23-year-old kid refuses to attend father's 10th wedding anniversary party after they were barred from attending the actual wedding, in addition to several years of emotional neglect: ‘After that, I started getting excluded from so many things’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Sep 1, 2025 5:00 PM EDT

Wedding anniversaries celebrate the long-standing love between two people. The day they make the promising vows, everything after will be faced with a united front. Usually, this includes both step kids, if applicable, and biological kids. The kid in this next story explains that when their father remarried, they weren't invited to the "child-free" wedding, even though their slightly older step siblings were allowed to attend. After this, the exclusion only got worse.

You can do everything in your power to try and bond with parents, but sometimes, the hard pill to swallow is that they don't want to bond with you. I'm sure some of you have experienced this type of emotional neglect; It steals a piece of yourself away from you, and all you have left is simmering anger that won't ever come to light.

Now, ten years later, the kid's father wants them to attend his and his wife's wedding anniversary party. The kid refuses, but now their family is vilifying them to no end. At what point is enough enough? Family doesn't exclude us—especially parents who should be lifting us up rather than pitting us against our step siblings. Scroll below to read the full story.

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  • "It would be a "no kids” wedding. That for some reason included me, but didn't include my 14 and 16 year old step siblings...
    via Curated Lifestyle For Unsplash+

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

  • "AITA for not going to my dad’s 10 year anniversary party who didn’t let me go to his wedding when I was 13?"

    I'm 23 now, but when I was 13, my dad got married to my step mom and said it would be a "no kids" wedding. That for some reason included me, but didn't
    via ChipPlent
  • include my 14 and 16 year old step siblings who got to go. I wasn't a bad behaved kid at ALL. I was shy and afraid of doing anything wrong, did well in school, and no doubt would've been perfectly respectful.
    via ChipPlent
  • The wedding was the start of it, after that I started getting excluded from so many things. Every "family" vacation they went
    via ChipPlent
  • on I didn't get to go on, even though I lived with my dad. They'd go out to eat or do stuff together, and I was a lot of the
    via ChipPlent
  • time left at home or not even told. When we went shopping, my step siblings got what they wanted. I vividly remember this
    via ChipPlent
  • specific time that really hurt me where my stepbrother got multiple pairs of really nice shoes at the mall, and I asked for just
    via ChipPlent
  • one pair of Nikes. My dad said no, then took me to Walmart and picked out a cheap pair for me which I didn't even get to choose. (You can imagine how brutal christmas was with the gift differences)
    via ChipPlent
  • a couple of children sitting next to a pile of presents on Christmas Day
    via Hans Isaacson For Unsplash+

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

  • Not even a week after I graduated high school, I was kicked out. My stepbrother who was older than me was still living
    via ChipPlent
  • at home, and my step sister got to move out when she was ready at 20. When I was kicked out I stayed with my mom for a bit, and
    via ChipPlent
  • that's when my dad suddenly acted like he cared. He said stuff like "I did so much to protect you from her" "How dare you" "I fought in court for you" "She lost custody of you for a reason" and guilted me for staying with her.
    via ChipPlent
  • Since then, I haven't talked to him much. But a few days ago, he messaged me saying he missed me and wanted me to come to his
    via ChipPlent
  • anniversary party. I said no. Now him his wife, and other family members are calling me r de, ungrateful, and selfish among other things.
    via ChipPlent
  • I am being villainized by multiple people, and it's honestly making me question myself. Im questioning if i'm wrong for not
    via ChipPlent
  • wanting to go because of stuff that happened years ago and if it's unfair of me to not give him another chance and go to this
    via ChipPlent
  • party. I'm asking for honest opinions, AITA for not wanting to go to the party or have a relationship with my dad?
    via ChipPlent
  • TKyzr So for five years he hasn't had much contact with you. He suddenly has a big event where the "whole family" should make a good show of things. Except he hasn't treated you much like family. Why should you go and pretend for him?
    via TKyzr
  • NTA. Let the relatives know he has made it very clear for ten years where you stand among his priorities. If they don't accept that, tell em to sod off.
    via TKyzr
  • SnooWoofers5703 NT A Let them talk, I would post all the wrong they both did specially you being his daughter. Facebook or Instagram and any other social networks you have. Detail everything you remember and tag all the people who are trying to guilt trip you. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
    via SnooWoofers5703
  • Comfortable-Focus123 NTA - They treated you like a second class citizen, and now want you to celebrate them? Oh, h_ || no! Send a copy of this post to any of the people who think you are the bad guy.
    via Comfortable-Focus123
  • Shoesietart Go no contact with everyone giving you sh. They don't actually care about you.
    via Shoesietart
  • Diligent_Exchange_52 Exactly. Sometimes the hardest but healthiest move is cutting off the noise from people who don't actually have your back. Life's too short to waste energy on those who bring you down instead of lifting you up. Prioritize your peace.
    via Diligent_Exchange_52

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family dynamics family drama entitled parents entitlement reddit story family feud parenting entitled family reddit thread parent Reddit Parenting Fail parents entitled people Parenting FAILS
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