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It's Time for Me to Fully Disengage. 20 years of this bullshit is long enough

used2beRutherford's picture

However, I don't want to disengage from the grandkids, just from Starry. Any ideas for how to navigate through this was would be much appreciated.

A few things I am going to do immediately...

1. Stop taking her phone calls.

2. Stop reading and responding to her texts.

3. Never be around her without my husband or her husband present.

4. Find a new hairdresser. She is sooooo fired.

5. Find a new nail tech (because the one I go to now is at Starry's salon). I will have to get my pedicures elsewhere.

6. Stop taking my time to shop for her birthday and Christmas gifts. That is all on DH now. However, I will continue to do this for Preach and the grandkids. I will not be signing cards for her either. DH can put my name on them.

7. Completely avoid interaction with DH's ex-laws at grandkid-related functions. Which means I will not be sitting with them at events like graduations, parties and the like.

8. Do not look at any of her social media.

 

That is all I can come up with for now. I welcome any suggestions!

 

Comments

MorningMia's picture

This looks like a pretty extensive list. I don't know what preceded this because I'm not famliar with your story (I can go back and read). Will there be retaliation (using the grands)? If so, would you consider doing this slowly. . . perhaps first stopping the salon visits and responding only to occasional texts--or do you need to rip off the bandaid right now? 
I slowly disengaged from my skids, so it was sort of like boiling the frog(s)--but it was only because I kept giving them chances and we hadn't gotten anywhere remotely near the 20-year mark. We are at zero communication now, a lovely place to be. 
Do you have to be around her? 
 

used2beRutherford's picture

Doing this slowly might be wise. However, she is already whining to her dad about how I "only tolerate her." Anything else I do to pull away will just anger her more. I no longer care. 

And she would probably use the kids to get back at me. I wouldn't put anything past her at this point. 

Winterglow's picture

I'd say yes to all of the above.

If your dh wants an explanation,  tell him that she never welcomed you into the family when you so badly needed to be accepted, that she resented you, that she (whatever else she accuses you of, but from your point of view), that you have given up. You've had enough. It's not going to happen. It's been X years and she still hasn't warmed to you despite all you've done for her.  You're done.

Maybe add that if he and she let this go, you will abstain from writing scathing reviews (which you would,  obviously,  never write... but they don't know that) about her salon.

used2beRutherford's picture

My DH is completely on board with this. He has seen this list and has agreed to it. He wants to pull back from her too and will be shutting down negative complaint conversations she wants to start about me from this point forward.

Exjuliemccoy's picture

Wow, Rutherford, this is great news!! Your hubby has come a looong way since the old days.

I agree, fade back, become invisible, busy elsewhere etc. All coms run through your H. And let him handle ALL the gift giving, because next up Starry will try to alienate the grands from you to punish you. Sadly, it's in the playbook.

Harry's picture

the salon visits, find a new hair and nail person/s.  Stop answering her text.  Block them,  Don't open them.  Phone is screw up. You will have the someone look at it someday.  Don't know why you interact with the ex in-laws.? Unless graduation, or something. Once a year 

CastleJJ's picture

I'm new to your blogs so I apologize if I'm incorrect or out of context here. Are the grandkids Starry's kids? If so, disengaging from one but not the other may not be possible. Many parents feel that if you don't have a relationship with the parent, you don't get a relationship with the kids. Starry may withhold the grandkids if you don't maintain a relationship with her. 

used2beRutherford's picture

Which is why I posted this blog. They are her kids. The key for me is to find ways to disengage that are not so obvious to even her. I think even if I didn't change anything, she would evenually pull the kids away from me anyway. 

I might as well do what I want now.

Yesterdays's picture

I agree. No matter what you do it might be like that and  end that way but at least this way you're protecting yourself and setting some boundaries that will allow you to have more peace in your life. 

MorningMia's picture

One reason I have stayed clear of the grands is because I will not be held hostage. I refuse to repeat what I went through with this generation. 

Noway2b1's picture

Disengagement from the skids- trickles down to the grandkids. Once I stopped planning things for "them " it was more difficult to arrange anything involving the grandkids. It's been five years now- they've gone from teens to young adults and DH and I have zero relationship with them. DH still tries- I stopped years ago after seeing apples don't fall far from trees in our case. 

used2beRutherford's picture

That's so sad. I'm sorry you guys went through that. I have two choices here. Continue on this course to get backstabbed so that someday I *might* still have the grandkids in my life at the end of this or set boundaries for my own sanity and probably lose everyone and everything I care about. 

Either way, I don't win. 

Yesterdays's picture

I think that your boundaries and list is excellent. You have a reason. Stay strong and stick to your boundaries. It will be helpful to disengage and I feel like you're going about it in a good way that will benefit your life greatly. I agree with the others that it will be messy with the grandkids however I think you're doing what needs to be done to get rid of this toxic person from your life. 

used2beRutherford's picture

Limited contact will have to be the way I handle this going forward. I'll never be rid of her. She's my husband's daughter, so it's not like I can completely escape unless I leave him, which is not going to happen. 

Little Type Amy's picture

Somtimes, that ends up being the best you can do no matter what good intentions we were living in once trying to naviagte our roles in StepHell. 

Lillywy00's picture

Just off the title alone....20 years is a prison sentence 

 

Free yourself!!! Don't voluntarily "incarcerate" yourself anymore. 

CajunMom's picture

I will say this...from experience....she WILL use those grandkids as pawns to hurt you, so gird your loins. With that said, you can implement your new boundaries all at once. Personally, I would not even  be on her social media pages. Remove yourself and block. I guess ignoring calls/texts can work but for many years, my DHs kids were blocked with zero access to me. They are now unblocked but probably don't know that. 

I'll add...I am slowly allowing DHs kids to be around me again. Six plus years of being banned from my life has clearly shown them my stand....and DH has told them (or I hope he has), if they choose to bring any old behaviors with them, they will be banned again. I've been around two so far....it was very superficial. Nice but like dealing with a stranger. Or as I like to say, interacting with the cashier checking my groceries. 

I dealt with crap for 12 years....you've been in this for TWENTY YEARS!! As someone said, that's a prison sentence. Take your life back. Put this grown ass woman in her place....and take back your peace.

Best to you.