In the following stories, parents found themselves on the receiving end when their children betrayed them.
One parent’s son sided with his wife, who continuously and knowingly crossed a boundary the parent had set.
Most people have come across many stories where parents ill-treated their children or their daughters-in-law, but in these three tales, the tables are turned.
One mother’s daughter moved out to live with her father because she didn’t want to follow the former’s rules, only to later need to move back in.
Woman’s Adult Daughter Wants to Move Back Home but Refuses the Conditions Set by the Parent
A woman revealed on Reddit that she ended her relationship with her husband when their daughter, Maria, was ten years old.
During their divorce, OP was awarded the house but faced financial struggles as a stay-at-home parent
She fortunately reached some stability after landing a job in her field.
Still, she had to budget for expenses and did not spend lavishly.
Meanwhile, her husband had no qualms with his financial resources and ensured their daughter was aware.
He indulged Maria with material things, so she grew up without financial constraints.
However, this eventually strained the mother-daughter relationship.
At one point, OP couldn’t afford to buy Maria a $1,000 laptop, resulting in the child making a comparison between the parents saying her father was better than her mother.
In another instance, OP tried to get Maria a job, but it only resulted in another disagreement.
When she turned 17, Maria chose to drop out of high school, which sparked a heated conversation between her and OP, with the Redditor saying:
“She told me it was her life, and she can do what she wants.”
Eventually, the argument led to Maria leaving and moving in with her father permanently. Although OP tried to contact her daughter, Maria refused to reconnect and said she no longer had a mother. However, at 21, the young woman decided to reach out to her mother, with OP stating:
“Her dad has gotten remarried and basically kicked her out. She called me, and we met up. She wants to move back in.”
While OP was open to the idea of living with her daughter again, she did not accept Maria with open arms. Instead, she listed conditions that the young woman had to meet before being allowed to move in again.
The woman’s conditions included Maria getting her GED, working 25 or more hours weekly, and going to school to plan her career. Maria also needed to buy her personal belongings and share in household chores. However, she need not pay rent.
While the adult child worked on getting her life together and planning for a bright future, OP did not want her partying every night like she was used to. Instead, she was willing to allow her to do as she pleased on the weekends.
After hearing all her mother’s conditions, Maria called OP crazy and a horrible mother. “I informed her that she made it clear that she has no mother,” the Redditor said. The conversation ended with Maria walking out on her mother.
OP shared her situation on Reddit, hoping to get the thoughts of the online community forum, and received several words of support and encouragement. “Her reaction to your requirements indicates that she doesn’t want a relationship. She’s looking to mooch off of you and make your life hell again,” one person advised.
Other Reddit users found OP’s conditions reasonable and primarily for Maria’s benefit in the future. Considering her adult age, they believed she should not have contested her mother’s requests.
Mother Hurt by Daughter Who Always Chose Her Absent Father over Her
On June 1, 2022, a female social media user turned to the “AITA” subreddit to pen her story. The woman, in her forties, revealed she had an 18-year-old daughter who had been very close to her father during her younger years, despite her parents breaking up before she was born.
However, her daughter’s relationship with her father took a turn when the teenager turned eight. After her father got married, he became distant and eventually abandoned her for his new family. This abandonment had a significant impact on the original poster’s (OP) daughter, leading to rebellious behavior.
Despite her struggles, the young girl attended therapy and seemed to be coping well. The teenager had not seen her father since age twelve, and he spoke to her only a few times a year, making empty promises of rekindling their relationship.
Despite this, the young girl and OP continued sharing a strong bond, often doing everything together. OP’s daughter even referred to her mother as her “best friend,” indicating the closeness they shared.
The Redditor was excited about her daughter’s graduation approaching. However, a week before the graduation party, the teenager told her mother that she intended to invite her father and his son to the celebration. The ultimatum given by her father was that OP could not attend the event if he were to come.
Feeling hurt and betrayed, OP expressed her anger toward her daughter, stating that she felt unforgivably betrayed. In response, the teenager explained that she wanted her father to be a part of her milestone moments, just as OP had been present for many of them. Their disagreement escalated into a heated argument.
Feeling desperate, the night before the graduation, OP pleaded with her daughter, hoping to change her mind. However, the young girl remained unyielding, stating firmly:
“I’m sorry, but I’m not changing my mind.”
Her mother was left devastated and cried until her sister intervened, offering solace by suggesting they go out during the graduation to divert her thoughts, a suggestion OP accepted. The next morning was graduation day, and OP woke up to find her daughter in tears.
Glancing at the time, she realized the ceremony was about to begin in mere minutes. Perplexed, she asked her daughter why she hadn’t left yet. The disappointed teenager revealed that her father had abandoned her once again and was no longer responding.
The Redditor hugged her daughter tightly, advising her to make the most of her graduation despite the situation. In response, the teenager asked if OP wouldn’t be attending now that her father wasn’t, fearing the embarrassment of being the only one without parents present.
The Reddit user expressed regret, apologizing once more, and explained that she already had plans. In her anguish, the daughter screamed at her mother, labeling her a bad mother. OP still chose not to attend the ceremony, standing firm in her decision to teach her daughter that actions have consequences, even though it shattered her to do so.
Since returning from the graduation, OP’s daughter has remained silent, appearing deeply despondent and as though she had been crying for an eternity. OP found herself wrestling with regret, questioning whether her choice had been too harsh.
Her sister supported her decision, but a fellow school mother’s comment about OP’s daughter’s apparent depression at the graduation weighed heavily on her conscience. In this emotional turmoil, the woman sought guidance, questioning whether she was in the wrong for attempting to impart a lesson to her daughter.
In an update on the situation, OP revealed that over the past decade, her daughter had consistently abandoned her for her father. When she consulted the child’s therapist, there was no indication of manipulation; instead, it seemed the teenager was holding onto an idealized version of her relationship with her father.
Speaking with her daughter, OP apologized for not attending the graduation and expressed how she felt left out and unappreciated. The daughter apologized and expressed love, wanting things to return to normal.
However, when asked if she regretted uninviting her mother, the teenager insisted it was for the best, as she preferred her father’s presence. This deeply hurt OP, who confronted her daughter about her disregard for her feelings. But, her daughter remained resolute, stating she would always prioritize her father, even if he might not show up.
OP expressed her frustration at not being regarded with the same importance as her daughter’s father. She affirmed her commitment to being there for her daughter in the future but questioned her willingness to continue if this pattern extended to significant life events like future graduations or weddings.
In her final update in October 2022, OP acknowledged that she had acted immaturely by asking her daughter if she regretted uninviting her. The Reddit user clarified that although she was referred to as her daughter’s “best friend,” she maintained a parenting role, including discipline.
Following the graduation incident, OP tried contacting her daughter’s father and received a letter in response. He claimed that their daughter had been aggressive and threatening toward him and his family, leading him to distance himself.
The absent parent accused his daughter of stalking his family and insisted he had tried to have a healthy relationship with her. OP asked their daughter about these accusations, leading to a confrontation where the teenager blamed her mother for the breakdown in her relationship with her father.
The young girl ended up leaving for college, cutting off contact and refusing to communicate. The Redditor expressed relief despite the pain, as her self-esteem had suffered during the ordeal. She started therapy, experienced a slight improvement, and even went on a date for the first time in a decade without feeling guilty, acknowledging the imperfections in her relationship with her daughter and recognizing the challenging circumstances they both faced.
Daughter-in-Law Oversteps Mother-in-Law’s Boundary, Ends up Banned from Her In-Law’s Home
A woman took to Reddit to share her experience with her daughter-in-law (DIL), who criticized her for being a homemaker several times despite her requests to stop. Sadly, her son, the DIL’s husband, did nothing to address his wife’s behavior.
According to the original poster (OP), she was a stay-at-home mother when her children were young, attending to their needs and helping them grow into responsible adults. Now that her children are adults, she continues to embrace her role as a homemaker and takes pride in being a housewife.
However, her DIL, Beth, 25, does not see homemaking as a legitimate job and made her views clear within minutes of meeting her mother-in-law. The Reddit user said:
“The first time I met her, and I told her I am a homemaker, she told me that’s not a job, and it’s lazy of me. I met her 30 minutes before that.”
Unfortunately, Beth’s remarks did not end there. Whenever she and her husband visited for dinner, the topic of the OP’s employment would arise, with Beth questioning how the OP could be tired from having no job. The Redditor discussed her feelings with her husband, and they speculated that Beth might be jealous because she had to work.
They warned their DIL that her derogatory comments could lead to her being asked to leave their home. Beth temporarily ceased her remarks, but during a dinner party, she resumed her unsolicited opinions, prompting the OP to say:
“I was talking about how I made the pie for tonight. Beth made a comment that of course, I had enough time since I don’t work.”
Fed up, the Redditor asked Beth to leave and stated she was no longer welcome in their home. To complicate matters, the OP’s son sided with his wife, further straining family relations. The OP defended her lifestyle, stating:
“Not working doesn’t equal lazy.”
As a housewife, the OP detailed her extensive responsibilities at home, including managing household paperwork, caring for their dogs, cooking daily, attending the gym, and more. She argued that being lazy would involve idleness, which does not reflect her active role in supporting her husband by managing the home.
After sharing her experience on Reddit, the online community weighed in with their thoughts on the situation. One commenter suggested that Beth’s attitude might stem from misconceptions about a housewife’s responsibilities and societal pressures for women to be independent and employed.
