When a parent gets remarried, it is good if the kids at least get along with their new step-parent.

What would you do if your dad married someone who you hardly knew at all and then tried to force you to go on a month long vacation to where she was from even though you didn’t want to?

That is the situation that the young man in this story is in, and he doesn’t feel like he should have to waste a month of his summer doing this, so he is upset.

Check it out.

AITA for not going to London with my dad and his wife so I can meet her family with their kid?

In the last year things have changed at my dad’s house.

His long distance girlfriend moved in with him and they had a baby together (she was pregnant when she moved), then they got married.

I (16m) didn’t know his wife before she moved in with my dad.

And I don’t know her that well now either.

I spend more time at my mom’s house than my dad’s.

My dad’s work schedule makes it harder to spend time with him so it makes more sense to me that I go where I at least have one parent at home.

Some step-parents don’t realize that the worst thing they can do is try to force a relationship.

My dad’s wife and I are already on not so great terms because I didn’t start spending more time at dad’s house when she had the baby.

She felt like I could be with them and get to know them instead of just visiting for dad.

But I don’t care about her or the baby.

I’m only interested in seeing my dad at his house.

Heck I don’t even need to see him to see my grandparents or uncles on his side of the family.

He’s so busy usually that mom helped with that in the past.

My dad and his wife know this so they’re pushing for me to go to London with them, which is where she’s from, and meet her family for the first time.

We’re in the US btw.

They should have talked to him ahead of time.

They’re going in July and my dad booked me on the flight with them without asking first.

When he told me I said I wasn’t going and he told me it was a great chance for some family time.

He said it was important to his wife that I try to act like we’re a family and try to make her family my family too.

I told them I wasn’t going and they wouldn’t change my mind.

Dad’s less upset than his wife is.

She’s offended and she told me her family had wanted to meet me and I was being a jerk.

They should at least do something that would make it more enjoyable.

Dad tried to make it sound like we’d have lots of fun but then he admits we’d do nothing but spend time with his wife’s family and that’s not how I want to spend a month of my summer.

AITA?

This is good information.

Building trust takes time.

This commenter thinks there might be a weird age gap.

Here is someone who says she isn’t really family yet.

This person says that Dad knows it isn’t going to be fun.

Creating a blended family takes work and really can’t be forced.

Dad and stepmom need to stop pushing this and let it happen naturally.

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.