I went back to home to my parents house for the holidays and had a for the most part a relaxing time with family and old friends except for an incident on Christmas that is still bothering me. For background I have recently moved away from home for uni and this was my first time back since leaving. My dad has always been strict and conservative but when he told me to change into something more appropriate for dinner I honestly did not expect that even from him. I tried to push back and ask why my outfit was not appropriate for a dinner with family but all I got back as a reason was that it is his house and his rules. He never told me, but I think the real reason was my mid thigh skirt (I never had a skirt that short when living at home) and I told him how it is sexist to police women’s outfits and I think he was not being a good and considerate host to his guest (me) by being so strict so I was not going to change my outfit. I think living by myself has made me more independant and less of the people pleaser that I used to be and I am not ready to just do what he tells me to do anymore. One awkward dinner later, my values are intact, but I can’t help but ask is the length if my skirt really the hill I want the relationship with my dad to die on?
edit: Yes, my parents MOM and DAD both help me with rent and food and stuff. Also please stop asking for ‘proof’ of how long my skirt is. Not fun…
NTA enjoy your newfound independence
Are your parents still financially supporting you? If so they can still have some control over you. If you are actually independent, then you can do whatever you want, but many college students are still being supported by their parents and if you are, you probably want to just humor your parents until you are actually independent, not just feeling independent by living away from home.
YTA- you were trying to make a point about how grown up you were instead of being respectful to your host and the level of dress they requested at *their* dinner- which ironically, shows that you need to mature. Showing that much skin at a family Christmas dinner is not appropriate. Save it for going out with friends or practically any other time. It was also disrespectful to try to reprimand your father in his own home.
Do any of the people saying yta even know what mid thigh length is? They’re acting like you showed up to family dinner with a skirt the size of a belt. NTA, it’s weird that your dad is making a big deal out of a skirt.