Advice Needed
Throwaway account because my son knows my main one, and I really need some advice.
I (34M) have a 16-year-old son with my ex (34F). We had him very early in life—too early, really. We grew up on the same street, knew each other from school, and one thing led to another.
To be honest, both our parents were extremely controlling throughout our lives until the divorce. Neither of us had the backbone to stand up to them. When they found out she was pregnant, they forced us into marriage. They dictated our roles: my ex as a stay-at-home mom, and me as the breadwinner.
My ex and I resented each other for the lives we never got to live. We were never cruel to each other and always kept things civil for our son’s sake, but we lived like strangers—separate bedrooms, minimal interaction. Eventually, we split after I caught her “cheating.” Ironically, that moment freed us both from our parents’ control, and we divorced two years ago. Now, we get along well, and I even consider her a friend.
That said, I’ll give her credit—she was an incredible homemaker and an amazing mother.
When we divorced, I had to learn household skills on my own. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I had to rely on YouTube tutorials for basic tasks like cooking and cleaning. That experience made me realize how much work it takes to maintain a home.
A few weeks ago, I was ironing clothes for me and my son when I told him I wanted to teach him how to do it himself. I explained that I didn’t want him to grow up as clueless as I had. He brushed me off, saying he didn’t want to learn. I insisted it was important, but then he dropped a bombshell:
“Only failed men do stuff like this, and I won’t be one of them.”
I was shocked. I asked him to clarify, and he said he believed that household chores are a woman’s responsibility and that only “simps” do them.
I was stunned but tried to keep my composure. I asked if he thought I was a simp. He shrugged.
At that point, I told him to choose his next words very carefully and warned him that he’d be learning household work whether he liked it or not. But he doubled down, repeating his belief.
That was the final straw. I told him that if he thought chores were a woman’s job, he could pack his bags and go live with one—his mom. I refused to tolerate that Andrew Tate nonsense in my house.
For context, my son lives with me during the week because his school is only five minutes away, whereas his mom lives nearly two hours from it. He refused to pack, so I packed for him. That’s when he started to realize I was serious and tried to backtrack, but I wasn’t having it.
He must’ve called his mom because she called me while I was packing his things. I explained the situation, and to my surprise, she supported me. She asked me to drop him off at her place, saying she’d help teach him a lesson.
It’s been two weeks now. He’s living with his mom, and she’s been making him do household chores daily. He’s called me multiple times to apologize and ask to come back. His mom and I agreed he’d stick it out for a few more weeks after the holidays, commute to school, and continue doing lighter chores there. Once he moves back in with me, I’ll reinforce the consequences of his behavior.
However, when I told my friends about this over Christmas, they said I was too harsh and that it was a jerk move to uproot his life like that. Now I’m second-guessing myself.
So, AITAH?