Blending families is not a seamless process, and it can be difficult, especially for the kids, even if they’re older.

So when a 17-year-old’s father moved in with his new girlfriend and she started setting new rules, the whole dynamic changed, and he refused to accept it.

Well, due to how they responded, now he’s wondering if he is being rebellious for no valid reason.

What would you do in his situation?

Keep reading for the full story.

AITAH for deciding to stay full time with my grandparents because I don’t want to follow rules set by my dad’s girlfriend?

My dad kinda shared custody with my grandparents most of my life.

He had legal custody but they would help out by taking me for several days or a whole week or two during the month.

I (M17) was still close to my dad and we still had time for us and he was involved.

But when his work kept him late it was easier for me to have another home to stay in vs getting home late or being on my own.

My dad and grandparents had the same household rules and I never had an issue with them.

About a year ago my dad started dating someone new and she seems fine but she has a lot of rules and a lot of things she’s strict about that dad isn’t.

This changed the entire family’s dynamic.

When dad told me he decided to move in with her (by moving to her house) I asked him how that would work and he said I’d need to follow her rules and she was pretty clear about that to him.

He also said she would be enforcing the rules and I would basically need to treat her like she’s him or my grandparents.

I didn’t wanna follow her rules.

They were so different from the rules I know and I find some of her rules to be extreme.

So he found a solution.

Because I didn’t think it was fair to ask my dad to wait to move in with her, I asked my grandparents if I could live with them full time.

They said yes and dad was upset but he told me if I wanted to do that then he’d make sure we spent time together.

I now live with my grandparents and dad lives with his girlfriend.

She’s offended I chose to live with my grandparents and she’s offended I didn’t want to follow her rules.

She tried to insist on some of her rules even though I don’t live with her.

Like having dinner with her and her kids and taking part in making the meal with them.

He doesn’t enjoy these moments.

My dad wouldn’t even be there most of the time. She also wanted me to join them Sunday for her planned family time.

I work Sundays so that was already a no but even on my day off I don’t want to be obligated to spend it there.

She expected me to help her niece move into her place too, and she has her kids helping with that (it’s one of the rules that you help family move and cancel any plans you have to do it).

My grandparents were surprised she was trying to make me follow her rules from her house and dad told her to stop, which she sorta did.

Things reached a boiling point.

But she said she still found it to be bratty that I would rather live apart from him than follow her rules.

She also said I wasn’t showing her the respect she deserved and I told her she’s not my parent and she doesn’t get to demand the same kind of respect where I do what she says.

AITA?

His dad needs to stand up for him, or he can end up with no girlfriend and no son.

What did Reddit think?

A reader shares their opinion.

Something to consider.

This commenter agrees it’s odd.

This is a good point.

Another reader chimes in.

Interesting how that works.

She wants a house elf, apparently.

He is being disrespected and he knows it.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a woman who hires her niece to babysit and ends up with quite the complicated situation on her hands.