This was a good story but not what I expected. I read the title as "parents say they're 'not obligated' to give child MONKEY, get a taste of karma years later ". There was no monkey. And I should have had my glasses on.

This isn't directly related to the story, but I was struck by OP saying he had worked with welders for three summers, and was an engineer. I can't stress enough how much benefit hands-on experience is for making someone a better engineer. I've worked with enough of them that don't have any to be confident with that statement.

NTA. They want him to fund an early retirement? I guarantee the grudge is not about the money. It is about being treated crappy and not being given any kudos or kindness.

I am always amazed at parents who treat their children poorly then expect those same children to help them later.

My opinion people calling him the AH and that he didn't need the money. He DID need it so he could still live. He had his living covered and school. But, what about food regular needs like hygiene products cleaning and so own. He may not have needed for his education but he did need it to still live.

The YTA's are probably the parents! Don't give them a dime, they took advantage by not helping out their must ambitious kid and now they're giving you guilt...NTA.

They should give them their second-best egg.

"We can't let you use your money for things you want to do, so let's spend it all on a family trip to Disney land!! Oh also, later in your life wer going to need a lotta money for no reason!"

Glad this guy had a spine and told them to get fücked

The YTA brigade are off their heads!!! I wouldn't dare ask for help after they had a holiday on his fund. The others got two lots of the money. They aren't obligated to give him anything but it's the same when the shoe is on the other foot! I don't think children should be responsible to have their retirement fund so they can retire early. This man had to pay and put his everything into how he is now. No help from the parents, not a cent and they expect help now? They should have saved that money. Why should he give up on his own early retirement wish.

So basically you get punished for getting a scholarship? Anyway on the fence about should they or shouldn't they have spent the money, maybe should have saved it for their "early retirement". To ask you for money for an early retirement? No! Sorry! Emergency yes, but not that.

what goes around comes around. you put that negativity into the world, you're gonna get it back. nta, he did exactly what they taught him to.

People always come with the YTA judgment when it’s not their blinking money.

When Parents set Down rules for their children they have to show they are the role models for those rules. Now some medical emergency or they need food or are you utilities? You’re gonna be shut off wow a few bucks won’t hurt but I agree. He’s not legally obligated. If the other two aren’t furthermore, he didn’t tell his brother and sister to go out and Get married and have children. Not his problem

Out of three kids, the parents never gave money to only OP, but they want money only from OP. 🤨 When they decided to not give money to OP because OP got a full ride, they should have rewarded OP with an amount to help pay college incidentals, something significant like $2K, same as welder boss. I think funding home remodeling is a good thing; maintenance is a necessity. Disney world is ok if that's what everyone wanted; clearly it wasn't. They are asking for money only because they "want" to retire early, which is very different from having a "need". They saw a gravy train opportunity and wanted to milk it. Nope. OP is right.

As a parent who genuinly cares about my own sons future...he is currently in gr8...I would be Absolutely humbled and incredibly proud if he worked as hard and did as well as you! You don't owe anyone anything. Shame on your parents asking you for help. You set firm - no regret boundaries snd enjoy continuing to invest in your own life. You deserve it & I'm proud of You☆

Wait a minute. He didn't get the money...so now he has to PAY the money? How does that work??!

What do parents do with the college fund if the kid doesn't go to college? Do they keep it in case they want to go later? Do they give it to them anyway for a deposit on a house or something? Do they use it for the next kid? Do they spend it on themselves?

I’ve never heard of parents asking their children to fund their early retirement. How very bizarre and entitled. Seriously narcissistic people. Teachers have very good pension plans.

The parents blew the college money. Most people rollover unused 529 money into their retirement account to avoid the tax hit. If they did that, they’d probably be able to retire a few years early.

Honestly shocked it's not ESH. Parents are AH for not treating each child equally and using the money to support their third child in a different way, since he didn't need it for school. Using it on that child would have been the fair thing to do. Also AH for assuming their child will fund their retirement just because he doesn't have a family. Child is AH for assuming money that his parents had saved was entirely at his discretion when he wasn't paying for school. Also AH for not recognizing how badly teachers and social workers get screwed over in terms of retirement regardless of how hard they work. Often times pensions get ripped away or the "default" amount a county sets to be deposited into retirement funds is a joke, and no one has any way of knowing unless they know to dig into it. Everyone sucks here, they all need some family therapy.

The Parents should have given OP his money like the siblings did regardless of whether or not he got a free ride to college. Now the show is on the other foot and OP shouldn’t be spiteful? 🤣

I grew up in a *kinda* similar situation. I was the sixth of seven kids and the first five got to go wherever they wished for school. When my time came, my parents did not have the money. Let me tell you, it was extremely difficult to be treated differently, even though there was a reason. I probably spent as much money on therapy as I would have on college dealing with it. But no way in h e l l would my parents have asked me or any of my siblings for money to retire early.

It's his money so it's up to him what to do with it. The education money is irrelevant as it wasn't his. However, what they used it for has caused him to feel resentment and punished for working hard. I doubt the parents even realised how deeply they hurt him back then. It helped stoke his fire to succeed alone though! Silverlinings

Teachers do not get summers off! They continue their education and have jobs.

Yeah, he needs to let go of that grudge, but they need to not treat him differently because he's "single and richer". They seem slightly entitled because they got defensive, but that could be from him holding a grudge and "throwing it back in their face". He doesn't seem quite like an AH from his POV, but it does almost seems like a, "Well, well, well... remember when you didnt want to give me money that I didn't need and instead you used to gift everyone a nice vacation and new renos, since they all did college and the family was doing well in money and success. But now you're crawling to me to retire early because I'm rich, single, and successful? THAT'S rich!"...kind of story.

Hmn, tough one. If the parents set aside the money and it wasn't needed, then a smart decision would have been to hold the money for things like medical problems or further education beyond college. It's their money and they can do whatever they want with it because they earned it. However the same applies to you - if you HAD gone on the trip, you would be the AH. Since you didn't, you haven't been hypocritical. You earned YOUR money so you can choose how to spend it. IMO it's a bit coldhearted to bring up the issue after all these years (you didn't lose out on anything since you studied hard for you, not to qualify for college scholarships) but it's your choice.

In my opinion, the parents should have saved the money for their retirement instead of going on vacation but they also renovated their home with some of the funds which means that they didn't blow off all of the money for entertainment. On another note, the son, whether they paid for his college or not and weather his siblings were not able to contribute to their parent's retirement or not, should have helped his parents IF he has the money. How about the 18 years that his parents spent their hard earned money raising him and setting him up for success. If they didn't give him the proper environment, principles and values, support not to mention paying for everything until the age of 18, this guy would have never studied well, been successful and gone to a great school on a scholarship. This claim that he was the sole contributor to his success while not acknowledging the tremendous role that his parents played is not only selfish and narrow mindedness but also petty & irresponsible

People with money, people without money, people period in general looking for others to affirm their lack of character. No A.H. your Parents are not after 18 legally responsible for you. But morally yes they are. You sound like a bitter butt hole! Mommy and Daddy didn't do what you wanted now it's payback. Go on. Pay them back you selfish little s**t. Some people grow older. Some people unfortunately never grow up. Your an overgrown little kid. Engineering Genius or no your just a miserable little brat in a big body.

This could go both ways. On the one hand, during his 18 years living with his parents, where did he develop the drive to study hard and earn the scholarship? Who taught him the value of a good education? And, putting away money for a scholarship doesn't mean the money is his. On the other hand, what are his parents expectations from him? They want to retire early so why is he obligated to help them do that; and how much do they want? Seems like with him throwing the line back at his parents, he's harboring some pretty clear resentment towards his parents with some added sibling resentment as well. Personally, the lack of love between all involved points to some deep seated issues that go beyond this one issue and one could say both sides have some a-hole tendencies. But it's also the family dynamics that have been established over a lifetime.

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yta for being a díck about it but nta for not paying