Step Mom’s Refusal to Cover Daughter’s Travel Expenses Raises Eyebrows

A Reddit user shares her situation with her stepdaughter and explains why she no longer wants to pay for her stepdaughter to come to visit.

Making the Best of a Bad Situation

The original poster (OP) explains that she and her husband have five children. Her oldest two are from a previous marriage, he has a daughter from an ex, and they have two children together. OP explains that all of the children are at the house “70-100% of the time,” except for her stepdaughter, who lives across the country.

OP says that in order for her husband to get her stepdaughter to come visit, he has to fly to where she is, pick her up, and fly back with her because she is a minor. OP explains that they tried the unaccompanied minor program, but that it went so badly that they vowed to never do it again.

The issue OP is having is that it costs anywhere from $1500 to $2500 just for the flights back and forth, and the money has been coming out of their joint account. OP makes it clear that she loves her stepdaughter, but she cannot afford these costly trips anymore.

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Selfish or Self-Preservation?

OP explains that between the additional school costs she will have associated with her eldest daughter attending college and the increase in cost for that, paying the additional amount is “killing” her. OP says going forward she needs the flight costs to come out of her husband’s individual account like the child support does.

Her husband is accusing her of “hating” her stepdaughter and not seeing her as part of the family. OP insists that she loves her stepdaughter and she’s happy to spend money on her when she comes to visit, but the flight costs are too much for her to afford. OP believes that if child support isn’t a joint expense, her travel fees shouldn’t be either.

Is OP correct in her assertion? Did her husband overreact to her request? How would you have reacted in this situation?

This article was produced and syndicated by Parent Portfolio.