Father of Two Feels Guilty for Lying About Why He’s a Single Dad: ‘Tired of Being Judged’

A man on Reddit who is tired of being judged for being a single dad feels bad about recently lying to stranger about his kids' mother.

"I am a single dad to my 5-year-old son and daughter. Their mom is alive, but left me and I have full custody. Yesterday I had to buy groceries so I had my kids next to me," he wrote.

While in line at the grocery store, an older man approached him and started casually asking him about his young children.

"I should have just said that I was watching them or something but I told him that they're my kids. I don't look old at all, so of course he started judging me like people love doing," the man explained.

"He ended up asking where their mom was and I almost just said at home or something, but I'm tired of being judged, so I made up a lie and said that their mom died (she might as well be dead to me)," the 25-year-old continued on Reddit.

The other man was "horrified" and quickly walked away.

"Thankfully my kids didn't know what was happening so I finished and left. This morning I was on the phone with my sister and I told her about it and she got mad at me and told me that I went too far and I got a reaction out of him for no reason," he recalled.

He concluded his post by sharing he is "really tired of being judged for being a young parent."

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Users in the comments tried to offer the frustrated dad some comforting words.

"It's a random guy who has no bearing on your life whatsoever. Why explain the nuances of the relationship with their mom to a stranger who you may never see again? Since the old dude wants to judge you, give him something to think about for next time," one person wrote.

"The mentality that children shouldn't be out with their father without the mother is so f---ed up and makes no sense to me. Wtf? Why in the world is that a bad thing? I would LOVE to just ask them to explain this belief and hear them try to really go in depth with it. I think their brains would over circuit," another person commented.

"As far as I'm concerned, strangers asking questions are merited whatever answers they may not expect. I get where you might want to disengage conversation with people, especially if you feel they're going to make judgments of you. I wouldn't let this hang over your head. At the same time, I wouldn't make it a habit of letting EVERY stranger know your business, fake or not. I'd maybe retire the 'their mom died' rhetoric in small gatherings of people you may know, but if it's a stranger and you don't wanna talk to them I say tell them whatever to get them to go away. As long as it doesn't get you in trouble," someone else weighed in.