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Feeling Guilty, Selfish, and About to Lose My Mind

JennyCupcake's picture

Hello there. I was checking out this site and a lot of people gave great advice on step parenting. So, here I am..

 

I am not an actual stepmother yet, but I claim myself to be because I am very much in love with my boyfriend and his 3 year old daughter. Everything goes great for the most part being a step mom, except when me and the daughter are alone.

I met her when she was 2 and I wasn' living with her yet so I didn't see her every day like I do now because she' living with us full time. Her mom doesn't really have anything to do with her at this point. Which is sad. But anyways. When the daughter was 2, she was the sweetest thing on this planet and she fell in love with me instantly and I loved it. She didn't want her Dada she wanted Jenny all the time. I played with her, she didn' really do anything bad. It was perfect.

When me and my boyfriend started living together, that' when things got rough. She wanted you to play with her every second of the day and if you had to interrupt playing with her to use the bathroom or eat, she would throw the biggest fit and kick stuff and scream.. it was torture. It really was.

Now, at 3 years old, she still wants you to play with her, but not as often. She has learned to play by herself. BUT her mouth had gotten bad.. like really bad. 

I feel like she and I argue constantly when my boyfriend isn't around because the kid will NOT listen to me. Her dad works a lot so I'm the one that takes care of her the most. When Her dad's around I don' stress as much because she listens to him when he tells her what to do. 

But with me, she completely ignores me to the point where I have to spank her or raise my voice. In return, she says the most hateful things like 'I don' love you anymore' or just comes back at me with terrible attitude and it makes me fly off the handle. I do a lot for her and I don't know why she treats me this way.

I get so offended when she says hateful things. My boyfriend keeps saying 'Shes 3. She doesn't understand what she' saying or doing.' That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. She KNOWS what she's doing.

She's very rude to my mom which hurts too. Just recently she told me she didn't want me in her life just because I was putting her to bed at 11 o clock at night.. 

I don't know how much more I can take. I know that me and my boyfriend are not married yet and I could leave. But I feel like I'm giving up on the daughter when I think that way.. i feel selfish and guilty for thinking that I just want to leave and want it to end because her behavior is so out of control. I mean I should not be punched in the stomach because I don't feel like tickling her, or told that I'm so mean because I'm making her brush her teeth. I do so much for this little girl. So so much and I just feel like I'm being bullied. It stresses me out. I have developed depression and anxiety with all this. It' not like she's like this all the time but probably 80 percent of the time. 

I'm at my wits end.. anybody have a similar situation? What do I do? 

Comments

Harry's picture

She is the child.  Put your foot down. At 3 yo she should be in bed at 7:30 or 8 pm the latest.  Your BF should not be working leaving the kid for you to take care of.  When your BF is working your rules apply,  if get She punches you in the stomach she get punished, goes into her room no toys no nothing.  If said you not my mother. She goes In her room for Disrespecting you.  You know her better you know what to take away.  If BF complain then he gets a sitter for her 

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

^SD5 and SD9 have a 7pm bedtime. They then get until 9 to have "quiet time" in their room. SD5 is normally out by 8PM, SD9 is out by 9

JennyCupcake's picture

She turns into a completely different child when the boyfriend isn't here unless I do everything she says. I don't know.. I've gotten to the point where I don't want to be around her. And it' so sad because she is a CHILD. An innocent, sweet child. But I can't help the way I feel. 

elkclan's picture

OK, take a deep breath. She is 3. I'm afraid, that with some kids in particular, this is pretty common behaviour. They are old enough to know that they are a separate person, but obviously not old enough to do things responsibily. They are using their new found ability to articulate their wishes and just being horrible. It shouldn't be the terrible twos it should be the terrible 3s. My bio son said things like this to me when he was that age. He used to tell me I was fired. Ha ha.  They KIND OF know what they are doing, but they are really way too young to fully understand the impact of what they're doing on other people. They just don't have the mental capacity to know how hurtful the things they say are. Not saying they don't know it doesn't have impact - of course they do, they do it to get a reaction, but they simply do not have the mental sophistication to really understand about other people's feelings or needs. 

It is really difficult to stay calm and in control, but this is what you have to do. Parenting isn't just about the happy moments. It's about when they're being little shits, too.  And I hate to say it, but she is probably testing you. You are now her main mother figure, her real mother left her and she is probably subconsciously testing you to see if you are really there for her no matter what. She is going through some major trauma and that WILL impact her behaviour. 

I will say this though - you MUST NOT hit her. EVER. She is not your child. You have to find other ways to discipline her. 1) I don't think that this is good parenting and 2) you could get in legal trouble. I get it, I did spank my bio son, but this was my failure as a parent not a good parenting approach.  I did not do it often and never in anger, but it was the thing that worked for him because he is stubborn like his mother.  I always always always used the supernanny approach - (not that she would condone hitting!) - but her - warning, countdown, consequence - before I spanked him. He has never just been slapped (by me) out of the blue without a verbal warning. And this works so much better because even now years later and I haven't hit him in years and years and the countdown still works! 

At 3 you have to give them a warning and an opportunity to stop doing what they're doing or start doing what they should be doing (e.g. teeth brushing, etc).

Also - why are you doing all this childcare?  I do childcare for my boyfriend sometimes and in a couple of weeks I will have to watch his kids while he works, but he watches my son for me. 

 

JennyCupcake's picture

As far as spanking goes, I didn't start doing that until she turned 3. My boyfriend gave me permission to spank her. And I have repeat myself at least 5 or 6 times for her to do something, and I have no choice but to spank her. 

 

Also, is it not normal to watch her as much as I do? My boyfriend works 5 or 6 days a week. Mom can't watch her because she is off doing her thing. So there is really no one else to help watch her unless it is her grandma but she works all day. So I mean. I am the only other option. I am a nurse but I only work 3 days a week so I have a lot of time off.

MoominMama's picture

Agree with what others have said. I also think that she is testing you. 3 is an age when they are looking for boundaries. Boundaries make them feel more secure. Just be consistent with her and ignore the 'i dont love you' stuff, she is looking for a reaction.

And yes, she should be in bed long before 11pm. 7-8 is the time so tbat she gets enough sleep consistent with her age. Not enough sleep makes children irritable and difficult to handle.

Where is the mother and why is she not present in the child's life? 

JennyCupcake's picture

Well we had a plan with the BM to have 2 weeks with the daughter and the BM would have her for one week. BM and BE agreed to this because Mom cannot get her life straight. She's loving with a guy that doesn' have a job. We've heard that drugs are involved. It's a real mess. I have taken care of her daughter more than she ever did in the last two years.