Here are three stories where children betrayed their parents, flipping the usual narrative.
In one case, a mother’s son chose to support his wife, even though she repeatedly ignored a clear boundary set by his parent.
While stories of parents mistreating their children or daughters-in-law are common, these examples show the opposite. For instance, one mother’s daughter moved in with her father because she didn’t want to follow her mom’s rules. Later, she wanted to return, but the situation got complicated.
Daughter Wants to Move Back Home but Rejects Her Mother’s Rules
One woman shared on Reddit how she divorced her husband when their daughter, Maria, was ten. She kept the house but faced financial challenges as a stay-at-home mom. Over time, she stabilized her life with a job, managing her money carefully. Meanwhile, her ex-husband, financially secure, made sure their daughter noticed the difference in their lifestyles.
Maria’s father spoiled her with expensive gifts, so she grew up without worrying about money. This put a strain on her relationship with her mother. Once, when her mom couldn’t afford a $1,000 laptop, Maria compared her parents and said her dad was better.
At another point, Maria’s mom tried to help her find a job, but it only led to another argument. Things worsened when Maria, at 17, decided to drop out of high school. This led to a big fight where Maria told her mom, “It’s my life, and I can do what I want.”
The argument ended with Maria moving in with her father permanently. Despite her mom’s attempts to reconnect, Maria refused and claimed she no longer had a mother.
Years later, at 21, Maria reached out to her mom again. Her father had remarried and kicked her out, so she contacted her mom, saying she wanted to move back home.
Although the mother was open to letting Maria move back in, she set specific conditions for her to meet first.
The rules included getting her GED, working at least 25 hours a week, and attending school to plan her future. Maria also had to buy her personal items and help with household chores, though she wouldn’t be required to pay rent.
The mother also made it clear she didn’t want Maria partying every night. However, she was fine with her daughter enjoying herself on the weekends.
After hearing these conditions, Maria became upset, called her mother crazy and a horrible parent, and walked out, saying she had no interest in following the rules.
The mother shared her story on Reddit and received support from others. Many felt she was doing the right thing, with one commenter stating that Maria’s reaction showed she didn’t want a real relationship, just an opportunity to take advantage of her mother again.
Many Reddit users felt the mother’s conditions were fair and focused on helping Maria build a better future. Given Maria’s age, they believed she shouldn’t have opposed her mom’s reasonable expectations.
Mother Hurt by Daughter Who Always Chose Her Absent Father Over Her
On June 1, 2022, a woman shared her story on the “AITA” subreddit. In her forties, she described her struggles with her 18-year-old daughter, who had always been close to her father, even though her parents had separated before she was born.
Things changed when the girl turned eight. Her father remarried, became distant, and eventually abandoned her for his new family. This deeply affected the daughter, causing her to act out.
Despite her challenges, the young girl started therapy and seemed to be doing better. She hadn’t seen her father since she was 12, and he only contacted her a few times a year, often making promises to reconnect but never following through.
Despite everything, the mother and daughter shared a close bond, often spending time together. The daughter even called her mom her “best friend,” showing how much they meant to each other.
As her graduation approached, OP was excited to celebrate. But a week before the party, her daughter revealed she planned to invite her father and his son. Her father, however, gave her an ultimatum: he would only attend if OP stayed away.
Hurt and feeling betrayed, OP confronted her daughter, saying she felt deeply let down. The teenager explained that she wanted her father to be part of her special moments, just as her mother had always been. This led to a heated argument.
The night before graduation, OP begged her daughter to reconsider, but the girl refused and stood her ground, saying:
“I’m sorry, but I’m not changing my mind.”
Her mother was heartbroken and cried until her sister stepped in to comfort her. The sister suggested they go out during the graduation to take her mind off things, and OP agreed.
On the morning of graduation, OP woke up to find her daughter in tears. When she asked why she hadn’t left yet, the daughter revealed that her father had let her down again and was no longer answering her calls.
OP comforted her daughter with a hug and encouraged her to enjoy her graduation despite the disappointment. Her daughter then asked if OP would attend since her father wasn’t coming, saying she didn’t want to be the only one without a parent there.
OP apologized but explained she had already made other plans. Upset, the daughter yelled at her, calling her a bad mother. Despite the pain it caused, OP decided not to go to the ceremony, wanting to teach her daughter that actions have consequences.
After the graduation, OP’s daughter remained quiet and looked deeply upset, as if she had been crying for hours. OP began to question whether her decision had been too harsh, feeling a mix of regret and uncertainty.
Her sister reassured her that she had done the right thing, but a comment from another parent about her daughter’s sadness at the graduation made OP feel guilty. Struggling with her emotions, she wondered if she had been wrong to try to teach her daughter a lesson.
Later, OP explained that her daughter had spent years prioritizing her father over her, despite his constant absence. A conversation with the child’s therapist revealed that the teenager wasn’t being manipulated but was clinging to an idealized view of her relationship with her dad.
When OP spoke to her daughter, she apologized for not attending the graduation and shared her feelings of being excluded and unappreciated. In response, her daughter apologized as well, expressed her love, and said she wanted things to go back to normal between them.
When asked if she regretted uninviting her mother, the teenager said she didn’t and believed it was the right decision since she preferred her father’s presence. This deeply hurt OP, who confronted her daughter about not considering her feelings. However, the daughter stood firm, saying she would always prioritize her father, even if he let her down.
OP shared her frustration at not being valued as much as her daughter valued her father. She assured her daughter she would continue to support her in the future but admitted she was uncertain about her role in major events, like future graduations or weddings, if this pattern continued.
In her final update in October 2022, OP admitted it was immature to ask her daughter if she regretted uninviting her. She explained that although her daughter often called her a “best friend,” she maintained her role as a parent, which included setting boundaries and discipline.
After the graduation incident, OP reached out to her daughter’s father, who responded with a letter. In it, he claimed that their daughter had been aggressive and threatening toward him and his family, which made him distance himself from her.
He also accused her of stalking his family and said he had tried to have a good relationship with her. OP confronted her daughter about these accusations, leading to a fight where the teenager blamed her mother for ruining her relationship with her father.
The daughter eventually went off to college, cutting all contact and refusing to communicate. Despite the pain, OP felt some relief, as her self-esteem had taken a hit during the situation. She began therapy, started to feel a bit better, and even went on her first date in ten years without feeling guilty. OP accepted that her relationship with her daughter wasn’t perfect and recognized how difficult things had been for both of them.
A woman shared her story on Reddit about her daughter-in-law (DIL), who repeatedly criticized her for being a homemaker, even after she asked her to stop. Sadly, her son, the DIL’s husband, did nothing to stop his wife’s behavior.
The original poster (OP) explained that she was a stay-at-home mom when her children were young, taking care of them and helping them grow into responsible adults. Now that her children are grown, she still takes pride in being a homemaker.
However, her 25-year-old daughter-in-law, Beth, doesn’t view homemaking as a real job. Beth made her feelings clear the first time they met. OP said, “The first time I met her, I told her I was a homemaker, and she told me that it wasn’t a job and was lazy of me. I had just met her 30 minutes before that.”
Beth’s comments didn’t stop there. Whenever she and her husband came over for dinner, Beth would bring up OP’s lack of a job, questioning how OP could be tired if she didn’t work. OP talked to her husband about it, and they thought Beth might be jealous because she had to work.
They warned Beth that if her rude remarks continued, she might be asked to leave. Beth stopped for a while, but at another dinner, she made another comment. OP was talking about making the pie for the evening when Beth said, “Of course, you had time since you don’t work.”
Fed up, OP told Beth to leave and said she was no longer welcome in their home. To make things worse, OP’s son sided with his wife, making the situation even more tense. OP stood by her lifestyle, saying, “Not working doesn’t equal lazy.”
As a housewife, the OP detailed her extensive responsibilities at home, including managing household paperwork, caring for their dogs, cooking daily, attending the gym, and more. She argued that being lazy would involve idleness, which does not reflect her active role in supporting her husband by managing the home.
After sharing her experience on Reddit, the online community weighed in with their thoughts on the situation. One commenter suggested that Beth’s attitude might stem from misconceptions about a housewife’s responsibilities and societal pressures for women to be independent and employed.