“Am I a Jerk for sending my daughter to her room because she farted during our family dinner?

What would you do if your child turned a family dinner into a comedy show with fart jokes? Just imagine trying to keep a straight face while teaching table manners, only to watch your 14-year-old daughter turn the meal into a gasoline-filled laugh fest.

Our protagonist was facing this situation when his daughter’s unique sense of humor tested the limits of his patience.

More info: Reddit

Mom Loses Patience After 14-Year-Old Autistic Daughter Keeps Passing Gas During Family Dinner, Thinking It’s Funny

Photo credits: Askar Abayev (non-contractual photo)

‘She laughs at farts, researches all the facts about farts’: Daughter of woman diagnosed with high-functioning autism developed a strange obsession with farts

Image credits: August de Richelieu (not the actual photo)

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Image credits: Karolina Kaboompics (not the actual photo)

Photo credits: RockyRoad776

The woman’s daughter continually burps and farts while the family eats, causing the mother to lose her temper and yell at her.

The OP’s (original poster’s) daughter, Rosie, was an eccentric 14-year-old with a strange love of fart jokes, ready to turn any family dinner into a stinky situation. She was the only girl in a family of four, so she always stood out. Diagnosed with high-functioning autism, Rosie found joy in things most of us don’t like, like the art of flatulence. Yes, you read that right. Farts were her comedic gold. She would make fun of farts, research gas-inducing foods, and binge-watch fart jokes on her tablet. To Rosie, farts were the pinnacle of comedy.

Despite her special interests, Rosie’s mother was on a mission to teach table manners to all her children. From “excuse me” after a burp to covering your mouth when you cough, the basics were instilled. As the extended family came over for dinner, Rosie’s mother made a clear rule: no farting at the table, hoping that her daughter would keep her fascination in check. But Rosie couldn’t resist.

After drinking a large glass of lemonade, Rosie let out one which echoed around the room, receiving rather disapproving looks from the rest of the family. “I reminded him to apologize and hold in his burps,” Mom remembers. Rosie tried, but temptation struck again. In the middle of a conversation, she let out a fart and laughed. The looks on everyone’s faces? Invaluable.

This was the last straw for Mom, who ended up lashing out at her daughter after sending her to her room in tears. She called Rosie’s actions disgusting and rude, especially in front of their guests. Rosie apologized and promised to behave herself, but it wasn’t enough. She was sent to her room and dinner continued without her.

Later that night, Rosie and her mother had a heart-to-heart talk. Rosie told her mother that all she wanted to do was make everyone laugh and that she didn’t realize people would get angry. “I reminded her that it was actually rude and that she shouldn’t do it again outside of company,” Mom explained.

What did the father have to say, you may ask? Well, an occasional farter himself, he thought his wife had overreacted, saying it was just a fart and not worth making a fuss about. But the author had noticed his smirk during dinner and suggested that perhaps their daughter was trying to copy him. “I called him out because he had smiled during dinner and I told him that she modeled her behavior on him,” the author recalls.

Image credits: Pixabay (this is not the actual photo)

Even though the OP stood by her decision, she couldn’t help but feel that she may have been too harsh, given her young daughter’s diagnosis. For a high-functioning autistic teenager, Rosie’s fascination with farting isn’t all that uncommon, as an article on the same topic explains.

“High-functioning autism is a subtype of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characterized by relatively mild symptoms compared to other forms of autism. People with high-functioning autism may have difficulty understanding social norms, making eye contact, initiating or maintaining conversations, and interpreting nonverbal cues such as facial expressions or body language,” explains the article.

These children often develop a keen interest in specific subjects and are particularly attentive to detail. Although they may be academically gifted, they may have difficulty understanding social cues. Unlike more severe forms of autism, children with high-functioning autism, including those already diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, tend to have normal or above-average intelligence and language skills but face significant social challenges.

Rosie’s mom has had a difficult parenting moment that many can relate to. Trying to balance discipline and understanding, especially with a high-functioning autistic child, is certainly not an easy task. But maybe, just maybe, we can all afford to laugh a little, even when things get a little… smelly.

Teaching children table manners can sometimes be a challenge, but it’s part of the parenting journey. As explained in one article, when you teach your child table manners, you’re giving them essential tools for social interactions that will serve them throughout their lives.

“Teaching table manners is an important part of family mealtimes that will help your child feel confident in social situations and when dining out. Just be sure to take a pressure-free approach to teaching your kids. You don’t want mealtime to be filled with stress and anxiety,” the article explains. Remember to keep things pressure-free and lead by example. With a little patience and consistency, even the most eccentric teens can master the art of civilized cooking.

So, was Rosie’s mother too harsh with her daughter or was her reaction justified? Leave your comments below.

People in the comments are saying the mother isn’t a jerk for sending her daughter to her room because she farted at family dinner.