Family relationships can be difficult in the best of times. When parents of small children are not married, it can be seriously hard to navigate life.

OP had a child with a former friend who is no longer in their lives.

I(33F) am a single mother to a six years old girl.

I’ve raised my daughter all on my own. She was born from a one night stand with a now former friend(37M).

We never got together and he refused to be involved in my pregnancy or my daughter’s first 4 years of life. I was stressed out emotionally because its a big change, but I never asked for child support or force him to be involved.

I have enough income to send my daughter to private school. I’m perfectly fine on my own.

After four years, he showed back up and had some kind of feelings (but no money).

The issue started when he reappeared from wherever he went and decided he wanted visitation. He’s not in my daughter’s birth certificate. Father is listed as ‘unknown’.

He wanted to have that amended. I said no, and that if he wants, best he’ll get is to meet her in outings with myself or my daughter’s godparents.

He agreed, but he’s been constantly pressuring getting parental rights.

Court already gave him a big fat no, unless he pays 4 years of child support which with his income goes somewhere around 230k USD. He hasn’t paid a cent.

My daughter doesn’t even call him dad. Or recognize him as dad. She calls him ‘mister’. I keep it very clean. I never bad talked him, never made up stories.

When she asked about her father I used to say it was just the two of us. Even during court the assigned CPS agent testified that my daughter had no affection or clear relationship with her biological father.

He even tried to act like OP’s husband at a school function.

Now the main issue happen in a PTA meeting. He would say things like ‘my family thinks’ or ‘what is best for my family’.

I didn’t agree with him and I voiced by saying ‘my daughter’ has different needs and those are priority. He was clearly angry.

After the meeting there was a moment for teachers and parents to mingle and just talk how the kids are doing.

One of the teachers approach me to apologize, saying she didn’t know ‘my husband and I’ didn’t like a project she was doing with the kids.

I told her I had no husband and my daughter loved the project and wants to be part of it.

The teacher then told me that my former friend was going around talking like he’s my husband and he ‘represents the family’.

She shut him down hard, but maybe she shouldn’t have?

I saw red. I walked to him and very loudly told him we needed to talk in private.

In the parking lot I told him we were not a family and that he either will respect I am the only one that can make decisions on my daughter’s education or he won’t be involved.

He went on about being her biological father, then I reminded him he had not paid a cent for the pregnancy, my daughter’s needs, or even the private school my daughter is in.

He hasn’t tried to see my daughter since, which she doesn’t mind at all. I asked her. I do feel a bit bad about what I said. AITA?

Reddit’s letting her know what they think!

The top comment reminds us that it takes more than DNA to make a dad.

They hope OP is being proactive with the school.

It’s sad that single moms have to worry about what people think.

They think this guy has used up his last chance.

Her boundaries need to remain firm.

I hope she takes some of these comments to heart.

I would hate for anything bad to happen because she feels ashamed.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.