A woman consulted an online forum to determine whether she was mistaken for not giving up her Mother’s Day with her daughter.
The Divorce Was Surprisingly Amicable, All Things Considered.
A woman and her ex-husband have a 7-year-old daughter, Indie, who they share custody of. Her husband’s new partner seemed great and got on well with the woman.
“When he met his wife, Gwen, I really liked her and the two of us got along so well. She said Indie was such a sweet kid and how excited she was to be part of her life.”
At First, Her Daughter Loved Her New Stepmom.
Co-parenting was a breeze and everyone got on well. Until one day.
“But right around the time Gwen and my ex bought a house together, things went downhill. Gwen has three children ages 12, 10, and 8, and they dislike Indie.”
They Were Jealous.
Gwen’s children resented their mom paying any attention to her stepdaughter.
“Indie has talked about the kids saying mean stuff (like she doesn’t belong, that she’s dumb, that nobody likes her or wants her around).”
They Promised Things Would Get Better.
When Indie told her dad and stepmom about the bullying, they reassured her that it would settle down. But it didn’t.
“They have fits over having to include her in activities, and Gwen and my ex have started telling her that she just needs to ‘wait a bit’ and she can have a turn with one of them after.”
They Started to Exclude Her.
It was clear that Gwen’s children were favored above all, and Indie would get left out of activities.
“She said when it’s just her and Gwen, it’s even worse because Gwen’s kids hate when she speaks to her, and that just makes them angrier with her.”
She Doesn’t Like Spending Time With Them Anymore.
“And to make things even worse, Gwen has complained to me about Indie ‘pulling away’ and ‘seeming less interested.’
My ex was like, ‘What do you want me to do? Gwen’s kids don’t like me either.’”
The Woman Voiced the Issues, to No Avail.
The OP confronted Gwen about the issues, who explained she stopped trying to include her stepdaughter because she acts like she doesn’t want to be there.
“I brought up what Indie was saying and she said if she seemed more interested, she would include her but she just doesn’t seem to want to be around anymore.”
Mother’s Day.
When Mother’s Day came around, the woman’s ex had the nerve to ask to have Indie during the holiday.
“So when my ex asked if we could swap Mother’s Day weekend this year so Indie could be with them because they are doing a Mother’s Day weekend trip and Indie should be there, I said no.”
She Was Adamant About Her Decision.
Her ex tried to talk her into changing her mind, but she refused.
“He was like, come on, you can even get extra time, and I said no. He asked why and I said I wanted my daughter for Mother’s Day, and it was final.”
She’d Had Enough of Being Treated So Poorly.
The ignorant ex seemed to think Indie would be “missing out.”
“I told him she’s missing out on nothing other than a weekend of being excluded and treated like an outcast and feeling like she has to be careful of having Gwen’s attention because her step-siblings will hate her for it.”
He Seemed to Think She’d Enjoy It.
The ex – who is clearly fully aware of the situation – said she was being unreasonable.
“He told me it doesn’t mean she wouldn’t enjoy it. Ex said I was being unfair.”
Things Have Turned Really Sour.
Indie told her mom that she did NOT want to go on the trip.
“She also doesn’t like Gwen as much since she feels like she gets forgotten. She also feels that way about her dad too.”
Is She the Problem?
The woman shared her predicament on an online forum and asked if she was in the wrong.
The voting was unanimous.
She’s Her Mom – Not Gwen.
One user shared that, issues aside, Indie’s mom deserves to spend the day with her only daughter.
“You are her mother, not Gwen, and it seems like making her go would be punishing you and her unnecessarily when it’s your day. Your ex needs to do something about this situation.”
Poor Parenting.
Many users agreed that this situation should be dealt with by Gwen and the ex.
“He is alienating your daughter from his family by not stepping up, yet seems to be laying the responsibility on a 7-year-old to fix the situation.”
They Should Be Punished.
People are flabbergasted that Gwen’s children aren’t being held accountable for their bullying.
“The 12-year-old and 10-year-old are definitely old enough to both know and be told what they are doing is not on and to have some form of punishment as a result of their actions.”
If Anyone’s the Jerk, It’s Him.
Users couldn’t believe the ignorance of the father insisting his child be present when he knows full well his daughter is unhappy.
“Your job is to make sure Indie is happy, and it certainly sounds like she isn’t enjoying her time there. He’s an AH for insisting she goes on a trip that will just make her feel miserable.”
Failing as a Father.
The father’s behavior is unforgivable.
“Your ex is failing as a father. I hope he realizes it before Indie grows up to resent him.”
Gwen Is Equally Responsible.
The father isn’t the only one to blame. The stepmother has been made aware of the situation and clearly isn’t taking it seriously.
“As nice as Gwen seems, she is definitely at fault here, too, for being in denial of what’s happening to Indie.”
Online Users Are Unanimous
There’s no question: the online community doesn’t believe that Indie should go on the trip.
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