New parents have big responsibilities to their growing family.

If you were a new dad, would you travel to see your family, or would you stay home to help with the new baby?

In this story, one woman’s husband is planning a birthday dinner for his father.

Her stepson, whose girlfriend had just given birth to their baby, wanted to attend but had no means to fund his travel.

She believes her stepson’s place is at home, so he can take care of his girlfriend and baby.

Do you agree with her? Read the full story below.

AITA for not wanting to finance a trip for my stepson?

I (61F) have a 24-year-old stepson. He has a baby due on October 24 and lives with his girlfriend.

The stepson lives in a mid-western state.

His grandfather turns 80 on November 14.

He has seen his grandfather once in the last nine years.

This woman’s husband and his sister wanted to throw a birthday dinner for their father.

My husband and his sister want to have a birthday dinner for their father, who lives on the East Coast.

Their mother, divorced from their father for decades, passed away in 2024.

They plan to scatter their mother’s ashes during that visit because she was born in the city and always wanted to be “home.”

She thinks that her stepson should not attend the celebration and just stay with his girlfriend and new baby.

Here is the issue.

I firmly believe that my stepson’s place is at home with his girlfriend and their new baby.

They live almost two hours from any other family who could help with the baby.

They have no friends in the town where they live.

The girlfriend doesn’t work and has even cried about not having any friends or a support network to me.

Her stepson wanted to go, but he couldn’t afford it.

My stepson wants to go on the trip, not because he knows or knew his grandparents, but because he has never been to the city where the grandfather lives.

He can’t afford to pay his own way, so we would have to pay his airfare, hotel, and all food for the four-day trip.

I’ve told my husband (57M) that I do not want to contribute to paying for my stepson to go because he belongs at home to support his girlfriend and their new baby, who will be less than a month old at the time of the trip.

Her husband doesn’t see any issue with her stepson attending, but she stands firm about her decision.

I also told my husband this. If I were the new mother and my partner left me for a trip like this, he would find his things sitting on the porch and the locks changed when he got home.

My husband doesn’t see any issues with him going.

My husband is retired. He does contribute to our joint finances, and we each have personal accounts.

So, AITA for not wanting to help finance a trip for a soon-to-be father who wants to go on a trip to celebrate virtual strangers to him?

She has a really good point about wanting her stepson to be there for his girlfriend and new baby. It’s not even about the money.

Let’s read the responses of other people to this story on Reddit.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

This person gives their honest opinion.

Short and straightforward.

This person shares the same sentiment.

Yes, indeed.

Mother knows what’s best for the whole family.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.