Mother objects to ex-husband's new wife homeschooling her 9-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter, along with the new wife's own 11, 10, 8, and 6-year-old children: ‘Nicole said it is unfair for her children to see mine go to school while hers do not’

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jul 3, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

It's only natural to be a little resistant to other people trying to help with your children, even if they mean well. In fact, it's quite literally biological. Still, accepting help in the appropriate circumstances is important, and a problem shared can be a problem halved. But when someone comes along and challenges your methodology and world view, it can be a little hard to come to terms with that.

Certainly, that's how both mothers must have been feeling in this blended family. This mother and her ex-husband's wife found themselves at odds over their differing preferences for how to educate their children. The ex-husband's wife homeschooled her own children, but when her children saw that their new stepsiblings, the children the mother and ex-husband shared, got to go off to a public school, they were jealous and wanted to too.

In an effort to curb this desire, the ex-husband's wife's solution was to ask that she homeschool all of the children together.  So, in this way, she became the instigator of the conflict, effectively sticking her nose where it had no business and trying to force the issue by getting her husband to side with her in an effort to get the mother to cave to her expectations.

If anything, this is not a reflection of the fact that the husband's wife's kids probably want to go to public school too. If congruence is to be reached, then it should be by all kids going to public school as they wish. 

Advertisement
  • 01
    I (31f) share two children (9m & 8f) with my ex-husband Aaron (35m). Aaron's cheating ended our marriage and before long he had moved in with Nicole (34f) and her children (11, 10, 8 and 6). Aaron and Nicole have a 2 year old together and they're expecting another child. Even before Aaron and Nicole met she homeschooled her children. While my kids attend public school. This was mentioned as a problem before they were even married but I ignored them. Now this has come up again and they are being
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10525163264
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 03
    Nicole said it is unfair for her children to see mine go to school while hers do not. She told me her kids have become jealous and it's causing issues for her parenting and for her and Aaron's family. I told her this was not my problem and she needed to figure out how to manage that. As that is the life of blended families. Not everything will be the same or equal for the kids from different marriages.
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 04
    Aaron asked me to homeschool a few times and I told him I would not entertain the idea. He even asked the kids who were worried when they came to me about it. They didn't want to leave their friends and teachers and they didn't want to stay home all day like Nicole's kids. I reassured them I would not be saying yes to homeschooling for them.
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 05
    Now Nicole and Aaron are on a mission to make me agree to Nicole homeschooling my kids alongside hers. Apparently they have the 2 year old. started into some form of pre-k homeschooling and they feel it's only fair for my kids to join in too. I said no. I even had my lawyer send their lawyer a letter officially stating my position on this. My lawyer has also documented everything. They asked their lawyer to take this back to court and get a judge to overrule me but their lawyer told them this wo
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 06
    Now they're claiming I don't have a good reason to refuse other than to disrupt their home and to keep Nicole from playing a bigger role in the lives of my children. And to prevent sibling bonding between Nicole's kids and mine. I told them I have many reasons to say no and they just need to accept it. I stopped replying after this. But since school ended for the summer I have been inundated with pressure from them over this. They are worried that I'll send them to school in September as planned
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 07
    But AITA for not being willing to try? Is it really so hard to believe I just want my kids to attend school normally?
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 08
    Obi-Juan Valdez Absolutely NTA. "No, thanks, A- aron, I'm going to continue to trust the professionals over your current wife. Her comfort is not my concern."
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 09
    AgonistPhD NTA. The problem with Nicole's children could easily be solved by her sending them to school.
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 10
    Secret-Afternoon-645 And if her kids are jealous of the stepsiblings going to school, I think there's a simple solution there send them all to school! -
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 11
    MissionDelicious3942 Make sure to contact their school and make sure they know your kids will be attending. I can only think that with what they have done already that this will be their next attempt. Unenroll them and make it very annoying to get them enrolled again. Nta
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 12
    K_A_irony NTA. You are looking out for your kids. How do you even know this woman is QUALIFIED to teach your kids crop. Work with your lawyer to get some sort of cease and desist on this topic to where they can't keep bringing it up. The good reason to refuse is your kids are doing well academically and socially where they are and there is no reason to risk changing that. I would be tempted to ask your lawyer if there is anyway you can trigger an evaluation of the new wife's kids in terms of the
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 13
    bookbat "It's unfair for her children to see my children go to school when hers do not" Oh well that's easy, she can send her children to school and make it fair for them! It's crazy that she acknowledges that it's unfair for her kids to be missing out but thinks the solution is for yours to too. NTA.
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 14
    excital NTA in the slightest. Good on you for staying firm. Not a chance in h II would be letting some hostile woman, seemingly with no qualifications, take over my kids education. Keep documenting and keep listening to your kids.
    via DealingMommyXy
  • 15
    Srvntgrrl_789 NTA. Please please please DON'T let your ex's wife homeschool your children. They'll miss out on essential socialization, and critical thinking skills they can only acquire through public education. I'm thinking this may also be a way for your ex and his wife to make a case for parental alienation. I hope you're documenting all of these interactions and sending them to your family attorney/family court.
    via DealingMommyXy

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

Babies family dynamics teens family drama stepmother aita AITAH infant kids teenagers blended family siblings stepchild moms family feud parenting family pregnant reddit thread parent raising kids parents children
Scroll Down For The Next Article