Greetings Kmom, and welcome! There is much here that you will be able to utilize and many great folks to learn from. Let me introduce myself - I am Clove, and came into this step life full of hope and love in my heart. I am now a little bruised after 3 1/2 years. My SO has 2 daughters, Winona SD18 (currently living out of the house somewhere, working.) and Munchkin SD11.5.

I came here about 1 1/2 years ago, and this online group really helped me understand all the weird emotions that I was experiencing. The highs and lows and the rough and awesome. I have no children of my own, and am having the child experience and enjoying it when I can.

The TBM (Toxic Bio Mother) in my life has some kind of bipolar disorder, has a temper, and is verbally/physically abusive. Before the divorce-after separation, she had spent months away from her two kids, has abused the eldest, and abused us as well. But in spite of all that, when its drop off/pickup time for Munchkin, she is fawning, kissing, hugging all over the kidling, I can tell she has her dress picked out already (for her mother of the year award of course!)

I hope that you have help at home, and lots of backup, given all your multiple roles. Remember to take time for you, and come here to vent whenever you need to.

Welcome KMom. Glad you found this site. There are some good people with good advice here. Being a step parent is not easy for some of us. I found this site to be helpful. I found I am not alone and my feelings are valid. Try reading some of the blogs on here. It really does help.

Welcome Kmom..... we are very blunt and straight forward, some posters are simply baiting you to get angry and cry, but hand in there girl,

This site helped me allot, been with my SO almost 15 years, since his little snot was about 3/4, never had to deal with her till she was about 11, age 12 she moved in with us, back and forth between him and BM, age 13 I moved out back to my own place, last year we broke up for about 2 months lol and now the snot (18) moved out.... If it was not for this site, I would've been in jail for murder or somewhere in a nuthouse or happily single..

Hi Kmom, I am in a similar situation as you. I am marrying a man in October who has a son that just tuned nine, I came into the picture right before he turned 7. We all live together and have for about 8 months now. I have no bio children.

I get what it is like to be around a kid who has never really had a mom and the bio-one just bailed and is never heard from. He has said things that were mean and hard on me at times. It has taken time and it still a work in progress everyday. I think girls can be harder and more difficult but the biggest thing is the relationship between you and husband. If you tow are ont eh same page and the "that's is not you kid I will do what I want" card is not pulled things are better.

My SO treats me as his equal and just see me at his son's other parent and mom at this point. We parent as couple. If BM was in the picture it would be different but she is not. The way you and DH handle things will set the tone in the house.

Welcome

Hello! Welcome to this site! It really helps keep me sane some days... I struggle...

I won't go into details, because it's chaos right now. But I have SD9 and SD4, full time, BM has little contact, but not much.

I'm sure you're doing wonderful I know the biggest help for me was getting a hobby that takes me out of the home every once in a while! (I returned to the gym and took up MMA, lol) Gives me a break and gets a lot of the frustrations out (I'm still stressed, but I haven't snapped yet, lol)

Welcome!! This forum saved my relationship so dive in, take some advice with a grain of salt and remember the good advice. There is so much information on this site about things that haven't happened to me personally but I feel like I am now equipped for anything that does happen by all the stories shared by others.