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It's true - I don't like my Stepkids

strugglingSM's picture

DH regularly accuses me of not liking his kids and this weekend, I told him that he was right. They are not terrible kids, but they are largely unparented and are now getting rude. I realize I also have a DH problem and I've told him that, too. 

One SS is positively enmeshed with BM. He gives her the play-by-play of every visit he is with us. They will be in contact anywhere from 2 to 6 times a day on his EOWE visits and then he gives her a recap of everything when he gets home. It's not as if he's telling her how much he loves us or how much fun he had. It's also things that seem inoccuous on the surface, but which become key talking points for BM (how we ignore him or withhold food from him or he's bored while he's with us). 

This SS also has what I kindly refer to as "a casual relationship with the truth", always has. He was the kid who likely blamed everything on other kids starting in toddler-hood. Or because DH and BM were both wimps, when he would get in trouble, he would cry and they would comfort him. He also has always cheated on games, still does and then gets mad when he is caught cheating. This weekend, he was dishonest about something that impacted our weekend plans. It wasn't something we couldn't figure out, but it meant he indicated that some criteria was met for a friend to join us and then it wasn't true. I was upset and called him out on it, telling him that being dishonest was not okay. DH of course, tried to make the peace. I told DH that BM lies about anything, so his kids need to be extra clear on the difference between truth and lies and how lying is not a good trait to develop. 

This SS also has a tendency to want to invite friends over and they come for the entire weekend. We live close enough that we could take the friend home. When he has a friend, he is entertained, but he wants to be shuttled everywhere or taken out to do things and he is more likely to damage things. There have been several occassions when the friend was supposed to go home and stayed and DH acted like there was nothing he could do about it. I realize this is a DH problem, because this kid shouldn't be calling the shots. But, this kid acts like he makes all the decisions. We went skiing this weekend and I said that I wanted to leave by 1:30pm. Kid said, "I want to stay later! I'll just text my mom to tell her we're staying later." DH, of course, was sitting there oblivious. I again reiterated, "no, we'll leave at 1:30pm." 

The other SS also constantly texts BM, telling her whenever we tell him we can't do something - like drop everything and drive him to flag football because BM forgot to tell us it was going on and we're actually out of town. He also needs constant reassurance that he is great and wonderful. For example, he now has to tell us all the time how he has all As, although really, I don't think he actually has all As, I think his grades have just been changed to As. I think this because his assessment scores indicate he is well below grade level and he's changed three teachers this year because they were "too hard", one was changed because he was getting a C. He also always has several missing homework assignments and regularly gets in trouble for misbehaving in class. So, either he's a latent genius or his grades are being revised to give him all As. BM has had him diagnosed with OCD over his grades and he may or may not be taking anti-anxiety medication. Again, this is not entirely his fault, but I find it really off-putting that he's a) so needy; and b) that we're supposed to praise him for something that seems false. 

Really, these last few visitations have been really trying. I feel like I have to watch what I say, hide anything personal, and being on my best Suzy Sunshine behavior when they're around and then also put up with all of their BS and refusal to contribute even the little things (like picking up their own trash). DH and I had sort of a blow-out over this yesterday and it has not been resolved. 

SKids are almost in high school. I'm hoping they will decide to stop coming, although now that DH has indicated he won't fight to make them come, BM has told him that he "can't change the visitation schedule without [her] approval." The BM games are getting tiring. 

Comments

tog redux's picture

My SS was a combination of your twin SSs.  So enmeshed with BM, always texting her and running to her with anything that he got butthurt about, also always bragging about things that were not at all remarkable, or just flat out lies. Everything was always, always everyone else's fault, never his, he was the perpetual victim. 

But my DH was tough so he'd always beat me to the punch with setting SS straight on things. I could just be nice SM who kept her mouth shut. 

Gotta say, my SS is 20 now and he's pretty much exactly the same, just taller and hairier. 

strugglingSM's picture

I forgot that neither SS ever takes any responsibilty for anything. Always blaming everything...and I mean everything...on others. "It's not my fault!" is a constant refrain in our home. 

Also, to give further context to the grade issue - in science, SS has nearly all Ds and Fs  with one or two Cs and a B on his homework that counts as 15% of his grade and miraculously got a perfect 100 on the only assessment for the class, which counts for 85% of his grade, giving him an A. I think he actually takes all of his assessments in the resource room, where he gets help. The real tragedy for him is that last year he mostly got Bs without a lot of help, so if BM just pushed him to be resilient instead of just removing a hardship, he'd be in a much better position. Instead, BM will have to go into the high school before the start of school next year and try to convince the teachers to not require SS to do anything. 

SM12's picture

Makes my stomach hurt just thinking about the overnights with my SSs.   The middle SS was the worst at inviting a friend to come stay the night and then it would last all weekend.  Only I was stuck dealing with them, feeding them and listening to the noise since DH worked Saturday's.   I finally told DH no more.  One time I told SS his friend could only stay until noon the next day because I had stuff to do (and I didn't trust MSS in the house unsupervised).  Well noon came the next day and the kid and MSS avoided me.  I finally asked kid where his parents were.  He looked shocked.  Then I asked what kids parents phone number was...kid claimed he didn't have a number.   I finally reached out to the parents and told them to come get the kid ASAP as noon was the pick up time.  Both parents were out of town and couldn't come for hours.  I was livid.  That was the last time MSS was allowed to have a friend spend the night.  
 

strugglingSM's picture

On one weekend, the friend was supposed to go home after the football game. After the football, friend is somehow back at our house. I said to DH, "why is he still here?" DH says, "he didn't want to go home." I replied, "I didn't realize it was his choice!"

SS has regularly said it "won't work" for his friend to just come over 1 day. I'm not sure why that would be. Will the friend be home alone if he is not allowed to stay all weekend? Should we start charging friend's mother child support? 

Simpleton21's picture

Instead of the Hunger Games here in StepHell we have the BM Games!  Ugh!  I feel you on the exhaustion from BM games.  I also wonder how women like this don't ever tire of their antics?!?! How do they have so much time and energy to invest in other's lives?!? Why!?!? 

I also don't like my skid for the same reasons.  I get that a lot of it is from the parents not parenting or coddling but as my ODS13 says, "SD knows what she is doing, she is old enought to know right from wrong, you can't always blame the parents".   

strugglingSM's picture

My SSs will be in high school next year, so they are plenty old enough to know what they're doing. 

DH is just lazy. He doesn't want to put in the difficult work of maintaining appropriate parenting boundaries and also doesn't want SSs to not come around because we are "too strict". SS has already told DH and his counselor that I am "too strict" - I want to say to him, "kid, you have no idea. You have it sooooo easy!"

Simpleton21's picture

Oh, my DH is lazy also and he definitely fears SD not coming around if we are "too strict" and parents from a guilty place.  It is exhausting to deal with.  I try to just disengage.  I do get tired of hearing about how I just don't like SD.  I've said to DH before yep, that is right, terrible me, having the same expectations for SD as I do other children her age....why wouldn't you want your child to learn like you expect mine to?!?  Step life is no walk in the park for sure!

sharlyns's picture

I'm happy you told him! And don't feel guilty! You took the first step. Don't let them jerks get to you. Seems like BM has them brainwashed and filled their heads with her pettiness!

Don't worry so much. Let them do as they wish. Even if it bothers you. The more you let these see it  bothers you you let them win. Just go with the flow and watch how annoyed they get. 

Being honest they will never change. That's not you fault it's how they are being raised. You do your best to love yourself! That's the best way to deal with this! The more you smile ....makes them think. And BM welll....can't teach an old dog new tricks! Her game will tire!

Love ya sis! Hang wonder woman strong!

Siemprematahari's picture

Interesting how these parents view being "strict" with actually having to parent and raising children to have consideration and respect. I guess you expecting civility is being "too strict"? They are raising a bunch of entitled, non-resilient children who can't and won't understand the word NO because of their parents guilty parenting.

You shouldn't have to be subjected to this shit show that will only get worse the older they get. If your H can't put his foot down, I would and if he doesn't like it than he needs to step it up and take care of his responsibilities, point blank.