In blended families, the lines between inclusion and exclusion can blur in painful ways.

One young woman thought she’d made peace with her dad’s new life, until vacation plans made her feel like a second-tier priority.

You’ll want to read on for this one.

AITA for being jealous my dad takes all his vacation days for my stepmother and not me?

So my (20F) dad told me two days ago he would take all his vacation days from work off to spend time with my stepmother and her daughter in late summer.

They don’t know yet what they are going to do, but he took the days off “just in case.”

She was used to splitting her dad’s time, but this time felt different.

Normally, I would not have a problem with that since he has another family besides me.

However, I was kind of jealous that he would not have any vacation days left to spend with me.

To her, everything lined up well enough.

To clarify a little more: my university holidays are before his “planned vacation” with my stepmother and stepdaughter.

So even when they don’t end up doing something, I would not be able to go on a last-minute trip with my dad.

I would, of course, not have a problem with this if it was just a few days or maybe two weeks. But he is taking four weeks off for her.

She thinks her dad would really enjoy going on a trip she’s already been planning.

I am planning a trip to Qatar in November to watch the F1 Grand Prix there and wanted to invite my dad.

This would require him to take three days off of work, but since he already took all his vacation days (it would be very complicated to change that now), it’s not possible for us.

But when she suggested it, he gave a caveat she couldn’t agree to.

I, however, did not say anything to my dad and instead just told him I would go alone.

He then said he would do it if my stepmother and stepdaughter can come with us.

I immediately declined and just told him I would go alone instead.

He tells her he’s disappointed she wouldn’t be flexible with her plans.

My dad then was sad (since he is also a big fan of F1) and told me he was very disappointed I would not try to get along for just a few days with my stepmother and stepdaughter.

I’ve told my mom about what happened, and she is on my side.

My grandma, uncle, and aunt (all dad’s side) told me I’m just jealous of my stepmother and that this is “not that deep.”

So, AITA for being jealous my dad does not take off days from work for me?

Sounds like she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

Redditors chime in.

This commenter thinks her father is sending a troubling message with his behavior.

This user helps the student name some of the emotions she’s experiencing from this situation.

It’s clear to one Redditor that this dad isn’t splitting up his time and attention fairly.

Blended family dynamics are often complex.

No one deserves to feel like a second choice.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.