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A dad’s extreme reaction to his teenage daughter’s dangerous actions divide opinion online.

The parents decided to help their teenager buy a car when she turned 16 (the legal driving age in the US), but when things went pair-shaped the dad took to Reddit with a dilemma.

“There would be a “contract” of sorts to ensure we were all on the same page,” he wrote.

“The stipulations were continuing good grades, good attitude, she could only bring one friend with her somewhere (to begin with), we had to know where she was, and the obvious two: don’t drink & drive, and don’t text and drive.”

The father spotted his daughter in a video online, which showed her clearly using her phone behind the wheel.

“My daughter was posted with her face down as she texted and rolled through a stop sign,” the dad shared.

“Once with her face down in her phone at a stoplight. I was livid.”

“Wife and I up and sold the car,” he wrote. “…of course our daughter completely came unraveled.”

He explained that the furious teen called the move unfair, arguing that ‘everyone’ texts and drives and that the parents were ‘overreacting’, particularly given she was hoping to use the car to get herself to college and back.

Family divide – Not everyone agreed with the decision

“This has everyone in our life up in arms and divided,” the dad explained.

“Her grandparents think we’re being over the top and awful, that grounding her would have sufficed.”

He insists, however he made the right choice and laid down the law in a brutal closing statement.

“She made that choice. She had a car, it came with certain stipulations, she disobeyed us, and now she pays the price,” he said.

Many reddit users labelled the move ‘impulsive’.

“I mean… I probably would’ve given her a warning and taken the car away for a month first,” one person suggested.

“Selling the car? A bit overboard in my opinion,” another agreed.

Do you think they went too far or have they done the right thing? Share your comments below

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  • If the teen contributed nothing towards the car the dad has every right to sell it. Obviously she knew the rules her Dad made. Rolled through a stop sign. Does that mean she didn’t stop completely or didn’t stop at all? in Aust. both are traffic offences. There is also a law regarding passengers while drivers are on “P” plates. It depends what the Dad’s warning was re. the stipulated rules how severe the punishment was. Maybe they could have confiscated all the sets of keys for a few months.

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  • I’d rather be seen as OTT and unfair than to organise a funeral for my child as so many parents have because of this issue alone. Good on him.

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  • I support the contact fully, they are buying and she is still only 16. None of the contract terms where unreasonable in any way

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  • I think they did the right thing. You shouldn’t text and drive, ever. Things could’ve have ended very differently if she had caused an accident.

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  • I’m with the parents. This will drive the message home, and in a much better way than if she had hit someone whilst not paying attention to the rd! The grandparents would have done the same thing if it was their child and not grandchild!

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  • Texting behind the wheel is a serious offence and super dangerous. I can understand the dad.

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  • I see it both ways but at the end of the day they brought the car and there were rules along with the car.

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  • If her attitude was that everyone does it, i dont blame the parents. Rather no car than not have her life.

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  • Good on them. If she can’t be responsible on the road then take away her ability to drive.

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  • my neice was killed by someone texting and driving, I say good on them


    • That’s terrible. I’m so sorry for you. :-(

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  • Honestly it takes a split second texting to lose your life. I’d sell my child’s car too if they were so blatantly silly! Lose a car or your life? When she grows up perhaps try for round 2

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  • While yes I think it was probably a bit extreme for a first offence (that they know of) at the end of the day she’s a teenager who was given a car with strict obligations and rules. She broke them, kids need to be shown that there are consequences for their actions

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  • The simple message is “Don’t Text and Drive”! Protection is key sometimes when our children are blind to the consequences that can follow from their actions.

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  • A tough dilemma – but she did something very dangerous nd doesn’t seem to grasp it. I’m with him.

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  • He night save her life doing that! Plus, she was lucky he even bought the car in the first place

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