A Mother Forces Her Stepson Into Family Events, But Her Kids Rebel

Chifundo
A woman looking out a window, unhappy.
Unsplash | Alexei Maridashvili

Divorce can be a tough time for families, especially when new partners and children are involved. In this AITA post, a son shares his frustration with his mom's insistence on including his stepbrother in their family events, even on special occasions like his deceased dad's birthday.

When the son moves out with his girlfriend, he stops seeing his stepbrother and eventually cuts off communication with his mom. In a heated confrontation, the son tells his mom that she only has one kid, her stepson. Was he out of line?

Click to read the full story and share your judgment in the comments.

Stepmom tries to force stepson into family, sparks rebellion among kids

toresoveren | toresoveren

Wedding ultimatum strains family ties, stepkid caught in middle 😢

toresoveren | toresoveren

Stepson inclusion sparks family feud, siblings rebel against mother's decision

toresoveren | toresoveren

Stepson forced to attend family events despite objections: A family feud

toresoveren | toresoveren

Stepbrother inclusion sparks family feud 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦❌

toresoveren | toresoveren

Stepson excluded from family after leaving, siblings follow suit.

toresoveren | toresoveren

Mom forces stepson into events causing family tension 😠

toresoveren | toresoveren

Stepson excluded from family events, sparks argument with stepmom.

toresoveren | toresoveren

AITA? Let's judge this mother's actions 👀

toresoveren | toresoveren

Forced family events lead to family fallout 😞👨‍👧‍👦

Divorce is tough, and when new family members are added, things can get even trickier. In this case, a mother's insistence that her stepson be included in family events, like celebrating the birthday of the father who passed away, caused a rift between her and her biological children.

Despite offers from the paternal grandparents to spend time with just the two biological children, the mother refused to budge. This led to further tension and eventually caused the kids to cut ties with their mom and stepbrother altogether. The situation becomes even more complicated when the mother shows up at the son's workplace and demands a conversation.

With emotions running high, the son stands his ground and tells his mom that he and his sister are no longer her children and that her actions caused the family to fall apart. The fallout from this family drama is sure to have long-lasting effects.

Read on for reactions and comments.

Mom repeatedly trampled OP's boundaries, including stepbrother in celebrations. NTA.

beingsydneycarton | beingsydneycarton

Stepmom tries to erase dad, faces consequences. NTA. 🤷‍♀️

PrincessBuzzkill | PrincessBuzzkill

Stepbrother forced to attend family events, but is it fair? 🤔

EggLikeHuman | EggLikeHuman

Stepmom's lack of communication and consideration caused family rifts 🤔

Real-Concentrate5239 | Real-Concentrate5239

Stepson forced onto paternal family events, kids rebelled. NTA.

cynical-mage | cynical-mage

Stepson forced on grandparents, mother's 'love' questioned. NTA.

NixKlappt-Reddit | NixKlappt-Reddit

Stepson's exclusion from family events causes tension, commenters side NTA

Mundane-Solution5657 | Mundane-Solution5657

Forced stepbrother onto grieving family, mom favors stepkid. NTA.

muskiesfan1 | muskiesfan1

Stepson forced into family events after dad's death, OP NTA 💔

Lorelaigilmoredanes | Lorelaigilmoredanes

Love can't be forced, even on family. NTA wins.

lexzy12345678 | lexzy12345678

Forcing a stepchild into a family dynamic can breed contempt.

Acrobatic_Ad1870 | Acrobatic_Ad1870

Stepmom's overbearing actions ruined her relationship with her stepchildren. NTA

Swampman5000 | Swampman5000

Forcing a relationship never ends well 👎 Let it develop naturally.

KittKatt7179 | KittKatt7179

Stepbrother could have been family if not for mother's interference. NTA

laravitoriagabriela | laravitoriagabriela

Respect for boundaries, even with family, is always important 🙌

TastyHome8183 | TastyHome8183

Stepbrother forced into family events sparks conflict, but who's right? 🤔

HunterDangerous1366 | HunterDangerous1366

Stepson not at fault, but mom's behavior is problematic 💥

tcsweetgurl | tcsweetgurl

NTA commenter understands frustration of grieving with constant step-sibling presence.

South_Elephant_6552 | South_Elephant_6552

Stepmom prioritizes stepson, gets upset at truth. NTA wins.

pacazpac | pacazpac

Forced inclusion caused family resentment towards stepbrother. 😐

funjifuji | funjifuji

Forced family events lead to strained relationships and tough decisions 🤝

athomefarfromhome | athomefarfromhome

Compassionate suggestion to deal with frustrating family situation 🙏

Designer_Database718 | Designer_Database718

Choose your family and be with those who truly love you ❤️

Klutzy_Champion_5342 | Klutzy_Champion_5342

Adults vs. teens perspective on stepfamily dynamics 🤷🏻‍♀️ vs. 👧‍👦️: NTA

Lemon_Of_Squash | Lemon_Of_Squash

Forced into family events with strangers - NTA stands up.

Scotsgit73 | Scotsgit73

No drama here! Commenter is clearly not the a-hole 🙌

19Miles84 | 19Miles84

Stepbrother's mother's family involvement unclear. NTA either way 👍

Altruistic-Paper-847 | Altruistic-Paper-847

Stepmom's unreasonable demands caused family estrangement. NTA.

jammy913 | jammy913

Commenters agree: OP is NTA 👍

Popular-Emu7380 | Popular-Emu7380

Stepson not to blame for crazy mom, family still distant 🤔

GullibleNerd88 | GullibleNerd88

A blunt response to a difficult family situation 🤬

FabulousInspection47 | FabulousInspection47

Stepmom not at fault for excluding resentful stepkids 🤷‍♀️

FatBloke4 | FatBloke4

Bond with siblings is important, forced inclusion is toxic. NTA 🙌

Blue_Karou2 | Blue_Karou2

Stepmom forces family events, kids rebel. Comment: NTA

GimmieGnomes | GimmieGnomes

Stepson not obligated to be included in late dad's family events 💔

auzy63 | auzy63

Stepmom gets a pass - Not the a**hole 🙌

laravitoriagabriela | laravitoriagabriela

Stepson's connection to deceased father's family questioned ❓❔

EggLikeHuman | EggLikeHuman

Forced relationships never work out well. NTA 👍

BabyAquarius | BabyAquarius

Stepmom's behavior questioned, commenter supports OP's actions. ❤️

Wrecks128 | Wrecks128

Stepmother oversteps boundaries, kids rebel. NTA gets support 👍

serenasplaycousin | serenasplaycousin

Stepmom gets a NTA verdict from commenters.

Sea_Goose5512 | Sea_Goose5512

Stepson excluded: siblings rebel against overbearing mother. #NTA

nousernamefound13 | nousernamefound13

Stepmom not at fault, kids need to respect her decisions 🤝

Ok_Path1734 | Ok_Path1734

Stepbrother forced into awkward family events, relationship strained due to mom

cupidswing | cupidswing

Stepmom prioritizes golden child, emotionally neglects stepchildren. NTA.

Thewitchandtheircat | Thewitchandtheircat

Forcing stepson into family events caused resentment. NTA.

PrestigiousClick2960 | PrestigiousClick2960

Stepson's forced inclusion causes resentment and family tension. NTA.

SpecialistFeeling220 | SpecialistFeeling220

Stepson forced into family events causes family split. NTA wins.

somewhat_pragmatic | somewhat_pragmatic

Stepmom not at fault for stepson's exclusion from family events 🤝

Minute-Wishbone-4487 | Minute-Wishbone-4487

Stepmom uses kids as pawns? Not the a**hole speaks up

[deleted] | [deleted]

Stepmom forces family to attend wedding for grandkid access 😬

lungeman | lungeman

Respect matters. Mom didn't care about stepbro's feelings. NTA.

lethargiclili | lethargiclili

Stepbrother inserted into family events causes tension and division

Cirtth | Cirtth

Stepson excluded from events he shouldn't attend. NTA. 👍

Ghinev | Ghinev

Redditor questions the judgment of ESH and YTA judgments.

tothelefttotheleaf | tothelefttotheleaf

Forced family events, blackmail, and shattered relationships. 💔

ttnl35 | ttnl35

Empowering response to stepmother's behavior. ✌️

binneapolitan | binneapolitan

Commenter calls out mother's responsibility in family event mess 💥

Big-Educator-9725 | Big-Educator-9725

Stepmom struggles with blended family, commenters support boundaries. 🙌

mikerri | mikerri

Support for the stepson in controlling his relationship with his mother.

Pseud-o-nym | Pseud-o-nym

Stepmom demands inclusion of non-family member, gets called out for entitlement 💥

McflyThrowaway01 | McflyThrowaway01

Cutting ties with toxic family members for the sake of peace 👋

Unhappysong-6653 | Unhappysong-6653

Forcing relationships never turns out good. NTA here!

Scorched-archer | Scorched-archer