Boundaries are hard to keep when someone keeps testing them.

What would you do if your ex showed up during kid pickup and asked to come inside, this time with someone else’s child who needed the bathroom? Would you make an exception? Or would you stand your ground no matter how awkward it got?

In today’s story, one mom finds herself in this very situation and sticks to her boundaries. Here’s what happened.

AITAH for not letting my ex-husband and one of his future step kids come inside?

Our custody arrangement is for each of us to pick the kids up on our day during our two-hour pickup window. He arrived at the house, and I already had the boys ready.

I saw his car pull into the driveway on my camera, so the boys were already halfway to the door when my ex knocked.

I opened the door, and he was holding the hand of a four-year-old.

He asked to come in and said his fiancée’s son needed to use the bathroom. I told him I don’t want him to come inside, because I don’t feel comfortable with him in my house. He has a history of snooping through my things.

Desperate, he tried asking her to do it.

He asked me to take his future stepson to the bathroom, and I said I was uncomfortable with the situation.

He said his stepson needed to pee. I suggested the McDonald’s up the road. He said my bathroom would be way cleaner than a McDonald’s.

At this point, my eleven-year-old started pestering his dad to stop so they could leave. My ex said, “Your brother needs to use the bathroom.”

My son said, “I’ll take him.”

He just couldn’t let it go.

My ex said, “No, your mother would rather he pee his pants. We’ll go, and hopefully, we’ll get to McDonald’s in time.”

My ex and the boys left. He messaged me afterwards, saying I was cruel to a child to punish him, and that’s not okay.

He said I made us both look bad in front of our kids and should be embarrassed by my actions.

I have been fighting with him for so long that my perspective is screwed up.

AITA?

Eek! It’s easy to see both sides of this, but it’s not the kids’ fault.

Let’s see how the readers over at Reddit feel about what happened in this story.

This person suggests she explain it to the kids.

Here’s someone who thinks he’s sneaky.

As this comment points out, her taking the boy was a bad idea.

For this reader, it was all a power play.

She did the right thing.

Her boundaries are in place for a reason, and she shouldn’t remove them for anyone.

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.