u/Realistic_Thanks_160

I don't really know why I'm posting this. I think I just need to get it off my chest.

For the past few months I've been carrying around so much stress and shame that I honestly don't know what to do with it anymore.

A while ago I went through a difficult time in my personal life. During that period I made some bad decisions and kept telling myself I'd sort everything out later. Instead, everything just got worse.

Now I have to empty an apartment that's still in my name within the next week because of rent arrears. I'm trying to do the right thing. I spoke to the bailiff, arranged a repayment plan and I'm getting the apartment cleared out. But the costs are overwhelming.

I work full-time, so it's not like I'm sitting around waiting for someone else to fix my problems. That's actually what makes this so hard. I never thought I'd end up in a situation where I can't solve something on my own.

The part I struggle with the most is the shame. I feel embarrassed even writing this. Most people around me don't know what's going on because I keep pretending everything is okay.

I know I'll get through this somehow, but right now it just feels like everything hit me at once.

I don't really expect anything from posting this. I just needed to tell someone because keeping it all to myself has been exhausting.

Dit weekend op het tornooi van mijn 9-jarige zoon meermaals beveiliging moeten zien tussenkomen door ruziënde ouders. Tijdens de finale werd mijn zoon zo hardhandig neergetrokken dat ze hem van het veld moesten dragen. Wat mij nog het meeste choqueerde: ouders van de tegenpartij die stonden te juichen omdat hij eruit moest.

De sfeer werd zo toxisch dat ik uiteindelijk met mijn jongste zoon ben weggegaan omdat hij helemaal van streek was van het geroep en de agressie tussen volwassenen.

Het is jeugdvoetbal van 9-jarigen… sommige ouders zijn echt compleet ontspoord.

This weekend I was at a youth soccer tournament for my 9-year-old son, and honestly, I’m still shocked by how some adults behaved.

During the tournament, security had to step in multiple times to calm parents down because arguments kept escalating between both sides.

My son played the final and was targeted physically throughout the game because he was one of the strongest players on the field. At one point, he was aggressively pulled down and slammed onto the ground hard enough that adults had to carry him off the pitch.

What upset me even more was seeing some parents from the opposing team actually cheering and reacting positively when he had to leave the field. We are talking about a 9-year-old child.

The atmosphere became so toxic that I left before the match even ended with my youngest son because he was visibly upset and uncomfortable watching adults scream, fight, and celebrate a child getting hurt. His father stayed behind to support our son during the rest of the final.

I genuinely don’t understand how grown adults can lose perspective this badly at children’s soccer games. These kids are supposed to be learning teamwork and enjoying sports, not dealing with adults acting like hooligans at a professional match.

My son is 9 years old and, like a lot of kids his age, he dreams of becoming a professional football player. I’m fully aware that the chances of that actually happening are extremely small. Millions of kids have that same dream, and only a tiny percentage ever make it. That said, he’s not just casually interested. He already plays at a relatively high level for his age and is very passionate about it. It’s something he genuinely works hard at and enjoys. I still don’t really see the harm in letting him dream. He’s 9. In a few years, maybe by the time he’s 15 or 16, his interests and priorities will probably change anyway. For now, I just want him to enjoy being a kid and feel supported in what excites him. If tomorrow he wanted to become a professional singer or something else, I’d support that too.

The problem is my family strongly disagrees. They’re already telling him he needs to think about a “real” job and more realistic future plans. It bothers me because I feel like they’re shutting down his imagination way too early. I’ve told them to stop saying that to him and to just let him be a kid, but they think I’m being naïve and setting him up for disappointment. So now there’s tension because I’m pushing back against them and defending my approach.

EDIT: I wanted to add that he is also at the top of his class at school. Education is more important than his hobby.

EDIT: I'm sorry, i'm European. And i'm talking about SOCCER....

AITAH for going against my family and continuing to support my son’s dream?