Son says his father is “useless” because he “just lies on the sofa for years and does nothing”

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean recently took to an online forum to share his issues with his father, who he claimed quit his job four years ago and is living off of CPF minimal withdrawals and money from family members.

“Anyone still living (with their) fathers and they just lie on the sofa for years and do nothing?” an online user wrote in the SingaporeRaw group on Thursday afternoon (Feb 1). “My dad voluntarily quit his job four years ago because (he was frustrated with) his boss.”

Daddy issues: Writer calls out father’s behaviour

Since then, the writer claimed that the father “just stayed at home depend(ing) on the family to give him a few hundred dollars each and CPF withdrawal. (In) total he gets around S$1,800 cold hard cash with CPF minimal withdrawal and siblings giving cash altogether.

What does he do? Wake up, eat, television, sleep, toilet, nap, eat, television, play Candy Crush, television, eat, sleep. For a whole four years of doing that while yawn(ing), fart(ing), (and) sneez(ing) like nobody’s business with no etiquette. Really useless in my opinion.”

The writer, who seems to be fed up, added, “I know there (are) so many families with their own stories…such as (a) father (being a) drug addict, or (a) father pass(ing) away at a young age…don’t tell me to do (things) like ‘cherish (them) before they are gone’…

“Anyway, he is just a manual worker. I envy other people’s fathers who are senior managers or businessmen, live (on) landed (properties), have stock investments, etc. Mine(‘s) only got S$20,000 cash in DBS bank and blew all his money in Toto and 4D each month.” The writer then asked others in the forum to share what their fathers do.

Read related: Father says his son is “calculative” for refusing to pay $3.2K/month for his car loan

Tables turn, with some online users calling out the writer

While some people followed suit and shared their issues with their fathers, others called out the writer for sounding ungrateful instead.

“Did he provide enough for you to grow up and do your own thing?” one asked. If yes, then don’t kao pei kao bu. Manual labour, hard life, he’s just enjoying retirement. You wish your father (was a) rich businessman, are you a businessman yourself?”

“Imagine being a parent working tough manual labour to bring your children up, making do with what you can given the circumstances you’re in,” wrote another.

“When your kids are grown and it’s time to retire, you enjoy your retirement by staying at home and not living lavishly. Then your child goes online and kao pei kao bu that you are useless and he is ashamed that you are not a businessman.”

A third wrote, “Before you even hope your dad can be a manager, can you even be one? You seem incapable (of) even empathising with your parents, let alone others. Telling people to work is easy, but having to go to work yourself isn’t…”

Still, another online user took a gentler approach, suggesting, “There is a small chance that he might respond well to a change of scenery and a place where he can feel valued once again. Take him to another place in SEA, like Vietnam or Cambodia, and start a new business.”

Read related: SG mum says parents must earn S$30-40K/month to give their children ‘more options’ in life