TIFU by changing all of my daughter's contacts in her phone

Submitted by GreenEggPage t3_zs4pb8 in tifu

This happened 10-15 years ago, when my daughter was a teen. She left her phone lying around and I, as a good father would, decided to prank her by changing the names of her contacts. I got a little carried away and changed all of them. The names I chose were completely random, but most of them were things like Porky Pig, Princess, or Elmo, etc. I intentionally did not give people names that "fit" them - especially mine.

When she found out, she was pissed. I mean, P. I. S. S. E. D. So i decided that cowardice was the best option and denied all knowledge. She initially thought that someone had hacked her phone and went to the phone store to see. She eventually decided that it had to be one of her uncles (and I owed him, so I was fine with him taking the blame). I finally came clean about 5+ years later, after she had calmed down a little bit.

And yes, I am the asshole of this story.

Tldr - I renamed all of the contacts in my teen daughter's phone and she was extremely unhappy about it.

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SpacePolice04 t1_j1762mh wrote

My step dad has me as ‘Beelzebub’ in his phone because Siri wouldn’t recognize my name when he spoke it (he sometimes mumbles). I didn’t know and he asked me to fix something on his phone and I found it and said WTF?!? I went into autocorrect and changed ‘ok’ to ‘I’m really sorry I called SpacePolice beelzebub’. I then texted him a series of questions where ‘ok’ would he appropriate and it was glorious. He apparently said OK to other people too. It took him a few days to find the setting to change it back and he wisely did not ask me to help him find it.

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Otie1983 t1_j17p7lw wrote

That is good work.

I do the same to my husband when I manage to sneak away with his phone…

I’ve changed the name he has for himself on his phone (so what Siri calls him) a few times… Master Baiter was one, Possessor of the Giant Cock was another… I’ve also done the standard immature “yes” to things like “up my butt” or “I love penis”… but other than my folks, I’m generally the only one he texts so it’s never an issue.

I also one time set it so that when he’d type “k” it would autocorrect to the entire first book of the Iliad. That crashed his phone… but was absolutely hilarious when he called me after and was like “REALLY?!”

One time - in all the years we’ve been together - he managed to get “revenge” by changing what “k” autocorrects to for me - “gotcha bitch!”. Jokes on him, now any time he asks me a question I’d normally answer with “k” he gets the answer “gotcha bitch!”… I’m keeping it forever 🤣

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RexIsAMiiCostume t1_j18hbll wrote

Be careful. I've seen people find out that they've been signing their emails with whatever siri calls them, lmao

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Otie1983 t1_j1a2ahz wrote

Hmm… that would certainly be interesting… LOL!

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happydisasters t1_j17z2h1 wrote

Does....does this work on all phones? Asking for a friend..

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Otie1983 t1_j1a2vp2 wrote

I don’t know for sure… but I would imagine most smart phones would have that ability. It’s in the same place that you’d input abbreviations that you want the phone to expand (I know “omw” was automatically programmed in mine to expand to “On my way!”, I never set it, since I generally don’t have to tell anyone that LOL).

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DeadlyShaving t1_j1aeowk wrote

Thank you for tonight's prank idea, I'm now googling his phone to see if it has autocorrect dictionary lmao

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Otie1983 t1_j1b3vc6 wrote

Enjoy! It’s a fun one for sure! Just avoid using the entire first book of the Iliad unless you’re goal is crashing the phone 🤣

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Zero-to-36 t1_j17z6uz wrote

I've always used android, my ex iPhone. Apparently there's a setting for the assistant that will say your chosen name. My comedian son decided to change it to bouncy boobs, or something similar. When she was back in the living with us all he said something like say my name and the ex nearly peed she was laughing so hard.

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BikergirlRider120 t1_j16fz6o wrote

And this is why I don't tell anyone my password and change it...oh wait I did tell someone my password oh well, I'm grateful that she forgot about it 😂😂😂

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GreenEggPage OP t1_j17c7g1 wrote

This was before everyone password protected their phones. Heck, it might not have even been a smart one! (though I don't think I would have been willing to use T9 to do all of them)

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BikergirlRider120 t1_j1afh8d wrote

Whats t9 and hunter1?

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GreenEggPage OP t1_j1bgrd7 wrote

T9 was a text entry method on phones without keyboards - numpad only. You had to press the numbers multiple times to get to the letter you wanted.

I have no idea what a hunter1 is.

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________________me t1_j16aifg wrote

I had an uncle who was a sailor. Once the ship he was on was carrying passengers, but apparently of the arrogant kind. As a joke, he and his friends took the (very analog) cine film cameras lying around and filmed some 'naked but dance'. He's probably told this story a hundred times, but each time he nearly choked on the punch line. "Imagine seeing this when they rewatch their holiday movies with their cocky friends!"

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NicNicNicHS t1_j16lskz wrote

yeah that's just kinda shitty and annoying and and not very funny and pretty much invading your kids privacy?

idk maybe I'm just being dramatic

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OlduvaiMan t1_j171ea3 wrote

That's exactly what this is. I have teenage kids, and understand that their phone is their private life and I have to respect that privacy.

Pranking them like this is both stupid and bad parenting. They're not your pub friends, they are your children.

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rotating_pebble t1_j183khs wrote

Yeah, it's bizarre and the other parents laughing along are as bad. This is the behaviour of a naughty schoolkid, not a father to his daughter.

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cdm014 t1_j16s999 wrote

Privacy with electronics is a privilege not a right for children and it should not be the default. It is the responsibility of a parent to occasionally monitor their child's activity for unsafe conduct.

The renaming bit... The funniness will vary from person to person.

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diffyqgirl t1_j172o6j wrote

Spying on your kid does not make them safer, it teaches them how to avoid you.

My mom insisted on installing a tracker on my sisters phone. So my sister stopped taking her phone with her when she went anywhere she thought my mom wouldn't approve of. Meaning she wouldn't have a way of calling for help if something happened, so she was less safe.

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k9moonmoon t1_j19ldgt wrote

I fully respect a teens right to privacy. But changing names in a contact list, especially at the Era the OP did it, isn't exactly invading privacy. You can access the contact list without reading any messages. The sticking point would be how much you trust the prankster that all they did was the contact list aspect and how private the teen treats their phone. If they were leaving it out unlocked regularly vs being very mindful.

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Raeandray t1_j17dsxt wrote

At the same time parents can’t just enable their children to go do things that are unsafe. In your example the child would’ve gone to the unsafe places either way. While I’d prefer they have a phone while being unsafe, I also can’t take the attitude of “you’re going to do unsafe things so I just won’t even try.”

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eljefeciego t1_j17lh9n wrote

Wtf you think having kids is? You're creating a life into a VERY dangerous world, managing risks and trying to not sacrifice too much of the children's freedoms in the meantime is your sole duty. And still, they will die sooner or later. Also be hurt in so many ways.

Parents should expose their kids to dangers, as many kinds as possible so they'll evetually learn to navigate them as safely as possible.

Parents' primary job is never to protect at all costs.

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Raeandray t1_j18j0g5 wrote

> Parents' primary job is never to protect at all costs

I didn't say it was. In fact my whole post was meant to highlight the tightrope parents have to walk balancing risks vs independence as they help their kids grow.

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NicNicNicHS t1_j16v7jt wrote

No, you should not go through your kids electronics, especially behind their back and without them knowing.

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cdm014 t1_j16w00k wrote

You are free to raise your children how you see best. I will raise mine as i see best.

However when i handed her the phone, i was clear: this is my phone which i am letting her use to make my life easier, as a reward she also gets to use it for her own life, but it's mine and i will be monitoring her activity

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Thepinkknitter t1_j16wl8w wrote

I mean, you’re just raising a kid to be sneaky to find a way around your helicopter parenting. But hey, if that’s the way you want to raise your kid, go ahead. Lmao

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cdm014 t1_j19x3ax wrote

The steps of raising a child to do something responsibly

  1. No you don't have the tools necessary
  2. Modeling and building the tool set
  3. Supervised activity (you get to do it but i observe and we discuss your goals and how well you're moving towards them) and i step in when i need to protect you
  4. Okay I'm here if you need me
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mrlazyboy t1_j16yfxd wrote

You mean kids haven’t been trying to find ways around their parents for the past 100,000 years?

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za419 t1_j174o6k wrote

Parents probably should be encouraging their kids to feel comfortable telling their parents about their lives - secrets, even, things they don't want everyone to know, because they need advice on something.

Training kids to feel that they can't let any shred of information sit within their parents reach because their parents are boundary-stomping dickwads who think that anything to do with their children is their business and theirs alone, is the exact opposite of that.

Don't prioritize raising children that are obedient and trick you into thinking they do as they're told over raising children to be functional adults. That's the point, isn't it?

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lecretnao t1_j17ibz3 wrote

Truth is that this is the first few generations raising their kids with internet technology. There’s a lot of shit out there that you guys shouldn’t be seeing as frequently as you are or as young. There are endless issues caused by the things kids watch and see.

Im 25 and got to see smart phones become popular in real time. I was 15 when I got my first smartphone, and at that time it was expected that your parent would check it. I was pissed, but the older I get, the easier it is to see why they did.

Teenagers are notoriously too young and stupid to see the obvious. They don’t comprehend the damage they’re doing to themselves. I will be monitoring my child’s internet use/phones, especially when they’re 14 and under, and that’s coming from someone who “hated my parents” for doing it.

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mrlazyboy t1_j18g3ll wrote

Independent of how parents raise their children, most kids are going to try and get around their parents wishes. If you don’t believe that, I’d argue you’ve never met a child

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za419 t1_j19dpin wrote

That's absolutely true, and that's why it's pointless to try to track everything they do. It gives the kid attacker's advantage - You have to stop them from getting through in a thousand ways, they only have to catch you not defending the castle once.

Which leads us to the question of goals. Why is it that this is a war? We already know we're going to lose, so all we achieve is blundering mutual trust.

Is the goal to slow them down from getting to see what they will manage to see anyway? Because by banning it, they'll be very interested in why it's banned, and you may well get it seen even earlier by providing that incentive.

I think the goal should be raising the child to be a well-adjusted, successful adult. Unless things go very wrong, they'll spend most of their lives as adults anyway.

And to that end, I'd argue a foundation of mutual trust, based on a parent and child being willing to approach each other and trust each other with their problems, even the ones that are embarrassing or difficult to talk about.

And therefore, I'd rather teach them how to be responsible and help them learn how to navigate an internet-connected life, than to try to box them up and present myself as an obstacle to get around. Because I believe that will provide a better foundation for a parent-child relationship, and for the development of a child into a person who will outlast me.

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cdm014 t1_j19xlit wrote

The foundation of trust that she will act safely and responsibly comes from first observing her acting safely and responsibly in a controlled setting

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za419 t1_j1b47ov wrote

Your trust in her, perhaps. You should trust her anyway though - She's your daughter, you probably know her better than anyone and frankly if she's already untrustworthy by the time she's on the internet then you've either majorly screwed her up or you're being awfully bad about not letting her use a computer.

The more important trust, that you need to establish with her during the adolescent years where she's figuring out how the world works and where she fits in it, is her trust in you. That's not something that exists just because of DNA, contrary to many subpar parents expectations - It exists because you show her that she can trust you.

And again - trust is a two way street. The first step to her trusting you is you trusting her.

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NicNicNicHS t1_j16wxix wrote

>My children will put me in a home and never visit.

Why would you post this? We're talking about privacy.

edit:

gonna make an actual argument I guess

All you're doing is raising your kids to have trust issues, and to always hide their lives away from you.

Trust between people is always mutual, and if you don't trust them and go full big brother on them, sooner or later they won't trust you either.

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Hoohadingus t1_j18j6hy wrote

Are you a teenager yourself?

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GreenEggPage OP t1_j18ub1m wrote

My wife wonders sometimes. I think I quit maturing as a tween or young teen. Heheh - fart boogers!

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adam_demamps_wingman t1_j190q1d wrote

I told my neighbor I feel like I am still a 16 year old kid. He admitted he felt like he was still 12 inside. We stared at each other’s gray hair and moons and laughed.

EDIT: moobs not moons

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phezhead t1_j192uks wrote

I routinely tell people I'm 12 and only look 38

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Falconflyer75 t1_j1a3r62 wrote

Lol so what’s it like having a daughter that’s mentally older than u, (sincerely a 30 year old whose probably 15 in reality)

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GreenEggPage OP t1_j1bgg5l wrote

She takes enough after me that it's a contest of which one of us is the mature one. But it's like having another wife.

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GidimXul t1_j1a9dtg wrote

We may have to get old but we can be immature forever!

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rotating_pebble t1_j183h73 wrote

Lol what? This is something a 12 year old does to their classmate, not what a father does to a daughter.

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H-005 t1_j19xma2 wrote

TIL having fun with your daughter is not something a father should do.

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furiousfran t1_j1ahwp3 wrote

Fucking around with other people's stuff is your idea of fun? Lol

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H-005 t1_j1al4we wrote

As long as it's a one time thing, doesn't hurt anyone and you have a great relationship with that person, its a fun prank, no? If it's repeated, it becomes annoying, but once is perfectly fine.

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rotating_pebble t1_j1axooz wrote

Lol, I have plenty of fun with my daughter that doesn’t involve invading her privacy and changing all her phone numbers. That’s just childish

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Zombata t1_j17r74s wrote

it's a pretty good way to be sent to retirement home, ngl

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PygmeePony t1_j199r33 wrote

A retirement home? I'd just drop him off under the nearest bridge.

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keyser90 t1_j18sge1 wrote

This is a true story, but all the names have been changed

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Painting_Agency t1_j16uj5w wrote

It was probably a LOT of work fixing that. YATA, OP.

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VelvetDawn13 t1_j18vaf6 wrote

My husband had his ex-wife as “Big Twat” in the phone until one day his (then 13yo) daughter picked up his ringing cell phone saw “Big Twat” and said Hey Daddy mom’s calling…

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Col__Hunter_Gathers t1_j19fxd9 wrote

I used to have my ex as Whore Machine and realized that my kid was getting old enough to read it so I decided to switch it to something less offensive lol.

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userhvfegcd t1_j16c6lb wrote

this is so funny but if my dad did this I’d rage so much, simply because I hate when anyone touches my phone 💀😭

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UsualAnybody1807 t1_j16teom wrote

Geez. I'd never trust you after something like that if I were your daughter.

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unsupported t1_j181tga wrote

I played a subtle joke on my wife once by changing her custom dictionary from "now" to "meow". She uses talk to text and it's always wrong anyway. This frustrated herz but she. I don't know how I kept quiet for as long as I did, but she laughed when I told her.

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towcar t1_j17cz2d wrote

Face palm

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ScarBrandon t1_j19okb7 wrote

This is a bit odd, this would be a prank someone does to there classmate or friend as a joke. Not what a father does to her daughter

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Impossible-Web740 t1_j16z2r1 wrote

I once decided to change all of the contacts in my brother's phone to "Bob", but felt guilty shortly after starting and undid it.

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RealBlu3B3rry t1_j180eys wrote

Damn bro what a crazy story, you really fucked up soooooo hard!!!!!!

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SandInTheGears t1_j194zwu wrote

Don't call it a prank, call it a valuable lesson on the importance of regular backups

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GreenEggPage OP t1_j1bg0bs wrote

I'll have to tell her that. Right before she leaves after Christmas - I don't want her raging all holiday.

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ajzanfa t1_j19trg8 wrote

"I finally came clean about 5+ years later, after she had calmed down a little bit" Damn bro... Did it took that much time for her to calm down? LMAO

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atom64 t1_j188zm7 wrote

oh wow it took her 5 years to calm "a litte" down for this prank ? damn

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Cynderraven t1_j16n44l wrote

This is priceless... As a parent, I can totally appreciate this LOL... Way to go Dad 🙌

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AlyTeppelin t1_j172dr9 wrote

It was funny at the time, I bet. For like a second!

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GreenEggPage OP t1_j17cg9e wrote

"Hahaha! She found all her changed contacts! And... ooooooooooh, crap. This is not good..."

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terrag32256 t1_j16ra0j wrote

This is hilarious. I'm glad the uncle was blamed

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popeyegui t1_j16re06 wrote

I added a bunch of LGBTQ movies to my youngest son’s list on Netflix. His girlfriend was confused.

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raineybot24 t1_j1822hm wrote

I don’t get it

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