Redditor Raises Younger Brother As His Own Child, Asks If He Should Tell His Brother The Truth Or Let Him Continue Calling Him "Dad"

"You are his dad despite not being his biological father."

Stephanie

• Published in Interesting
• July 5, 2023

Family units are not always black and white. Some families are unconventional, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

Reddit user u/AmINotTheAsshole is the perfect example of this, and he recently shared his story in the AITA (Am I The A**hole?) subreddit. He explained that his brother "Josh" was born when he was 23.

The OP became Josh's legal guardian when their parents divorced, and neither wanted to take care of him. Josh has called the OP "dad" since he was little and had no idea about his real parents.

The OP says he feels guilty for not telling Josh the truth, and some of their other family members have been constantly telling him that what he's doing is wrong and that Josh needs to know about his parents. However, the OP's wife disagrees and says it's in Josh's best interest for them to keep the truth a secret.

The OP says he feels that Josh has the right to know where he comes from and that he is his brother. But, at the same time, he doesn't want to put Josh through any more heartache than he's already endured.

In a later update, the OP said that after an overwhelming response from the Reddit community, he and his wife decided it would be the right thing to tell Josh the truth. Keep scrolling to see what people had to say.

The OP asked if he's an a**hole for letting his brother call him 'dad'?

He explained that this is a hot topic of discussion in his family currently.

The OP became Josh's guardian when their parents divorced and refused to take care of him.

Josh has been calling the OP dad for his whole life and has no idea about his real parents.

Some of the OP's other family members don't approve and keep insisting that he tell Josh the truth.

The OP's wife disagrees and thinks they should continue keeping that information from Josh.

Now the OP is torn and feels confused about what he should do.

In a later update, the OP said he had decided to tell Josh the truth and would be doing so very soon.

Here's how people reacted.

"You need to tell him."

Okay, but "did your parents ever give you any child support?"

"He has the best big brother in the world."

"Talk to a therapist."

"Find someone who can help you bring this up."

"You are a hero."

"You are his dad despite not being his biological father."

"He needs to know."

NAH.

"Better to be honest than have him find out later."

"It'll be way worse coming from someone else."

So, what's your take on this situation? Do you think the OP should tell Josh the truth about his parents, or would he be better off not knowing?

As always, we would love to hear your opinions on this topic. You can share your thoughts with us in the comment section.

Stephanie