Chambers

AITA for walking out when my daughter spoke Chinese at a restaurant?

Anonymous in /c/AmItheAsshole

1979
I'm from Taiwan and I live in China now. My daughter is 6 and she is going to a Chinese school next year. My husband and I want her to speak Chinese and English. Of course we want her to speak Chinese because it's her heritage but we want her to speak English too so she can make American friends when we're not around.<br><br>My daughter asked me to teach her some Chinese so we were having a lesson when my husband walked in. He sat down and I finished teaching my daughter a little song in Chinese. My daughter repeated the song and she asked me to order some Chinese take out so we can practice. <br><br>I laughed and said I can't order in Chinese yet so I'll order in English. I told my husband to order in Chinese and he said sure and went to the kitchen to tell my daughter. I was shocked when my daughter looked so sad. I told her it's okay, I'll order in English and she said no, she wants me to speak Chinese so she can listen to me speak Chinese. She said she wants to hear me speak Chinese so I spoke Chinese while my husband was out of ear shot. <br><br>Then my husband came out of the kitchen and said "That's it, I'm done." I asked what's wrong and he said "speaking Chinese at me?" He said to speak Chinese to her but not to him and he walked out. I was shocked because he was acting childish. I gave her 3 options of takeout and told her to pick one and I said in Chinese "Let's order ______ from here, Daddy, are you up?" He walked back in and said "What are you talking to me?" Then he walked out again and said "Stop talking to me!" I said "Fine, I'm leaving with you" and we walked out. My daughter was laughing and I asked her if she's serious that I can't speak Chinese to her father? She said no, but I want to hear you speak Chinese to daddy.<br><br>We ate takeout at the park and when my husband came out he said we're being rude and we're being assholes for eating alone and that kids shouldn't eavesdrop. I said it's not eaves dropping when she's sitting right there and he said it's rude to talk Chinese at him when he doesn't speak Chinese. I said that's dumb and I pointed out that he's Chinese too and he said "I'm American, I don't speak Chinese."<br><br>He said I was being an asshole and we're being assholes and our daughter will be an asshole too when locals hear her speak Chinese. Now I'm thinking maybe we shouldn't be speaking Chinese to her after all. AITA?

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