Blended families only work when every person feels like they belong.

So, what would you do if your partner treated their kids with love and attention but constantly ignored your child, and then publicly singled him out at a family celebration? Would you bite your tongue to avoid the drama? Or would you finally speak up when your son’s feelings are on the line?

In today’s story, one father faces this very decision and opts for the latter. Here’s how it all went down.

AITAH For Losing It On My Wife After She Told My Son to “Get Out of the Picture” at My Stepdaughter’s Birthday?

I’m really struggling here and starting to feel like I’m losing my mind. I think I’m being gaslit, so here’s the situation.

I’ve been married to my wife for 8 years, and on the whole, we have a good relationship. She has four kids (two daughters, two sons, ages 11-16) from a previous relationship, and I have one son, who’s 10.

Since day one, I’ve treated her kids as my own and done my best to support the family. Financially, it’s a big load, but I’m happy to do it. We live together in a five-bedroom house, where each of her daughters has their own room, her oldest son has his own, and her youngest son shares a room with my son.

He doesn’t like how she treats his son.

The main issue—and what’s tearing me apart—is how she treats my son.

She barely acknowledges him, rarely asks how he’s doing, and generally acts like he’s invisible. Tonight, it hit a breaking point. We were celebrating her daughter’s 11th birthday, and everyone was gathered to sing and take pictures.

I told my son to get in with the group for a picture, which seemed fine. But then, right after the group photo, my wife looked at my son and told him, “Get out of the picture, move to the side—I want one with just my kids.”

She’s the only “mother” figure his son has.

I felt like my heart had shattered in that moment. I completely lost it. I told her that we’re supposed to be a blended family and that my son deserves to be treated like one of her own. I feel like she’s drawing lines between “her” kids and “my” son, and it just doesn’t sit right with me.

For context, my son’s biological mom passed away two years ago, supposedly from Covid complications, though she had a history of drug problems that may have worsened things. My son only has my wife now as a mother figure. I’m terrified that this rejection from her is going to hurt him deeply and cause psychological damage.

Am I asking too much for her to treat him like part of the family? I don’t want to overreact, but how she flat-out ignores him is painful to witness.

AITA?

Wow! That probably did hurt the little boy’s feelings.

Let’s see what advice the people over at Reddit can offer him.

According to this reader, he should divorce her.

For this reader, the problem is him, not his wife.

This about sums it up.

Yet another great point.

Something needs to give.

Either the wife can treat his son as her own, or they need to get a divorce because his son deserves better.

If you liked that post, check this one about a guy who got revenge on his condo by making his own Christmas light rules.