Site icon Awkward Mom

Dad Put on Blast for Refusing to Feed Daughter Because She Can’t Figure Out the Can Opener

Just when you think parents on the internet can’t get any worse, people are always there to prove you wrong. It’s like the online gods relish it, this smacking you in the face with a total prick them moment you start to believe there is more good than bad out there behind the profile pictures.

Today, it’s the man non-affectionately known as “Bean Dad,” and who has been thoroughly roasted on Twitter for his borderline abusive parenting tactics.

This thread has now been deleted and his account is private.

His actual name is John Roderick, and he’s the lead singer and guitarist in a band called The Long Winters. He chose to share an interaction between him and 9yo daughter on Twitter, one that began with her telling him she was hungry.

He was busy and told her to get some baked beans, put them in a pot, and start heating them up.

Image Credit: Twitter

Now, we’ll ignore for now the dubious nature of baked beans as a snack and continue with the story – she didn’t know how to open the can, so she couldn’t get started.

At this point, he admits that he’d never taught her how to use a can opener.

Image Credit: Twitter

He asked her how she thinks it works, she struggles for a moment, and then it seems like he’s going to just teach her.

You know, like a parent.

Image Credit: Twitter

But no. He told her to figure it out and went back to his puzzle.

Image Credit: Twitter

He ignored her continued efforts (and probably her growling stomach) instead. When she wanted to give up, he asked her to explain the mechanism. She had it mostly right.

Image Credit: Twitter

She declared that she hated him when he continued to NOT tell her how the can opener works.

The daughter decided she didn’t want beans after all (who could blame her) when Bean Dad doubled down and informed her they weren’t eating ANYTHING until she figured out how to open the can of beans.

He admits the can opener is counterintuitive and not easy to figure out without instruction (you know, like the instructions most of us READ the first time we get a new can opener? Or someone TELLS US ABOUT before they make us use one?).

Eventually, she started crying, and he thinks all of this is funny, for some reason, and not in an eye-rolling, charming dad sort of way.

He lets it go on for six hours. He’d refused to feed her for SIX HOURS.

Then, she began to figure it out. He was smug.

Image Credit: Twitter

He’s talking like he has something to be proud of.

Image Credit: Twitter

He continued to be a dick.

Image Credit: Twitter

I hate him.

She won…beans.

Image Credit: Twitter

He ends up basically calling her stupid and wishing he had more stories like these to tell. I cannot.

I promise you she does NOT wish there were more stories like this.

A few people defended his actions – one was even a therapist.

https://twitter.com/jenneferparr/status/1345608784433975296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1345608784433975296%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.distractify.com%2Fp%2Fbean-dad-story

But most people fell firmly in the “don’t do this” camp.”

That the lesson he’s taught is not a good one, in any way shape or form.

That her relationship with food could be permanently damaged.

Parents have many roles, and while “teacher” is one of them, so should “trusted adult” be, as well.

And when one is parenting, you don’t always need to be the smartest person in the room.

I have to say, I agree with the people who are criticizing this guy, because I can literally feel the embarrassment and frustration and hunger of this poor little girl, who almost certainly hates her father a little more after the ordeal.

What do you think? Let’s hash it out further in the comments!

Exit mobile version