Stepparent and stepchild relationships can be difficult, and sometimes, a bond just doesn’t form. A woman shared on Reddit that even after years of trying, she couldn’t connect with her stepson. This led her to decide not to take on a grandparent role for his kids, showing how complicated blended families can be.

The stepmom never really bonded with her stepson.
It’s a bit complicated. I’m a stepmom to 5 great kids. I became their stepmom when the oldest was just 9, and over time, I adopted all of them—except one, Nick. From the start, Nick made it clear he didn’t want me to be his mother, and I respected that. But when Nick turned 18, he made it obvious he didn’t care about me at all.

I wasn’t invited to his wedding or any holidays he hosted. The final blow was when he said he would only come to Christmas at my house if I wasn’t there. Since then, we’ve barely spoken. Nick also drifted away from his siblings. Now, he has 2 daughters, and suddenly, he called me. We started talking, which surprised me.

After some time, he complained about not getting help with his kids and asked me to watch them on Sundays and act as a grandparent. I bluntly told him that he’s the reason he doesn’t have a village to help him, as he burned those bridges himself. He didn’t like that, called me a jerk, and hung up. My husband isn’t sure how to feel but left the decision to me since I’d be the one mainly taking care of the kids because he travels for work a lot.