72-year-old grandpa refuses to pay for 17-year-old granddaughter's phone after he breaks it, her mom puts him in his place: ‘He says I'm taking money from poor old people’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
May 12, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Any parent knows that in order to teach their children important life lessons, they must lead by example. No one can expect their children to learn and follow values if they can't first follow the same values themselves. Even if it's hard, especially if it's hard, we must show our children that it is the right thing to do, otherwise, they will never learn.

However, no parent can ensure that all the adults around their kids will follow the same mantra, especially when it comes to the extended family. The parents can lead by example as much as possible, but they can't force their kids' grandparents, aunts, or uncles to do the same, and that can lead to some setbacks. We all know that some adults can be even more childish than actual children, and who can say what adults like these might teach the children around them? 

Hopefully, people who raise their kids with the right values can count on them to know right from wrong, just as the 17-year-old daughter in the story below could tell her grandfather's actions were wrong, even though he refused to admit to it.

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    Cheezburger Image 10504652032
    via Prostock-studio

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    WIBTA for making my dad pay for my daughter's phone after he broke it?

    I'm 50F and I have a 17 year old daughter. My father is 72. For some background, my father has always struggled with being responsible with money. He's always spent irresponsibly, never really
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    saved, impulsive purchases and occasional gambling. He's currently in limbo between being broke and being barely not broke.
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    Yesterday, me and my daughter went to visit him and my mom (71) for an early Mother's Day celebration. My daughter spent time alternating between being on
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    her phone and sketching while me and my parents were talking. About two hours into the visit she asked if I had a phone charger, as it was getting low and she
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    wanted to get some charge on it before the car ride home. My daughter has an Iphone and I have an Android so we use different chargers, so
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    mine didn't fit. My dad has a very cheap and old phone, and offered his charger. My daughter explained that because it was similar style to my charger it wouldn't work.
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    She left her phone on the counter and went to the living room. We spent the rest of the visit watching TV with my mom in the living room while my dad was in the kitchen.
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    When it was time to leave my daughter went to grab her phone and started screaming and crying. I ran in and saw that my daughter's charging port was completely
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    destroyed, the bottom of the phone screen was cracked, and the lower phone frame was dented. My dad casually mentioned that he tried to charge her phone for her, and that it didn't work.
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    I yelled at my dad, and asked how did he not realize the phone was breaking? He said he was too focused on trying to push the charger in. I told him that he's going to pay for either a new phone or a
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    repair, depending on which option is deemed better. He started arguing with me, saying that he can't afford to buy an Iphone, and that my daughter can go without a phone for a while. I argued
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    back that my daughter does need her phone for communication with friends and family and also for safety (we track each other on Life360) and I'm not making her go without her phone because he broke it.
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    Cheezburger Image 10504652288
    via pixelshot

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    My parents are calling me an ahle for demanding the money from them, saying I'm taking money from poor old people (yes, they pulled that card). They're not going to go into poverty if they pay
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    for this. My dad just won't be able to gamble. They always pay their bills and have food, but don't have much leftover afterwards. My dad usually always blows the leftover money immediately. My
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    brother and sister are saying I should just pay for the phone myself, and that my daughter's a spoiled brat for throwing a "tantrum" over not having her phone 24/7.
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    Am I really that much of an a_h_le for demanding that he pay for a phone he broke?
    via ThrowRAphonedrama

  • Not only was the grandfather warned not to try and charge the phone, but he actually broke it while trying, refused to apologize, and then refused to pay for the damage. If that is not an example of a childish adult, we don't know what is.

    Hopefully, the only thing the granddaughter will learn from his actions, is what not to do.

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    OhmsWay-71 NTA. After childhood, regardless of age, you are responsible for your actions. Who should pay for it if he doesn't? Your daughter who is a
    via OhmsWay-71
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    student? You who did nothing wrong, and were not even involved? Not only should they pay for it, but where was the apology?
    via OhmsWay-71
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    ThrowRAphonedrama OP They think me and my husband should pay for it because we can afford it. They also suggested my daughter should pay for it because she's almost 18. Me and my husband bought her this phone about four months ago, expecting it to last her
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    through college. She was very excited to get this phone because it was her first phone that was an Iphone and new (not hand me down from me or my husband) and she's very upset it's broken after only a few months
    via ThrowRAphonedrama
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    GothPenguin It was explained to him that his charger wouldn't work. He decided he knew better and would show her that it would work by charging it for her. He damaged the phone he owes her and you the repair/replacement cost. The only ones acting like or brats are your parents and siblings. NTA
    via GothPenguin
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    InnerChildGoneWild NTA. Dad broke something worth x dollars. Dad pays x dollars to buy a new one or y dollars to fix it. Just because he doesn't understand or appreciate something's value doesn't mean it doesn't have value. Dad just wants to save face and hide this under the rug.
    via InnerChildGoneWild
  • 25
    WholeAd2742 NTA The fact he forcibly destroyed the phone out of frustration rather than admit the charger didn't fit is entirely asinine
    via WholeAd2742

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family drama aita kids mother teenagers phone reddit story grandchildren parenting Grandpa family grandparents Reddit money parents children Father
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