Man Gives Nephew Advice, Brother Resents It Because Now His Son Appears Smarter Than Him

"At first my brother thought my nephew figured this out himself but then my nephew said that I told him how to do it. "

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• February 29, 2024

Pets often become the center of our world, offering unconditional love, companionship, and, occasionally, a surprising catalyst for uncovering deeper family relationships. This story begins with a concerned call from a 16-year-old to his uncle, highlighting a common yet challenging issue many pet owners face: transitioning their pet to a new diet.

In this case, Hazel, the family cat, was on vet-prescribed weight management food, but she was far from thrilled about the change. The uncle, armed with knowledge and a strategy, suggested a gradual approach to introducing Hazel to her new diet.

Starting with a mix of 75% of her old food and 25% of the new food in the first week and adjusting the proportions over the next three weeks until Hazel was fully transitioned, this method proved successful. Hazel began eating her new diet without fuss, much to the family's relief.

However, the resolution of Hazel's dietary woes would soon reveal an unexpected tension within the family. When the nephew credited his uncle for the successful diet transition, it sparked a feeling of embarrassment in his father.

The father felt overshadowed by the notion that his son, aided by his uncle's advice, appeared 'smarter' than him. OP underestimated the extent of his brother's emotional distress.

OP's nephew called to say their cat, refused to eat her weight management food as advised by the vet, and his dad had given up trying to switch her diet.

OP advised a gradual transition and 100% new food from the fourth week and it was a successful transition.

OP's brother felt embarrassed, thinking his son was smarter.

OP's nephew's smartness lies not in finding the answer, but in recognizing the value of seeking help.

OP's brother should have handled the situation himself instead of leaving it to his son.

It's his dad's responsibility for not doing so.

His father will learn from this lesson.

OP's brother's lack of intelligence is evident in his belief that it's embarrassing when his children are smarter.

It's toxic masculinity at its worst.

His son cleverly solved a problem, showing greater ingenuity than his father.

OP's brother's attitude is unreasonable.

The nephew did a smart thing by asking for help when he needed it, showing that it's okay not to have all the answers on your own. But it makes you wonder why the dad didn't try to solve the problem himself.

It's kind of his job as a parent to take care of stuff like that. The dad's reaction to feeling like his son was smarter than him was pretty silly and not fair.

Thinking it's embarrassing for your kids to be clever is just not right. He should have been proud of his son's smarts and seen it as a chance to learn something new together.

The dad's attitude needs a rethink. He should be supporting his son and learning from him, not feeling insecure. Hopefully, he'll figure that out, and things will get better in their family.

Damjan