17-year-old shrugs off stepmother's attempt at being close, refuses to let her attend his award ceremony, dad takes his side: "She's pretty hurt"

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Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Jun 26, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen of the internet. People say life is short. Well, I'd argue it's actually rather long. There's so much assembly of lessons on the day to day, month to month, and year to year. It becomes exhausting, and being your best self sometimes takes the back seat when you're pushed far enough. 


Acting as a mature and rational adult takes time. No one gets there overnight, but there are certainly many things that come into play. Having a good example of maturity set for you can help anyone come to terms with their situation. Being born by chance with an emotionally intelligent disposition helps as well. But when you're growing up with split parents, anything can happen. 


In the story below, the protagonist is a teenager, but surprisingly mature. He knows his boundaries, he knows what he wants and doesn't want out of his relationship with his stepmother, and he's not afraid to tell her. Read the full story below for all the juicy details. 

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  • 01

    AITA for shrugging when my dad's wife asked me what she was supposed to do if I only ever see her as my dad's wife and not as my parent?

    Cheezburger Image 10521705472
    via photology2000 / 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 dad (49m) married Colette (47f) two years ago. I (17m) am dad's only child and he was a single dad my whole life pretty
    via u/FlypeRaps

  • This protagonist has every right to put boundaries on his relationship with his stepmother. Of course, she wants to be close to him. This is quite a unique story in that there's not even a hint of toxic behavior. Even his father takes his side, instead of siding with his wife and icing out his son. 

  • 03
    much. My mom isn't involved in my life at all and she's chosen to have nothing to do with me. It's fine. I stopped caring years ago and saw this as normal. For years
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 04
    now I haven't longed for a mom or a two parent home. When my dad and Colette met three years ago we got along fine but I wasn't jumping up and down going
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 05
    yaaay I have another parent. I showed her respect but beyond her dating my dad (and then
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 06
    Cheezburger Image 10521706752
    via alexroz / Canva

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

  • 07
    marrying him a year later) I wasn't looking for her to take on a parental or motherly role in my life.
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 08
    My dad and I talked about it a couple of times. He wanted to know if any part of me wanted to explore Colette taking on a motherly role in my life and I said
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 09
    no. He helped set those boundaries. But since they got married she's tried to push them a little. Never too bad until recently though.
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 10
    I won an award for my school and me and the two other kids who won awards were asked to pose with their parents for the school newsletter. Colette was upset that
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 11
    it was just me and dad. And she was upset that in the two years since they got married she's stayed in dad's wife camp and
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 12
    hasn't been given a chance to show she can be a good parent to me.
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 13
    I told her it was nothing personal but I wouldn't have been willing to let anyone try that when I was 14/15 and not now either. She asked dad to step in and he told
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 14
    her that I was respectful and didn't exclude her all the time but I had been clear about dad being my only parent. She didn't like
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 15
    hearing that but it wasn't until a couple of days ago she asked me what she was supposed to do if I only ever see her as dad's wife
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 16
    Famil
    via Eziutka 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.

  • 17
    and never as my parent. I shrugged because I really didn't have anything to say. That's for her to work out. But it made her
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 18
    pretty angry and she told me it was disrespectful to shrug off something as important as that. AITA?
    via u/FlypeRaps
  • 19
    Beneficial-Sort4795 • 20h ago You are NTA. You set a fair boundary that she's known about for a couple of years.
    via u/Beneficial-Sort4795
  • 20
    Her 'need' to try to be a mother at 47 is something she needs to work out with a therapist, not with you.
    via u/Beneficial-Sort4795
  • 21
    Sounds like she needs a dog or a cat- something she can baby.
    via u/Beneficial-Sort4795

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family drama drama toxic stepmom family feud relationships lol love family reddit thread Reddit funny dating
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