‘I’ll never let you adopt me’: 16-year-old stands firm against stepmom’s attempts to legally force a relationship with her, despite dad taking his wife’s side

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Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Aug 23, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

No one wants to be forced into a situation they don't have a say in. Take the story here for example, it centers around a teenage boy and his family. His mother passed away when he was 7-years-old, and he's now 16. His father remarried within the first few years, and it wasn't an easy transition. Though he doesn't mind his stepmom as a person, he doesn't feel like he wants to be close with her, which is absolutely his prerogative. Tensions rise as his stepmom desperately tries to win his affection, though he remains respectful to his boundaries. 

They all go to family therapy together, and during one of the sessions, the idea of her adopting him comes up. He puts his foot down, and tells them both that he's not going to let her adopt him. His stepmom is heartbroken, and his father becomes upset, but the internet applauds his loyalty to himself and his feelings. He doesn't want to replace his mother, and chooses himself over her. 

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  • 01

    AITA for saying I never want to be adopted by my stepmother?

    A distressed man in therapy.
    via Timur Weber from Pexels / Canva

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

  • 02
    I (16M) lost my mom when I was 7. My dad met my stepmother a year later and they dated for a year before getting married. At the time it wasn't just me at home
    via u/Raeynuun

  • It's a sad story when the protagonist doesn't want to let his stepmom into his life, but it's his choice. 16 is still very young, and maybe he'll change his mind as he gets older. But for now, his stepmom must let him breath and do his own thing. Read the full story below. 

  • 03
    but my cousins who were like siblings who were 14 and 17. My parents had been raising them because their mom, my paternal aunt, had d d. Once dad
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 04
    remarried they didn't want to be with us anymore. Or more specifically they didn't want my stepmother stepping into mom's shoes and they fought to go and
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 05
    stay with other family. We kept in touch and are just as close as ever. But they did not want someone else coming in and
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 06
    trying to fill in as their mom. And my stepmother did try.
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 07
    She tried with me too. But I didn't want it either. Only I couldn't leave. So I had to deal with her trying and trying and trying. She
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 08
    asked to adopt me 9 times in the first three years and she's asked 5 more times since those first three years. I always said no. My dad
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 09
    would pull me aside and ask me why every time and he'd remind me that I would still be mom's son and she'd still be my mom
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 10
    A sad woman.
    via Zinkevych from Getty Images / Canva

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

  • 11
    but I'd have a second mom. I told him I didn't care if I could because I still didn't want to. When he'd push it more I'd tell
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 12
    him that I wish I could have left with my siblings. He told me I shouldn't wish for that and they should have stayed because they
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 13
    overreacted. I told him we all felt like he went out and replaced mom because he just tried to make her our new mom. He told
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 14
    me that wasn't fair and I told him he wasn't fair and I didn't want to talk to him again.
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 15
    We talked again of course but the questions around it didn't end. And then my dad told us we had a session with a therapist for the three of us. A one off kind of
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 16
    Hands holding a 'family' sign.
    via hidesy from Getty Images Signature / Canva

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

  • 17
    thing. In front of the therapist they asked me if I would ever consider being adopted by her and what could they do to make
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 18
    me open to the suggestion. I told them nothing would convince me or make me willing because I didn't want to be adopted and I
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 19
    didn't care how long it was or what my stepmother does because she can never make me love or or make me want to be her son.
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 20
    They were hurt and asked would I reconsider if I knew she always wanted kids and doesn't have them and I said no.
    via u/Raeynuun
  • 21
    Now my dad is ped at me because I hurt her and she's feeling unwanted and rejected by all three of us. AITA?
    via u/Raeynuun

Tags

family drama drama toxic teenagers siblings stepmom family feud relationships parenting adopted lol love family reddit thread Reddit funny dating
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