Husband throws a fit after wife chooses their 13-year-old daughter's omelette in a cooking competition over his, claims she's babying her: 'Big man baby'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Dec 12, 2024 3:00 PM EST

Children need positive reinforcement. If we were never told we're good at something, or that our efforts paid off, we might never follow up on our interests. Sure, there's such a thing as over-praising or infantilizing, where we over-blow our children's achievements, thus giving them a distorted sense of reality. This can be a fine line to walk. But when your child genuinely accomplishes something worth praising, it is our job as parents to praise them. Even if it means putting a little more weight on their achievements than someone else might. That's what parents are for. 

But one father didn't think so and berated his wife for praising their child when he felt like she didn't deserve it. The catch, though, was that he thought he deserved the praise. What kind of a grown man throws a hissy fit after losing a competition to his teenage daughter? Apparently this man. Read on for the story and see what you think.

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    Cheezburger Image 10440272128
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story

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    AITA for letting my daughter's omelette win Throwaway just in case
    via u/troubleoftheheart
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    I (F34) am the mother of a 13 year old girl. My husband (M 38) is a passionate cook. Not professional just at home. He makes most meals and takes pride and joy in his cooking. My daughter recently took up a cooking course at school as an extracurricular. The other week they learnt to make omelettes and she's been doing it with her friend a couple of times at their place. She was really excited to
    via u/troubleoftheheart
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    make it for us and wanted to have it be a competition with her dad. I was appointed the judge. I thought it was great she was learning those important skills and having fun with it. It was obvious which one was which, as they both used ingredients the other isn't a fan of (picky eaters ....) Now I am not a foodie or into cooking much. My
    via u/troubleoftheheart
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    husband's omelette was a little fluffier and a Little better seasoned but to me they were both solid eggs. So I crowned my daughter the winner. I praised both their meals and gave her the paper crown. There was no money or big. rewards on the line just choosing the movie for movie night today.
    via u/troubleoftheheart
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    I thought that was it. Well, no, he got really mad at me (out of her earshot) and said she's not 5 and it's pathetic to let her win. He was going on about his pride and his hobby and that I need to stop babying her and to support him. I could have just praised her efforts but not letting her wrongfully win. Then he listed all that apparently was better about his cooking.
    via u/troubleoftheheart
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    My reasoning was that she did amazing. If she had served raw eggs, I would have never. Also she has always been really picky eater and not as independent as we'd like her to be and now she's making her own food by herself with plenty of vegetables and it's healthy! I just wanted to encourage her to keep going. AITA?
    via u/troubleoftheheart
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    • Secret_Sister_Sarah 23h ago • NTA! I can't believe some people are calling you the AH here! What kind of father would want to gloat in his 13 year old daughter's face, wear a paper crown and pick the movie for movie night???!!! He sounds like a whiny baby, and should be glad that his daughter is trying to take after him in the kitchen.
    via u/troubleoftheheart
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    troubleoftheheart OP 23h ago • . That's kinda what I was thinking how there shouldn't really be a need for a paper crown and picking a movie in a grown a adult men. I will however say that my husband usually isn't like that at all, which is why I wasn't sure I did right. Still think an omelette competition at home shouldn't be a big deal to him tho. Thank you for your comment
    via u/troubleoftheheart
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    matchafoxjpg • 21h ago. couldn't have said it better myself. like imagine being an adult that gets upset they didn't "beat" a literal child. his own daughter, no less.
    via u/matchafoxjpg
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    Mobile_Prune_3207 23h ago • • Top 1% Commenter The irony of your husband telling you not to baby her, while he wants to be babied in a competition with a 13 year old.
    via u/Mobile_Prune_3207
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    mfruitfly 21h ago • • I have been wrongly robbed of prizes for the last 14 years of family events- from not getting all the easter eggs I could clearly SEE, to losing a footrace when I could have gone faster, to clearly making the better clay cupcake- all because | have a 14 year old niece.
    via u/mfruitfly
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    And I wouldn't change a thing, because that is what it is like to be a well adjusted adult around children, including young teenagers. Your husband wants to wear a paper crown, pick a movie, and have his cooking skills validated, over that of his 13 year old child. That's the most unattractive thing I have read on the internet today. NTA.
    via u/mfruitfly
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    By the way, you should just tell him you actually did like her omelet better and watch his head explode, and just keep saying it- oh her eggs were a little softer, I thought her mild seasoning really complimented the eggs, she's a real natural!
    via u/mfruitfly
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    adielie 23h ago. - NTA c'mon people. if a 13 year old wouldn't win her FIRST cooking "competition" she would've been discouraged, especially when her omelette was a solid. the husband on the other hand, acts like he's 5, and has never ever lost in a competition. does he even love his - daughter because no sane, loving dad would throw a fit about losing an omelette competition to his daughter who's just started to learn how to cook.
    via u/adielie
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    Old-Argument2161 22h ago • Wait!!! WHAT!?!? So your 38 year old husband is about losing to his 13 year old Daughter over cooking EGGS!?!?! He needs to grow the f • Big man baby.
    via u/Old-Argument2161
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    AlternativeLie9486 22h ago • • Top 1% Commenter NTA. Isn't it fascinating when you discover that your kid is on their way to being a lovely adult, and your adult partner is a spoiled child...
    via u/AlternativeLie9486
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    Timely_Proposal_1821 21h ago • . said she's not 5 and it's pathetic to let her win. Well, that's funny HE used the word pathetic. NTA - your husband needs to get over himself
    via u/Timely_Proposal_1821
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    killjoygrr 19h ago • • Her first time trying to demonstrate her skills after a class is the time that you really want to encourage her and let her know that she did well. At 13, if she had really screwed it up, she would have known, and telling her an undercooked or burnt omelette was a winner would have been bad.
    via u/killjoygrr
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    But she did a good job. Your husband should get that and also want to encourage her. If cooking is something that she decided she liked and regularly had a competition, then you start giving some critical feedback (not necessarily negative), and have it go to whoever did markedly better. If this was something that happened all the time or if there. was really a stark difference, sure. But that wasn't the case.
    via u/killjoygrr
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    Your husband really got weird about being in a competition with his daughter rather than thinking about helping his daughter grow, learn and build confidence.
    via u/killjoygrr
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    MsTerious1 22h ago "You're not 5! You should not be throwing a tantrum over not winning a paper crown!"
    via u/MsTerious1
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    No_Winner1131 • 23h ago • Top 1% Commenter NTA, unless those were some next level eggs he made then it really come down to personal preference. You preferred hers today. Even if it was a total lie, who cares but a petty little manlet? I would let my daughter win unless I got food poisoning.
    via u/No_Winner1131
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    jeffprop 22h ago NTA. It sounds like your husband would have rubbed the victory into your daughter's face if you would have chosen him the winner as well. If he cannot take a loss to build up confidence in his own daughter, he is a horrible parent.
    via u/jeffprop
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    . tomgweekendfarmer • 19h ago As an avid home cook with some experience as a short order line cook... I literally can't wait for the day I get to compete against my kids... and they beat me.
    via u/tomgweekendfarmer

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