did you come here? I was making breakfast. I am not going to school today. You need to rest. I'll take care. Don't worry."

"But sweetie... where's your sister?" Lara panicked after not seeing Maya around.

"I walked her to the bus stand and stayed till the school bus picked her up. She is in school now."

Lara was amazed. For a moment, he did not seem to be that naughty boy who constantly annoyed her. It was strange. Several emotions of guilt, joy, and sorrow bombarded Lara when Arlo broke her silence again.

"Mommy, here's your breakfast. Warm milk. There's an omelet. And toast!"

Lara could not help but laugh. "You're becoming a grown man! I'm impressed. But I can take care, alright? Be a good boy and get ready for school."

But Arlo wouldn't listen.

"No, I'm not going. I will stay home and take care of you," he said.

Lara was too exhausted to argue with her son. She kept pestering him to go to school and not miss his exams, but Arlo turned a deaf ear.

"Mommy, if you love me, please allow me to do it for you," he emotionally cornered her.

It was a sweet threat, and Lara could not turn him down but insisted she would allow him to help her only if he went to school.

"That goes to you as well, young man! If you love mommy, you'll be a good boy and go to school. Only then I'll allow you to do all this. Deal?!" she snapped his nose.

Arlo agreed and started going to school the next day. He shuttled between school and household chores like a grown-up. He fixed loose screws on the door like a professional repairman. He made breakfast from the recipes in his mom's cookbook. The dishes Arlo made lacked flavor. Some were overcooked and burned. But it was made with love and care.

He did the laundry, mowed the lawn every weekend, and even learned to braid his sister's hair. Lara was moved, and one day, while Arlo was busy at work, she took a video of him and sent it to her husband, hoping he would be impressed too.

"You didn't say anything. Look, our son is behaving like a grown-up. I'm so proud of him. He's becoming a little family man already!" Lara cried to John on the phone.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll be returning soon. Talk to you later," was all he said. Lara was hurt but brushed it off, thinking her husband was busy.

A few weeks later, John returned home and saw Arlo mowing the lawn. He scowled at him with a disappointed stare and did not stop to praise him or even say hi. Arlo's efforts did not please him at all, and it showed. Even Arlo knew it but ignored it because he knew this was how John would act.

John's cold attitude hurt Lara. She thought he would at least appreciate and be kind to her son, but she was wrong. And it was the last straw when John insulted Arlo over not adding enough sugar to his coffee.

"You good for nothing little imp. You don't even know how to make coffee," he yelled and poured the coffee into the sink.

At this point, Lara lost her patience and took a stand for her little boy.

"Stop it, John. Be kind to my son. If not, do not expect him to do things for you. He's our son, not your servant. He handled everything when you're supposed to be doing it for us," she fumed.

John's ego was hurt. "Ah, you think you can cope without me? With your little son doing things for you, huh?" he argued.

"I thought I could not do anything without you. But my son gave me the confidence!" Lara said.

The day ended badly, and Lara was forced to think about her children's future. She could no longer let John be rude and unkind to them and made a difficult choice.

"Really? You want to do this?" John was startled when Lara handed him the divorce papers a few days later. Following another rough patch in her relationship, she divorced John and moved back to her old house with her kids.

Lara was ashamed of herself for allowing the man to be rude and unkind to her children. She knew it would be difficult but was assured her little man Arlo would always be there for her and his sister.

What can we learn from this story?

• Kindness comes in different shapes and sizes. When his mother fractured her hand and leg and could not work, an eight-year-old Arlo put his best foot forward to help her.
• A kind word of appreciation and encouragement is all a child needs to know they are loved. Despite seeing how hard Arlo worked to help his mother and sister, John did not praise him. Instead, he was rude and demotivated the boy.

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A brother steps into a dad's shoes to care for his younger sister, but fate has a different plan for his own daughter years later. Click here to read the full story.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.