What do you do when your social battery runs out?

Do you push on and force yourself to continue to socialize, or do you bow out and go home? It gets more complicated with you’re a teen with your parents and can’t exactly go home unless they take you.

Read how one young Redditor needed her space but was feeling stuck in a moment with her stepfamily. She’s worried she really messed up.

See the story below to understand more.

AITA for not staying over the night at my stepfamily’s house.

I’m probably going to come across as a spoiled brat in this post.

I, (16 F), was going to go shopping with my family yesterday. I got woken up early as a result.

I was running on around 4 hours of sleep. I almost wasn’t going to go at all, but I did because I was under the impression I would come home to my bed to sleep peacefully in the end.

But this day was way differently from what they imagined.

Honestly, there were a lot of changes to what was going to happen yesterday, like the people I was going to see.

I saw my stepsister, stepdad and other members of my step family.

Going outside with them was fun, and afterwards we came back to my step aunt’s house, and I was happy, however, I felt a little tired and my social battery was sort of running out.

I was quieter, but I could still engage in a conversation.

But, their mother revealed some news soon after…

Everything was going smoothly until my mum came into the living room and told me, in front of everyone, we were going to stay over because that’s what my stepdad said (very sudden).

I should’ve asked her if we could step outside and speak, but instead I stared at her and openly expressed how I wanted to go home; impolite, I know.

And the step family’s reactions? Chaotic.

The rest of the time there or so were just people discussing staying over and how I didn’t have to.

My stepsister proceeded to speak about it loudly, whilst someone had left the room, because I felt like I had to confide in someone (I was feeling self conscious and rude).

It was a really unexpected change of plans, especially since I thought we were going to go home.

But this isn’t the first time this teen has been in this circumstance.

[The] last time when this happened, I didn’t really have a choice so I stayed over at my stepdad’s and proceeded to have the worst sleep ever. I kept waking up in the middle of the night. I slept at around 3:30 a.m. and kept waking up ever since.

When I woke up at around 8, it felt like a relief. I no longer had to tolerate bedsheets with a duvet that was way too thick and had that texture I dislike, whilst being pushed to one small tiny side of the bed.

I was grumpy and sad. That entire day, I was tired and bored because I just wanted to go home. I was tired and I hated the fact plans changed last minute. It really agitated me, and a part of me doesn’t know why.

You’re supposed to act as if you’re okay with everything, but I was so tired. I was fed up, and my social battery had run out, and I just needed to be at ease in my own room, you know?

You’ll never guess what happened next…

Eventually, I persuade my mum to go home.

I felt bad about it and immediately started crying in the car and apologising to my mum.

She insisted that it was fine, and it wasn’t me she was upset with, so I should stop crying.

She’s wondering if she really messed up.

I texted my stepsister asking if everyone hated me because I genuinely felt bad, but I haven’t gotten a response yet, and it’s been hours.

I’m worried I’ve just cut another group of people off, although this was unintentional.

That being said, AITA??

So, was this teen in the right for their behavior? Let’s read the comments below and see what the Reddit community has to say on the matter.

Redditors were very sympathetic to the teen’s wants.

People also argued that the stepfamily should understand this.

And ultimately, the teen needed to trust her mother on the matter.

This teen needs to trust that those that care for her won’t turn their backs on her.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.