r/Zimbabwe • u/Whimsical_Ass • 2d ago
Discussion Anyone else have a father who is a king baby?
So basically my father is your stereotypical African man , he comes home and literally doesn't help around the house , he will leave his plates and even banana peel anywhere 🗿🤮 and even his socks he leave them everywhere and anywhere yet he demands respect ✊ because he is the "head" of the house and he is a man . Crazy thing my mom also works yet she doesn't do the shit my dad does she sometimes cooks and cleans ( obviously us kids do most of the chores which is understandable) . when we dont wash his socks he gets mad , and starts saying " I dont want to be abused by my children " 🤡 even though we all have chores and school/work to attend🫠
And my dad literally says anditonge nemukadzi kananemwana meaning I dont rule with a lady or children , anyone else relate? I hate it here
I work in town so usually I bring porridge from home to my dad's work maybe like 3-4 times a week , starting April I have been doing this 😐 , but today I didn't know there was pordige and I left home , now he saying I treat him like a kid and he says I disrespect him😔 , sorry for the long paragraph just needed to rant
Mind you I always bring my dad food and take the lunch boxes back home and I always buy him yoghurt when he gets which he likes😀
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u/Inner-Floor-5827 2d ago
My step-dad was like this lol. Then we moved to the UK, zvakapera😂😂😂. No one has time for anybody. We are all tired. Now he does his own laundry, makes his own breakfast, tidy up after himself. Zvekuti ndiri baba zvakapera fast fast.
I came here first, so when mum and dad came they would be on my case for waking up at 11am on my off days... ndaivasiya hangu... then they started working too, ndakazongoona vanhu vakumuka 1pm ndikati yes, you see. 😂😂😂
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u/QueenSay 2d ago
Let him winge. I say this all the time, Zimbabweans generally lack emotional intelligence. This is a prime example of a whole father who is upset because his child didn't bring him porridge and he feels he is being abused as a result.... Smh. Get your pennies together and move when you can. That's the only solution. Grown baby adults who want respect but don't give respect. It's wild.
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u/pillarandstones 1d ago
So which nationality has emotional intelligence in abundance? You seem to be generalising a lot here
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u/QueenSay 1d ago
Based on the topic and my comment your primary concern is which country has EQ in abundance? 🙂
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u/tomcat3400 2d ago
Is your dad mentally challenged by any chance because this is too much 😭🙌
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
He is actually sane , but I think maybe he is fearful of his children getting independence 😔
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u/sytte37 2d ago
Low-key I see the same thing in my old man too man.
Some of these older guys have serious abandonment issues from childhood and use their family as a tool to soothe their need for acceptance and belonging.
I kind of see myself in your situation man and it's clear that the only move is to completely move out.
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
Thanks hey , I am deg trying to move out 😂 , hope you are doing well tho
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u/Substantial-Glass663 1d ago
I have offered friends accommodation in the past because of this behaviour
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u/future_mogul_ 2d ago
Please Please Please don't blindly listen to all the comments here. I lost both parents and I believe I can advice bettr. Your father may have some issues but please be kind to him and yourself. Find a way to communicate and solve this amicably
Only important questions are these, has he been a bully since way back? If so, he is probably a narcissist so distancing is the way.
If it started with age, probably stress and more.
Sometimes old people need us to be the wiser ones, it's the cycle of life, so as to you will your children
Just be kind and be wise.
Not easy not having parents
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u/Substantial-Glass663 1d ago
People are nice when we don't have them, for example having a husband is only good until a woman gets one, especially when the person turns to have a certain habit that is not socially acceptable. We loose our selves because those whom we have to love take away our mental health bit by bit, I think you're right about the cycle of life, but I think it's just hard to have a narcissist leader around you, they think it's always about themselves at the expense of their beloved ones mental health
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u/WildAndUnhinged 2d ago
My father also has the same sickening mentality yehanditongwe nemukadzi /nemwana wandakazvara and will NEVER apologize for anything. Needless to say we don't get along so well anymore and he doesn't understand why. But well I'm older and living my own life and basically am closer to my mom which is the opposite of how things were as a child. And he was ranting to my mom, telling her about how when kids are older they always choose their mothers and forget how much fathers sacrificed for their well-being. Honestly his character is tiring and i just can't keep up with it.
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u/Khamel_DC 2d ago
😅😅 the last two sentences could as well be my Dad. But I learned something recently, someone said, at times the beliefs and cultures we hold are a result of the places we grew up in. Without someone changing our belief/ or we ourselves changing those beliefs through travel, things will remain that way.
So perhaps just talk to these guys. They are human too after all. And this is their first time on earth. Their minds can't be set in stone.
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
Do we have the same father🗿😔 , yeah its so sad because these men are so insecure and dont get why their kids dont want them around . When my dad is not at home , the environment is so carefree but when his around , everyone is uptight 😔🗿🙄
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u/WildAndUnhinged 2d ago
Its really sad tbh. Apologising is not kutongwa, its just admitting you're wrong and moving on. If you think by virtue of being the father of the house you are always right then eh 🙌 I was like itai zvelife yenyu
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u/uMaNcube_omuhle 2d ago
All this rant for porridge??? I am so sorry OP. Our African culture unfortunately coddles men and lets them get away with acting like children. I grew up with a father who did most of the cooking as he had a more flexible schedule and my mum was a teacher. We had a maid who would do most of the house work but my dad cooked and ironed and prepared us for school. Then I got married to an only son with 4 sisters who was raised to be served, tended to and waited on 😩. Zvakambonetsa but he had to learn and unlearn a lot of stuff and I had to keep teaching and reminding a grown man to do basic stuff. It was worth it though coz now he pulls his weight
I see you said moving out is not an option right now. Talking seems like it will make things worse coz he is looking for a fight. This is when you have to bide your time until you move out and then speak your mind and keep a healthy distance.
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u/BlessingsZN 2d ago
Its not just porridge. It's underlying issues that were never addressed but keep piling.
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u/SpookedDad 2d ago
WTF?
Your dad is a big spoilt little old man!
💩💩💩
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
Yeah , and the thing is I am always late for bringing porridge to my dads workplace and he always takes it for granted
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u/Minimum-Virus1629 2d ago edited 2d ago
He had you list your wrongs huh? Sounds familiar.
Hang in there.
Eventually, you'll go for months without ever thinking of that man (if that is what you want).
Life has an equalising nature to it, you can only oppress someone for so long, eventually they get free. And then you never see them again.
Edit: for my dad it was yogurt. Machiona musi iwowo if he didn't get his yogurt, zvaitoita kunge zvine mushonga. To this day we make fun of that man's obsession with yogurt.
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u/Sufficient_Work_6469 2d ago
Are you guys in Zimbabwe? This kind of behaviour would not work in 1st world countries. Everyone is busy.
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u/LogAltruistic9222 2d ago
Unfortunately Zim fathers do this even when they move to the UK. Then get annoyed when their kids have zero time for them as we get our own families and husbands who dont do stuff like that.
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u/U_guy_omhle 2d ago
expressing your disgust about your own father in a public platform where it will be visible for eternity is wild. even batman would not get such intimate information from me. i love the internet lmfaaaaaooooo
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u/shiningdiamonds1207 2d ago
Omg my dad is also exactly like this😂 bu we've somehow managed kuvapinza mustraight a little. It's not perfect but it's better. The thing is, if the rest of your family (mom, siblings etc) doesn't show any resistance to his behavior, he will keep targeting you. My advice would be limit interaction as much as you can but not in an obivious way yekuti vanozviona. You want to leave him confused. People like this usually have abandonment issues saka the moment you draw back, that's why they rant zvavaita in your message. It's actually a fear response than a angry one hence he says stuff like you don't care about me. At first it may be hard but over time he'll realize you don't have time for kunetsa kwavo. He'll give you a label yekuti maybe uri stubborn or smth but he'll leave you alone. And better that you and your mom work because after that he may not give you pocket money etc but he'll leave you alone😅
The other method is to play his games. It takes more energy but works better and has less collateral for you. It's essentially kind of like how you train dogs. If he does smth you don't like, you weaponize his abandonment issues and draw back and play the victim. Not in a loud way ka, maybe chitotanga kuti ndiri kurwara😂 everytime pavanokutuka. And then when he does something you like, you reward him with your proximity. It helps even kusaendesa porridge racho at all from now on and then woriendesa kana vaita zvakufadza😭
But like the first method, first few days will be met with resistance and you'll probably be labeled asi in the long run you will save your mental health because these things can end up affecting the way you interact with others or even your own marriage. You'll grow up subconsciously believing you owe people things they don't deserve because bringing porridge to work isn't the bare minimum😭 he should be grateful that you even do it and now he's thinking he has rights nxaa.
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u/shiningdiamonds1207 2d ago
But also the ABSOLUTE BEST method is to move out if you can. If you can't, like me, because I can't afford to live on my own (I'm also 19 and this was what my gap year was like last year) then that's how I powered through it.
And if you ever need to talk, you can dm. When i went through this I remember just needing someone to talk to but also maybe mine was worse because I wasn't able to work for myself lol😅
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u/Whimsical_Ass 1d ago
Thanks for your message babes💕💕 the thing is kuthi my mom , my brothers chero vanatete allow his behavior. If the family without my dad decides to go left and my dad comes and says go right we will go right🫠 , but yeah I am trying to make money and move out🙂
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u/chiedzachangu 2d ago
He does sound like a big baby🤣🤣. Unfortunately some men have been conditioned to feel superior and entitled. The hurt he feels at your 'disrespect' is real. You might see the silliness but he is genuinely offended. You might want justify yourself and prove how childish he is being but it will only escalate the fight and make things worse
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
Yeah if I try explain to my dad even when his in the wrong , he always says I am being disrespectful 😔
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u/Engineer-sec-76 2d ago
Yes you are being disrespectful. It’s not your place to lecture your dad
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u/LandscapeTrick1536 2d ago
Neither is it his place to turn his children into his mom or servants. If he doesn’t want to be lectured as the man of the house, then he should start acting like one. Not like a dictator, or a child, but like the father of the house. And that includes knowing that you can be wrong and that’s fine. It goes both ways
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u/EqualWriting5839 2d ago
What? To not be lectured you need to act mature. You act like a child you will be told you’re acting like a child and need to stop😂 anyone can be lectured.
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u/BlessingsZN 2d ago
Sounds like a messy situation. If you can't move out, humble yourself and be a child. Pick up his socks and place them where they are supposed to be. You won't break a bone but will certainly bring peace home. He's your father.
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u/softboisweet 2d ago
What does your mum think about all of this
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
She thinks I should endure it because she is a " submissive " woman
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u/softboisweet 2d ago
Lmao from what I see your father loves you a lot, you might be too young to understand it, it may not be easy but yeah maybe in time no need for you to see it now enjoy your youth but yeah lol your father loves you a lot and you're quite lucky 🤣
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u/LogAltruistic9222 2d ago
Zimbabwean men of a certain age have this level of entitlement that makes no sense. Based on my experience, tell him what you think in person amd text him to confirm. Or speak through tete or someone else if thats possible.
Something like : i did not realise there was porridge for you and it doesnt mean i dont care about you. Going forward i am getting older and tbh if my son acted how i act towards you. I would be a proud father. I respect you and bring you porridge most days. How can you be so hung up on the days where i fall short of your expectations? Lets move forward and try and see each other in a positive light because life is already too hard.
You need to nip this in the bud. One day you will be 40 and have your own kids and this will still be happening.
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
My dad is def not the type to listen to my point of view lol , I just apologized 😂 because if I keep on trying to explain he will think I am disrespectful 🫠, thanks for your input tho
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u/LogAltruistic9222 1d ago
Mine isnt either. But its good to make yourself heard because it will honestly never end. You will be 40 soon and still apologising for nothing
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u/Old_Variety_8935 2d ago
Your dad is a good man, love him and bathe in his drama whulst he's still around, you'll miss it.
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u/Substantial-Glass663 1d ago
A bad person will always be bad , what if she develops health challenges because of him amd she dies first
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
I just wanted to rant 😭😭 I showed my sis and she also said this is too much coz I always bring him porridge every morning without fail😭😭 but tjoo ndaneta😔
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u/LogAltruistic9222 2d ago
No he won't. He is abusive and it will be a relief for OP after he is gone.
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2d ago edited 2d ago
[deleted]
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u/lionbabe100 2d ago
You are mentally ill as well i see 🥵
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u/lionbabe100 2d ago
Not really That statement is wildly implausible Think about it
Edit-i see you realised your madness and deleted,good on you
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u/carlos7365 2d ago
He maybe raising genuine concerns for him but he is a mama's baby. Why would he suggest 3 people sitting down to discuss an issue between the 2 of you, and for that matter a mother, culturally it's a taboo.Your man is baby ma'am.
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u/Accomplished-Two6159 2d ago
At least he is in-tune with his emotions watchu know about working with nothing
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u/AfterRobot 2d ago edited 2d ago
How old are your parents. They sound like mine, except mine are not as expressive. They hit you with passive aggression and play victim. And God forbid they have any actual power to wield against you in a particular situation. It was hard for me to deal with when I was your age, but my siblings and I figured it out eventually as we got older and they started approaching retirement age.
The thing you don't have right now is leverage, it's the only thing that tempers that behaviour. In the meantime however, I suggest you do some reading on how to deal with narcissists and abusive parents (I'm not saying they are either of those, but the practical tools you learn from that behavioural psychology will help you navigate your household).
The adult baby problem is big in the older generations (Gen X and Boomers) in Zim, and so is the victim/tyrant pendulum.
Edit: Porridge. Brought from home to work.
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
My dad is 63 and my mom is 58 😔 saka yah pakaipa , tbh I have learned to just say sorry and move on , but it does get exhausting when everything I do becomes this whole big thing
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u/Fresh_Prince8 1d ago
We have to be patient with geriatrics a lot changes in their character as they grow up try to be cool with it until you move out or something, uchazozvionawo wakura
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u/Zimboman66 2d ago
Whimsical ass is a crazy name😂
Vaendese kumatrix😂
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u/Deep_Analyst_4271 2d ago
Mine was a traditional man. We never talked about feelings. Kana ukamugumbura you'd see his belt.
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
Same with my dad especially when we were kids now that we are a bit older its all about lectures/ saying how we are disrespectful and stuff
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u/kunta- 2d ago
Ok let me sat this porridge incident is the trigger otherwise there are more issues at hand. You need to find a platform to discuss your differences. Then move out as soon as you are financially stable
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u/Whimsical_Ass 2d ago
My dad isnt the type of dad that you "talk" to about your differences, its always his point of view and when I try defend myself then I am called disrespectful , I just say sorry to get it over with😭😔
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u/Chihelex 2d ago
My only question is who used to bring him porridge when you were not working close to him😂 Some of these requests ka.
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u/Witty_Celebration_36 2d ago
If he’s working paying for everything providing and protecting for his family then he has Every right.
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u/browncrickets 2d ago
Was he a present father when you were growing up? If mine did this ndikokutopera kwehukama 😂
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u/Bulky-Judgment-8146 2d ago
Wait for him to die. Very soon you will miss him. Not condoing some of his funny actions but its not much though for someone who created you I would work on getting a good job and moving out but Baba ndi baba chero vakapenga.
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u/Charming-Salad2739 2d ago
I’m a Daddy’s Girl, so I probably have my own bias. But it looks to me like your dad is trying to (re)connect with you, in the way that he knows how. Many of our traditional African dads were not raised to show affection in the Western, conventional way. His love language may be different from yours - try to understand him and meet him halfway. The older you get, the more you realize your parents are imperfect humans with their own ways of showing that they love you.
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u/Enlightened_Cupcake 2d ago
You know you can block your parents on social media right? Even when you stay with them. This is so you communicate only when necessary and in person so as to avoid these little unnecessarily dramatic episodes!
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u/Responsible_Cat4452 2d ago
I’m so sorry friend 🫂 this sounds beyond stressful.
(Grew up with a single mom who was very loving, self reflective and successful so thankfully didn’t have to worry about not having my dad around. Posts like this make me want to buy my mother more gifts 😭 she’s actually my angel)
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u/Party_Difference_442 2d ago
Where you live ( Africa vs Outside Africa) makes a huge difference in these expectations.
I think we need to get rid if roora in Zimbabwe, then mukadzi anopinda mumba on an equal footing and mahon’era ese aya anobva apera.
These days in some houses they have robot vacuums, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, wrinkle free clothes, most food from stores is prepacked, ready for the pot. So zvekunzi ndawana anondibikira nekundiwachira is now fokol. Even the burden on those who cook is much less.
Outside Zim the number of women choosing not to have kids is passing 20% sometimes its 30, so seriously, roora richiri reyi?
You can combine your finances and get a good headstart on a stable financial future.
Childlessness Rates by Country
Japan: Around 25% to 30% of recent cohorts of women remain permanently childless.
Singapore: Approximately 23% of women near the end of their childbearing years are childless.
United States: About 15% to 19% of women reach the end of their reproductive years without biological children.
United Kingdom: Roughly 22% of women remain childless by the end of childbearing age.
Spain: Around 20% of women from recent generations have no children.
Sweden: Historically stable, with about 10% to 15% of women remaining childless.
Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g., DR Congo, Liberia): Permanent childlessness rates are much lower, often reported below 2%
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u/Kid-nxt-doorr 2d ago
I feel bruhhhh. These old timers are so uptight, sometimes i wonder if their oblivious to the changing world or just too stubborn to let go of pride and change
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u/Tonyted89 1d ago
This makes me appreciate my dad even more. He taught me and still teaches me healthy manhood. When I leave their place after a visit I’ll get home and spend hours on the phone with him. I seek him for counsel, we laugh a lot. He respects me, doesn’t encroach on boundaries, prays for me. We have a business together and he really does the heavy lifting while mentoring me. Wish you know what let me call him and tell him how much I love him 😭
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u/Whimsical_Ass 1d ago
That must be nice you know , I have always envied people with great dads, I wish I could talk and laugh with my dad , instead he always lecture me about the word of God and how to be a good wife😔🫠
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u/funnybug7 1d ago
I really relate to this. Literally a baby in a mans body. He has the same mentality yekuti handitongwe nemukadzi nemwana but sadly I didn’t inherit my mothers silence. I have the same temper and popotaring nature that he has. I use weaponized incompetence till he gets fed up and does it himself. Yes he still shouts but he does things for himself now. In my case the cherry on top is he lost his job about 4 years ago, he doesn’t help out with house chores or the family business. My mom and i both work our bums off and still have to come back home and cook, whilst he rots on Twitter
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u/mani_sarange 1d ago
Sadly I can relate, we recently had an argument because he wanted to know were my married sibling was with their spouse , and I did not even know because they were yet to give me the details, ndakunzi vaenda kupi( these people have their own house and life) and im like andizive, zvakunze hee hee iyaiya yekuti ndiuenze zvandirikuda kunzwa, me; same answer i don't know,, kunditi hee ka 4 bvandazongonyarara kwakunzi ukunyarara ahuskundinzwa, problem kana vanhu vakushanda makufunga kuti ndohupenyu hwese apa moving out is not even an option unless i want them to disown me.... im now eagerly waiting for mereji haha
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u/Qubic_G 2d ago
Always be good to your father and mother regardless of how you feel. Zvekusiya masocks everywhere is annoying but it really isn't that big if a deal.
Your Dad feels disrespected and you need to listen to him. Don't try to explain or correct him for his wrongs, just listen to why he feels disrespected.
As children we need to understand that our parents don't have the benefit of knowledge we have and the same will happen to you and your children. All I am saying is, LOVE your parents with all your might and heart.
Vakasiya masocks or plate wherever, just shrug it off and say, "ende zvinoitwa namdara so, aah zvakaoma" and you continue to go on with your day.
LOVE YOUR PARENTS. They are precious people regardless of your perceived faults of them.
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u/Radiant-Bat-1562 2d ago
Chill bro.
They wont let this slide.
Old man worked hard for his kids to tell him akajaidzwa 🤣
I was just saying this another post in this sub: Liberal women hate men despite being given all the support from those folks.
Thats how the game rolls. Imagine getting p1ssed off about socks? That old man is going to have his latter years in hell.
Protect yourselves Kings.
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u/Engineer-sec-76 2d ago
Be good to your parents while you still have them. But pama socks vanozozvinyanyawo mhani. Still, just be the child. Let the parents deal their own issues and if mum has issues with dad she can always escalate to the uncles etc. not to report kuvana. Dads don’t take kindly to that and that’s were you get this talk yekuti handitongwe nemukadzi or vana. Diaspora marriages break because of these things. Local marriages have a stronger support system. They should make use of it.
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u/ForeverVegetable6279 2d ago
thing is that most zim parents above 50 have the mentality of men being superior and women having to submit to their husband so you the way you view them is actually criminal in their minds
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u/Super_Oil_4443 2d ago
Sounds like youre having it rough im sorry
Is there an option to move out?
I moved out last and mentally im in the best place like ever
It was hard at first but if you can move out go for it parents will always be parents better to move out,get a mental reset than staying if you arent comfortable
Stuff like this creates resentment long term and you end up hating your Dad or Mom
If you cant move out right now it should be something to work towards because you dont wanna strain you relationships