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Advice Please!!! Would I piss off BM if...

Elaine's picture

Would I be over stepping my boundaries if I sent SS to school with cookies to share with the class on his Bday? Although we usually get SS every other weekend, SS has been staying with us for the past wk & a 1/2 bc BM said his behavior at school was not good & she didn't know what else to do. SS birthday is this Thursday & last week I told SS I would make him some treats to share with his class on his bday. (I thought it would be fun, since I remember how much I enjoyed my mom sending me to class with cupcakes on my bday. And since we've had him the past week & will have him the week of his bday) Today I asked SS if he was excited about taking treats for his bday on Thurs & he said "Yeah, and my mommy is making me something too" (I guess she told him when she called to talk to him yesterday)

So... now I'm wondering. Should I not send the cookies? I don't want to step on BM's toes. BM and I have never talked (she doesn't even look my way when I'm at SS soccer games/recitals etc) but I'd like to think she doesn't harbor any ill will towards me. So I don't want her to think I'm trying to out-do her, or that I'm trying to take her place. I just wanted to do something nice for SS, I had no idea she intended to send anything on his Bday. Once SS told me that, I asked FH to text BM asking her if she is going to send anything, that way if she said "Yes" then I wouldn't send anything. He said he wasn't going to ask her bc "she probably won't follow thru anyway". FH says I should just send the cookies. So Idk what to do. Advice please!!! I'm trying so hard to do the right thing.

Comments

frustrated454's picture

does bm usually follow through??? if not send in the cookies so the poor kid has something on his birthday. could you call bm and ask her? If your dh says send them I guess I would send them.
Having more than one treat is better than bm not sending anything while you think she is and him having nothing. just my opinion

Elaine's picture

BM and I have no contact. FH only texts her, they never call each other. Contact is amicable between FH and BM but they keep it to a minimum. You're right about assuming she will send something & then SS not having anything. Better to have extra than none.

Crizzle's picture

If DH thinks she won't follow through, she probably won't. Besides it is his birthday and you are doing it for HIM. Her approval is not necessary for you to do good will toward him. Besides, if she does follow through and you have sent some too, then he will just have more to share. Nothing at all wrong with that.
I would call the school before you bake any though. Our school system requires them to be store bought...they don't allow any sort of homemade items ever...for the children's safety.

"One should examine oneself for a very long time before thinking of condemning others." ~Moliere

Elaine's picture

"Besides it is his birthday and you are doing it for HIM. Her approval is not necessary for you to do good will toward him."

^ Thanks for saying that. Sometimes I just get too nervous that I'm going to appear as though I'm trying to take her place when I do things with/for him. I have friends who are single moms & some tell me they like that their ex's significant others are involved in their child's life & others tell me it bothers them.

Elaine's picture

Oh & also.... I mentioned to SS teacher (when I went to pick him up from school) that I was going to send SS to school with special treats for the class & all she said was "Oh ok"

Crizzle's picture

and confronts you on it, then tell her that you have no intention of taking her place, but just wanted to do something nice for him. Just re-enforce to her that you only did it for him as a birthday gift and you did not intend to step on her toes.

"One should examine oneself for a very long time before thinking of condemning others." ~Moliere

Rags's picture

If you stay focused on what you believe to be in the best interest of the Skid you will never have to second guess whether or not your are doing the right thing.

Don't worry about BM's feelings, desires, opinions or anything else for that matter. We have focused on what we felt was in the best interest of our Son (My SS) for more than 15yrs now. He is developing in to a truly incredible young man who I am confident will be a Man of standing in his community.

His BioDad and the SpermClan will have little influence on his life other than at the occassional family get together where they will do what they always do...... Lament the life his Mom and I have worked hard to provide and the opportunities that our focus on education, character and performance has given us and our Son. To them we are just rich idiots and he is a spoiled over indulged brat. Not that they can understand the slightly elevated order of English I just typed. We are far from rich but to a SpermClan of Toothless Morons we probably look like the Rockefellers or the Kennedys.

So, in a nutshell, my opinion is make the cookies, enjoy that you are a caring integral part of your SS's life and ......... Screw BioMom (figuratively of course).

Have fun.

Just my perspective.

Best regards,

Success is rarely final. Failure is rarely fatal. It is character, courage and consistency of effort that count. Vince Lombardi (with some minor Rags modifications) To each according to their performance, screw Karl Marx. (Rags)

Elaine's picture

Thank you sooooo much for your reply!! It really hit home with me.

This whole thing is so new to me. My parents are still together & I honestly didn't know what the....I guess you could say, protocol.... is for this sort of thing. I just thought about something nice I wanted to do for SS then thought "Uh oh... Could this end up bad?" But like you said, if I always "stay focused on what I believe to be in the best interest of my SS I will never have to second guess whether or not I am doing the right thing."

Rags's picture

had our 15th.

I am on my second marriage (I took a do-over after 2.5 years of marital hell and 4yrs of post divorce recovery) and my wife is on her first. My little Bro and his Wife will have their 16th later this year.

Use your parents marital success as an example and make your marriage the core of the family you and your husband have. Let the Skids benefit from the example of love and respect that you and DH set for them.

You can't fix the BM so don't even try. Just be the best parent(s) you can both be to your Skids and to any children you may have.

Conceptually it is pretty simple. Unfortunately often the blended family opposition seems to make it their sole mission in life to try to ruin the life of their X (your DH). Live well and be happy. That is the best revenge and defense against a petty vindictive X.

Hang in there.

Best regards,

Success is rarely final. Failure is rarely fatal. It is character, courage and consistency of effort that count. Vince Lombardi (with some minor Rags modifications) To each according to their performance, screw Karl Marx. (Rags)

frustrated454's picture

i am a bm and sm. as a bm I would call and make sure you and dh knew I was sending in the birthday treat if it bothered me that much.

belleboudeuse's picture

You already said to your SS that you would, and he is excited that you are doing it. That's all you need to know. The BM's opinion is not important in that respect -- you are doing something for HIM.

Now, it would be different if you were, say, taking him to an acupuncturist or something when he had never been to one before. But what you are doing in no way harms him and is only a benefit for him. Not that I think acupuncture is harmful -- but I use that as an example of something that a mom who wasn't familiar with it might not be comfortable with.

I agree with Rags: do what is best for your SS and don't worry about BM unless you would be legitimately stepping on her parental authority by not consulting her. Cookies don't fall into that category!

BB

- You are not second best, you are not second class. Do not ever let anyone make you feel that way. (2Bloved)

mother goose's picture

I brought my SS6 his class drinks and cup cakes, bm has NOTHING to do with him unless it's convenient for her, beyond Sunday visits, never!
My ss6 was thrilled to death and proud! He's like " yeah that's my mom!" it was awesome!
To see a child light up like that over cupcakes and juice is priceless!

Do what u feel in ur heart, don't hold back cuz of bm, especially if they are not a positive model for the child.

stepmom2one's picture

I do and BM does get mad. But I have becuz SD asks me to. If you are worried I would have FH send BM a text.

frustrated stepmom's picture

I think you should send them. I always send treats for my skids on their birthdays and holidays...IF they're going to school from my house the next day. The BM is always "too busy" to do it (apparently, she is so overwhelmed with work. This is the same woman that until 3 years ago never held a job for more thant 3 weeks at a time). BM will throw a fit and sometimes say, "well there's no point in me sending anything if 'your wife' is going to". That answer just makes me smile because I'm sending treats in for the kids and its a bonus that it annoys her!! Smile I don't send treats if we don't have them the night before though, only if my husband or I take them to school that day.

Elaine's picture

Thanks sooooo much everyone!! I'm so glad I found this site. Sometimes I feel so alone, bc all of my girlfriends are BM's. I don't personally know any other SM's that I can talk to about this.

-The accupunture analogy was a good one! lol

- He did say he was excited about it & I don't want to disappoint him. Kids do get excited about the simplest things, but I get just as excited doing those things for him.

- I asked FH to send her a text but he said he wasn't going to bc he knew she wasn't going to "follow through anyways"

-We will have him this whole week so I planned on walking him to class in the morning & bringing the cookies

- I do like that FH & BM keep their conversations to a minimum. I realize that things could be SOOO much worst between the 2 of them

I really appreciate all of your responses & input. Sorry I had to make this quick, but I'm going to Hobby Lobby to buy pastry bags/tips to make SS some baseball themed cookies (One of his favorite sports!) I think I'm going to put his initials on them Pardon

Thanks again!!