Families are often complicated. You might end up with more than two adults that you consider parents and siblings who you’re not related to by blood at all. But as long as they love you and treat you well, you can absolutely call them family.

And if you don’t have a great relationship with your relatives, well, you can always try to get petty revenge on them. One man recently shared a story on Reddit detailing how he attempted to get back at his father for making some questionable decisions in the past. However, his plan ended up taking an unexpectedly wholesome turn. Below, you’ll find the full story, as well as a conversation with the author and some of the replies amused readers left him!

This man’s father didn’t pay very much attention to him as a child

Image credits: Prostock-studio / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

So he decided to gift his baby brother a present that would be impossible to ignore

Later, the man shared an update on what happened at the birthday party

Image credits: crystalsing / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

Image credits: EpicChurro

“I feel like there is a strong bond there”

Image credits: amazingmikael / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

To learn more about this situation, we reached out to the author, Reddit user EpicChurro, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. First, we wanted to know what inspired him to tell this story online. 

“I thought that it could be interesting to hear from other users, and I love how it turned into a story-sharing session with everyone talking about their experience with gifting loud toys,” he shared. “Also, I had some beers that night, so that definitely helped when writing the post!”

We were also curious about the OP’s relationship with his brother. “Although I don’t visit as much as I would like, I feel like there is a strong bond there. It is kind of that feeling where he looks at my face and he seems comforted, as if I were someone he had known for a long time,” he says.

He noted that having a little brother has helped his relationship with his father as well. “I have always wanted a brother, so I tried to be as supportive as possible when they made the pregnancy announcement.”

EpicChurro also believes that his father and step-mom were appreciative of the birthday present he brought. “They are musicians after all!”

Finally, we asked what the author thought of the reactions to his post and if he has any plans for future presents yet. “No plans for now, and I really enjoyed reading through the replies. The response was overall positive, and I am grateful for it.”

Children need ample love and affection

Image credits: varyapigu / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

Being a parent certainly isn’t easy, and there’s likely a million things bouncing around in every mother and father’s head at any given time. But regardless of how difficult it is to balance all of your responsibilities, it’s important to remember that your children should be your first priority.

And that doesn’t just mean providing them with food and shelter. Kids also need love, affection and both quality and quantity time with their parents. According to the Private Therapy Clinic, growing up with emotionally unavailable parents can take a huge toll on children. 

This may be a mother or father who doesn’t listen, who doesn’t ask about their children’s lives, who doesn’t validate or celebrate their kids’ accomplishments, who aren’t willing to participate in activities with their kids, who never give compliments, who won’t spend along time with their children, who don’t show affection, who don’t express their love and who prioritize their own happiness over their children’s.  

The effects of being raised by a parent like this can start from a young age and have far reaching effects. Having an emotionally unavailable mother or father can cause dysfunctional relationships once the child grows up and create a fear of abandonment in romantic relationships.

The effects of feeling ignored or unloved as a kid can stretch into adulthood

Image credits: irinapavlova1 / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

Sometimes, lack of affection as a child can even lead to selfish behavior later on, as that’s what the person saw modeled by Mom and Dad. Feeling unloved can cause substance abuse issues or a lack of identity and direction. It can even lead people to lose hope, faith and joy, Private Therapy Clinic explains.

In fact, even in early childhood, we can see the impacts that not having enough affection causes. One study found that not receiving enough attention at a young age made a child more likely to have poor executive function and self-regulation, Family Education reports. 

Even teens need plenty of affection and love from their parents, or they may begin to develop mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. Teens who don’t have a solid and loving support system are also more likely to participate in risky behaviors such as experimenting with drugs and alcohol or having unprotected sex.

While there’s no way to go back in time and force Mom and Dad to give you more attention as a child, PsychCentral says that there are a few things we can do as adults to try to heal from this trauma. First, they recommend learning your triggers and how to recognize them. It also may be helpful to practice inner child work.

It takes work to heal from not receiving enough affection in childhood

Image credits: peus80 / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

Make time for self-care and show yourself plenty of love as well. And don’t be afraid to set boundaries, with family or anyone else in your life. Learn from your past and decide what you would like to do differently in your life, so history doesn’t repeat itself. 

And reframe the internalized beliefs that you are holding onto from childhood. For example, if you think, “I am an unloved daughter,” tell yourself instead that you do deserve love as an adult, Psych Central recommends. Work on building a community and bonding with others who have had similar experiences, so you don’t feel alone. And be kind and patient with yourself during your journey of healing.

Relationships with parents are often complex, and they’re rarely perfect. But we don’t have to let the hurt that Mom and Dad caused us at a young age linger around for the rest of our lives. 

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article featuring petty revenge on a parent, look no further than right here! 

Readers were quick to chime in with even more suggestions of devious gifts for the brother

Many were amused by the story

And some even shared similar experiences of their own

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