Man Expects New Wife to Take on a Motherly Role toward His Son

A man asked for opinions about whether expecting his new wife to take on a motherly role toward his son was right or wrong.

Writing on Reddit, the man shared that he and his late ex-wife divorced soon after they welcomed their son into the world.

They had 50/50 custody over their child, who is now 10. His ex-wife's work was hectic around weekends, so she spent time with their son on weekdays. The man would bond with his child on weekends.

Five years ago, the man met his current wife. She and his son got along really well. He wrote, "She is a bit of a tomboy and they had a lot of common interests. She always took on a more fun aunt role than a step mom."

The setup seemed to work well. His wife did not want a big obligation, and his ex-wife did not have to stress over his wife over-stepping.

The conflict began after his ex-wife passed away two months ago. The child came to live with him and his wife. Meanwhile, all of them are stuck in the house due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The man and his wife both work from home, and during the day, his son has online classes. Although the child is still working through his grief, he seems well adjusted in their home.

His wife is still staying in her role as a "fun adult." Once he is done with his work, the man helps his son with everything, while she relaxes in their room.

She told him that she never thought she would have to be a "mother figure" to his son.

At this point, he said he felt drained because he is doing all the hard stuff while his wife gets to be the "cool/fun parent."

At some point, the man decided to tell his wife about the situation. She told him that she never thought she would have to be a "mother figure" to his son.

His wife pointed out that it was a huge adjustment for her and that she disapproved of promptly stepping into that role.

"I told her that she is an adult and it's been months and she needs to act more like a parent-figure to him," the man shared. But she became upset and refused to talk to him.

He explained that he is not expecting his wife to transform into his son's mother or replace his ex-wife. At the same time, he is tired of feeling like a single parent despite the fact that he has a partner.

This family drama is not uncommon in online forums. In another controversial post on Reddit, a man sparked a passionate debate after sharing that he left the country to avoid paying child support.