In the everyday drama of family life, a seemingly trivial matter can escalate into a full-blown comedy. Recently, the internet chuckled and empathized with a parent who took an unconventional approach to a classic household problem.
This story began with a post from a perplexed parent dealing with her adult children’s inability to grasp a simple concept: how to store items properly.
The original poster (OP) began by sharing the tale of her two grown-up kids living at home. One had graduated from college, while the other was a junior.
The source of the trouble? A pricey, prescription medicated shampoo that OP needed for a scalp condition. This special shampoo came in a bottle designed to be stored upright and not sideways or upside down.
Now, OP’s daughter kept her hair products in the shower, and OP never touched them. Similarly, OP’s son had his own shower stash, including a variety of AXE products. OP steered clear of those too, unwilling to smell like a high school locker room.
However, despite living under the same roof, OP’s adult children couldn’t grasp the concept of upright storage. They wasted an entire expensive bottle of OP’s shampoo because they stored it upside down, causing it to leak out.
OP tried talking to both kids, explaining the importance of leaving OP’s stuff alone and, if they accidentally tipped over the shampoo, to put it back the right way.
Despite these conversations, OP returned home one day to find the shampoo bottle, you guessed it, upside down, leaking all over the place.
At this point, OP decided enough was enough. She ordered 500 stickers that read “this side up” with an arrow pointing upwards when the words were upright. OP then covered everything in the house that might leak with these stickers, including the pricey shampoo.
OP’s kids had friends over the next weekend, and they couldn’t help but notice the labeled relish, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and more.
When asked about it, OP’s kids had to admit that the labels were a result of their persistent shampoo mishandling. The children confronted OP as her labeling everything became a cause of their embarrassment.
To make things right, OP offered to remove all the labels if the children agree to pay for the wasted shampoo. So far, the kids had declined.
With this as the background, OP turned to the online community to seek advice if she did something wrong.
Dilemma of Adult Children, Shampoo, and Household Harmony
OP’s post drew quite an audience and a large number of online users shared their opinion and viewpoint.
International_Set522, voiced support for OP’s actions, stating,
“Your kids can either learn to leave your stuff alone, put it back the way it was, pay for your medication, or deal with the labels. There are several reasonable choices there.”
Indeed, OP had offered alternatives and provided clear instructions, but the young adults persisted in their misunderstanding.
Grand-Corner1030 found humor and brilliance in the labeling, commenting,
“That’s awesome and hilarious. It’s a genius solution to a problem; thank you for making me smile.”
OP’s actions may have appeared eccentric, but they achieved the desired effect of drawing attention to the issue.
Sweetcilantro thought embarrassment was a necessary tool in this situation, saying that OP’s kids were given chances and explanations but still didn’t get it.
They also pointed out that the labels were only in OP’s house, so the kids’ friends weren’t forced to see them.
SlippySloppyToad focused on the 500 labels, humorously mentioning that buying in bulk made sense because it was likely to happen again.
The user agreed that OP’s kids needed to respect their parent’s belongings, and if labels helped with that, it was a smart move.
Lastly, C_Majuscula brought up the financial side, highlighting that prescription shampoo was costly and not easy to replace when refills ran out.
The user believed that the kids should reimburse OP for the wasted shampoo and extra doctor visits.
The Verdict
OP’s tale of labeling everything in the house due to her adult children’s persistent misuse of expensive prescription shampoo reveals a humorous and relatable family dynamic. OP’s actions, while unconventional, stem from a desire for their children to respect their belongings and the financial cost of wasted medication.
The online community’s responses vary, with some applauding OP’s creativity and others emphasizing the need for mutual respect and financial responsibility.
Ultimately, this story serves as a reminder that even in the most ordinary household disputes, there’s room for inventive problem-solving and valuable life lessons within a family.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments. Do you think the OP from this social media post was wrong?
Featured Image Credit: Wirestock /Depositphotos.com.
This article was originally published on Ash & Pri.
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