Family relationships don’t always follow a picture-perfect script, especially when emotional distance becomes the norm.

For years, one man brushed off his parents’ emotional distance, but after they missed his wedding and his daughter’s birth, he started to rethink what kind of role they should play in his daughter’s life — if any.

You’ll want to read on for this one.

Aita if I cut my parents out of my daughter’s life?

I (M27) have always had a sort of arm’s-length relationship with my parents… not terrible, but not as close as many families seem to be.

Things have steadily gotten worse in the last few years.

It wasn’t just small get togethers that his parents missed.

In January of ‘23, they didn’t come to my wedding — my father went on a trip he apparently already had planned, and my mother was just doing day-to-day errands instead of coming.

But the next one really takes the cake.

Nine months ago, they didn’t come to the hospital when my wife was going into labor or to see my daughter in the hospital after birth.

About two weeks later, I finally convinced my father to come meet his granddaughter at home, and we had to go visit my mother when my wife was finally feeling up to visiting other people.

So when they let him down once more, he hits a breaking point.

Then today I get a call that neither of them will be at her first birthday because they booked an event the same day.

AITA if I just gave up and didn’t let them have a relationship with her?

I don’t want her to grow up with wishy-washy adults in her life.

There’s no point in holding the door open for people who just don’t care.

Redditors are sure to have some strong opinions.

If his parents aren’t contributing anything, it’s better to cut them off now!

He’s not wrong to want to protect his daughter from the same pain he’s experienced his whole life.

Maybe it’s better to cut them off in a more subtle way.

Or maybe he should just let his parents come and go as they please.

At the end of the day, he can’t force his parents to care, and he’s done waiting for them to wise up.

So he’s doing what’s best for him and his own little. Bravo.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.