Parents skip 16-year-old son's high school graduation because his sister went into labor, doesn't give birth until 18 hours after the graduation: 'They could have had at least had one of them stay with me'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
May 25, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

No parent wants to have to choose between children during important in their lives. People can plan around this as much as they want, making sure weddings don't fall on milestone birthdays and avoiding proposing on Christmas. However, sometimes nature takes its course, and older sisters go into labor on their little brother's graduation day. One recent grad was put in this situation, and his mom and dad chose not to attend his graduation. This would make some kind of sense if the baby were literally born as he got handed his diploma, but that wasn't the case. His sister didn't even give birth until 18 hours after the ceremony. To make matters worse, both of his parents chose not to attend when they could've easily split themselves between these milestones. When they tried to defend their decisions, the 16-year-old high school grad wasn't having any of it and took to Reddit to share his story. 

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  • 01
    AITA for not allowing my parents to take a picture of me with my cap and gown?
    via u/FunnyAffectionate795
  • 02
    I (16M) graduated last Friday. After the ceremony ended I couldn't find my parents anywhere. I was looking around for them and then I decided to check my phone. My mom sent me a text a while ago letting me know that my sister went into labor and her and my dad were at the hospital. This upset me because I thought my
    via u/FunnyAffectionate795
  • 03
    parents were there but realizing that they weren't just made me sad. I saw everyone else with their family taking pictures and stuff and I was just standing there awkwardly not knowing what to do. My mom told me that they would be back asap to come and get me.
    via u/FunnyAffectionate795
  • 04
    They did not. I waited for a good 20 minutes watching everyone else leave. I decided to just walk home because I got tired of waiting. I walked 3 miles before my parents drove by and made a u turn to come and pick me up. They were mad when they saw me walking. They told me that It was disrespectful of me to for leave with out telling them and accusing me of putting myself in danger.
    via u/FunnyAffectionate795
  • 05
    I told them that It wasn't alot of people left at the ceremony and I didn't want to wait anymore. I also told them that they knew it was important for them to be there and they completely bailed on me. They told me that they were sorry and kept trying to justify why they left. I told them that it doesn't make sense for them to leave
    via u/FunnyAffectionate795
  • 06
    when my sisters husband were there with her and if they really wanted to abandon me they could have at least had one of them stay with me but they left me with no one to watch me and ruined what was supposed to be a good day for me.
    via u/FunnyAffectionate795
  • 07
    My sister didn't even give birth that day she gave birth like 18 hours later which me off more. The problem is my parents are upset with me because they wanted to take another picture of me with my cap and gown on but I refused. The one they took of me in the car I wasn't smiling and my parents wanted a redo because of it.
    via u/FunnyAffectionate795
  • 08
    I told them no. I said that if they already had a picture of me and that it's all they are gonna get. I told them that there are pictures of me on my school's facebook page and they can screen shot it from there or can leave it alone. If they choose to attend my college graduation they can maybe see me in another cap and gown. But until then, I don't see why I have to put it on just for them when they chose to miss it.
    via u/FunnyAffectionate795
  • 09
    They feel as if I'm punishing them by not allowing them to take a picture of me. I just feel like if they wanted a picture they should've been there. Other than that they can use the ones on Facebook, the one in the car, or none at all.
    via u/FunnyAffectionate795
  • 10
    heather20202024.13 hr. ago edited 4 hr. ago Tbh ... I think NTA. It would be different if your sister was alone or in distress but she wasn't. It also sounds like it was her first which notoriously takes hours and hours if she was safe and had her husband with her, they could have waited a couple of hours with you and then all gone together - or, like you said, one of them stayed. Is she the golden child?
    via u/heather20202024
  • 11
    FunnyAffectionate795 OP 13 hr. ago Thank you, and then they acted like I was supposed to stay there all by myself waiting on them. I don't think my parents have a golden child, but I'm not them, so I don't really know.
    via u/FunnyAffectionate795
  • 12
    Electrical-Ad-9100 · 11 hr. ago I'm so sorry you had to go through that. The birth of a child is very important but they could have went separately, and FaceTimed or taped your graduation to show their support to both you and your sister. Graduating at 16 is a huge accomplishment and I do hope you're very very proud of yourself.
    via u/Electrical-Ad-9100
  • 13
    Common_Estate6292 10 hr. ago It wasn't even the birth. She went to the hospital in labor. There was no need for Grandparents to be there hovering immediately. They could have waited until after the ceremony to go to the hospital since there was no medical emergency or distress.
    via u/Common_Estate6292
  • 14
    Dry-Novel2523 · 10 hr. ago Exactly this. They weren't there to do anything but hover. They even left the hospital shortly after the graduation ceremony ended. They went there to say they went there. My wife and I had these types of grandparents from both sides of the family. It's weird.
    via u/Dry-Novel2523
  • 15
    Frogsaysso 10 hr. ago Neither my father nor my FIL were at the hospital when I was giving birth (and my child would be the only grand child for both sets of them). Why didn't the OP's father go to the graduation ceremony so at least one of them was there?
    via u/Frogsaysso
  • 16
    LB7154 9 hr. ago Frogsaysso I agree. One parent could have been at the birth and one at the graduation. Seems simple to the rest of us. Both could have video taped for the other parent so both kids had support
    via u/LB7154
  • 17
    Trikger 13 hr. ago NTA. It was a big moment for you, so of course it's normal for you to respond with disappointment when your parents aren't there. Your sister had her husband with her, and it seems quite unlikely that both your parents would be in the delivery room with her on top of that. I completely understand that they want to be there for the birth, but they surely knew they still had hours to go before the baby would actually be born once they saw your sister at the
    via u/Trikger
  • 18
    hospital. It usually isn't like in the movies where it's a process that takes a few minutes. As parents, they know that. Having one parent stay with your sister while the other attends your graduation is a completely valid compromise. After the ceremony, this parent could then drive back to the hospital with you.
    via u/Trikger
  • 19
    If you don't want them to take those pictures, then that's that. The moment has already passed and they weren't there for it. Photos are to capture memories, and the one they took in the car did exactly that. You shouldn't have to pretend like it's a happy memory when, for you, it's not.
    via u/Trikger
  • 20
    mitsuhachi 12 hr. ago This is the key to me. If the question were "are the parents ah's to leave the ceremony" then we could debate that. That's not the question.
    via u/mitsuhachi
  • 21
    They abandoned OP at their graduation, and OP was upset about it. They didn't like that OP was upset and now they want to play dress up do over with OP pretending everything is happy families so they can show their friends and play like they didn't let OP down. OP is not wrong to not want to lie about their feelings to help their parents save face.
    via u/mitsuhachi
  • 22
    Trikger 11 hr. ago Exactly. They're not seeing that he's hurt. It was his big moment and they weren't there for it so it's not weird at all for him to react the way he did. At 16, this was one of the most important moments of his life up until now.
    via u/Trikger
  • 23
    He's hurt and his parents aren't even allowing him to have that. They gave him reasons and excuses for what happened, but they aren't trying to empathize with him. It must be a very deflating feeling.
    via u/Trikger
  • 24
    MakeMelnk 10 hr. ago I really like your point about photos capturing memories. This works for both positive and negative things. As someone who was an avid photographer for years, I've never really cared for disingenuous photos so that point specifically was nice to hear from someone else.
    via u/MakeMelnk
  • 25
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    via Cole Keister

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graduation labor siblings graduate bad parenting bad parents parenting dad birth high school sister parent mom Parenting Fail parents Parenting FAILS
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