A teenager has been cheered online for standing up to her stepmother, who she said had laughed at her for taking on extra-curricular acting classes and labeled them a waste of money.
The teenage girl took to Reddit to share how she stuck it to her stepmother and what happened afterwards.
"I would like to break into the acting industry," she opened up. "I'm studying business at university in London and take acting classes on the side. All paid for by myself. My stepmother was laughing at me for taking the classes and paying for them, and was trying to get a kick out of my dad at my expense. I retaliated saying she was just jealous because she got knocked up at 18 and couldn't do anything fun," she wrote online.
The teenager went on to reveal that her comment bruised her stepmother, who immediately stopped smiling in response. The girl's dad is now trying to get her to apologize for what she said, although she has continuously refused to do so on the basis that her stepmom was "belittling [her] interests."
While it wasn't clear in the viral social media post what the girl's relationship with her stepmother is generally like, it can be assumed that the pair don't fully share the same values or interests. The Redditor said she felt belittled and humiliated by her stepmom, and that she doesn't encourage her to pursue her passions.
Alena Scigliano, a licensed psychotherapist at Coastal Light Counseling in Virginia, shared her thoughts with Newsweek on how the teenager could handle living with her stepmother.
"The best way to deal with emotionally abusive or problematic family members is to set very strong boundaries, communicate those boundaries, and enforce the boundaries," Scigliano opened up.
"When a family member doesn't respect the boundaries you set, explain the consequence of not respecting the boundary, and then always follow through on the consequence. Otherwise, you're indirectly communicating to them that you'll allow boundary violations," she added.
The psychotherapist went on to explain that when all else fails, it would be a good idea for the pair to set up airtight internal boundaries that will help them to not be emotionally impacted each time they cross the interpersonal boundaries or make a comment that the other person finds hurtful.
Since it was shared to the social media platform on April 17 by @Educational-Car4490, the post has been commented on by over 900 Reddit users. The majority of the Redditors engaging with the post have backed the teenage girl and validated her decision to stand up to her stepmother.
"It was mean but it was funny, and she deserved it," one user wrote.
"Sounds like the OP hit the nail on the head with her comment," another user commented. "Of course the kid has to apologize to the abusive stepparent in this scenario," they added.
If you have a family dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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