When my teenage daughter worked tirelessly to save up for her dream sewing machine, she never imagined the person who would take it away from her would be her stepmother. But when I heard what had happened, I found a way to stand up for her — and made sure her voice was heard.
Let me give you some context.
I’m 46, and my daughter Rachel is 16. She’s driven, artistic, and dreams of becoming a fashion designer. She lives with me full-time but visits her father, Mark, every other weekend. Let’s just say… those weekends are often stressful.
Mark and I split years ago. He’s a laid-back kind of dad — more of a friend than a parent — and he remarried shortly after our divorce. His wife Karen has always been strict, structured, and, to put it gently, not the most nurturing presence in Rachel’s life.
Rachel is independent and expressive, so it’s no surprise they often clash.
Karen believes in earning every privilege — which isn’t inherently wrong — but she takes it to an extreme. Rachel isn’t given any pocket money and is expected to complete long lists of chores with little recognition. Mark doesn’t intervene much. His attitude has always been, “I feed her and pay for school. That’s enough.”
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