[ipaddr]

The kid is spoiled. Many Dads work two jobs barely see their family trying to keep a roof over them and food. None of those Dads are beating themselves up because they had to schedule a chess game.

Rich person problem that they solved by not working. Most Dads working two jobs can't.

[Aachen]

I'm not sure it's spoiled. From what I hear of colleagues with kids, they would wish you came home riding a new pony about 12 minutes after you left to work. Another colleague was "gone" too much from the daughter's life and she wished that wasn't the case (he works from home besides like two weeks of the year). They're just not grown ups, not realistic, and (I'd assume) that's normal. Which is to say, I don't think you're at all off in that the kid's wish is to be taken as a loose suggestion at best, but I wouldn't say that they're spoiled just because there exists someone else has it worse

[jermaustin1]

> The kid is spoiled.

I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not, so I will default to: I hope you are.

The kid isn't spoiled for wanting to play a game with his dad... and he isn't spoiled for watching and waiting for his dad to input "play with son" in his phone.

If anything the father is spoiled. He is a high-earner, who choses to spend more time working than necessary for the advancement of a career. And his family has spoiled him to the fact that he can get away with spending less time on them than they want.

If they were to then prioritize their want to spend time with someone willfully spending extra time at work, that also wouldn't be spoiled.

Spoiled is asking for something, getting it, and asking for more, getting it, and asking for more, getting it, ask... you get it.

The child asking for his father to spend time with him (even if he was demanding NOW!), isn't spoiled, because obviously, as the father has admitted, he has to schedule time for his child.

[ipaddr]

Spoiled is expecting and being upset you can't get something that others can't get. Having the ability to spend time with your kid is a luxury to most average folks.

The asking the kid to schedule creates this negative pressure. The kid would take the situation differently if framed differently.

Most kids if asked would never want their parents to work. Don't set your kids up that way. Teach them why work is important to them being able to eat.

The parents of earlier generations sent their kids away if rich or rarely saw them when working the fields 16 hour days.