22-Year-Old Guy Is Asked To Sit With Kids At Family Picnic, Takes Quiche He Brought And Just Leaves

Oct 29, 2021 by apost team

Getting along with family can be tricky at times. We don’t get to pick our family members, which could be the reason behind why there are so many awkward and uncomfortable moments or why we sometimes feel disrespected or unappreciated when we’re around certain family members. At the end of the day, however, most people look past these issues because family is family, and they want to keep that connection with their loved ones.

In August 2021, a 22-year-old man went to Reddit to explain a frustrating situation he encountered while at a family gathering. The original poster (OP) hadn’t seen his entire family in a while, and it seemed like they still viewed him as a child despite the amount of time that had passed. He drove himself to the event and even brought cups and quiche for the family’s picnic in a park.

It seemed like everything was going well until the OP sat next to his dad. His aunt gave him a weird look and told him that this was the adult table. He was supposed to be sitting at the kid’s table. The OP was confused; he was 22, meaning in most social situations would be considered an adult. His aunt disagreed, directing him to the kid’s table along with some other relatives in their early twenties and literal children. The OP was furious, so he took his quiche and left. Looking back, he thought he might have handled the situation poorly, so he took to Reddit to ask users for advice.

Starting off his Reddit post, the OP explained that his full family hadn’t gotten together in quite some time, so they set up a picnic at a park in August 2021. Those invited included: the OP, his 21-year-old brother, his 25-year-old sister along with her husband and their two kids, his grandparents, his dad, his step-mom and her two young kids, his aunt and his uncle, and his two cousins aged 15 and 20.

The OP drove to the park by himself and brought the cups and a quiche. The family set up all of the food and tables and played games until it was time to eat. The OP sat next to his dad, but he got a weird look from his aunt as she explained that this was the adult table.

“When everyone gets there, we sit down to eat. I sit next to my dad and get a weird look from my aunt as she says to me, ‘this is the adult's table.’ To which I reply, ‘I am an adult(?),’” the OP writes.

Confused, he explained that he has a job, pays rent and drove himself to the park. The OP continued, “She says that until I have kids of my own I’ll have to sit at the kid’s table.”

According to his aunt, the eight children there were the ones aged 6 to 22, while the eight adults were aged 25 and up. However, there was plenty of room at the adult’s table, and the OP didn’t want to be stuck with “literal children.” Unfortunately, his aunt is set in her ways. She also got the support of the OP’s uncle and grandparents.

apost.com

The OP had heard enough, so he got up, took his quiche, said goodbye and left. His dad and grandparents texted him to come back, but his aunt didn’t feel the need to apologize, so the OP ignored the remaining messages and calls. “(I) feel my family doesn’t respect me at all, enough to say that I am still a child and apparently have the same mentality as 6-year-olds,” he said. Still, the OP felt bad about potentially ruining the family gathering, so he asked Reddit users for their take.

Reddit users were on the OP’s side and agreed that his family was out of line. They especially appreciated that he took his quiche before leaving. One user said, “I love you took your quiche with you, too.” 

Another agreed, saying, “The only way this could have gone better was if he had gone around the tables, collected the cups, emptied them, picked up his quiche and then left… Maybe next time, if they insist you sit at the kid’s table, make your dad pick you (up) and come empty handed. Kids can’t drive and people should be ashamed of making kids bring food to a party.”

A third user commented, “Your aunt owes you an apology. She seems to think that people aren’t adults until they… what? Get married and have kids? As an unmarried, childless person in my late forties, I find that exceptionally and genuinely  amusing, and even sort of appreciate that she apparently thinks I’m a kid, but also, she’s objectively completely wrong. You are an adult not only legally, but by any reasonable standard.”

Do you think this 22-year-old was right to leave his family gathering for being considered a kid? What is your family dynamic like? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones, too.