July 22, 2024 at 5:19 am

Grandparents Want Him to Attend Family Gatherings Despite Half Siblings’ Disapproval, But He’s Decided To Never Go Again

by Diana Whelan

Source: Reddit/AITA/Pexels/Maryia Plashchynskaya

Jeez, talk about family drama.

This teen’s caught in the middle of a family feud after losing their mom, with half siblings who’ve never accepted them and grandparents urging them to stay despite the toxicity.

You won’t believe this story

AITA for telling my grandparents I won’t attend family gatherings my half siblings attend anymore?

I (16m) have three older half siblings from my mom’s first marriage ages 25, 26 and 28. We lost mom last year.

I live with my dad who was their stepdad for like 19 years. They never accepted me or my dad. I always knew it deep down.

They kinda kept the peace for mom when she was alive but that was just not saying so much when she was alive but still not really engaging with me or my dad.

They’d visit mom and have a very forced civility with the two of us.

After she died they made it very clear they did not appreciate my dad organizing things.

That sounds terrible.

They said mom’s true husband was their dad, and they were very smug when it came to light that mom organized stuff herself and that she was intending to be buried with her first husband/my half siblings dad.

They thought that meant they could tell us we weren’t welcome at the funeral.

Say WHAT?

It was also the first time in years they took glee in telling me I wasn’t really their brother and I was just the second mistake mom made after losing their dad. The first mistake being my dad.

It became a huge deal and at the funeral they actually said they were diving the side the immediate family would sit.

Anyone on their side recognized essentially that my dad and I were mistakes mom made and should not be there.

A lot of mom’s family sided with my half siblings, which stung.

Well now they’ve just done it.

My half siblings severed all ties to me and dad. They have been clear they want nothing to do with us.

My grandparents are the only maternal family who make the effort to include me still and be a part of my life. Aunts and uncles will speak to me, but some only do it to make excuses for my half siblings or to mention mom.

There’s a lot of family on my maternal side and that comes with birthday parties and stuff. Whenever my half siblings see me there they make it clear I shouldn’t attend.

They have started yelling that “the failed ab**tion” shouldn’t be there. A lot of the family stand by them.

Not quite the fun family celebrations.

My grandparents normally try to calm them and one aunt has called them out for treating me like shit when mom loved me too and I’m still their blood.

It’s too much for me and now that some of them are married and having their own kids, it feels like if I keep being where they’re at, I’m going to deal with things getting worse.

So I told my grandparents I won’t attend family gatherings that my half siblings attend anymore.

Why go through the shame, really?

My grandparents were really upset and told me I need to keep coming because I’m family and they said I can’t punish them for my half siblings behavior.

I said it feels like most people don’t want me there and I don’t like having to deal with the things they say about me.

I know my grandparents are mad and I get it. But I feel like I need to put myself first.

AITA?

And there you have it—a family saga complete with plot twists, family feuds, and a teenage protagonist navigating through it all like a champ.

But seriously, this kid is dealing with enough after losing his mom, without adding this family feud to the mix.

What do we think Reddit had to say about it?

This person says he should never feel bad about severing ties with jerks.

Source: Reddit/AITA

This person thinks the grandparents are way out of line.

Source: Reddit/AITA

This person basically says to run far away–at least from the half siblings.

Source: Reddit/AITA

Looks like this family drama needs a breather—or at least a different seating arrangement.

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.