A man is being urged to divorce his wife after Reddit users learned about her treatment of his son.In a viral Reddit post titled: “AITAH For Losing It On My Wife After She Told My Son to ‘Get Out of the Picture’ at My Stepdaughter’s Birthday,” user MkUrF8 explained that he has been married to his wife for eight years. He states that she has four children, aged 11 to 15, from a previous relationship, while he has a 10-year-old son.”Since day one, I’ve treated her kids as my own and done my best to support the family. Financially, it’s a big load, but I’m happy to do it,” he wrote, adding that his wife doesn’t take the same approach to step-parenting.Recently, the family celebrated his stepdaughter’s 11th birthday and gathered for a group photo. What happened next has outraged the internet and gained a lot of traction – racking up 14,000 upvotes in less than 24 hours.Before taking the photo, the woman’s stepson was asked to step out of the shot.”The main issue—and what’s tearing me apart—is how she treats my son. She barely acknowledges him, rarely asks how he’s doing, and generally acts like he’s invisible,” he said, adding that she wanted a photo with her biological children.”I felt like my heart shattered in that moment. I completely lost it. I told her that we’re supposed to be a blended family and that my son deserves to be treated like one of her own. I feel like she’s drawing lines between ‘her’ kids and ‘my’ son, and it just doesn’t sit right with me.”Research conducted by Duke University in North Carolina reveals that stepchildren are more common in older households (16%) compared to younger households (7%). Overall, 29% of U.S. households have at least one stepparent or adult stepchild, with the percentage higher in younger households (37%) than in older ones (19%).Newsweek reached out to child psychologist Ana Aznar, founder of REC Parenting, an online platform supporting parents and caregivers, to discuss the issues raised.”Building a blended family is not easy. It requires respect, love, and patience. In this particular case, it seems the father feels his son is being unfairly treated. Both he and his wife should discuss this issue constructively,” Aznar advised.She suggested seeing a therapist if they cannot resolve the issue on their own.Aznar added: “If this issue is not addressed, the father may end up resenting his wife, which could create problems in their romantic relationship and negatively impact the whole family. At the same time, it’s a good idea to discuss how the son is feeling, as he may be experiencing rejection, which can harm his mental health and well-being. Both adults in the relationship must remember that they are the foundation of their blended family. It’s crucial that both prioritize the interests of their children.”Reddit ReactsSo far, the November 3 post has almost 5,000 comments and the top one had 17,000 upvotes, at the time of writing.It said: “I would hate to know how she treats him when you are not around!””Kids deserve love from all parents, not just the biological ones. It’s crucial,” said another user.A third commenter said: “Nta. Divorce. she’s only using your money to raise her kids. Hope you have a prenup.”Newsweek reached out to u/MkUrF8 for comment. We couldn’t verify the details of the case.If you have a family dilemma, let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
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