Blended families require patience, compromise, and a little bit of personal space.

But when one woman’s personal retreat becomes the play area for her boyfriend’s daughter, the lines between personal and shared space blur beyond her comfort.

Read on for the full story.

AITA for asking my boyfriend to not let his daughter in my room when I’m not there?

I get that kids are curious, but every time I come home from my overnight shifts, I can tell he lets her in my room.

She’s had some bad experiences with this before.

It shouldn’t be a big deal, but I’m particular about how my stuff is organized, and last time he let her sleep in my room, she peed in my bed.

When it comes to her own kids, she’s taught them well on the value of respecting personal space.

I have my own children as well, and I make it a point to ensure they know that my boyfriend’s and his daughter’s rooms are private.

We have to ask before we go into anyone’s room.

My boys sleep with me in my room, and his daughter sleeps with him in his room most of the time as well.

This is why we have separate bedrooms — since my boys don’t feel comfortable with men, we made it a point to create comfortable spaces for all.

But now she feels setting this boundary makes her the bad guy.

I don’t know, I feel like an evil stepmom even though I love her, and I definitely show her that, but I also value my privacy.

AITA?

Even the most loving relationships require space from time to time.

What did Reddit have to say?

Families should be close, but they shouldn’t lack boundaries entirely.

How your partner reacts in times of conflict can tell you a lot about their true character.

Maybe this situation calls for a different living arrangement all together.

Kids will be kids, but they still need to learn respect for others.

She’s tried to care for her boyfriend’s kids the best she could, but her own needs are important too.

It’s not that she doesn’t care, but some things, like personal space, just aren’t up for debate.

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.