Father stands up for 18-year-old daughter after 25 and 28-year-old stepsisters hide her passport to sabotage family vacation: 'I tried to get her to tell me where it was'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Dec 22, 2025 3:00 PM EST

Knowing your family has your back is important, as this Dad realized when his 18-year-old was targeted by her stepsisters! 

As this dad explained, he's been married to his wife for 5 years, but has an 18-year-old daughter named Jessica, meaning they've been a blended family since Jessica was a young teenager. His wife has two daughters of her own, but they're 25 and 28, so the entire time that their mom and stepfather have been together, they've been adults. It's worth remembering that during this story, because the stepsisters are targeting someone who is a new adult… they must've been manipulating the daughter for years leading up to this when she was younger, yet they were old enough to know exactly what they were doing. 

So the dad realizes he's in quite a predicament with his entire family after their vacation plans went totally off the rails. He shared that his daughter has been babysitting her stepsister's kids a lot, and only recently began to decline offers to do so. Why? The stepsisters weren't really paying her that much. Makes sense that she wouldn't want to spend all her free time babysitting for minimal pay! But the way her stepsisters got back at her is totally unhinged, and people gave this father advice for how to handle all this family adversity going forward, as you can read all about down below. 

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  • 01
    Woman in denim jacket and gray skirt sits on red benches next to suitcase with hand on chin looking sad
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    I've been married to my wife Beth for 5 years. I have a bio daughter named Jessica (she's 18). And I also have two stepdaughters named Monica and Leah. They're 25 & 28. Both are single moms and live with us currently.
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 03
    there's been issues about my stepdaughters asking my daughter to babysit the kids. Jessica didn't have a problem with it at first since this is what she does to earn money but since her stepsisters don't pay her much, she'd just refuse to babysit. We worked this
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 04
    out by having my wife take care of paying for the babysitting. I planned a family vacation for 3 days and everyone wanted to go. However, Both Monica & Leah suggested that Jessica stay home and watch the kids since Beth
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 05
    doesn't want her grandkids to come. They said it's because the kids are used to Jessica and hiring another babysitter would cause issues. And also said that Jessica isn't too "fond" of our destination but it was obvious that Jessica wanted to go. They
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 06
    insisted and Beth offered to pay her double and there was just..a lot of back and forth on this til I demanded they stop bringing it up.
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 07
    We were supposed to go last week but when everybody had bagged their bags and was time to go, Jessica found out that she didn't have her passport on her. We searched her bag then went home and searched there. Beth and my stepdaughters kept
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 08
    insisting that we go back to the airport or else we'd miss our flight. They insisted that Jessica stay at home with the kids. They even told the new babysitter to go home cause she was no longer needed. I refused to go and kept searching for the passport til Monica
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 09
    admitted that she helped Leah hide Jessica's passport to get her to stay home with the kids. I was livid I tried to get her to tell me where it was but she said Leah had it, Leah denied so I threatened to cancel the vacation that's when they gave it back. I decided to
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 10
    actually cancel the vacation and blew up at both of them and berated them. They stayed upstairs for a while and Beth refused to speak to me and said that I punished my stepdaughters for worrying about their kids and wanting them to stay
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 11
    with someone they know. I got told I overreacted and ruined the trip for everybody. Editing to mention that kicking my stepdaughters out isn't possible since my wife co-owns the house that we currently live in.
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 12
    (1) I cancelled the vacation that I promised to my wife and stepdaughters after I found out they took my daughter's passport.
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 13
    (2) I might be the ah because while hiding the passport was wrong, my stepdaughters were obviously concerned about their kids and wanted Jessica to stay with them since they love
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 14
    her. I might have blew this out of propotion and went over the top with the cancellation.
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 15
    Woman in navy blue coat holds passport and suitcase handle while looking serious
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 16
    Interesting_Bu... NTA. To be honest, I would have kicked your wife and lazy no-good stepchildren out right then and there and ended the marriage.
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 17
    If they were 12 I might understand this level of entitlement and immaturity. But in their late 20s??? And WTF with your wife??? She should have roasted them for pulling this BS.
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 18
    r.. NTA. You don't just have a stepdaughters problem, you have a wife problem. I would rethink your current family situation, and how your daughter is being treated.
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110
  • 19
    Jumpstart_55 Your stepdaughters both suck and your wife is worse. NTA and you should be reconsidering this marriage
    via u/Positive-Elk-8110

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