I went to the mall last night with my gf and we were walking in and saw a kid crying with his foot stuck in a tree trunk.
He was around 5-7 and he was struggling hard to and it was very awkwardly placed.
We went into the mall, got the hoco dress, and started out.
Maybe 30 mins all together (the mall really sucks btw)
We walked out and he was still stuck and complaining his ankle hurts really bad.
I heard the dad yell “you got it in there, you can get it out”
Having enough of this I just went over and helped him.
His parents got out all mad and he was on the ground crying in pain.
Apparently he tried to pull really hard and lost his balanced twisting his ankle to the point he couldn’t stand up.
I called mall security who then called the cops and they took a statement and said I could leave.
I came home to my dad telling me I should have minded my own business and everyone said that was a learning experience for the boy.
Am I the asshole?
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I went to the mall last night with my gf and we were walking in and saw a kid crying with his foot stuck in a tree trunk.
He was around 5-7 and he was struggling hard to and it was very awkwardly placed.
We went into the mall, got the hoco dress, and started out.
Maybe 30 mins all together (the mall really sucks btw)
We walked out and he was still stuck and complaining his ankle hurts really bad.
I heard the dad yell “you got it in there, you can get it out”
Having enough of this I just went over and helped him.
His parents got out all mad and he was on the ground crying in pain.
Apparently he tried to pull really hard and lost his balanced twisting his ankle to the point he couldn’t stand up.
I called mall security who then called the cops and they took a statement and said I could leave.
I came home to my dad telling me I should have minded my own business and everyone said that was a learning experience for the boy.
Am I the asshole?
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I helped a struggling kid, and I could be an asshole by simply helping him instead of letting him figure it out on his own
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Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
NTA. the parents were neglecting a child in distress
NTA — you did what you thought was right. Helping the poor boy when his parents couldn’t. I’m guessing mall security was called because the place wasn’t secure? Those parents were neglecting their own child — crying in pain. As a narcissistic abuse expert — your dad is also no better. You saw a need, so congrats to you for doing the right thing.
NTA. “Mind your own business” when a child is in pain? No way.
NTA
Stuck in a tree for half an hour with a twisted ankle isn’t teaching him anything. If you hadn’t helped how long were they gonna wait to help the poor kid?
You took care of a kids whose parents couldn’t be bothered. “Minding your own business” in this case is code for “passively endorse child abuse”. Shame on your father.
The only learning experience for the boy is to know that his parents are not trustworthy.
NTA
Nta
He was weeping, hurt and stuck for 30 minutes and his dad did nothing to help? Are you kidding me?
If my kids were weeping in pain, I’m not sure I would have waited at all. What if he had broken his foot?
That poor kid.
NTA. And I’m a FAFO fan, but 30 minutes is way too long to leave a kid who is that young in a painful and precarious situation. In fact their brains aren’t’ developed enough for a time out that long. It’s borderline abuse. Reminds me of the father who made his son run on the treadmill until he collapsed and died.
Had it been my kid, I’d let them struggle for less than 5 minutes before helping them and having a convo about climbing on things in places not appropriate.
NTA I’m the type of guy that thinks children should be given a chance to figure things out on their own but this is past that. Seems more like the dad wants his kid to suffer.
Op-NTA. Good on Ya! That little boy needed help. I hope someone got his ankle/ foot looked at….His Parents are neglectful and abusive. You don’t leave a child in a physically painful position to prove a point.
NTA. And it certainly was a learning experience for the boy: he’s learned that his parents are wankers but that there are people who will step up and help him when he needs it, despite being strangers.
NTA You learned your lesson: never help your family members because they want to learn their lesson.
NTA. Since his adults failed him, it was up to any other adult to help that child.
NTA. Good job. Kids need to be protected by adults.
NTA. Thanks for being a decent person.
YTA, helping a child? Children need to learn how to dislocate their knees to get out of tricky situations only a dumb kid would get into. /s what a bunch of mean people
Dad uses the Ken Titus method of raising kids. Not always a bad thing.
You did the right thing initially (not your pigs, not your farm and all that) but a half-hour stuck in a tree? Good lawd. Though I would have just called mall security rather than getting personally involved – inserting oneself to directly assist with someone else’s kid against the wishes of the parents falls squarely in the danger zone.
NTA.