{"id":6771,"date":"2025-03-14T23:39:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T23:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/Local Reads\/?p=6771"},"modified":"2025-03-14T23:39:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T23:39:43","slug":"my-son-decided-to-live-with-his-stepmom-and-my-next-move-completely-transformed-our-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/Local Reads\/my-son-decided-to-live-with-his-stepmom-and-my-next-move-completely-transformed-our-family\/","title":{"rendered":"My Son Decided to Live with His Stepmom, and My Next Move Completely Transformed Our Family"},"content":{"rendered":"

After my divorce, I struggled as a single mom to my son, Austin. Finances were tight, and the holidays only made it harder. When my ex, Roy, offered to take Austin for Thanksgiving, I reluctantly agreed. At Roy and his wife Jill\u2019s house, everything was perfect, and Austin seemed happy. I felt like I was losing him to their ideal life.\n

\n

Determined to win him back, I worked multiple jobs and poured everything into making our Christmas special. When Austin saw the decorations and the tree I\u2019d made just like old times, he was thrilled. I was hopeful until I saw him open the LEGO set I\u2019d struggled to afford, only to realize Jill had already bought it for him.\n

In a moment of exhaustion, I collapsed. When I woke, Roy and Jill supported me, and we finally had an honest conversation. Jill reassured me that she wasn\u2019t trying to replace me, and Austin expressed how much he missed our old life together.\n

\n

By Christmas, we\u2019d agreed to stop dividing Austin\u2019s time. He could have a home with both of us, and that Christmas, despite the chaos, we celebrated together. It wasn\u2019t perfect, but it was the family we needed.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After my divorce, I struggled as a single mom to my son, Austin. Finances were tight, and the holidays only made it harder. When my ex, Roy,… \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n

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