Subject: Did I go too far by banning my daughter from Christmas after her disrespectful behavior?
I’m 34, married to Jason (39), who has two daughters, Emily (10) and Lily (8), from his previous marriage. I also have a daughter, Ava (12), who has struggled with her stepfamily. Despite my efforts to create a harmonious blended family, Ava has been rude to Jason and his daughters, calling Jason “the guy Mom married” and telling Emily and Lily they “don’t belong here.” After Ava destroyed Emily’s art project and refused to listen to Jason, I told her she couldn’t come to Christmas if she couldn’t respect our family.
The next night, I received an unsettling call from a strange man, who turned out to be Ava’s dad’s brother, trying to scare me after Ava went to her dad’s house. Now, my family is calling me cruel for banning Ava from Christmas, but Jason says I made the right call. I love my daughter, but her behavior is out of control. Did I go too far, or was this necessary?
