Blended families can be great, but sometimes they also put a lot of stress on the kids.

What would you do if your dad and his new wife constantly forced you to be best friends with your step-sister even when you didn’t want to be?

That is what happened to the young lady in this story, so she finally went to court, and her mom got full custody.

Now, she is worried that she might have gone to far.

Let’s read the whole story.

AITA for staying full time at my mom’s to avoid my stepsister and my dad’s expectations for our relationship?

My parents got divorced when I (16f) was really little and dad remarried when I was 4.

My stepsister is the same age as me.

I spent every other week at dad’s house so I had an equal relationship with both of my parents.

My stepsister saw her dad once or twice a year and that stopped happening after a few years of my dad and stepmom being married.

It is good when step-siblings can develop a close bond.

Because we were so close in age and similar-ish my dad and stepmom decided we would be the best of friends and do everything together.

When I was at their house we were expected to hang out all the time, to include each other in everything even if it was hanging out with friends.

My stepsister became super attached to it but I hated it. Especially the part about not being able to see friends without the other involved.

After a few years my stepsister pretended to like all the things I did so we’d be in the same after school activities and so our birthday parties were identical right down to the type of cake we’d get.

It also meant we got less gifts and had to share big stuff instead because “we both loved them anyway”.

At dad’s house nothing was mine. Not my clothes, my toys or even my room.

Forcing a close relationship almost never works.

Whenever I tried to get space from my stepsister she’d complain to her mom or my dad and my dad would step in and tell me I needed to make time for my “sister”.

Him and my stepmom started pressuring mom to take my stepsister out with us whenever we did things. I remember my stepmom calling my mom a jerk for saying no to taking my stepsister to the trampoline park with me and my friends.

Then it was my dad and stepmom yelling at mom for throwing me friend parties and not inviting my stepsister. And every sleepover my mom let me and my friends have was a huge deal to my dad and stepmom.

My mom and dad fought in court when I was 10 because dad accused mom of alienating me from my stepsister and mom wanted to get me therapy to help me process the pressure I faced at dad’s house.

Dad didn’t want me in therapy except for family therapy.

Dad didn’t win custody and mom got to put me in therapy.

Dad should have been listening to her.

I tried talking to my dad and telling him I didn’t want to be BFFs with my stepsister and I didn’t want to do everything with her but he ignores it.

And he’s so much worse now because he acts like I’m bullying her when I don’t want to talk non-stop to her or when I don’t include her when I’m at mom’s house.

So, I asked my mom if she could look into getting full custody of me. Her attorney said we could try and dad counter filed for full custody and so it was a back and forth between them for custody.

Mom had the support of my therapist and because of that the judge decided to speak to me. She said she wanted to hear what I’d say but I didn’t get to decide exactly.

I told her everything and what I wanted and that I was serious about it. And the judge decided to let mom have full custody of me but the rule is I need to maintain phone contact with dad if nothing else. It specifies how long, how often, etc.

But I don’t need to be at his house anymore.

Dad and Step-Mom’s plans backfired.

Now other than school I never see my stepsister and it’s great. And at school I tell her I don’t want to talk and walk away.

Plus I get an extended break because summer.

It’s great and I’m happy about it.

My dad’s upset, which I expected. But he told me I wasn’t very nice about any of it and that I might not have bullied my stepsister before but now I basically am and I’m punishing her for loving me and being my sister.

He said I acted like a spoiled mean girl who couldn’t handle sharing with someone. And he also said I ran away from most of my family.

I don’t think so but maybe he’s right and I do hate that I lost my dad in all of this.

AITA?

It is unfortunate that the relationship with her step-sister and father are ruined, but sometimes that is what happens when parents put too much pressure on their kids.

Read on to see what the people in the comments on Reddit say about it.

Right, nobody is obligated to be close.

This is exactly right.

This is really good advice.

This commenter says to enjoy her freedom.

This might be helpful.

You can’t force siblings to be close.

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.