Mom is slammed after her 14-year-old son begged her to 'stop smoking and get healthy'

A mom has been hit with a wave of backlash after her teen son begged her to 'stop smoking' and she looked to the web for advice.

The unnamed mother took to Reddit to detail the unexpected situation that saw her 14-year-old child sending her a text pleading with her to 'get healthy.' 

Despite receiving the heartbreaking message, the mom still wasn't convinced that she should ditch the bad habit and asked strangers on social media to give her advice. 

Her son called on his mom to 'get off the couch' and be a better parent in the lengthy text. 

In the AITA_WIBTA_PUBLIC subreddit, she questioned if she was in the wrong for continuing to inhale nicotine. 

The post was titled: ''Am I the a**hole for wrecking my body so bad my 14-year-old sent me this?' 

She explained: 'After surviving abuse against me and the kids seems I have given myself a free pass on some bad habits that I used for coping with all that but now for too long. 

'I know I’m probably the a**hole if I keep smoking. But am I still the a**hole if I vape instead? I know I’m the a**hole if I don’t get off the couch but am I still the a**hole if I only go to the gym once a week? Like what’s the line [between] protecting the kids but also still doing me.'

The mom-of-two then shared the message her son sent her in the post. 

He said: 'Mom, I'm sorry I got mean. You told me to always share my feelings so here it goes.' 

The teenager then revealed that he had learned about the devastating effects of smoking in school that day - adding that although he will be 'older' if she gets 'cancer,' it's 'not great.' 

'She said smoking also means you can't fight off infections as well - like if we got COVID again, you would be more likely to die from it. So on top of your cholesterol [issues], which you talk about all the time but don't do anything to fix, it's like you are asking for it,' he said as he questioned what he and his unnamed brother were 'supposed to do.'

The teen pulled on heartstrings as he revealed that he didn't know how he would keep his 'abusive' father away if his mother died. 

He added: 'Remember the last thing dad said to me? [He said], "I'll be back for him when she dies." And you know he will come for [my brother]. [He won't] come for me because I'm old enough to remember what he did to us.

'You always tell me to make sure to keep dad away from my brother if something happens to you. You always say you'll do anything to protect him from us. 

'But now it feels like you will do anything to protect us except be healthy enough to not die young.'

The boy continued to plead with his mom as he claimed that if she died, she would be giving his father exactly what he wanted. 

'I'm sorry mom but it feels like your choices are just helping dad kill you all these years later by speeding along what he waits for every day,' he said. 

At the end of the text, he assured his mom that he loved her and begged her to get help. 

He added: 'I hope you see what I'm trying to say, please don't be mad. I love you.' 

People on the web flooded the comments section and slammed the mom for seeking help from the internet instead of listening to her son. 

One person said: 'Your kiddo just wants you around to love you for a long time, they obviously care about you and it isn't out of malice. His concern is not only for you but also for themselves as they evidently DO NOT want anything to do with your ex.'

Someone else wrote: 'I'm sorry, but if this text message doesn't fix the problem, nothing strangers on Reddit say will help. 

'Please go to therapy, this is above Reddit's paygrade.'

Another user added: 'It’s genuinely so f***ing sad this kid is begging his mom to be healthy for him and she’s asking Reddit if she should.'

One user commented: 'Do you hear yourself? Your kid is begging you to do your best for him and his brother, and you want to know what’s the minimum you can do to not be considered an a**hole?'