11-Year-Old Boy Walked Home During A Hurricane After His Dad Scolded Him For Calling The Babysitter To Pick Him Up

Aug 09, 2023 by apost team

Malicious compliance is the intentional act of showing disapproval by following the orders given by a superior or parent, knowing the result will not be positive. Malicious compliance usually occurs in different forms, at work between superiors and employees, in households between parents and children, and between older and younger siblings. 

For adults, maliciously complying with a rule may be seen as passive aggression, which may be linked to poor social traits. However, that may not be the case for children, as they tend to interpret things literally, thus following laid down rules as precisely stated regardless of whether they will give the desired result. 

In one such case, Reddit user @u/ZigZack1987 shared in a July 26, 2023 post, how his father warned him to refrain from calling his babysitter to pick him up from school. Barely two weeks after the warning, he had to walk home under hazardous conditions.

He shared his experience walking home from school in a hurricane after his dad told him to stop calling the babysitter to come to pick him up. The original poster (OP) started the post by explaining that his family moved to a new neighborhood after his mom got a new job.

The then 11-year-old had to switch schools because the new neighborhood was an hour away. On getting to the new school, they discovered that no buses passed through his new neighborhood; this meant that he had to take a 15-20 minute walk from the school. 

Due to his parents’ busy schedule, a babysitter was employed to care for the OP and his younger brother after school hours. 

“At the time, both of my parents worked full time and 5 days a week. My mom worked Monday through Friday and my dad worked Monday through Thursday and Saturday.”

When the school year resumed, a heatwave was made particularly worse due to the lack of air conditioning in the school’s old buildings, making OP too tired to walk home. To remedy the situation, ZigZack1987 used his vending machine money to use the payphone to call the babysitter to be picked up. 

“The babysitter, thinking he was just not letting me suffer in the heat, came to pick me up and I would do some homework before Batman Beyond and Pokemon came on,” he wrote.

The OP tried to call home two more times after the babysitter picked him up the first time.

“The third time I called was on a Friday. My Dad answered. He was NOT happy with me. He told me it wasn't that hot (85 that day) That I shouldn't call the sitter away from the house and that I had to start growing up.”

Two weeks later, a hurricane swept through the area. But ZigZack1987, taking his father’s warning into consideration, decided to walk home under the harsh weather conditions. ZigZack1987 got home to his panicking parents, and when they questioned him for not calling for help, he relayed his father’s instruction from earlier.

“‘Well, a couple weeks ago, I called the sitter a few times and asked for a ride home since it was hot. The last time I called, I got dad. He told I had to just walk home from now on and not call for a ride again.’”

ZigZack1987’s dad then said, “I implied that there could be exceptions.” However, ZigZack1987 replied:

“You didn't say that.” 

ZigZack1987 continued the story: 

“My mom turned on my dad and just told me to dry myself off and put my wet clothes in the dryer. I was drying myself off and I could hear them arguing.” 

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OP also wrote about his parents’ argument: 

“It was louder than the rain! When I was done and put my clothes in the dryer, my parents talked to me and told me I was allowed to call home but ONLY for emergencies.”

In the story’s concluding part, OP wrote: 

“The next day, Saturday, my dad took me out to Blockbuster and I was told I could rent up to 5 movies for myself! He also paid for pizza that night and I got a whole Pepperoni Pizza for myself. THat pizza lasted 2 days and no one else was allowed to touch it. My Dad never lived that down. Good Times!”

Readers on the platform took to the post’s comment section to share their thoughts, with many dishing out parenting tips and sharing instances where they complied with directives from their parents. 

“Haha, great one! My step-father once told me I had to walk home after I passed-gas in the car one-too-many times. I showed him...by walking halfway-across-town back home. When I got there everyone acted like I was crazy, while I was like, ‘Hey you told me to do it!’” one user commented.

“For future parents: Never underestimate what trouble the combination of adolescent attitude and the fact that 80% of people under 18 think they're invincible will cause,” a second user commented. “And never forget what you told them, because they won't, unless it was important.”

“And if you ever have grandchildren and they complain about the bus you can tell them you used to walk home in a hurricane,” a third user wrote.

“Parenting tip: Treat every word you say to your kids like it's written in stone. Good luck! 😅👍,” wrote another. 

What do you think of OP walking home in a hurricane? Would you have done the same if you were in a similar situation? Let us know, and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family members and other people you think would have an answer!