Every home you pass will have stories of disputes between the residents. Finding a way to give in—to forgive and forget—is the secret to keeping the peace. However, what usually happens is that something spirals out of control and has serious consequences. When relationships fail, someone is nearly always left with lifelong harm—in this case, being evicted.
The biggest problem here seems to be that people lose their cool, which makes the whole situation worse. Effective communication is the most important ability that every family member should learn to live together. Certain family members always try to hide their heads in the sand when there is a minor issue, which frequently leads to bigger issues. It’s imperative that someone actually speak up and express their feelings in a healthy way.
A stepparent meeting a child presents a classic dilemma in this particular Reddit post. A child will often need some time to become used to a stranger. The parent’s skills and tolerance are put to use in this situation. This parent should always make efforts to guarantee that the child and the step-parent wind up developing a close relationship because they cannot afford to be careless.
Or, conflict might be sowed from an early age, which would result in more serious issues down the road. But as we read the actual circumstances, a number of things become clear. Speaking of how the stepmother and father were evicted, OP wrote:
“My family lives in my grandparents’ house just outside the city on an acreage. My dad works out of town and my mom liked having the help with me and she liked helping out her folks. My mom passed away from cancer about 12 years ago […] dad still had to work so I just kept living with my grandparents. My dad always spent time with me when he was home. I wish my mom hadn’t passed but I had a pretty good life.
When he was home he would stay in their old room or we would go on vacations. My grandparents both passed away over the last couple of years and complications. My mom was an only child and so am I […] mom’s life insurance went to my dad, and he used it to help renovate the house. My grandparents never charged him rent. Sorry, I realize how confusing this is. Anyways I am the only person in my grandmother’s will. I got money and the house and my grandpa’s truck.”By now, most of us probably know where the story is going. While OP did have quite a rough phase in her childhood with the death of her mother, she didn’t end up lacking anything. But as it stands, fate has a weird way of messing with people.
“My dad started dating a couple of years after my mom passed away. He never brought anyone to the house until this last one. She is young but pretty[…] So she’s been living with me for about six months. Now she just got pregnant. My dad asked her to marry him. I’m happy for him. He is a great dad.
My stepmom-to-be has started in on me about when I’m going to move out since they will need my room for the baby. My dad never told her the house is mine […] I told her it was my house and I’m not giving up my room. I also said that my dad had a fair amount of savings and could probably buy them a house.”
With this dilemma, OP posted about whether she should feel guilty about evicting her father and stepmother. As it stands, r/AITA was having none of that. One user wrote, “The house is yours. That is just a reality. You are not moving out. That is another reality. She offered you her apartment at a discount- this is funny considering she is living in your home for free.”
“Facts are facts. You’re not leaving them without options, and she wasn’t leaving you without one (although, it irks me a bit that she wanted you to rent her apartment). Doesn’t sound like there will be bad blood. Rest easy.” To this, OP responded with, “My dad has like 20 years of savings to pay for a house. They aren’t going to be homeless.