My husband and I have been together 12 years, though only married for four. His daughters (my step-daughters), now 23 and 18, and I decided to go the Yucatan Peninsula for a family trip over Christmas this year. Their mother agreed to it and we have been looking forward to it since July when the planning first began. The hope was that we would get a villa on the beach and decompress from our stressful (city) lives for a week. Well, we got the villa and it was on the beach, but the girls were horrible to us after the first 48 hours. The youngest (not 18 until the end of the month) was crabby with her father to an extreme--even for a hormonal teen. She was at the pique of her raging hormonal cycle but it was no excuse. The oldest played her father against me and he took the bait. I have had this complaint about her manipulation tactics for years and blew up at my husband (in private) about it later. He finally recognized that she had in fact played him and promised to be more cognizant of such tactics going forward. My husband and I are best buds and when the two of us travel we always enjoy ourselves. That's not to say it's always perfect, but the last five days of this "vacation" were total hell. What burned me the most was the great expense we had taken (mostly financially, though in other ways as well) and we didn't even get a thank you! Upon our return home, I immediately got in to see my therapist. The question I had for her was can I resign as a step-parent? She said she didn't think at this point in the game I could or that I really want to. That even though they were sh@ts, they love me and I them. I would miss them if I wrote them off completely. It's true that we've had a pretty good relationship for the most part. I also have a decent relationship with my husband's ex-wife and have been active in co-parenting. I now feel that it is too thankless a task to continue and that they are at an age where I no longer need to take such a role. If he wants to see them he can but I really want a break. At least for the short term, while I pay off the vacation debt, can I just blow them off? I would bring us together to discuss what we could do better next time, but my husband and I agreed there will be no next time. More than anything, I want them to own their behavior and apologize. Instead, I am guessing that they are bad-mouthing me/us to their mother. To which I say, let 'em! I got the feeling on this trip, that the oldest really does not like me and felt that she is kind of a creep (maybe she just has some growing up to do)? I can live with that, but she can't pretend she does to use me for family recipes, countless free lunches and dinners, performances and other events. She should just go away if she doesn't like me. My husband thinks I am taking it too personally and says I sound like a middle-school girl with my complaints. Any advice on how to proceed with the girls? Still seething!