My 12-year-old son Cody has a gift for baking a passion he inherited from his late mother. Our home was filled with warmth and sweetness every time he experimented with new recipes. But when my mother came to stay with us, she saw his love for baking as weakness. She constantly belittled him, saying it wasn’t “manly” and that I was raising him to be “soft.” I asked her to stop, but she wouldn’t let up.

One day, I came home to find Cody devastated. While he was at a friend’s house, my mother had thrown away all his baking equipment tools he’d saved up for with allowance and birthday money. She claimed boys shouldn’t bake and proudly told me she had “fixed” the problem. I couldn’t believe the cruelty. My son was heartbroken, questioning himself and the thing he loved most.

I confronted her, furious, and demanded she replace everything or leave. She refused. That’s when I made the decision to kick her out of our home. My children come first, and no one not even my own mother gets to crush their joy or confidence. I stood my ground, knowing my wife would’ve done the same.

The next day, we went shopping for new supplies. Cody’s smile slowly returned as we rebuilt his baking space together. That night, he thanked me for standing up for him. I told him, “Always.” Because being a parent means protecting your kids, even from those closest to you and loving them exactly as they are.