Estranged Son Asks Mom To Stay At Her House After Years Without Contact, And He’s Angry She Didn’t Keep A Room Made Up For Him
by Ryan McCarthy
Divorce is never easy on children, and unfortunately it can turn them against one or both of their parents.
It’s not uncommon for a child to view one parent as their hero and the other as their villain, despite what the truth of the situation may be.
Especially when one parent is the “fun” one, and the other is trying to set boundaries!
Unfortunately for this user, that’s exactly what happened when her ex-husband got primary custody of their son, who seemed to harbor a lot of resentment towards her.
But when living with his Dad didn’t work out, he was shocked that OP hadn’t kept a room open for him all the years he had completely ignored her, and rejected her offer to sleep on the couch.
Check it out!
AITA for telling my son that we don’t really have any room for him right now so he needs to live with his dad and stepmom.
My ex-husband and I divorced when my son was ten. My ex had found someone new.
We went for 50/50 custody but he still had to pay some child support.
I went back to school at that time. On the weeks his dad had him I buckled down and did nothing but schoolwork.
When he was with me I made sure I had time for him before and after school.
I did expect him to help around the house but nothing excessive. Mostly just cleaning up after himself and helping with cooking and laundry.
And despite OP’s best efforts, her son preferred staying at his Dad’s house.
His dad’s house was more fun. I tried to make my home welcoming.
I bought a used PS4 and I got fiber optic internet. It wasn’t enough for him.
When he was 14 he and his father got the court to award my ex primary custody.
I did fight it but my son made it clear he would run away if I didn’t give in. Counseling didn’t help. I tried everything.
This absolutely crushed OP, and she said the only thing that got her through it was the support of her new man.
It was devastating having my son decide I wasn’t someone he wanted to spend time with.
He started skipping visitation. When he did come he would leave the house and not come home until it was time to sleep.
During this time I started a relationship with my current husband. He helped me through this.
He wasn’t on my radar romantically, so he got close by being an amazing friend. I asked him out and we got married six months later.
We had known each other since I went back to university. Six months after we got married I got pregnant.
But apparently OP wasn’t the only one expecting!
By strange coincidence so did the woman my ex was cheating with. Not the woman he left me for. A newer model.
I had sold my house and my new husband and I bought a condo together. Just a two bedroom apartment with a tiny den.
We made the den into a nursery and consolidated our offices into the second bedroom.
And as OP found an ideal living situation, her son was about to lose his!
My ex moved in with his new girlfriend and she isn’t a fan of my son. His stepmother doesn’t want him there if his father isn’t there.
So my son is also in the new house with his dad, his dad’s pregnant girlfriend and her mom.
My son is sixteen now and he called me to see if he could stay with me. I said I didn’t really have any room.
He asked me what I did with his room. He didn’t even know I sold the house.
OP’s son was gobsmacked that she hadn’t keep a room open for him in case he decided he actually wanted to live with her.
He is very upset. He called me a b**** for not having a place for him to stay.
I said he could stay in our living room on the couch. Not acceptable.
I talked to my husband and we have enough money from the sale of our old houses, as well as our current condo to buy back into the market.
We were waiting for interest rates to fall. And we were going to move to a more reasonably priced city.
I told my son if he could take the living room for now we could have a room for him in six months.
But this offer apparently wasn’t sweet enough for OP’s son.
He moved in with his grandparents. He isn’t happy there. At least his dad got him a car so he can drive to his same school.
My son is pissed that I prioritized my new baby and my work over him. I had no expectation to ever need to house him again.
My ex called me and told me to make our office into a room for our son. I told him that our son’s circumstances were his fault not mine.
You know, I was a moody 16 year old once too, so I’m trying to be as sympathetic as possible.
But did OP’s son ever think the reason she didn’t have a place for him to live is because he fought living with her every chance he got?
Reddit was pretty split on this one, with this user saying it’s not OP’s fault, but it could be an opportunity to reconnect with her son.
And this user said not to listen to anyone putting her down, especially since she offered the son a place to live.
This user thought that even at 16, the son wasn’t too young for a lesson in consequences.
This user agreed saying that while it was OP’s son’s own fault, this could be a real moment of growth for the family.
And finally, this user said if she wanted her son back, then nothing else mattered.
It’s not like she told him to sleep on the floor!
There’s worse places to sleep than the couch. Like the street!
If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.
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