Family can’t be forced, that’s a fact. Family isn’t about DNA, nor is it about legal bounds. Family is about who makes you feel good, supports you when things get tough, and has your back through thick and thin. Our friends, pets, teachers, etc., are our family members if we want them to be. When you’re raising children, the important rule of parenting is to ensure your children know that they don’t need to like Grandma’s boyfriend just because she said so. In this next story, the father does exactly that.

His 5 and 9-year-old children are expected by their grandmother to accept her problematic, unpleasant boyfriend. Both the father who posted the story and his wife agree that the boyfriend in question should not be around the kids, but they allow their children to make their own choices. The verdict? They don’t even think about the boyfriend at all, let alone think of him as a grandpa. Grandma is not happy about that, but these parents are simply being good parents.