My daughter and stepdaughter are jealous of each other but I refuse to treat them equally – and people are supporting me
A father has sparked debate after revealing how he stood up to his wife when she suggested his teenage daughter hand over part of her wages to her stepsister.
The American man expressed his frustrations on one Reddit forumin which he explains that his teenage daughter is a gifted athlete and takes home $1,200 a week for teaching elementary school tennis.
However, his stepdaughter, 16, earns only $200 a week at a burger restaurant and is jealous of her stepsister, who can afford to buy the latest clothes and electronics with her earnings.
His wife has now suggested that his daughter hand over some of her money to her stepsister to make up the difference, or that they raise the money themselves to level the playing field.
The majority of Reddit users were surprised by the request, labeling the woman as “delusional” and “jealous.”
The father was left baffled after his wife suggested his daughter split her wages or they would have to foot the bill for the difference in earnings between the two girls.
He and his wife have signed up the stepdaughter for a series of activities in the hope that this will calm the growing jealousy between the two.
The father explained that he and his partner both have teenage daughters from previous relationships.
His daughter is active and outgoing and plays a variety of sports, including golf, soccer, softball, volleyball and basketball.
The proud parent said that once his daughter picked up a tennis racket, she “never looked back.”
The teenager is reportedly ‘one of the best’ players at her school and her father gave private lessons for a while.
However, when she discovered the price of the lessons, she decided to subsidize them herself by getting a job.
She has found a job teaching tennis to elementary school children, charging $75 per child per hour.
However, problems began to arise in the household, when his wife began to point out the difference between the two girls’ wages.
He said they started “whispering and arguing” after she suggested it was “unfair” that his daughter could afford the latest gadgets and fashion when her daughter earned just $200 working at a burger cafe.
The father was baffled when she suggested that his daughter split her pay packet with the step-sibling or that they pay the difference due to the jealousy growing between the two.
He disagreed, especially when the woman repeated it the next morning and accused him of “playing favorites.”
The man continued to refuse, saying it was a good life lesson for the two young girls.
He reasoned that his stepdaughter had been given the same opportunities to develop her sporting skills, but that she had often given up after a week or two.
He has now signed up his stepdaughter for the same sports as his daughter, hoping this will encourage the pair to bond.
However, he is not optimistic about his stepchild’s potential, writing: “Before she got this job, she spent a lot of her free time playing games, so I can’t imagine what skills she could use in providing tutoring. ‘
Reddit users have flooded the comments with support for the father, labeling his wife and stepdaughter as “jealous,” “unreasonable” and “delusional.”
One user wrote: ‘Your wife and stepdaughter are not entitled to anyone’s money but their own.
‘My brother earns much more than me, does this mean he has to pay for my new car?’
Another added: ‘It is NOT your daughter’s job to take care of her stepsister and your wife needs to get a handle on that.’
Urging the father to stick to his guns, one person joked: “Your daughter’s money is her own business. Not for sharing.’
While one user said the woman was ‘seriously out of line’ and that: ‘She needs to step back.’
Others suggested that the stepdaughter was doing ‘her best’ and that the parents could be more supportive, saying: ‘Maybe you can give her something up to get better stuff – but your daughter’s money is HER and hers only.
However, some took a more balanced view and felt sorry for the man’s stepdaughter.
One wrote that he seems to see his stepdaughter “as an asset to his daughter, and not as a separate child with her own interests and preferences.”
Another agreed that it sounded like the stepfather was trying to put the girl in a box instead of helping her “find and develop her own interests.” Also called parenting.