17-year-old tries to win step dad's approval through hard work but it's never enough: "My step dad is not going to let me have any free day till the end of summer"

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Jul 5, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Hey there internet people. When you're a teenager, it's common to have a summer job to pay for all those soda pops in your time off. In my hometown, everyone worked at the local theme park, Six Flags Magic Mountain. They started hiring at 14, and there was an opportunity for everyone. They were always hiring. It was a partial water park, so it really was the perfect job for summertime. You could make some extra cash by telling people how to hold their arms on the top of a gigantic and dangerous slip n slide. 
 

Despite the nostalgia and fond memories that come from reliving our early adolescent jobs, no one likes to feel like their family doesn't support them. In the story below, the protagonist is a teenage boy who has a rough relationship with his stepdad. His stepdad seems to be unpleased by anything and everything. No matter how much he tries, there's no winning. Read the full story below for all the juicy details. 

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  • 01

    My step dad is not going to let me have any free day untill the end of summer.

    Cheezburger Image 10525405440
    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.

  • 02
    Some context about me and where I am.
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 03
    I'm a 17 YO M currently living at a place which my step dad owns, my mom is not married to him but they are living together and have a child 3ys old.
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 04
    What happened: My step dad (let's call him Andrew), gave me a job to gather and chop down trees he had chain sawed off in the backyard (
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 05
    it's massive) about 3 trees, my step brother helped by sawing one of them and collecting the branches together, I collected all the massive branches and other
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 06
    parts that couldn't be used as firewood and put them at the massive burn away pile, and the rest I collected and put down for
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  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10525404416
    via Lum3n from Pexels / Canva

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

  • 08
    storage and covered so they wouldn't get wet in the rain, this took 7 hours of my day.
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 09
    Next day I had to chop wood, and quickly realized that it was impossible because a lot of theassive blocks of wood I collected were just too long or
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 10
    wide so I asked Andrew for help on this matter, he belliteled and insulted me on how I "couldn't even chop wood and asked if he
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 11
    really had to show me how to chop wood." and some other stuff.
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 12
    After trying to chop a massive block and failing he called my step brother (Bruno) nd belliteled him and called him stupid for sawing the tree in too much of
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 13
    big pieces and as " punishment told him to help me chop down the wood, and he specifically told me that all of it had to be chopped. So we did what weo
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 14
    could and chopped all of the wood, but we didn't finish, here I realised that I should have insisted to keep chopping wood
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 15
    and to saw the massive blocks in halves, he said it was okay (it) wasn't) and told me that we are finished.
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 16
    Next day came aroundands Andrew asked me why I didn't chop all the wood and I answered that Bruno said it was okay. He told metok shut up and keep
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  • 17
    working and that the deadline was today, Bruno andAndrewh hopped on their motorbikes and drove off for the day.
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 18
    I was fed. He never taught me to use a chainsaw even though I was older than bruno, so I had no way of chopping these blocks of wood.
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 19
    This is the part where everything goes down hill, I knew I couldn't ask him again, becausethe drove off and wouldn't answer my calls, andni couldn't operate the chainsaw. So I burned the blocks of wood.
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 20
    Next day I went to the kitchen and started washing the dishes as usual, and I saw my step dad looking out the window (this was on Monday after school) and he
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 21
    asked me if I chopped all the wood, I told him that I chopped all the wood I could and he repeatedly asked the question, and I said the same anwser.
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 22
    It culminated into a punishments of chopping and storing wood of any tree that he sawwed down every weekend.
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 23
    Important to note is that he never liked me, and never tried to, | have tried talking to him but he just hates me because I sit at the computer when I get home and
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 24
    AQ
    via ysbrandcosijnfotografie / Canva

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

  • 25
    that I always am in my room, the only reason this is the case is because my mom doesn't let me go anywhere and I'm always basically under house arrest due
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 26
    to my poor grades in math and my countries language, I wana go to my friends place help my grandpa and grandma but they just don't let me leave. What should I do...?
    via u/y_blame_me
  • 27
    Cost-Clear-Cut474 Talk to a trusted adult about your situation and seek their guidance and support.
    via u/Cost-Clear-Cut474
  • 28
    Ironmike11B NTA. Where is your father or grandparents? Any relatives that you can go to because this is bulls ?
    via u/Ironmike11B

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