In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA******, Redditor u/AITA657995460 (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said her son was made to choose between spending the holidays with his father or with her, and detailed the heated aftermath of his final decision.

Titled, “[Am I the a******] for telling my son that he ruined Christmas for me and his stepdad when he decided to spend it with his dad?” the post has received nearly 10,000 upvotes and 6,000 comments since November 16.

“My ex-husband and I used to argue on who should get [our son] for the holidays back when he was little,” OP began. “As he got older we started letting him decide.”

Continuing to explain that her son had a “terrible” experience last Christmas, spent with her new husband and his family, the original poster said that during a recent breakfast, the teenager announced he’d be spending the holidays with his father in a cottage out of town.

The original poster also said she was crushed by this revelation, and immediately made her displeasure known.

“I was stunned,” OP wrote. “He pointed back to what happened last Christmas and said he didn’t want to basically ‘have another s***** holiday and be miserable.’

“We started arguing and he started complaining about me trying to ruin the experience but in response I told him that he has already ruined Christmas for me and his stepdad,” OP continued. “I had a huge argument on the phone with [my son’s] dad and he kept giving me an attitude and laughing and saying that I sounded pathetic.

“He urged me to drop it and let [our son] have this experience or he’ll resent me for missing it,” OP added. “[My husband] is trying to convince him to stay with us because without him, our Christmas is ruined.”

Blended families, in which at least one partner is accompanied by a child from a previous relationship, are prevalent across the U.S.

However, while data published by SmartStepfamilies shows that 40 percent of married couples with children are considered blended families, and a growing number of resources become available for struggling step-couples, the holidays remain a glaring challenge.

For families with younger children, there are often schedules in place determining which holidays will be spent at home, and which will be spent with their parents outside of the step-couple.

But like the scenario described by the original poster, older children and teenagers are likely to want a say in the decision, and according to psychotherapist Kathy McCoy, Ph.D., they deserve to make the choice for themselves.

“Balancing holidays in blended families is complicated,” McCoy told Newsweek. “If [your child] feels forced to spend Christmas with you, your victory might not be worth it.

“Celebrating together on the actual day isn’t nearly as important as having holiday gatherings…that accommodate the wishes and obligations of all family members,” McCoy added.

Many Redditors responding to the viral Reddit post echoed that sentiment, but took a more aggressive approach in addressing the original poster’s fury over her son’s Christmas decision.

“So your son can decide who he wants to spend the holidays with, as long as he chooses you?” one Redditor wrote in the post’s top comment, which has received more than 44,000 upvotes. “Get over yourself.

“Instead of supporting your son’s choice, you throw a tantrum and threaten your ex,” they continued. “You’re acting more like a kid than your own kid.”

Redditor u/ElendorEcco, whose comment has received more than 12,000 upvotes, offered a similar response.

“He spent last Christmas with you guys, I think it’s only fair for him to want to spend this Christmas with his dad,” they wrote. “Totally unfair for you to say that he ruined Christmas, he’s a kid still.”

“I get the impression that the only reason you give him an option is so that you get to [hold] it over your ex when you get picked, but now that it’s gone the other way you’re throwing a tantrum,” Redditor u/Wolfenbro added, receiving more than 7,000 upvotes. “You’re going to ruin your kid’s holiday.”

“When he decides he doesn’t want to spend Christmas with you, you pull out an emotional manipulation tactic?” Redditor u/palatablypeachy questioned. “It’s a really unfair expectation to put on a child that if they don’t do what you want your holiday is ruined.”

Newsweek has reached out to u/AITA657995460 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.