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Blended families can be complicated, especially when the kids involved never seem comfortable around each other.
One single dad wants to move in with his girlfriend, but both nine-year-olds have spent two years avoiding each other.
His brother gives the answer nobody really wants to hear, arguing that romance may not be worth risking a parent-child relationship.
Check out the conclusion below.
AITA for saying I’d end a relationship if my kid didn’t like my partner’s kid when my brother asked me what I’d do in his shoes?
My brother is a single dad with a 9 year old son. My nephew’s mom is not in the picture.
For the last 3 years my brother has been dating Kayla and for the last two years my brother and Kayla have introduced their son’s (her son is also 9) to each other and they spend time as a group.
This is where it gets tricky…
The boys do not like each other and my brother has told me that both of them complain and try to get out of spending time together.
The first time they met it was at a kids play center and within 10 minutes the boys were playing with different groups of kids.
The second time they went to see a movie and Kayla’s son moved seats to sit next to his friend.
They have always been on bad terms…
The third time my nephew went to listen to a different story time but in the same library obviously.
Other times they brought them to the amusement park 20 minutes from my brother’s house and they chose to go on different rides to each other and when they went on the same one they chose to be in different rows or karts.
When they’ve spent time at each other’s houses they do their own thing.
They just don’t like being together.
When they play games together they want to partner with their parent and not each other and when they were forced to it ended in them fighting and refusing to play.
They have attended each other’s birthday parties and there were no interactions beyond forced ones.
My brother and Kayla tried to plan sleepovers and were left with two kids who did not want to hang out with each other. If they can avoid it they won’t sit next to or across from each other at meals.
Living together may not work out.
My brother and Kayla wanted to move in together and get married but the boys are still avoiding each other and not getting along.
Both say they don’t like the other and I’m not sure if reasons were asked or given but neither of them were okay with the idea of the four living together.
My brother said Kayla wants to try living together and making it work but he’s not sure and he’s worried he could lose my nephew to the decision eventually or that it will hurt their relationship.
Her brother needed advice.
He asked me what I’d do and I said I would end a relationship if my kid and their kid could not get along.
I said sibling fighting is normal but these boys aren’t siblings yet and when there are no good moments or moments where they want to or are okay with being around each other it seems like a recipe for disaster.
Our mom told me not to discourage my brother and that things like this can be worked on. She told me when my brother left that I should have just supported him.
AITA?
YIKES! That sounds frustrating!
Who would have thought step-brothers could hate each other so much?
Let’s find out what folks on Reddit think about this one.
This person knows that she was simply explaining how she felt about the situation!
This person knows that her brother needs to save his relationship with his son.
That’s right! This user knows that the mother shouldn’t interfere.
This user believes that the brother is forcing his the kids to get along too much..
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a brother who is concerned about the trouble with splitting funeral costs equally between siblings.
This person thinks that the mother is wrong here!
The boys consistently avoided each other, fought when forced together, and openly said they did not want to live under one roof.
OP simply answered his brother’s question honestly, while their mother thought he should have been more encouraging.
Sometimes support means saying the uncomfortable thing before moving boxes are involved.
