I am SO happy to have found this website to vent about the draining life of a step parent.
It's tricky to not let the guilt consume me.....because I DON'T LIKE HIS KIDS!
I have NO kids of my own. When I 1st met them, the SD had just turned 13, & the SS had just turned 15.
THE WORST POSSIBLE AGES! These kids were already set in their slobby ways, and have their single dad wrapped around their fingers. Typical to a split home, these kids are expert manipulators that fuel the hate that their parents have for each other.

The boy is now almost 19 and STILL living at home. He does NOTHING to contribute to the household. He is ALWAYS home, and ALWAYS around. He is socially awkward, yet has this fear of missing out.
This child is almost 19, yet acts like he's 15. He's behind in every aspect. I think there's some bigger issues & he should have been tested, but dad was too afraid of having his precious child "labeled", now the rest of the world has to deal with this adolescent.

I'm beyond frustrated living here with these kids.....and looking back if I had known, I wouldn't do it again. These kids only confirm my choice of NOT having kids is a good choice. I feel like these kids are the poster children of rotten teenagers.
I'm tired of having to LOCK UP EVERYTHING!