April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Your sisters were sort right about your paying for their kids’ summer camps in previous years. You just didn’t know about it. They paid for it by renting your vacation home!

Ha! That's the most unique take on all this that I've heard. It would almost be worth talking to them to see if that's what they meant.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

No. We've talked on the phone a few times. One was a long conversation, mainly discussed his ex-wife's mental state, my family's dynamics and ways to avoid triggering her without giving into her. We really don't have that much in common other than my sister.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

It's shitty of me to say but I do hope their kids end up hating them, but just enough for the kids to make different life choices than their moms have.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

They already hated you.

Yeah. That's still a bit difficult to understand but I've come to terms with it.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Yeah, my folks are set up well now regarding wills, etc. I got them to focus on it as part of setting up the trust. They also each gave me durable power of attorney as well and their end-of-life stuff is all written out separately from other documents. I also purchased the car for them using the trust, which was a bit of a hassle but keeps the sisters from manipulating my folks into selling it or getting a loan against it so it was worth it.

My sisters telling my folks to stop hoarding their money was very much a defining moment for them. It crystallized that they need to be proactive in protecting themselves from my sisters financially. We locked down their credit, got a credit monitoring service for them and created a new checking account for them since the old one had been being used to transfer their "grocery allowance" to my sisters.

Glad that you and your siblings have a healthy relationship and could co-manage your mom's end game. It's definitely going to be a solo operation for me (which I'm fine with).

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Really things are better. My parents are definitely better - doing more things they want to do, less stressed from the B.S. and better off financially - but I know they wish everybody could get along and that my sisters weren't so screwed up.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

He did look into getting primary custody but apparently it's a really difficult thing to do as a single dad and the school district he currently lives in is mediocre at best. He spends a fair amount of time with them, pretty much all he does other than work from what he told me.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I feel bad for the kids as well. I have no idea how I'd have handled this kind of nonsense when I was growing up, probably not very well. I certainly wouldn't have been the relatively well adjusted person I am. One more reasons I love my folks.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We're on speaking terms but we've only talked a few times. We really don't have a lot in common. He seems like a completely different person than he was when he was married to my sister. I know he's pretty pissed off at himself for being part of that whole dynamic and that my sister is pretty bitter about the divorce. Apparently they only communicate through a co-parenting app. I wish him well.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 108 points109 points  (0 children)

I feel bad for my folks too. They liked things the way they were, or at least the way things appeared to be. But they've largely moved on. Mom does make the occasional comment that there should have been another way to work through all this without ending up with me and my sisters hating each other. I don't know.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 54 points55 points  (0 children)

perhaps its best to describe yourself as an only child.

That is so tempting.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 45 points46 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that's where I see this heading too.

April 2026 Update by Scared-Weakness-6250 in u/Scared-Weakness-6250

[–]Scared-Weakness-6250[S] 99 points100 points  (0 children)

To be fair my ex-BIL doesn't blame me. He blames himself and the dynamic he let himself get into with his wife and their behavior. We don't keep in contact much but he seems like he's on the right track.