I have one SS like that. Whenever DH gives me a hug, SS always has to show up to get one, too. A couple of times, he tried to climb in the middle of a hug between us. Sometimes, if DH is watching tv, I'll walk up behind him and put my hands on his face and kiss his forehead. Soon, this SS was doing that, too. The most obvious example was when we were all watching a movie together. DH was in the other room when the movie started, so SS was happy sitting on one couch, while I sat on the other. DH came in the room and sat on the couch next to me. SS immediately gets up and sits on DH's lap. I've never seen him do that before and DH told him to get off, so clearly sitting on DH's lap is not a common thing. I mentioned to DH that his son only seemed to really need attention when DH was giving me attention. After that, DH used to tease SS about it, but I told DH to stop. The child is in middle school now and I still feel like it's a constant competition. It's so weird, since I know if I was the child's mother it wouldn't be an issue. The kid wouldn't need to get an equal amount of hugs and kisses. He's in middle school, so it's not as if he's too young to understand.

I can't totally blame SS, because DH created this monster. DH was divorced for nearly three years before he met me and I'm the only person he dated who met his children, so I think SS got used to having dad to himself. DH also used the kids for an emotional outlet when he was divorced, letting them sleep in his bed and things like that. After DH and I were engaged and I would spend the night when they were around, that one SS would periodically sit outside our bedroom door at night. A little creepy. He's not allowed to go in his mother's bedroom at home (that she shares with her live-in boyfriend), so not sure why he feels like he should be allowed in our room. He's gotten over that and we've moved into a house, so now he has space that is just for him.

SD7 is a lot like that. She doesn't fake injuries or anything, but she needs to know where SO is 100% of the time. He has a shop in the basement and she tries to go down there all the time. I used to tell her to leave him alone but then I just decided to nacho and let her follow him around if she wants. If it bugs him then he can tell her. I'm tired of being the bad guy. She always wants to be in his lap, talking to him, following him around, etc. It can be annoying, but at least he's a good dad. Otherwise she'd be following ME!

You are giving me flashbacks! SS stb 7 would make weird noises, constantly fidget, bang on the walls, kick the chair, become visibly upset when he saw Chef and I hold hands, try anything that he could to get Chef not to engage in adult conversation with me by constantly interrupting.

Of course Chef would never tell him it is rude to interrupt grown-ups unless it's an emergency. He would imitate dialogue of characters on television as in an echo chamber then coquettishly look over his shoulder to see if anybody was paying attention to him or laughing at his mimicry.

If I were you I would not allow your younger ones to be around SD unsupervised. There have been horrific posts here about skids purposely doing harm to younger children for attentions sake.

My SS8 soon to be 9 wants attention all the time it is not even funny. He will sit on the kitchen floor while we are getting ready and scoot around on his butt. He will just spin in circles and make himself dizzy and start stumbling all over the house. He also is always wanting my attention more than his dad so he asks me for everything and anything he needs. It is exhausting.

We went to dinner last night and it turned into a big family dinner with my future in-laws my SO's sister and her new guy and the grandmothers and my parents. Anyway usually SS wants to sit next to me or his aunt not this time he wanted to sit next to the new boyfriend because she was the one showing him the most attention. That is how he is the person that gives him the most attention is the person he want to be near. His dad and try to curb it but it is so bad some days. It all stems from that he was the only kid living in a house with three adults and had an aunt who was always around and made him a huge part of her world.

Now he does not get the attention like he use too. It has been a fun adjustment.

Good luck my SO would push SS aside when he would try to get in the middle of us all the time. He would want to be in the middle at the movies, or sit with me at dinner, or we would hug and kiss and he would wiggle in the middle. SO just told him to knock it off sometimes or to sit on the end or the other chair.

Same circus, different monkey.

My SD is 19 and thankfully away at college, but has always been really bad about attention seeking behavior with her father.. My biggest peeve is her overly loud, fake forced laughter at *anything* that my DH says, funny or not. Like nails on a chalkboard, let me tell you...

It hasn't gotten any better and I'm not holding my breath for her to suddenly mature and have an 'A-ha moment'...

If I had it to do again, I would lace up those running shoes and keep going the second he told me that he had children.

Wine helps. So does Valium, just not together.

SD17 did this for years!! If anyone in the house had a muscle ache, headache, sprained finger, arthritic knees or hips, etc., she would have the same pains. She faked fainted in middle school and then said that she had low blood pressure, which turned into epilepsy (she has none of those issues). Three years ago, she told a teacher that DS knocked her down one day, and CPS was called. Turned out that it was something that had happened years before, and we had disciplined DS for it at the time. Thankfully, it was dismissed. She would tell people that she only watched TV for educational purposes and the news. Lie. That she hadn't drank a soda for years because of "health issues." Lie. She would try to act intellectual, and my favorite line of hers was "I'm so jealous of the educational system in Finland. (said in a snotty voice)" When I asked her to explain why, she couldn't. A few months ago, she started telling her friends at school that I was forcing her to drink alcohol and when she wouldn't drink it, I would make fun of her and that I was also forcing her to go to her junior prom when she didn't want to. DH finally went off. He had a come-to-Jesus talk with her and brought up all the fake injuries, the lies about herself, the better-than-thou attitude, and her lies about me. He told her that if she was that unhappy in our house, she could go live with her mother full time (we have 50/50). She came to me all teary, apologized, and I made her choose what kind of relationship she wanted with me. I could be the "mom" in the house to her, be her cheerleader, her support, the one helped her out when needed, fixed meals, drove her places, etc. The other choice was that I would remove myself from her life. We would be roommates and that was it. She would get no more support, encouragement, meals or rides from me. She chose me to be a mom. Since then, our relationship has been better than good. She hugs me every morning before she goes to school, she tells me she loves me, and she has done drawings and made me little sculptures in her art program at school (she really is talented). I'm kind of glad it all happened the way it did. Everything was brought out into the open. I'm her mom now (she tells people she has 2 moms), and I consider her my daughter.

My 8 yr old step son used to try to kiss my husband on the lips right after I do ... so weird , definitely fighting for attention . He would mimic anything he could do that I did with his father so we stop hugging or even pecks on the cheek etc .. so sad

take back control.... if she's loud tell her to be quiet...

if she's seeking attention, tell her to stop, if she tells your kid what to do, smile and say :"SD , stop doing that you are not his parent I am, then turn around and tell your kid to stop acting up and stop jumping for her"

I think it's a normal kid thing.

My own kids did this when I was still married to their dad - and any time their dad and I displayed affection, they had to get right up in our face and try to hog it for themselves.

SS does this now, too - and we just leave it alone. Sometimes it's towards me, sometimes towards DH... we never refuse him a hug/kiss/affection, but we DO tell him to let us finish whatever it is we're doing if he comes up at some really inconvenient time... like when I'm elbows deep in rolling bread dough... No, I'm not going to stop to hug you - you can wait the 2 minutes until I'm done kneading and have washed my hands...