Stepkids Bully Stepmom For Years, She Finally Has Enough After A B-Day Prank But Husband Just Doesn’t Get It

People are wired differently. What may be hilarious to one may be hurtful and tasteless to another. And the worst thing you can do is to invalidate the feelings of the person you offended. 

This woman knows these feelings all too well, having experienced them firsthand with her immediate family. After enduring mocking pranks from her stepdaughters and her husband’s gaslighting during her birthday, she requested some distance from all of them. 

But, instead of showing any understanding, the husband somehow found a way to make himself look like the victim. 

What may seem like a “harmless” prank for one person can greatly offend another

Woman pushed to her limits by stepdaughters’ gift, showing emotional reaction while reflecting on conversation with husband.

Image credits:  jcfotograf/Envato (not the actual photo)

For this family, what was deemed a practical joke turned into a huge problem

Text excerpt about stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits and a viral conversation with her husband displayed on a grey and white background.

Text excerpt discussing a stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits, sharing a viral conversation with her husband.

Text showing a woman sharing a conversation with her husband about their stepdaughters’ gift pushing her to her limits.

Text showing a woman sharing a viral conversation with her husband about her stepdaughters’ gift pushing her to her limits.

The author posted screenshots of how the conversation with the husband went

Text message conversation showing a woman pushed to her limits by stepdaughters’ gift, sharing viral talk with husband.

Text message exchange showing a tense conversation about stepdaughters’ gift causing conflict between a woman and her husband.

Two teenage girls interacting indoors, illustrating stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits in a family setting.

Image credits: Image-Source/Envato (not the actual photo)

Text message conversation showing tension and struggle in a stepdaughters’ gift conflict between a woman and her husband.

Image credits: Proud-Cantaloupe3449

Pranks can open a person’s old wounds and deep-seated issues 

Pranks are highly subjective, and that’s what makes them problematic. The person doing it will likely find it hilarious and harmless, without knowing how it affects the individual on the receiving end. 

They are unaware that such jokes may be triggering, to the point that they can reopen old wounds. 

“Pranks can trigger past trauma, cause hypervigilance, or an erosion of trust in a relationship,” author and therapist Dr. Stephanie Sarkis wrote in an article for Psychology Today, adding that practical jokes done in bad taste can also be an attempt to gain control over partners or family members. 

Woman with curly hair looking concerned indoors, reflecting emotional limits after stepdaughters gift and viral conversation.

Image credits: simonapilolla/Envato (not the actual photo)

According to Dr. Sarkis, any pranks that harm a person psychologically and negatively affect the relationship are not worth doing. 

Meanwhile, gaslighting also has a profound effect on the person receiving them. According to clinical psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston, it rewires their brain to default to self-doubt. Worse, they become hypervigilant and are unable to trust the overcautiousness they feel. 

Dr. Johnston notes that people who have gone through gaslighting often have brain scans that are similar to those with PTSD. She adds that recovering from it requires external validation and rebuilding a narrative. 

The author likely won’t be able to do these things in her current environment, and distancing herself was the right decision. The husband should have been more understanding instead of playing the victim.

The author also provided more information in the comments

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Some commenters had opinions against the husband

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Text from an online comment criticizing a man for supporting his children treating a woman poorly, urging her to leave him.

Screenshot of a viral online conversation about stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits with her husband.

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Text conversation discussing prank culture, stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits, and viral husband conversation.

Alt text: Online comment discussing stepdaughters’ gift conflict pushing woman to her limits and viral conversation with husband.

Screenshot of a comment discussing a woman’s limits and a viral conversation with her husband about stepdaughters’ gift.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing a woman's challenging relationship with her stepdaughters and husband.

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Text comment about husband fueling stepdaughters’ disrespect, pushing woman to her limits, sparking viral conversation.

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Comment on Reddit highlighting toxic family dynamics involving stepdaughters’ gift and viral conversation with husband.

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Comment from user about stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and husband’s response causing tension.

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However, there were a few who thought the author may have overreacted

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Commenter discussing toxic family dynamics and suggesting therapy to address issues with stepdaughters’ gift causing strain.

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