For generations, we’ve heard the statement “Kids can be cruel”. The reason for this is that they are still learning as they grow, and as a result, they lack the empathy to treat others with kindness and the understanding that bullying causes severe damage. One father and Reddit user is so distraught over the way his stepkids treat his daughter that he’s filed for divorce.
What Makes a Happy Family?
Although there is a stereotypical idea of what family is, people have adapted to the idea that there are many possible formulas to equal a family. In some countries, a split family accounts for over half the population, and mixed families are becoming much more common. Despite the normalcy of mixed families, navigating new relationships and the incorporation of families still comes with many challenges. Some of the most difficult include the well-being and comfort of each member.
One man found these waters difficult to navigate because things were not as they seemed. The treatment of his daughter turned out much differently than originally anticipated. Seeking out the advice of other Reddit users, he posted in a subreddit called “Am I the A**hole” looking for perspective on his decision to divorce his wife. He feels that his wife’s daughters treat his daughter horribly and he’s at his wit’s end. Although he loves his wife, he believes his daughter should come first. Many people on Reddit have commended him for his selfless decision to file for divorce. You can see the post in its entirety below.
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How Did This Love Story Lead to Divorce?
About four years ago, a widowed man was struggling to raise his daughter on his own. He met and fell in love with a divorcee who had two daughters of her own from a previous marriage. Coincidentally all three girls are within a year of each other in age. He was happy to know his daughter would not only have a strong woman role model in her life but would have two new sisters to help ease the pain of losing her mother. Unfortunately, though, his wife’s daughters have been horribly unkind to his daughter. The OP has stated the girls didn’t start out unkind to his daughter. Their bullying stems from their father who happens not to like him or his daughter. He insults her constantly and the girls have picked up on that. “My daughter really liked my wife and was excited to maybe have siblings. My stepdaughters were fine with my daughter at first. Of course, they didn’t just call her sister magically or treat her the same right away but they were nice. That all changed within a month of my wife and I getting married 2 years ago. The girls’ dad hates my daughter and they (the girls) will spew that hate in our home.”
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Divorce, Death, and Impact.
Divorce is hard for children to endure, particularly, if their parents’ divorce was not an amicable one. This man’s stepdaughters most likely felt their world crumbling and were left with a sense of instability. His wife and her family have argued and pleaded with him on behalf of the girls. He shares in his post, “Ever since I filed for the divorce my wife’s family have been telling me how much my stepdaughters need me, how badly they need to see a healthy and good father figure in their lives, and that I will destroy them if I leave. How they’re important and I need to prioritize them.” He went on to express, he doesn’t feel he should be prioritizing their needs over the needs of his own daughter. “I told them they are not more important than my daughter. Outrage ensued and I was asked how I could say that.”
Difficult Choices Leading to a Difficult End.
After losing his wife, he found a family with whom he thought he and his daughter were welcome. Unfortunately, though he’s had to endure the hurt of watching his daughter be bullied. He and his new wife have been unable to reconcile handling the situation and as a result, he has filed for divorce. His daughter experienced her own heartbreak and deserves to be treated with kindness and compassion. Having lost her mother, she has one less person on whom she can rely to speak on her behalf. As her father, he has decided he’ll prioritize her needs and be that person.
What do you think? Did this father go too far, or was he justified in getting a divorce? Let us know in the comments!
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These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.