AITA for Not Wanting My Boyfriend’s Kids Around Their Sibling After She’s Born?
The Story No Redditor Could Put Down
Gather ’round, ladies, gents, and non-binary pals. Grab your popcorn because Roger’s got a tale that will leave you questioning your own life choices. Based on a real Reddit post from a real person—let’s call her Cindy—this story is a rollercoaster of drama, tinged with a dash of heartbreak, and sprinkled with enough red flags to make a circus tent.
Commitment Issues, Kids, and Kitchen Nightmares
Picture this: Cindy (27F) is dating George (37M), a man who comes with two boys (12 and 9) from a previous dalliance. Cindy has a daughter (7). Sounds like a modern-day Brady Bunch, right? Wrong. These blended fam dreams came crumbling down faster than you can say “family dinner.”
About a year in, Cindy finally meets George’s boys. Cute kids, right? Think again. These two pint-sized terrors brought more drama than the latest season of The Real Housewives. Rude to Cindy, cruel to her daughter, and to add evermore spice, they echoed nasty things their mom said about Cindy. Lovely, isn’t it?
Houston, We Have a Discipline Problem
George’s brand of parenting was, let’s say, laissez-faire. Disrespect? “Oh, it’s just kids being kids.” Cindy, like any adult with a spinal cord, drew lines. She tried bonding through cooking. George’s boys responded by labeling her “annoying” faster than you can chop an onion.
Come August, George decides to bar the boys from visiting Cindy and her daughter, justifying it as necessary to curb the disrespect. Cindy, understandably miffed and confused—because it’s not like she asked for this—felt the sting of abandonment as George waved his solo-parenting flag.
From Bad to Worse: The Pregnancy Saga
Fast forward to the end of November. The couple splits because, really, how much fighting can one person take? But hey, love is complicated—they patched things up in early December. The highlight? Cindy finds out she’s pregnant.
What’s George’s response? He books a Florida trip for him and his boys—the ultimate “Congrats, babe! I’m outta here!” It’s almost artistic in its awfulness.
Instead of playing Dad-to-Be, George spends less time with Cindy, opting for lone wolf escapades, including a bizarrely-timed solo vacation to the Dominican Republic, ignoring Cindy’s high-risk weekly doctor visits. Can we get a round of applause for Worst Boyfriend of the Year?
A Secret Baby? Only on Jerry Springer
As Cindy’s pregnancy progresses, the boys remain blissfully unaware of their impending sibling. Cindy suspects George’s secrecy has less to do with tact and more to do with avoiding backlash from their mom—especially since he has history involving cheating with her.
Now, Cindy’s juggling pregnancy hormones and paranoia about Mr. Worst Boyfriend rekindling sparks with his ex. The boys’ mom, not one to sit idle, fires off nasty messages like a drama-seeking missile. It’s like a Shakespearean tragedy unfolding on Facebook Messenger.
The Ultimate Question: To Snub or Not to Snub?
Poor Cindy is caught in this vortex. Sensing impending doom, she’s hesitant about letting George’s boys around their new sister until they’ve processed it all and learned not to be jerks. Doesn’t sound completely unreasonable, does it?
She doesn’t want her decision to be seen as revenge against George, but let’s face it, she’s rightfully scared the boys might pull a “hey baby sister, have you met my fist?”
Roger’s Verdict: Tough Love on Tap
Oh, Cindy, sweetie, I need to pour myself a strong drink before I dive into this quagmire. Honey, you’re not wrong for wanting peace and safety for your newborn. But let’s not sugarcoat it—this situation screams “serious conversation” with George. The kind that requires an adult, not a man-boy planning his next escapade.
George needs to grow up and start parenting those boys. No more hiding behind weekend-dad excuses. Cindy, boundaries are your best friend, but ultimately, it’s Team Talk Time. If George can’t prioritize you and all your kiddos—new and old—then he should book a permanent vacation out of your life.
Remember, you’re not a villain for wanting a safe and harmonious home. You’re just trying to make sure the newest member doesn’t get a crash course in existing family drama. I don’t care if he thinks you’re overstepping; he’s under-reacting. Keep your sass, keep your strength, and keep those boundaries firm. Roger out.
Original story
I (27F) have been dating my boyfriend (37M) for three years on and off. He has two boys (12 and 9) from a past relationship and I have a daughter (7).
I didn’t meet his kids until we had been together for a year. But after that, the kids started being disrespectful towards me and my daughter, that caused a lot of fights between him and I.
They would constantly pick on my daughter and were really mean to eachother. I would try to make dinners that they picked and had them help me but it always ended in them telling their dad how annoying I am or hearing how badly their mother talks about me.
Around August 2023 he stopped letting the boys around me or my daughter without a reason other than “they are disrespectful to you”. He is an every other weekend dad so he thinks he can’t discipline them while they are over at his house.
My feelings were hurt because my daughter and I didn’t know what we did to cause those visits to stop. End of November we were non stop fighting so we split for a short period but getting back together early December.
End of December I found out I am pregnant. (I have only slept with him so it is his baby).
I tell him and his first response was to buy plane tickets for him and his boys to go to Florida for the week. Once he got back he said things would get better between us but things got worse and worse.
He started spending less and less time with me and anytime I brought the issue up he would tell me, “this is how I am. I just want to be in my house.
” After I found out the gender he then told me he wanted to take a week long solo vacation to the Dominican even knowing I had weekly doctor appointments due to concerns with the baby.
I asked him when he would tell the boys about how they will soon have a baby sister, and he tells me I’m over stepping by asking him when they will be told. As of this post, I am 30 weeks pregnant and the boys still do not know.
I full heartedly believe he doesn’t want the boys mother to know he is having a kid with me because he did cheat on me in the past with her and I still think he has feelings for her. He won’t fully commit to our relationship and it feels like he is waiting for her to be single so he can try to make it work with her.
I’ve never met her in person but she has sent me some very nasty messages over time. But I don’t know if it’s just the hormones but if he waits any longer to tell the boys, they may have resentment towards me and the baby, which will make everything so much harder.
I honestly feel that after I have the baby, I don’t want the boys to be around her until they have processed it as much as they can and can learn to not be disrespectful and mean. I don’t want to do it as a means of “getting back” at their father for not letting them visit us but more of a “I don’t know how they will react” stance.