My Daughter Said I Was No Longer the Mother She Needed and Moved in With Her Stepmother — Story of the Day

I tried to set rules, boundaries, consequences. But she only slammed the door in my face.

“You do not understand anything!” she screamed one night before locking herself in her room.

I stood in the hallway, staring at her closed door, feeling helpless. I had no idea when things had gone so wrong.

I started to wonder if maybe I had failed her somehow. Maybe I hadn’t been enough. So I decided to talk with Ben. Maybe together, we could figure this out.

“She is just a teenager,” Ben said, his tone calm.

“Yes, but she is still your daughter, and you have to care about her safety,” I said. “You know what she’s been doing lately. Skipping classes. Sneaking out at night. Hanging out with kids much older than her. That’s not nothing, Ben.”

“So what do you want, for me to control her every step?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course not,” I said. “But you also need to set some rules for her. Right now, I’m the only one saying no. I’m always the bad guy, and you’re the fun parent who allows everything.”

Ben rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Alexis, I can’t forbid her anything. She only comes to me on weekends. What do you expect me to do?”