I don’t know what this guy’s relationship with his kid actually is, her opinion matters and she may feel differently, but my dad now and then did stuff like this to me, and guess what: don’t remember feeling good about it! https://twitter.com/johnroderick/status/1345508384011816960

If you MUST turn this into a Teaching Moment of this kind, the only correct approach to take is “do you want to figure it out yourself or do you want me to show you”.

Give your kid some fucking agency. Which is allegedly the point here.

Part of the problem here is that Apocalypse Dad has utterly confused the two primary tasks of parenting, one of which is to protect/provide and the other of which is to teach. https://twitter.com/johnroderick/status/1345508387786641409

Sometimes those things overlap! Sometimes they’re in tension! But your 9 year old is of an age where she’s still looking to you to do things like MAKE SURE SHE HAS ACCESS TO FOOD and by putting that in tension with teaching her a new skill you’ve introduced an element of anxiety

I realize some people will think this is all much Twitter ado about nothing, but it isn’t really nothing; it’s a classic symptom of a bigger problem in parenting to which cis men seem especially susceptible.

And while I don’t recall the exact specific instances where my dad pulled this shit with me, I do sure as shit recall feeling like something simple was now a big asinine production for reasons that seemed obscure to me and in the future I should just ask my mom instead.

When you’re teaching your kids things, which you should, try avoid making the lesson “Don’t bother asking this weirdo for help with anything because they will only make your life more complicated”, do you see how that might come back to bite you years down the line

By the way, one of the frustrating things I’m seeing in response to this is “but he’s a good guy and he meant well!”

I mean, my dad is also basically a good guy and also meant well. Two things are still true.

1. It was a dick move and he shouldn’t have done it.

2. One of the biggest problems with how cis men are socialized to parent is that much room and cover is made for basically good guys who mean well to obliviously fuck up in extravagant ways that have lasting effects.

John Roderick is probably a good guy who means well, sure. He still pulled a complete and callous dick move and he should get shit for it, and he shouldn’t do it again, and no one should do it, I’m not sure what’s so controversial about this take.

LMAO NEVER MIND https://twitter.com/birdrespecter/status/1345772924028928000

I still say my dad is basically a good guy who has made some HIGHLY questionable parenting decisions in his life, my love and forgiveness for him does not make those decisions less questionable

And I’m just real glad he isn’t smugly relaying any of those stories on social media

Anyway maybe the McElroys can revisit whether they want to be associated with this guy because jeeeeeeeeeeeez

(Also sorry I neglected to QT slurs with a content warning, it was one of those shock QTs where you don’t think things through)