17-year-old exposes father spending his child support money on stepsiblings, mother gets involved and gains full custody over her son, leading to family falling out

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Jan 20, 2025 2:00 PM EST

The relationship we have with our parents affects us the rest of our lives. Even when we're newborns and babies, the interactions we build with our parents or caregivers create neurological pathways in our brains that will determine our attachment style that penetrates into adulthood. Although these pathways are phenotypic, meaning they can be altered and aren't permanent, they are extremely difficult to change and adapt. Attachment styles follow us into adulthood, and we imprint and relive the dynamics we had growing up with our adult partners. That's why it's so important as parents to try to make your child feel so loved, appreciated, and like they have someone to rely on. If you don't, they might end up with a not so great partner down the road. 

In the story below, the protagonist is a teenager whose father isn't spending his child support money on him. His father is choosing to spend it on his stepsiblings instead. The 17-year-old does what anyone would do – he exposes the truth to his mother, who immediately gains full custody of her son. The kicker? The protagonist's father and stepmother are angry at him for exposing them. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01

    AITA for getting my dad into trouble by telling my mom he wasn't spending the child support she paid on me?

    20 JB010118 82 P NEHUNDR 100 "The courts decided he should pay all of it back" MF 96852 F6 TOXI LLIST 201 50 0 SUOMAL SOFA
    via mykolasosiukin / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    My mom was in an accident when I (17m) was 14 and was left disabled as a result. Because of this my parents decided it would be for the best if my dad had custody of me because mom had a long recovery ahead of her and she'd need a lot of help herself. My mom paid child support to my dad for me. Only it was never
    via u/National-Actuary7478
  • 03
    spent on me. It went on his stepkids. He saved it for them and never used it on me even when I did need money for things. He had me overdraw on my school lunch account and then wouldn't pay the balance, I had to do it with money from my grandparents, even though he was the one who last minute said
    via u/National-Actuary7478
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10456852736
    via amazingmikael from Getty Images Pro / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 05
    we had nothing for me to take a lunch from home because his stepkids were getting more for theirs because it wasn't enough. When I needed supplies for a school project he refused to pay for them. I wasn't allowed to get a haircut even though the stepkids, my dad and his wife all got them whenever. His wife was
    via u/National-Actuary7478
  • 06
    getting her hair dyed every other month and his stepdaughter got highlights for her birthdays. I got way less than the stepkids for food too. Lots of stuff like that was going on while I was there.
    via u/National-Actuary7478
  • 07
    There was a lot of stuff like that and while mom was deep in recovery I didn't want to upset her with it. But eventually I told her because she wasn't giving her disability money for my care for it to go to kids who're nothing to her. My mom was so pred and so were my grandparents. I
    via u/National-Actuary7478
  • 08
    moved in with my mom and my grandparents moved in with us so my dad couldn't fight against us. Then she got the courts involved and they didn't like it. I had proof or well my mom. brought the proof I had for the courts. They decided dad should pay it back since he was abusing it and not providing for me the
    via u/National-Actuary7478
  • 09
    way the court order said. He only got away with it because mom didn't see me as much as she otherwise would have.
    via u/National-Actuary7478
  • 10
    My dad and his wife are p ed at me for doing it when one of the stepkids has a long term medical issue. They said I could have been understanding and I was old enough at 16, when I told my mom and moved back in with her, to know medical issues take priority. They said it benefitted
    via u/National-Actuary7478
  • 11
    my family and I might not have got a comfortable time there but I got enough. My mom said the stepkids got enough though and that's why I wasn't wrong. But my dad and his wife accused me of acting out of spite. AITA?
    via u/National-Actuary7478

  • Good for him that he exposed him. 

  • 12
    CHILD SUPPORT AGREEMENT The parties agree as follows: The income of the payor [name] The payor currently resides The inco
    via designer491 from Getty Images / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 13
    Fluffy_Sheepy NTA. No matter what his reasons were, that money was for your care and he wasn't using it on you. It's very simple. Childsupport is for the child of the person paying the support money. He was abusing it, so he loses it.
    via u/Fluffy_Sheepy
  • 14
    beek_r NTA You aren't the only person who thought your father was mistreating you. Your mother, grandparents, and even the courts agreed that he wasn't being a good father. And, if this is about benefiting family, why were
    via u/beek_r
  • 15
    you the only one not seeing a benefit?
    via u/beek_r

  • The audacity of these people! They think they can take this money from a poor woman and use it on someone that isn't her child?

  • 16
    SpringfieldMO_Da... NTA - it sounds like your dad is a sh.
    via u/SpringfieldMO_Da
  • 17
    Huge-Shelter-3401 NTA - it isn't your or your mom's responsibility to take care of another child's medical issues while you don't even have enough money for school lunches.
    via u/Huge-Shelter-3401
  • 18
    Mother Search3350 Tell your father to off along with his thieving wife and go and sit on a cactus.
    via u/Mother Search3350
  • 19
    He is a despicable human being for stealing money a disabled woman was giving him to care for her child and spending it on another man's children.
    via u/Mother Search3350
  • 20
    He is a sociopath and a shitshow of a parent and a sorry excuse for a human being. Block him and his AH wife and stop entertaining their BS. You are a very brave young man for standing up for yourself and saving your mother from being
    via u/Mother Search3350
  • 21
    financially abused by those criminals. Definitely NTAH
    via u/Mother Search3350
  • 22
    Limelnternational... NTA the money your mom paid was to support you, no-one else. Your stepmom should have went after your stepsibling's bio dad for child support.
    via u/Limelnternational
  • 23
    Grrr You Beast NTA. He has failed abysmally at being a father. You can tell Mr & Mrs AH that forcing someone to take responsibility and make restitution for their appalling thievery is not being vindictive, it's justice. You
    via u/Grrr You Beast
  • 24
    were were being robbed and neglected (this is ab e) by the parent who should've been protecting you. Glad you got out.
    via u/Grrr You Beast

Tags

family drama drama family feud relationships lol love family reddit thread Reddit funny money dating Father custody
Scroll Down For The Next Article