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Mom Receives A Letter From Teen Daughter Threatening No-Contact, Ignores It And Lets It Happen
Silhouette of a woman standing by a window, reflecting feelings of a teen torn about seeing biological mom.

Mom Receives A Letter From Teen Daughter Threatening No-Contact, Ignores It And Lets It Happen

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It’s not uncommon for children in the foster care or adoption system to maintain contact with their biological parents. In fact, a 2012 study found that 95% of adoptive families maintain at least some form of contact with the biological parents. But what if the child is the one who wants to cut the contact?

This 17-year-old planned to do just that upon turning 18. According to her, her biological mother showed not enough enthusiasm to spend time with her and her sister. She would cancel or reschedule meetings constantly, prompting the teen to write her a letter with an ultimatum: either she shows more effort, or she loses her biological daughter forever.

RELATED:

    A teen decided to cut contact with her biological mother when she wouldn’t show her enough attention

    Teen sitting by a window in a dim room, appearing troubled and torn about seeing biological mom and feeling second-rate.

    Image credits: Juan Diavanera/Pexels (not the actual photo)

    However, her younger sister got mad about it and begged her to reconsider

    Teen torn about continuing to see biological mom, feeling treated like a second-rate child in a difficult family situation.

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    Later, the mother replied to the teen in a letter, but it wasn’t the response she expected

    Image credits: Karola G/Pexels (not the actual photo)

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    After some time, u/Confident-Ad5730 came back with an update. The teen wrote that, after she came back from her trip, her mother finally sent her a letter. In it, she expressed that she felt sad to be such a little part of the girls’ lives and didn’t get to express her emotions during the arranged meetings.

    “She told me in that letter that my brothers would be very sad if I just didn’t come to the meetings anymore,” the teen wrote in the update. “She also told me that she just thinks that she’s not a good mom for us and it would be best if she was a good friend to us and she hopes she sees me at the next meeting.”

    The letter left the teen feeling confused and hurt. She confided in other netizens that she doesn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to go to the next meeting, but felt that she had respond somehow.

    The commenters didn’t show much empathy for the mother. “Sounds like she’s making excuses and blaming everything but her,” one Redditor wrote. “She clearly doesn’t love you or really care if she thinks seeing once in four months is enough and if she thinks it acceptable to act like [you’re] a burden and asking too much for her to bother attending even those few visits.”

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    Others speculated that it was the bio mom’s way of putting on a show for her new husband and younger kids. “This way, when you cut contact [because] she only disappoints you over and over again, she can blame you for not giving her a chance.”

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    “Clearly, she doesn’t really care about you,” another commenter wrote. “And clearly you don’t owe her anything.”

    In another update, the teen’s biological dad made an appearance

    Image credits: cottonbro studio/Pexels (not the actual photo)

    In a subsequent update, the teen sought advice on what to do about her and her sister’s biological dad wanting to meet. “He’s been absent for almost 16 years of my life now and now that I’m almost an adult (I’m turning 18 next month) he wants to reconnect but I don’t feel like letting him into my life or having a conversation with him at all.”

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    The teen’s foster parents told her it was her decision whether she would see him or not. And so did the commenters; many sympathized with her and told her it was okay to refuse if she still couldn’t forgive him for what he’d put her through as a baby.

    One commenter speculated that the father might’ve want to come back into the picture because the hardest part of raising his kids was over. “He now wants to swoop in and demand respect and obedience from you,” u/TheQuietType84 wrote. “If he gets that respect and obedience from you, then, in his mind, he can believe he’s a good person and a good father and that the past doesn’t matter at all.”

    Other commenters recommended the teen do what her gut was telling her. “If you have hesitation then don’t see him. You don’t owe either bio parent anything,” one user wrote.

    “But sometimes it’s good to have closure in relationships or ask the questions you’re asking yourself!” another offered with different advice.

    The commenters sided with the teen: “This wasn’t ‘your’ choice, but [your] bio-mom’s choice”

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    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

    Read less »
    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

    What do you think ?
    JoMeBee
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OP is very fortunate that she won the foster system lottery. I completely agree with the comments that state that it shouldn't be up to the child to maintain the relationship and you can only set yourself up for hurt so many times. OP is doing what she needs for her own wellness; I hope she finds peace with her decision.

    eggerandrawal
    Community Member
    1 month ago

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    Zoe Vokes
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    NTA but there are always people like sister who live in hope about what their relationship with their parent could be. They ignore all bad behaviour, missed meetings and neglect because they want the love of that parent so badly. Their bio mother barely wants to see them once a year. It’s terrible that OP’s sensible decision to protect herself is negatively affecting her relationship with sister.

    brittany
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    exactly. i am no contact ith my bio mom and yet i will admit there will always be a small part of me that hopes she'll want to be a good mom some day

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    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    NTJ or TA. Everyone has to figure out for themselves what they want from their parents, and how they will respond to what they actually get. Wiring a thoughtful letter was a good way to address what OP wants, and what she's willing to accept. Sister is going to have to figure out her own boundaries. It sounds like she's upset with the situation, but the only one to yell at is OP because bio mom isn't around. It's really hard when you have always felt like it's you and your siblings against the world and then theres a major issue when you aren't a united front OP needs to reassure her they are still a team , but they don't have the same take on this

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    JoMeBee
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OP is very fortunate that she won the foster system lottery. I completely agree with the comments that state that it shouldn't be up to the child to maintain the relationship and you can only set yourself up for hurt so many times. OP is doing what she needs for her own wellness; I hope she finds peace with her decision.

    eggerandrawal
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    This comment has been deleted.

    Load More Replies...
    Zoe Vokes
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    NTA but there are always people like sister who live in hope about what their relationship with their parent could be. They ignore all bad behaviour, missed meetings and neglect because they want the love of that parent so badly. Their bio mother barely wants to see them once a year. It’s terrible that OP’s sensible decision to protect herself is negatively affecting her relationship with sister.

    brittany
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    exactly. i am no contact ith my bio mom and yet i will admit there will always be a small part of me that hopes she'll want to be a good mom some day

    Load More Replies...
    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    NTJ or TA. Everyone has to figure out for themselves what they want from their parents, and how they will respond to what they actually get. Wiring a thoughtful letter was a good way to address what OP wants, and what she's willing to accept. Sister is going to have to figure out her own boundaries. It sounds like she's upset with the situation, but the only one to yell at is OP because bio mom isn't around. It's really hard when you have always felt like it's you and your siblings against the world and then theres a major issue when you aren't a united front OP needs to reassure her they are still a team , but they don't have the same take on this

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