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Advice please

Sadielady's picture

So, I truly want to support DH in his relationship with SS30. And I would love it if SS30 and I got back to the relationship we used to have. SS30 is unaware of a lot of the crap their family threw at me, and in the early days, he threw his fair share as well. SS30 doesn't know that DH has cut off contact with most of the family and there's no way he'll hear it from them. We already know that MIL has told people that she and DH and "fine". So much of this situation has been made worse by DH's inability to address things directly with his family and allowing others control the narrative. And I think that the only genuine way to move forward with SS30 is for him to have all the facts. Am I being selfish? 

Comments

Winterglow's picture

I would take it one day at a time and let the relevant information come out when necessary.  If you try to give him all the facts it's going to feel like some kind of a campaign to him and he'll wonder what he's gotten himself into.

Sadielady's picture

Good point about it looking like campaigning. I don't actuallt want DH to give SS specifics, just to let him know that he's distanced himself from the family.

NieMojCyrk's picture

Good luck!

Sadielady's picture

I agree about the potential resentment from DH. I can let it all go, as long as I can keep ties cut and keep the toxicity out. As long as SS believes that our absence from family events is DH supporting me, vs DH being at odds with them himself, there's going to be pressure to attend more wedding events. DH's SO is a princess and she's going to want every kind of wedding-related celebration possible.

NieMojCyrk's picture

Deleted!

Rags's picture

Kids need the facts. If the quality side of the blended family equation won't give them the facts, all they get is the pollution from the shit end of their gene pool and those people have far more influence over them than the quality side has.  As difficult as it is, the quality side has to do the hard thing and raise the kid with the facts if the kid is going to have any chance of being a quality adult.

It is not an optimal situtaion by any means. Even with the facts there is notable negative impact on a kid who is negatively impacted by people they are supposed to love and that are supposed to love them.  My SS-31  still has some SpermClan baggage that bothers him> However, he is a viable adult, a man of character and honor, successful in his career and a man of standing in his community.   His three younger Spermidiot spawned half sibs did not have the benefit of an incredible mother.  Spawn #2 is on the dole, #3 is in prison, and $4 is not far behind the inmate.

This all bothers SS and he cannot forgive the SpermClan adults for what they have done to his younger sibs.

His real life/family, is close, supportive, and of quality.  Fortunately, that side of his world is the primary influence in his life.

All IMHO of course.

notsurehowtodeal's picture

Your DH is an adult and these are his family members, he can handle this on his own. You already tried explaining things and it totally blew up on you. My advice is to take a huge step back from all of them and let your DH deal with this. I know your heart is in the right place, but as long as you keep trying to fix things with his family, you are going to end up being the "bad guy" and being hurt.

Aniki-Moderator's picture

As others said, let your DH handle it. I'm an advocate for not wasting time with explanations to those who are predisposed to disbelieve you.

 

Never explain yourself to anyone.

Because the person who likes you doesn’t need it.

And the person who dislikes you won’t believe it.

lieutenant_dad's picture

You can't be the only one in your marriage managing relationships with your DH's family. If HE wants a better relationship with his son, then HE has to do the hard work to make that happen. If he wants YOU to have a better relationship with his son, then HE has to do the hard work to make you comfortable with his family.

He may hate confrontation, but he has allowed you to be the devil in his family to save himself having to grow a spine and tell them how it actually is. Cutting everyone off should have been after HE told everyone how it was going to be, NOT you doing it to save yourself the emotional trauma.

Anything that resembles healing going forward has to be led by your DH. You did what you needed to do to protect yourself. You've cut yourself off. If he wants to expose himself to the toxic by going to events alone, or if he is okay with his relationships being fractured, that's fine. That's a him decision.

You don't need to be the martyr and savior here, though. You don't have to try and throw yourself into the fire because you know DH is sad and wants something different/better. He has all the facts, too. He can tell his son the truth. Your job is to protect yourself, not take another bullet to protect DH from a situation that he himself has helped make worse by not handling his family and leaving it to you to make the decisions.

Sadielady's picture

Thank you. That makes so much sense. And the fact that I'm not thinking about this in that way shows me how all of the toxicity has impaired by thinking. When my children were young and they didn't want to wear a hat or mitts, for instance, I would explain why they should and then let them decide and experience the consequences. I could let a 4 year make their own decisions, but not my DH. I've been puppetinf DH in this situation because the consequence is our marriage ending. But if DH hasn't made his own decisions, the end reault will be "my fault" versus a natural consequence of his own behaviour. 

Harry's picture

SS. Like every or ever other weekend. With yout updates.  Asking him about his family.  Remembering birthdays of GK ect, invite them over for the weekend.

ESMOD's picture

NO.. do not fill him in.  All it will do is stir up drama.. if he has questions.. he can ask his dad.. period.  not going to work out well for you to get involved in the discussion.