Emily Duprie
Conjoining two families is never a seamless process and tension can rise easily when there’s kids from both sides involved. Sibling jealousy is a very real thing and sometimes can be perfectly normal. Sometimes however, vendettas can be taken a little bit too far, especially when it’s between a 16 and 4 year old.
One Redditor (u/stepdaughter52454) dashed to the subreddit “Am I The A-hole?” after she revoked her 16 year-old stepdaughters birthday gift for being, well, a brat. When the girl went to the trouble to make her main course of her birthday extravaganza homemade cupcakes, but intentionally didn’t make one for OP’s 4 year-old, feelings were hurt and iPhones were returned. Read the story in full below and let us know what you think OP’s next moves should be.
‘I could hear her yell “Dad she took the iPhone!” while I was walking out with my daughter.’
This offended Stepmom-to-be asked Reddit: “AITA for returning my stepdaughter’s birthday gift because she didn’t save a cupcake for my daughter?”
I’m, f33 engaged to my fiance, m36. I have a 4yo daughter and he has a 16 yo daughter.
He comes from a conservative family so we won’t move in together til after marriage. So far we’re on good terms as a blended family. But I noticed that my stepdaughter acts kind of distant towards my daughter. Every time I try to talk to my fiance about it he’d tell me to give the kids a chance to bond and warm up to each other.
My stepdaughter’s 16th birthday took place on Sunday. Since she’s into baking, she decided to bake cupcakes instead of having an actual birthday cake. My daughter and I went over to my fiance’s house to attend the party and I brought my stepdaughter a gift which was an iphone.
We sat down as she started serving everyone cupcakes. Then when it was my daughter’s turn, she bluntly said she was sorry but she didn’t save any for my daughter. I felt confused, I asked if she made enough cupcakes and whether there were guests that came uninvited. She said no and that she just didn’t make one for my daughter. I asked why, she refused to say. I was so mad and felt hurt on my daughter’s behalf. I got up and told my fiance that I wanted to leave. My fiance tried to stop me and offered his cupcake to my daughter but I refused to take it. On the way out, I grabbed the gift I brought for my stepdaughter and she stood there and watched. I could hear her yell “Dad she took the iphone!” while I was walking out with my daughter. My fiance tried to get me to go back inside but I refused.
Later, he came over and we had an argument. He said that I overreacted, and that I know how some teenagers can be moody and do random stuff without an explanation so I shouldn’t have taken it personally. I said she excluded my daughter and didn’t save her a cupcake but he said it was just a cupcake and then reminded me that he offered his cupcake and said I should’ve accepted it and called it a day. He said taking the iphone which was supposed to be a gift back was poor taste and it might hurt my relationship with his daughter. I refused to give it to him so he could give it to her since she was crying about it. He left and was mad at me.
We haven’t talked since then except via texts.
Edit# She’s been wanting the iphone for a while and since her dad couldn’t buy it I decided it’d be nice if I gifted it to her.
For those who are asking how a teenager could own an iphone. ???? I’m sorry if it’s uncommon where you live but where I live, Iphones are the most common phones.
also, I saw that she served her girlfriend a whole plate of cupcakes so it’s not like she baked a specific number.
Redditors in the comments agreed that OP’s step-daughter and fiance-to-be were way out of line for their behavior towards a 4-year old.
