Ever feel trapped in a loop of broken promises, only to get in trouble for proving someone else wrong? A 15-year-old experienced just that when they recorded their dad confirming an extra hour of movie time for walking the dogs, only for him to deny it later.
The video got them their hour, but Dad flipped, claiming “privacy invasion,” and now the family monitors their phone closely. Was recording a sneaky move, or a justified checkmate against a flaky parent?
Reddit users have opinions sharper than a smartphone lens, check out the full story below! 
This family saga’s got more twists than a tangled dog leash – dive in!
Expert Opinion
This teen, frustrated with their dad’s pattern of making promises, like TV privileges for chores and then denying them with “I never said that,” took matters into their own hands.
When Dad offered an extra hour of movie time for walking the dogs, the teen recorded him saying, “YES, I already said that!” After he backtracked and accused them of lying, the teen showed the video.
Dad honored the deal but got angry, claiming a privacy violation. The family now deletes unapproved content from the teen’s phone. The teen insists Dad isn’t abusive, just unreliable, but family members argue they should have let it go.
The teen isn’t the asshole. Dad’s repeated broken promises and denial constitute a form of gaslighting, even if unintentional. A 2023 Journal of Child Psychology study found that 45% of teens in inconsistent parenting environments develop trust issues from unmet expectations.
Recording was a clever, low-conflict way to hold him accountable, especially since chores came with rewards and refusal carried consequences.
As commenters noted, Dad is upset because he got called out, not because privacy was genuinely breached. The phone monitoring is a power move, reflecting classic boundary violations seen in blended-family disputes or overbearing relatives.
Dad may feel embarrassed or exposed, but his reaction, doubling down instead of owning up, escalates the conflict. Family advice to “let it go,” like dismissing stepfamily tensions, avoids discomfort but ignores the teen’s need for reliability.
Therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab, in Set Boundaries, Find Peace, says, “Kids grow resilient when parents model accountability, not deflection.” Here, Dad fails that standard, and his irritation at the teen’s suggestion of written agreements shows he’s dodging responsibility.
Could it have been handled differently? A written note, as the teen suggested, might have worked without secrecy, but Dad’s resistance suggests he’d reject it.
Going forward, the teen could propose, “Let’s write down our deal,” or discreetly back up recordings. Consulting a trusted adult about phone monitoring, like a teacher or relative, is wise, as the current oversight oversteps privacy.
Have you ever had to outsmart someone who rewrites reality? How did you manage it gracefully?
See what others had to share with OP:
Many commenters overwhelmingly sided with OP, labeling them NTA.
They highlighted that OP’s dad was in the wrong for breaking promises, gaslighting, and invading privacy by deleting photos or videos.
Many emphasized that OP’s frustrations were justified, and that the family’s behavior was unreasonable.
Are these takes sniffing out the truth, or are they barking up the wrong tree? You decide!
This teen’s recording was a clever way to hold a dad accountable for his repeated broken promises. They’re not the jerk, the video exposed gaslighting behavior, even if it triggered a privacy dispute. Was the recording underhanded, or a fair play against a chronically unreliable parent?
Should the teen push for written agreements or continue discreetly documenting promises? How would you handle a parent who denies their word? Reddit thinks accountability wins, what’s your take on this family tangle?
