Mom Forces 17-Year-Old Daughter and 16-Year-Old Son to Catch 1 Fish Before She Buys Them Cars: 'When They Were Little, They Wouldn't Even Try Fishing Because it Looked Hard.'

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A 17-year-old girl fishes on her mom's boat so that her mom will buy her a car.

Am I the bad guy for making my kids catch a fish to get a car?

I (46F) am married to my wife (45F). We have two kids. One girl (17F) and one boy (16 M) My daughter plays softball and my son does soccer. Both are athletic and have friends and are social. When they
were little I brought them fishing with me on the boat. They had no interest and wouldn't even try it because it looked hard. I said whatever and didn't push. As they grew I noticed a pattern everytime they saw something hard they wouldn't even attempt
to try it. The only reason they play sports is because it came easy to them. But other than that they don't do anything else. My wife and I make enough money to live comfortably and our kids are just expecting to get cars.
A gifted car, which is what the son and daughter in this story expect from their parents.
I spoke with my wife and told her about how I think they should work to get their cars. They have to go out on the boat and just catch one fish. Doesn't matter the size just follow our state regulations. I
would even go with them to help. But all they have to do is try. My wife says its odd and my kids think it's completely unfair. I told them they just have to catch something. So reddit. AITAH?
Moms fish together without their kids because their kids are totally uninterested and unwilling to fish, since it doesn't come easily to them.
Lunar-Eclipse0204 YTA - not everyone enjoys fishing, it's truly not for everyone. You are trying to push what you enjoy onto them. If they need to work for their cars, they need to have a good grades, and idk maybe a job.
Medium Orchid4654 That's the point, they need to do something they don't enjoy in order to get something they don't deserve. Some kids work months to save for a car, and these kids can't catch a fish, or even see the challenge in it, for such a huge reward? Edit, and he's not trying to make them love it or do it all the time, so he's not pushing it on them.
Necessary_Dark_6720 Yeah but working for months teaches actual life skills and gives work experience. This is just a *mom on a power trip ETA changed dad to mom, poor reading skills on my part. Doesn't change the judgement at all
Several_Razzmatazz51 There is that saying about teaching someone to fish as a life skill.
Necessary_Dark_6720 YTA you're trying to spin this like it's about teaching responsibility but catching a fish has nothing to do with that. It's just something you like to do and you're mad they don't also enjoy it. If you want to reach responsibility make them get summer jobs and contribute a percentage towards the car. Or give them opportunities to do work around the house to earn towards the car.
That could actually be a good opportunity to teach them about how long it takes to make money/increase their appreciation of it. The fish thing is weird and it's never going to make sense to them because it doesn't make sense
MustLoveWhales Idk, if I had to just catch a fish to have a free car, Id jump all over that. Seems easier than working summer jobs and saving for years. Is it weird? Sure.
Fun_Disaster3436 Yes, agreed. BUT It wasn't "do a task, get a car" It was "I'm upset that my kids aren't into fishing and find it difficult and annoying, so I'm making a task that is otherwise irrelevant the only thing they can do to access age-appropriate freedom" It's controlling. If it were about doing something hard, OP wouldn't be digging in so hard about it being a fish.
B1okHead YTA Do you often make your children jump through arbitrary hoops for no reason? Do they have to do math problems before they're allowed to have dinner? Do they have to do pushups before they're allowed to go to bed?
sobrul3 A little out there but it's a way better deal than I was as a kid. given as

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