Being a stepparent is a tough gig.
Just watch the movie Stepmom, featuring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon, to see what we mean.
There are tough waters to navigate, such as kids not accepting you, jealousy from the biological parents, and more.
So when a stepparent is able to rise above all this and go above and beyond for their stepchildren, they deserve all the praise and awards!
Weddings are a tricky time for stepparents. You automatically assume that the bride is going to want her biological father to walk her down the aisle.
Well, this bride didn't feel complete without her stepdad also giving her away.
"My real dad has gotten worse with his alcoholism and rage lately," this Redditor wrote. "My stepdad heard I was having a bad anxiety day and brought me all my favorite treats. I’ve made the decision that I’m going to ask him to adopt me.”
This Redditor's stepdad insisted on being the one to cook the turkey that year.
Sure, he doesn't deserve any cooking awards. But he does deserve awards for trying his best! He was just trying to provide for his family.
“For the past 10 years, I’ve given my stepfather the same blank, generic Christmas cards," this Redditor wrote. “This year, I’m hoping to make him smile after he gave me a ’daughter’ card for my birthday.” So sweet!
Can you believe these are real roses?! These are absolutely gorgeous. They're the flowers that this Redditor's fiancée's stepdad bought for her.
We're not sure what the occasion was, but what we do know is that the stepdad sure is special.
"My stepdad is officially my legal father after raising me with my mom since I was 9 years old," this Redditor wrote. "He’s an amazing human. You’re never too old to be adopted!" This goes to show how much he loves her.
One of the best perks of having stepparents is getting double the presents!
That's how one girl received this crochet Cubone from Pokémon. He even got the little cracks in the skull down! It goes to show that handmade gifts always come from the heart.
"My stepdad passed away a few days ago and in his final days he started losing his memory," this Redditor wrote. "He started ordering random things online and we kept getting them in the mail. My mom received this blanket in the mail today addressed to him."
While some dads shy away from bus duty, this stepdad has happily accepted the role. Even if it means wearing a princess backpack.
We're sure he'd even dress up as a princess if it made her happy for Halloween!
"Two of the dogs have arthritis and can’t get through the doggy door without a step," this Redditor wrote. "My stepdad, who once swore to never get dogs, has built them a custom mini-deck so they can get in."
Sadly, there are some stepparents in this world who won't make room for their new stepchildren. They'll make them bunk with others or sleep under the stairs like Harry Potter. But not this child! Their stepdad made them this special loft bedroom!
“I’m the stepfather to an 8-year-old little girl who still sees her real father, who tries to pit her against me," this stepdad wrote. "She gave me this for Father’s Day, but not to her real father. It melted my heart.”
“Worked on my stepson’s Scorpion costume for a month. Happy Halloween!” this stepdad wrote.
How awesome is this?! He could've just bought a costume from the store and called it a day. But instead, he went the extra mile.
This story is so sweet. During middle school, a girl's stepdad would leave a note on her door each day to inspire her.
Well, he never knew that she kept those notes all those years. She gave him the notes back in a picture frame.
"My stepdad was surrounded by my mom and us 3 daughters. Now, 30+ years later, my sister has given him a new best friend!” this Redditor wrote. This is exactly what this man deserves after being surrounded by girls all his life!
When this picture was taken, this Redditor's stepdad was celebrating 30 years of sobriety! That is such a huge accomplishment.
Being sober will help anyone be more present and capable of raising a family. He's also an inspiration to his stepkids.
"My stepdad sent this to me for HIS birthday.. 100% I’m going to do something good in the world with it. Any suggestions?" this Redditor wrote. Here's one: take this dad out to dinner and celebrate his kindness!
This Redditor's stepdad tragically passed away before Christmas one year.
Something that lightened the mood was when the family found a gift that he had addressed from "Santa." This was a new collar for the Redditor's kitty.
"Stepdad didn't really know me/what I liked so he bought this poker set so we could spend some time together :)" this Redditor wrote. He must've known that poker is a great way to get to know someone!
Going to the dentist is scary, no matter how old you are. So to reward her for being brave, a Redditor's mom and stepdad bought her a Nintendo Switch and Animal Crossing! Um, can we go to the dentist to get this, too?!
"Told my step-dad I prefer the orange jelly beans, this morning I came in to him sorting them into a jar for me," this Redditor wrote.
The effort this took! We must protect this adorable human at all costs.
Aww! This stepdad took it upon himself to teach his oldest stepson how to shave!
You can see how proud he is. There's a chance that the child's real dad didn't have the time to show him.
"My step dad secretly donated a new bell in the cancer center infusion department on my mom’s last day of chemo!" this Redditor wrote. This is such a sweet gift that will live on to make people happy.
"Was looking for snacks at my parents house and found that my stepdad keeps a separate jar of nuts for the birds in with the regular people food," this Redditor wrote. "He also has a cabinet full of peanuts for the squirrels."
