I’m Not Allowed to Go to My Stepson’s Birthday Party

When families blend, things can get tricky, especially if the parents don’t get along.

Recently, Stella shared her tough situation with us. She’s never clicked with her husband’s ex and now, she’s left out of her stepson’s birthday bash. She’s wondering what she should do next.

Here’s what Stella wrote to us: “My stepson just turned 7 and his mom’s throwing a big party for him with 25 guests at her house. My husband’s invited, but his ex made it clear: he should come alone, without me.

It’s tough because my husband’s ex really doesn’t like me. I do my best with her son, but she still talks badly about me and is pretty rude. I usually just ignore her.

So, I stood my ground and told my husband he shouldn’t go to the party without me. I said, ‘If you go alone, it feels like you’re ignoring how this affects me, especially in front of our friends.’

But then he hit back, saying, ‘Maybe if you were nicer to my ex, she’d welcome you at her house. You can’t just ignore her and expect to be invited.’

He also reminded me, ‘My ex and I will always be connected because of our son.’

I really don’t want him to go to that party. I suggested we throw a smaller one at our house, but he’s set on going. Am I being unreasonable?

Yours,

Stella

What would you do if you were in Stella’s shoes?