Woman Cancels Step-children’s Tickets for Family Vacation After They Excluded Her From Baby Shower and Birth, Despite Her Forking Over the Funds for New Baby

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Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Sep 20, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

Welcome back internet enthusiasts. We're here to talk about all things family dramas, because we just can't get enough of it. It seems like the stereotype of the evil step-mother never fails to affect our perceptions. Even in situations where she may not be 'evil,' it's easy to be hesitant to immediately invite her into our lives after one's father remarries. 

In this particular Reddit thread, the step-mother in question isn't evil at all, at least not in this story. She has raised these four children as her own for her whole life, trying her best to give them space, but also be loving so they can open up to her. It seemed to work, until the oldest surprised them with news that his girlfriend is pregnant. They do their best to help out, they even financially support many of their expenses. But the young couple tells them they don't want them in the baby's life because they're not biologically related. I would feel livid and betrayed too, but you'll have to read the full story for all the juicy details.

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  • 01
    r/AITAH ⚫ SteakDangerous8286 AITA for canceling all of my stepkids' tickets for our family vacation...but my Husband and I are still going??
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 02
    Apologies in advance for the format...using my phone. Buckle in, it's gonna be a long ride!! My (F48) husband Randall (50) have been together for 14 years. Randall has four children- two sons Kyle (26), Alex (24) and two daughters Savannah (21) and Cassandra (20).
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 03
    It's important that y'all know, as we get into this, that the oldest and the youngest are not his, biologically, but he's raised them as if they were.
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 04
    When Randall and I first got together, three of his children were in elementary school, and the oldest was in middle school. They really didn't take to me at first as they wanted their parents to be together like any child would. I completely understood, and I gave them plenty of time to spend with their father, when we
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 05
    were with them. I'd busy myself with shopping or visiting my own family. Eventually, we bonded and began spending time together. I'd do birthdays and holidays BIG for them and got to where we to go and do things on our own when my husband had to work... and he's always worked a lot.
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 06
    Here's my issue. Over the last several years now, they've adopted this sense of entitlement towards us, but mainly their father. When we go into town to visit (we live 5 hours away), they'll rarely make the effort to spend any time with us so we typically end up doing things on our own and then coming back home.
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 07
    Lately, we are of the mindset that we shouldn't have to drop everything and come to them every time anymore. Especially, when we know that most times, they're not gonna show up. And they're adults. If they want to see us, they can make a trip to where we live. These days, their phone calls consist of asking for money
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 08
    for gas, groceries, to hang out with friends, or to help fund their trips with their mom. Randall used to send money for everything they would ask for, but has now begun to say no, and to really put his foot down. He's told them that they need to work for the things that they want and that everything is not always going to
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 09
    be handed to them. Any time he says no or that we can't help right now it's the silent treatment for weeks and sometimes months.
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 10
    We're coming to the part where I'm questioning myself and my decision to cancel their vacation.
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 11
    Early fall 2022, Kyle told us that he and his girlfriend were expecting a baby. We didn't even know he had a girlfriend. And he doesn't think he wants Randall to be part of the baby's life because he isn't Kyle's biological father. ?! This man raised this boy. from eight months old, and did everything that a father should do
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 12
    but he's not good enough to be grandpa?! But he said he'd let us know. So we proceeded through birthdays and the holidays and, of course, I went all out as per usual.
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 13
    Now, right after the new year I received a phone call from Kyle asking me if Dad and I could help fund their baby shower. It would go towards food, decorations, and the venue. I said yes. And I went ahead and sent him the money and he told me that in week or so, he'd give me all the
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 14
    details of the baby shower and to expect the invitation in the mail. About an hour later, Randall calls me and says that Kyle called and asked him if we could help fund their baby shower. And Randall sent him money too. Randall was furious that he took us both for money but he left it alone and we
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 15
    didn't hear from any of the kids after that. Mid-March comes along and we're visiting with my Husband's family when his SIL asked why we didn't go to the baby shower the previous weekend. Umm... because we didn't know about it! We were stunned to say the least. Then, his
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 16
    SIL dropped another bomb on us. The baby was born the day before the shower. Come to find out, all four kids and their mother agreed to not invite us to the baby shower, or to even let us know that the baby was born. They needed just the money. To say that I was LIVID would be an understatement.
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 17
    I sent Kyle a message a couple of days later and told him that, it's one thing to not invite us to the shower, but to not let us know about the baby was heartbreaking. I told him that I hoped they'd had a great time and that they were gifted everything that they needed. I
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 18
    congratulated him on the birth of his son and that i hope he's healthy and adored. My Husband sent a similar message. We've yet to hear back from him and we're headed into mid-June.
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 19
    So, after a conversation between myself and my husband, and the fact that I paid for the entire trip, on my own, we decided to cancel their tickets for what was supposed to be our family vacation. I got a partial refund for some of the reservations that I had made but that's okay. I'll take the loss.
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 20
    Last week we got a call from the other three asking what dates they needed to plan for and what they should pack. And let them know that I canceled their tickets so they didn't need to worry about it after all. They were angry and had some choice words. I honestly feel like it's the best decision we could've made. But am I the AH??
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 21
    TLDR: My stepkids are disrespectful. Especially to their father. I canceled their part of our family vacation. AITA??
    via u/SteakDangerous8286
  • 22
    gramsknows NTA tell them the vacation money funded the baby shower! Hope they enjoyed! Stop being their atm!
    via u/gramsknows
  • 23
    Few_Throat4510 • NTA - enjoy your trip. and maybe start looking into wills and inheritance issues.
    via u/Few_Throat4510
  • 24
    kris368 NTA like the person above said make sure yal have all your wills and inheritance in order, if your husband is not good enough to be grandpa make sure he treats that oldest accordingly and don't feel bad yal have been used enough
    via u/kris368

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family drama drama siblings family feud relationships parenting lol love family reddit thread Reddit funny money dating vacation
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