Parenting doesn’t just challenge couples — it tests their relationships with everyone around them.

For one man, that meant watching his mother and fiancée clash over how to raise their kids. And he wasn’t doing so hot acting as the buffer.

Read on for the full dilemma.

AITA for keeping my mother and Fiancée apart from each other?

I (32M) have been with my partner now for 8 years.

Initially, she and my mum got on reasonably well until things took a turn around the time we had children.

The situation between them is pretty volatile.

They just about tolerate each other when in each other’s presence, but at the drop of a hat, things can take a turn for the worse and I’ll end up having to pick a side.

He knows exactly where the conflict usually starts.

The vast majority of issues stem from my mum offering up unsolicited advice when it comes to our children.

There’s one thing his mother does that really drives his partner wild.

She will often correct their behavior in front of my fiancée, much to her annoyance. Now, I don’t mind the advice, as I know it comes from a place of love.

He openly admits he’s just starting to avoid the conflict altogether.

AITA for keeping them apart? My mum often asks to come round to the house, and I always make excuses to ensure she can’t.

Boundaries? There’s none to be seen in this dynamic.

What did Reddit have to say?

It’s likely he’s giving his mother more grace than she deserves.

He could ask for input directly from the source.

“Love” is an interesting way of putting it.

Easier doesn’t always mean better.

He thought keeping the peace meant staying neutral, but neutrality only enabled his mother’s disrespect.

He has to stop choosing his comfort over his partner’s dignity.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.