The Internet Hates ‘Bean Dad’

A thread on Twitter seems to have pissed off just about everyone but me, likely because my childhood was similar and this is just some sweet revenge.

Jon Roderick, who has since deleted his Twitter account, shared a story of the life lesson he taught his nine-year-old daughter by forcing her to figure out how to use a can opener before she could eat some baked beans.

The story got massive attention, and hundreds of users are now whining that Roderick abused his daughter by forcing her to figure out how to open the can for a grueling six hours. Basically, the kid brought the can to her old man and he decided that rather than helping her with it, he would continue with his jigsaw puzzle and let her solve the mystery of the can opener on her own.

I can't say exactly what is going on at home in their lives or whether or not his 9-year-old daughter was actually starving for these beans. If the man only has one can of beans available to feed her and did this, then that might be a different story. I don't read it that way, but more about some tough love, really.

When I was nine, I could certainly open a can. Most nine-year-olds have cell phones these days.

Google, kids. Google.

The story I hear is that of tough love and annoying life lessons bestowed upon us by our parental figures. My dad was the worst about pissing you off to teach you something, but the end result was, well... I never forgot?

When I was four or five, my family took a trip to Disney World. I was so excited to see Mickey and Minnie. We started out of the RV and toward the park in the morning, and my dad told me I couldn't go in with them unless I learned to tie my shoes. My family pretended to be walking away to leave. I was standing there crying with my laces untied trying to remember how to do it.

Under the pressure of missing out on the time of my life at Disney, I figured out how to tie my stupid shoes. Sweating, tears falling, rushing, tripping and whining the whole way through it.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that dads can kind of be jerks when they think they are toughening you up or teaching you something profound that your child's mind doesn't understand or respond well to.

Yeah, it sucks, and most of us have some funny/traumatic dad stories, but I don't think this guy was doing anything but being a dad, even if it seemed a bit harsh. What do you think? Share your comments below or on our Facebook.