Mom Makes Her Son Work at the Zoo After He Makes Fun of People Scooping Poop but People Are Unimpressed

A mom shared a story about how she taught her kid a lesson when he started making disparaging comments about the zoo workers when they visited the zoo. His rudeness earned him one week volunteering at the zoo, scooping poop!

Scooping Poop for a Job

elephant on African Safari
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The OP is divorced but has custody of her three children. She decided to take them to the zoo, and the younger kids loved the trip. The older boy? Not so much.

He went to the extent of telling the younger kids to work hard in school lest they end up scooping poop for a living. The zookeeper and other people nearby heard the comment. The OP was embarrassed and took her children away.

Not a Hard Job

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She told her son that some of these zookeepers had Master’s degrees, but the son maintained that anyone could do their job perfectly as it was not ‘hard.’

To teach him a lesson, the OP enrolled him into a one-week ‘voluntary zookeeper’ program not far from home. When he learned about it, the son was furious and thought his mother was not fair. She told him she wanted him to learn how to respect people’s work.

Too Harsh?

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The father thinks that the mother was too harsh, but the mother decided not to go back on her decision. She turned to the internet to ask their opinion on whether they thought she had been too harsh on her son.

Most people sided with the OP, with many saying the son needed to learn how to respect all professions.

The Son Made a Harsh Comment

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One user pointed out, “Making him do the work will make him realise how hard a lot of these jobs are actually are, and the amount of effort people put into what they do. The jobs we might see as undesirable are the ones that keep a lot of systems running. To make that comment loudly in front of the zookeeper is just harsh.”

Needs to Nip Such an Attitude Early

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Several users said she did well to nip the attitude early. One said, “gotta nip that attitude in the bud early… Plus it’s good to get kids into the habit of volunteering early. It helps build character and gives back to the community.”

“…any attempt at stopping the formation of a pretentious snob is a benefit to society. Kid needs to learn some respect,” added another user.

He Will Just Create More Work for the Employees

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Some people argued that the OP was in the wrong in forcing his child to go for the program. One said, “volunteers who don’t want to be there often just create more work for the employees. Those kind of opportunities are for people who genuinely want to volunteer, not to discipline your children.”

He was backed up by another user who said, “As someone who works with exotic animals and we have a volunteer program, I have been very frustrated and angered in the past by volunteers who don’t want to be there…”

Classic Case of Punishment Fitting the Crime

elephant on African Safari
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Someone pointed out that the OP meted out the perfect punishment, “This is a classic case of the punishment fitting the crime. And “picking up giraffe poop” is a well sort after job. At least he will have a better idea of what is involved a greater understanding of what it takes to look after animals.

I would laugh if he came home after that week and decide to work in the zoo “when he grows up.”

Should Have Corrected Him Immediately

Sneering Parent and Loud Daughter
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“OP didn’t even correct him immediately when he insulted the zoo keeper the first time, and it’s clear that she’s not interested in doing the work to hold her child accountable, which is why she’s foisting him off onto the zoo in the hopes they will do the job for her,” said another user.

 

She Went Back Home After Her Husband Chose to SHARE THE BED With His Friend and Asked Her to Sleep on the Floor

Couple yelling while standing head to head
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One Reddit user posted in the “Am I the ***hole” group on Reddit, asking whether she was wrong for cutting her vacation short and returning home after her husband asked her to sleep on the floor instead of the bed.

She Went Back Home After Her Husband Chose to SHARE THE BED With His Friend and Asked Her to Sleep on the Floor

They DESTROYED His Skid Loader and Didn’t Pay Him Back Now They Want Him to “Get Over Himself”

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Is he holding a grudge, or does he have a legitimate grievance?

A Reddit user has shared a story about how a 10-year-old grudge has caused a rift between her brother-in-law (BIL) and her family.

They DESTROYED His Skid Loader and Didn’t Pay Him Back Now They Want Him to “Get Over Himself”

Woman STORMS Out of Her Baby Shower After Telling off Her DELUSIONAL In-Laws: Who Is To Blame for the Situation?

Emotional pregnant woman
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Her in-laws were totally delusional, and she just lost it!

A woman, 27 years old, was expecting her first child with her husband. This child was the first grandchild in the husband’s family. Now, we all know the excitement and adoration that comes with the first grandchild’s arrival.

Unfortunately, it was not all jolly for this woman as her husband’s family couldn’t just accept the gender of the child.

Woman STORMS Out of Her Baby Shower After Telling off Her DELUSIONAL In-Laws: Who Is To Blame for the Situation?

Parking War: The Neighbors Keep Parking in Front of His Grandparent’s Home So He Made the City Put a Handicapped Spot There

angry man driving car
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A Reddit user has shared his parking wars story after he got the city to put a handicapped spot in front of his grandparent’s house.

Parking War: The Neighbors Keep Parking in Front of His Grandparent’s Home So He Made the City Put a Handicapped Spot There

She Interrupted Her Husband’s Live Stream and Screamed At Him Live, On-Air After He Abandoned Their Child To Catch Up With His Fans

Young man playing video games
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belchonock via DepositPhotos.com.

A woman posted in the “Am I the ***hole” wanting to know if she was in the wrong for interrupting her husband’s live stream and going off on him after the man abandoned their child.

She Interrupted Her Husband’s Live Stream and Screamed At Him Live, On-Air After He Abandoned Their Child To Catch Up With His Fans

This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.

Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.