The internet is rallying behind an upset Arizona dad who claims that his ex-wife told their 8-year-old son that when he turns 12, he can choose which parent he wants to live with. He said their son shouldn’t be burdened with choosing between his parents while he and his ex-wife navigate their custody battle in court, and many netizens agreed.
Randall Keith shared his frustration in a TikTok video posted on Monday, explaining that his ex-wife’s alleged comment had been “bothering the hell” out of him. According to Keith, she told their son, “Four more birthdays, buddy, and then you get to decide where you wanna live.”
The comment didn’t sit well with the father, particularly because of how young their son is. “He’s 8 years old,” Keith said. “And now, instead of just worrying about school, sports, friends, and being a kid, somebody just planted an idea in his head that there’s a day coming when he’s gonna have to choose between his mom and his dad.”
Keith questioned why any parent would want a young child carrying that responsibility, even if they believed the child would ultimately choose to live with them. “Children should not be counting down birthdays until they can pick a parent,” he said. “They shouldn’t feel responsible for custody schedules. They shouldn’t feel like loving mom betrays dad or loving dad betrays mom.”
When his son told him about the conversation, Keith said he made a point not to criticize his ex-wife to the boy or tell him which parent he should choose. Instead, he told him, “Buddy, you never have to choose between your mom and your dad. That’s not your job. Your job is to be a kid. And your dad is gonna love you no matter what.”
Viewers React to the Arizona Dad’s Custody Concerns
In the comments under his post, many netizens agreed with Keith and criticized what he said his ex-wife had told their son.
“Shame on her. Seriously,” one commenter remarked. Another said, “That’s horrible!!! That should 100% be considered by the courts. She’s manipulating him.”
A third wrote, “That is so crazy. They shouldn’t feel like they should have to choose and hurt the other parents feelings…” A fourth chimed in, “No these children should not be put in that situation at all!”
Some people who said they had been put in similar positions as children shared their own experiences.
“This was my childhood. It ruined my relationship with both parents for a long time,” one person shared. Another recalled, “I’m 33 now and that choice was horrible and then I got grounded because I chose but the court made me stay and my dad was upset that I chose my mom.”
Others praised Keith for how he said he handled the conversation with his son. “From this alone I know you’re a great dad,” one viewer wrote. “You’re the better parent because you didn’t say anything negative about his mother,” another commented, before adding, “I will say it she was WRONG!”
Keith has also taken an interest in the experiences of other fathers going through custody disputes. He created The Present Father Show, a podcast that gives men a space to talk about parenting, custody issues and the struggles that can come with them.
