Son Supported for Telling 'Selfish' Mom He's Not Her Kid After Remarriage

Members of a popular internet forum rallied behind a 19-year-old man adamant he's no longer his mother's child.

In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA*******, Redditor u/ToleSoveren (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said his parents divorced nearly 15 years ago and revealed how his mother's next relationship slowly eroded any familial bonds that previously existed.

Titled, "[Am I the a******] for telling my mom she only has one kid?" the post has received nearly 19,000 upvotes and 3,000 comments since November 7.

"She met her husband three years [after the divorce]," OP began. "He was a widower with a 7-month-old son."

Continuing to explain that his mother immediately welcomed her new partner and his child into the family home, the original poster said he and his sister were made to treat the toddler as their own sibling, begrudgingly including him in everything they did.

The original poster also said his father died just weeks before his mother was remarried, further complicating the situation.

"[My mother] told my dad's parents that if they wanted to see us again soon, they would need to come to her wedding and watch all three of us (including my stepbrother)," OP wrote. "She then told them after the wedding that going forward, if they wanted to see us...they had to include him.

"She said they did not get to be just our family and we shouldn't see him as any less deserving of being present," OP continued. "But we did. He was not our dad's kid, and had never met him...she called us selfish for the mindset.

"Once I left home, my stepbrother was no longer invited to anything to do with my dad's family...[my mother] told me how she was tired of one of her kids being left out and how sick it was to discard him," OP added. "I told her she only had one kid, her stepson, and that my sister and I were no longer her kids."

Despite Pew Research Center data showing a growing prevalence, as well as greater social acceptance, of blended families in the United States, successfully combining multiple family units into one remains a lofty challenge.

And while stepcouples' greatest wish is for their families to blend seamlessly, impatient parents trying to force the issue jeopardize relationships forged between their respective children.

"When parents remarry and introduce stepchildren, there is a fine balance that must be considered," psychotherapist Alea DiGirolamo told Newsweek. "The more parents push this incorporation, the more children may become resistant and resentful.

"It doesn't matter if the child is 10 or 19, having your parents remarry takes getting used to and will require some emotional processing," DiGirolamo added.

Although many of the challenges faced by blended families present themselves early on, the consequences of handling those challenges poorly might not become apparent for years.

Dependent children are forced to bear the awkwardness and discontent created by pushy parents, but like in the viral Reddit post, adulthood brings independence and the ability for disgruntled stepsiblings to take matters into their own hands.

Throughout the viral post's comment section, many Redditors echoed that sentiment, defending the original poster's decision to distance himself from his mother before disbanding their parent-child relationship altogether.

"You tried for years to get your mom to listen to you about being forced to include your stepbrother," Redditor u/beingsydneycarton wrote in the post's top comment, which has received more than 31,500 upvotes. "She didn't listen and now you're no-contact.

"If she didn't want to lose two of her children, she shouldn't have treated them like their feelings didn't matter," they added.

Redditor u/Real-Concentrate5239, whose comment has received nearly 2,500 upvotes, offered a similar response.

"Resentment built over time is a lot harsher [than] the unrealized punishment dished out," they wrote. "She didn't even consider her first [two] children and the loss of losing your father was taken so lightly.

"Ultimately your mom threatening to keep you and your sister away from your dad's family unless they include stepbro is manipulative," Redditor u/EggLikeHuman added, receiving nearly 5,500 upvotes. "Mom needs to learn that life isn't fair and she can't always get what she wants."

"Trying to erase your father was a hella d**** move and now she's upset because she's dealing with the consequences of her s***** parenting," Redditor u/PrincessBuzzkill chimed in.

Newsweek has reached out to u/ToleSoveren for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.