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Soon to be first time bio-mom, feeling hopeless

Ailuros's picture

So I'll try to give as much background on this without having to write a novel.  I am 38 and my husband has 2 boys, 7 and 9.  About 6 years ago, the bio mom died of a drug overdose after getting out of prison.  To say the least, she was a sociopath.  At that time, my now husband, was dealing with depression and financial issues.  He didn't have transportation because his car was totalled in an accident that wasn't his fault and the kids were already living with his parents since they were not allowed to live at the same address as the mother, due to her known drug issues.  When she passed, he was unable to take the kids on himself and social services got child support taken out of his paychecks to pay his parents.  He couldn't afford the amount they took out so him and his parents came up with an agreement.  He would voluntarily give up his rights so they could adopt the kids and then could collect money from the government instead.  Then when he got back on his feet, they would allow him to readopt them.  Well even though he got back on his feet a couple years later, they refused to give them back because they said they wanted to be the parents.  Even though he's allowed to see them pretty much anytime he wants.  It's obvious they just want to collect the money because they don't do anything to parent those kids other than feed them junk food and have a roof over their heads.  They're dirty, they're house looks great on the outside but on the inside it's like Satan's butthole.  They let their toilet fill up with urine and feces because they have a leak they haven't fixed in years so they keep the water turned off.  The boys don't regularly get their clothes washed and are fed anything they want which is primarily candy, hot dogs, and pizza.  There is literally no discipline at all.  On facebook, you'd think they were the perfect family but it's all for show.  Also, his parents won't tell anyone that my husband is still in the boys' lives.  They don't even have a kitchen.  They have been claiming they are going to remodel their kitchen for years but instead just use a toaster oven in the basement for everything.  My husband regrets ever allowing this situation to happen but there's nothing we can legally do at this point, he gave up his rights.  Here's where it gets even more complicated.  His kids are the most disrepectful kids I have ever known in my life.  We make them food and they tell us it stinks and if we don't let them play video games then they just complain for hours saying they want to go home.  We discipline and we don't give in, because parents aren't supposed to be your buddies.  But because his kids know there are no rules at home, all they have to do is wait us out.  We have literally begged his parents to follow through on discipline for things that they do and his parents say they will but then don't.  His youngest has said and done extremely inappropriate things.  Has talked about killing my cats, tearing them apart, told me he wants me to die just because I put a vegetable in front of him, and most recently he has started touching me inappropiately.  There is so much more but again, I don't want to write a novel.  When this was brought up to his parents, they try to say he's just a kid and will grow out of it.  Also that he touches his grandmother inappropriately and won't stop and they basically just gave up.  I am not allowing this to happen in my home and now I am pregnant with my first child and at this point I am terrified at even the idea of them being anywhere near my child, including his parents.  My husband feels trapped because he wants to see his kids but he has no influence over them at all.  We are basically babysitters.  They claim that the school is going to provide the youngest with a behaviorial aid because he has been having a lot of problems for years.  We believe it's because the biomom did drugs while pregnant with him.  My husband has said that he can start seeing the kids separate and basically just have our family be separated from them and he can see his kids on neutral territory because he doesn't want to just abandon them outright.  And I don't want it to come to that.  I have tried so freaking hard with these kids.  I have put in hours upon hours of research into what is the appropriate thing to do for the behavior we are experiencing.  I majored in Psychology.  I'm not saying I'm an expert but I have made a considerable effort with this family situation that really didn't seem so bad at first and then just got worse over the course of 3 years.  The more we fought to do the right thing for the kids, the worse things got for us.  We even went to a family therapist that told us just to ignore his parents and focus on the kids.  We did that but again, we have no authority over them, they know they get to go home and our place is just temporary.  They can act however they want because even if we put them in time out, they get to go home and play a bunch of video games and eat whatever they want in a few hours.  I get that I married my husband knowing his family was like this.  But now that I'm pregnant, I'm having a considerable amount of fear regarding how my child will be affected by this environment.  Please help.  My husband has even conisdered calling social services on them but he's worried the kids will be taken away and he will never see them again.  I feel like we're prisoners to his parents.  Sorry this was so long.

Dogmom1321's picture

Leave.

notsurehowtodeal's picture

Your DH needs to see his kids outside of your home. No way should a kid be allowed to touch you inappropriately.

Your DH should absolutely report this situation to CPS. Has he talked to a lawyer about any of this?

Ailuros's picture

We haven't talked to a lawyer.  The family therapist said that he would have no legal rights since he gave them up and the only way he could get his kids back is if his parents relinquished their rights.  We described their living situation in detail to the therapist and he said it's neglect and that they could have the kids taken away.  My husband even said today that he's getting to the point of reporting them but since his dad just retired that he's hoping things may change.  But I feel that is overly optimistic.  His dad has already been retired for almost two months and nothing has changed.  More of him just saying "it's a marathon, not a sprint" in reaction to our concerns about things they've neglected for years.  Every year he says how he's going to fix up their house and then he never does.  They are lying to themselves and it's really frustrating to see the level of denial even when they are called out on it.  

notsurehowtodeal's picture

Your DH needs to contact CPS, even if he is running the risk of never seeing his children. As things stand right now, he is not able to doing anything for them other than spend time with them - and they need a lot more than that. He should consider at least talking to an attorney, just to make sure there isn't a legal avenue that has been missed.

SteppedOut's picture

This. Even if he never gets to see the kids again, he needs to do the best for them. Otherwise he is being a selfish hypocrite. 

justsad13's picture

First time bio-mom expecting here too, in a diiferent situation but also feeling hopeless. I don't have advice but I have prayers. I am praying for you mama! I know its not a lot but I am praying hard for you <3

Kaylee's picture

Call CPS today.

It's absolutely the right thing to do.

What you are describing is neglect, and failure to provide the most basic necessities of life....functioning sewerage and sanitation systems.

If your husband really cares about his kids, he will do it. 

No way can his feral parents be allowed near your baby when it's born. 

Your stepkids need help, ASAP.

justmakingthebest's picture

I am so torn. On one hand I agree with calling CPS. What his parents doing should be criminal...but I am not sure if it will be enough. They might show up, tell them to clean the house, do another check and be done. 

If they do move the kids to foster care until your husband can file for custody again- I hate to say it but the chances are, they won't be living much differently. Many foster parents (NOT ALL) are just in it for the check as well. 

On the other hand, a part of me says that you guys need to drop the rope. Your husband made some really bad choices a few years ago and these are the consequences for those choices. He has no legal rights and he needs to treat this as a true adoption. Let the kids know that when they are older they can reach out to him but this door has to be closed for everyone's health and wellbeing. Mental health matters. The stress this is causing you and your unborn baby is too much. 

It might be the right answer to close this chapter and start over. Your DH has a second chance to have a family and he needs to focus on that and hope that his parents will do the right thing by those kids. But in the mean time, he needs to cut those awful people out of your lives. 

SteppedOut's picture

He should call cps and then drop the rope. CPS will get the kids the help they need (at least into a fully functioning house) and then he should drop the rope. These kids are going to need A LOT to turn around into "normal" kids. If he chooses to try to gain custody of them, you should leave. Anything less and you would be sacrificing your baby. 

Rags's picture

Use paragraphs. It will help your readers and improve your readership.  An unbroken massive block of text is mind numbing.

Time for a never ending series of wellness check calls to CPS. As soon as they see the kitchenless cesspool these kids live in... buh-by grandma and grandpa. But... be careful what you wish for.  These hygiene-less illbehaved junk food junkies will likely become your problem.

All DH has to do is get a lawyer, be prepared to petition for emergency custody when CPS takes them, then petition for reinstatement of his parental rights.  Not a simple or straightforward process, but manageable. That he has not reported the nasty conditions his kids live in at his parents home may be a deal breaker though. Either way, these kids would be far better off in the system than living in that shit hole with your idiot ILs.