Teen Cancels Birthday Trip After Mom Demands Stepsister Be Invited: 'I Just Wanted One Weekend Without Her'
Years of tension with his stepsister came to a head when she was added to the birthday guest list
His mom called it a tantrum — but he says he just wants one weekend aloneA teen is turning to the Reddit community for support after his decision to cancel a birthday weekend trip sparked a family dispute. The 16-year-old, who is almost 17, shares that he called off the trip after his mom insisted his stepsister Megan be included.
As per his post, trouble began almost immediately after their families blended. The teen's mother married his stepfather, Karl, four years ago, and Megan, now 15, began living with them part-time.
He explains that his dad died nine years ago, and he has lived full-time with his mom and Karl ever since.
'When we all moved in together, Megan kept trying to come into my room whenever she wanted and wouldn't let me shut the door,' he writes. His discomfort over the lack of privacy was repeatedly brushed aside, forcing him to install locks on both his bedroom and closet doors just to feel secure.
The boundary issues didn't stop there. From stealing and destroying his belongings to making scenes at family events, Megan's behavior has escalated over the years, he claims.
'She used to switch my video games without asking and would throw them if she thought they looked boring or 'too boyish,' ' he recalls. One particularly painful memory involves Megan unplugging his PS2 — a sentimental console that had belonged to his late father.
He adds that Megan once brought friends over who tried to break into his locked room and closet, prompting him to become even more protective of his personal space. Despite these incidents, the teen says his mother has continued to defend Megan's behavior, insisting she's 'just trying to bond.'
The poster outlines a pattern of what he describes as 'constant disrespect.' Megan has reportedly taken money left by their parents, ordered food just for herself and dismissed his complaints. 'She tells me to suck it up like it's normal to just take whatever you want from someone else,' he says.
Even when their parents are away, Megan reportedly seizes control of shared resources and acts as if she's in charge. Beyond stealing and boundary-crossing, Megan's behavior has at times become personal and inappropriate, he writes.
'She's weird around my friends…flirts with them, tries to kiss them. A few of them told me they're uncomfortable coming over now,' he shares. In another incident, she tried pressuring him into dating her best friend, then reacted angrily when he declined.
The situation came to a head when Megan found out he was gay and hadn't told her. 'She had a total meltdown,' he says. 'She told me I should've told her because she's my 'sister.' I told her she isn't.'
Despite the repeated tension, his mother has continued pushing for Megan's inclusion in family activities and milestones; something the teen says has made him feel ignored and unsupported. 'My mom keeps saying Megan is part of the family and has to be included,' he writes. 'But I'm the one being hurt in all this, and nobody seems to care.'
When his mother informed him that Megan would be attending his birthday weekend at a rented cabin, and that the dates had been changed specifically to fit her schedule, he decided he'd had enough. 'I told her to cancel the whole thing. I told my friends the trip was off and that we'd do something else instead," he shares.
His mother did not take it well. 'She told me not to throw a tantrum and to think about Megan's feelings,' he writes. 'But I just said I didn't care anymore. I didn't want her there, and it would ruin the weekend if she came.'
The teen describes the cancellation as a last resort after years of feeling dismissed. Even after asking his mother for help in setting boundaries, he says Megan continues to come into his room without permission, break his things and cross personal lines without consequence.
'She even ruined my favorite hoodie by giving it to her best friend,' he adds. 'Even when Mom told her to make it right, she just kept asking for forgiveness instead of changing.'
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Now, he's asking the Reddit community whether he was wrong for canceling a celebration that had been meant to bring him joy. Commenters are squarely on his side.
"Suggest that Mom and step dad take Megan for a weekend to the cabin. She would be out of town for your birthday, and [you] could have a nice afternoon and evening with his friends," writes one.
Adds another, "Calling off the cabin trip was you drawing a boundary. That is not a tantrum. That is self preservation with receipts. You are not excluding family. You are excluding someone who has consistently made your life harder. Big difference."
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