AITA for letting my daughter’s omelette win?

A Reddit user shared a story about judging a lighthearted cooking competition between her husband and their 13-year-old daughter, who recently started learning to cook. Despite her husband’s omelette being slightly better, the user crowned her daughter the winner to encourage her newfound passion for cooking and independence.

While the daughter was thrilled, the husband became upset, accusing the user of being unfair and not respecting his cooking hobby. Read the full story below to decide if the user was wrong to let her daughter “win.”

‘ AITA for letting my daughter’s omelette win?’

I (F34) am the mother of a 13 year old girl. My husband (M 38) is a passionate cook. Not professional just at home. He makes most meals and takes pride and joy in his cooking. My daughter recently took up a cooking course at school as an extracurricular.

The other week they learnt to make omelettes and she’s been doing it with her friend a couple of times at their place. She was really excited to make it for us and wanted to have it be a competition with her dad. I was appointed the judge. I thought it was great she was learning those important skills and having fun with it.

It was obvious which one was which, as they both used ingredients the other isn’t a fan of (picky eaters …) Now I am not a foodie or into cooking much. My husband’s omelette was a little fluffier and a Little better seasoned but to me they were both solid eggs. So I crowned my daughter the winner.

I praised both their meals and gave her the paper crown. There was no money or big rewards on the line just choosing the movie for movie night today. I thought that was it. Well, no, he got really mad at me (out of her earshot) and said she’s not 5 and it’s pathetic to let her win.

He was going on about his pride and his hobby and that I need to stop babying her and to support him. I could have just praised her efforts but not letting her wrongfully win. Then he listed all that apparently was better about his cooking.

My reasoning was that she did amazing. If she had served raw eggs, I would have never. Also she has always been really picky eater and not as independent as we’d like her to be and now she’s making her own food by herself with plenty of vegetables and it’s healthy! I just wanted to encourage her to keep going.. AITA?

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

Secret_Sister_Sarah −  NTA! I can’t believe some people are calling you the AH here! What kind of father would want to gloat in his 13 year old daughter’s face, wear a paper crown and pick the movie for movie night???!!! He sounds like a whiny baby, and should be glad that his daughter is trying to take after him in the kitchen.

Mobile_Prune_3207 −  The irony of your husband telling you not to baby her, while he wants to be babied in a competition with a 13 year old.

mfruitfly −  I have been wrongly robbed of prizes for the last 14 years of family events- from not getting all the easter eggs I could clearly SEE, to losing a footrace when I could have gone faster, to clearly making the better clay cupcake- all because I have a 14 year old niece.

And I wouldn’t change a thing, because that is what it is like to be a well adjusted adult around children, including young teenagers.
Your husband wants to wear a paper crown, pick a movie, and have his cooking skills validated, over that of his 13 year old child. That’s the most unattractive thing I have read on the internet today. NTA.

By the way, you should just tell him you actually did like her omelet better and watch his head explode, and just keep saying it- oh her eggs were a little softer, I thought her mild seasoning really complimented the eggs, she’s a real natural!

adielie −  NTA – c’mon people. if a 13 year old wouldn’t win her FIRST cooking “competition” she would’ve been discouraged, especially when her omelette was a solid. the husband on the other hand, acts like he’s 5, and has never ever lost in a competition.

does he even love his daughter – because no sane, loving dad would throw a fit about losing an omelette competition to his daughter who’s just started to learn how to cook.

AlternativeLie9486 −  NTA. Isn’t it fascinating when you discover that your kid is on their way to being a lovely adult, and your adult partner is a spoiled child…

Old-Argument2161 −  Wait!!! WHAT!?!? So your 38 year old husband is bitching about losing to his 13 year old Daughter over cooking EGGS!?!?! He needs to grow the f**k up. Big man baby.

No_Winner1131 −  NTA, unless those were some next level eggs he made then it really come down to personal preference. You preferred hers today. Even if it was a total lie, who cares but a petty little manlet? I would let my daughter win unless I got food poisoning. 

MsTerious1 −  “You’re not 5! You should not be throwing a tantrum over not winning a paper crown!”

Nervous_Tumbleweed41 −  I can cook very well, I would purposely burn my omelette black or leave eggs raw or leave out seasonsing if I was competing with my daughter or son especially if they have eating issues and just started cooking and eating healthy meals. As a dad you have to see the bigger picture and put aside your ego.

Pick your partners wisely both genders, these types of people should never be a father or mother ( not OP she is awesome ), I am saying in general if one of the genders being like this. OP NTA I would be reevaluating my whole marriage if that happened to me

Timely_Proposal_1821 −  said she’s not 5 and it’s pathetic to let her win. Well, that’s funny HE used the word pathetic. NTA – your husband needs to get over himself

Was the user wrong to prioritize encouraging her daughter’s efforts over objectively judging the competition? Should the father have taken the competition more lightly, or does he have a valid point about fairness? Share your thoughts and experiences about balancing encouragement with honesty in family activities!