AITA For Not Wanting To Babysit My Ex’s Step Kids... - Best Reddit Stories

Описание: AITA For Not Wanting To Babysit My Ex’s Step Kids... - Best Reddit Stories
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AITA For Not Wanting To Babysit My Ex’s Step Kids
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I thought I had a solid custody arrangement with my ex, Thomas. We had been separated for four years and had agreed that our 12-year-old twins would stay with me for two weeks and then spend a week with him. It seemed fair, especially since he traveled a lot for work, and he had assured me he would be home during his custody weeks.
Then, a few days ago, I got a text from his wife, Sandy. She asked if I could pick up my kids because she had plans, and Thomas was held up at work. It wasn’t an issue for me—I was already on my way home—so I called Thomas to confirm. I also told him I’d just keep them overnight since it was late, and he agreed. Simple, right?
Wrong.
When I arrived, my kids were already packed and waiting at the door. Sandy barely acknowledged me, just yelled a quick goodbye from another room. I figured everything was fine—until I started pulling out of the driveway, and she came running after my car, waving her arms.
She demanded to know why I wasn’t taking her kids too. I was completely caught off guard. I told her I never agreed to that and wasn’t comfortable taking children I barely knew to my house. She got angry, saying she always watched my kids, so I should return the favor. I told her that was between her and Thomas, but my kids were my responsibility. She stormed off, furious.
Minutes later, Thomas called me, practically begging me to go back for Sandy’s kids. He said it was only fair since Sandy watched ours. That’s when I realized something wasn’t adding up. When I got home, I casually asked my kids how often they saw their dad during their week with him. My son shrugged and said, "Mostly just on weekends or sometimes in the morning. It’s usually Sandy with us."
My stomach dropped. I had assumed that when my kids were at their father’s, they were actually with their father—but they weren’t.
I called Thomas again and confronted him. He tried to argue that it wasn’t a big deal, that he had to work, that Sandy was helping out. But that wasn’t what we agreed to. We had set up this arrangement because he was supposed to be home. If he couldn’t do that, then things needed to change.
After a tense meeting, we agreed that, for now, I would have the kids full-time. Thomas would get them every second weekend and take them out twice a month during the week. If his work schedule didn’t improve, if he didn’t start actually being present, then I would go for full legal custody.
I walked away knowing I had done what was best for my kids, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should have noticed sooner. Had I been too trusting? Should I have asked more questions?
I don’t regret what I did, but I keep wondering—should I have handled it differently?
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