Mom Slammed for Expecting Teen Daughter to Share Room With Half-Brother

A parent has been left scratching their head after taking sides with their teen about her sleeping arrangements.

On March 11, Reddit u/Beautiful-Cry4418/ explained that his 14-year-old daughter is expected to share a bedroom with her younger half-brother, 9, when staying at her mom's house.

The parent who has full custody titled the post: "AITA for taking my daughter's side?"

According to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau, a majority (70.1 percent) of the nation's children under age 18 lived in one household with both parents, 21.4 percent lived with their mother, 4.4 percent with their father, and 4.0 did not live with a parent in 2019.

Explaining the family dynamic, the user states his ex has had three more children aged 9, 7 and 4 with her current husband. In the comments, he says that their shared daughter, who is the eldest, stays at the mom's place bimonthly.

The Redditor points out that the mother and her family have had to downgrade their home due to financial issues. They are now living in a three-bedroom property.

Explaining the story, the parent said: "Yesterday my ex called me angrily and asked me to talk some sense into my daughter. Apparently, my daughter and ex had a huge fight when my daughter found out she is supposed to share a bedroom with her half-brother, my daughter told her mom that she wants a room for herself or she will stop going to her home.

"I told my ex [that] I understand that she has financial issues but she needs to understand that my daughter shouldn't have to share a bedroom with her brother if she doesn't want to do so. I said that I think my daughter is right and asked if I should pick her up since it seems like she is not willing to give her a bedroom for herself...."

'The Welfare of Our Children Always Comes First'

Newsweek reached out to Hannah Keeley, who is best known as America's #1 Mom Coach, to discuss the Reddit post that has 5,600 upvotes.

"When parents are busy with their own lives, especially dealing with financial problems, it's easy to overlook the needs of their teenagers," Keeley said. "Teenagers often exhibit independence in making their own decisions, but this can mask a need to feel heard, supported and safe.

"This teenage daughter needs to feel safe and should never, under any circumstances, be forced to share a room with someone, especially a boy near her own age. Rooming arrangements can be made another way, but the most important issue here is that this teenage girl feels safe and acknowledged. Even though life can get busy and stressful—managing an ex, a blended family and financial hardships—the welfare of our children always comes first."

'Your Daughter Should Not Have to Pay the Price'

The post has more than 1,000 comments and most agree with the parent.

The top comment said: "NTA. Your kid is 14 years old. Having her share a room with a boy is a big no-no. She needs her privacy. I'd be on the mom's side if the girl had to share with the girls but with the boy. Absolutely not."

"NTA. She's a teenage girl, and her mom expects her to share a room with a preteen boy. That will end up [being] highly awkward for both of those kids," said another.

Another agreed: "NTA. Your daughter has every right to object to sharing a bedroom with her half-brother. Your ex-wife built a family that she cannot afford to sustain. Your daughter should not have to pay the price."

Newsweek reached out to u/Beautiful-Cry4418 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.

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