Truck owner forces 15-year-old cousin to walk home after she refuses to follow his no-eating-in-the-car rule, family turns against him: ‘She [is] just a kid’

When is it just a childish mistake, and when is it plain disrespect?

Raising teenagers is one of the most difficult parts of being a parent. They're not old enough to make their own choices, and not young enough to bow their heads after being told off when they do something wrong. When they cross a boundary, it is much more difficult to correct them than younger children. 

When someone else finds themselves in need of setting a boundary, it can be twice as hard if they don't have the parents' support. A user on Reddit shared on r/AITAH  that his cousin's teenage daughter showed a complete lack of respect for his rules. He told her she was not allowed to eat inside his truck, since he wanted to keep it clean. The girl disregarded his rules completely, telling him he couldn't tell her what to do. To teach the girl a lesson, he stopped the truck, made her get down, and walk the 10 minutes left to her home. The family disagreed with his decision and told him he exaggerated. 

On the one hand, it is understandable that a parent feels protective of their child, especially if they think they were in danger. On the other hand, it is also true that every individual has the right to set specific boundaries over their property, and parents should teach their children to respect those boundaries and private property. At some point, teenagers need to be held accountable for their mistakes; not everything can be solved by saying "she/he is just a kid." Every kid and teenager needs to learn the importance of respect and taking responsibility for their actions. Mom and Dad can't come to the rescue all the time, and to live within the limits of society as responsible adults, it is fundamental to know when the rules should not be challenged. 

Do you think the truck owner could have done something differently, or that the parents should teach their daughter respect? Keep scrolling to read the full story and decide.