Second one almost 18
Here are some updates.
Ss23 moved out this year after the continued back and forth with trying to get him to pay 400 monthly to us (DH got him a job as a doorman, he makes 800 weekly and has his own room so we figured he can help). It was always some excuse or other on why he couldn't pay up. He began dating a girl who has her own place (by way of her dad who left it to her under his name for low income housing) and I had husband start to kind of force save for him, because SS23 couldn't save to save his life and I wanted him to save so he can move out. We had him start giving 500 or 600 weekly. That only lasted a few weeks before he asked for his money back. DH told him if he gives him the money, he has to move out because that was his money to move out. DH asked him what he needed it for but he refused to say. DH told him that unless he sees he had a place to go, he wouldn't give him his 2k. Ss23 then texts new girl and asked if he could stay with her and she said "of course". He moved out.
Since he moved out, he barely calls unless he needs something. Most recent thing was a cell phone. We allowed him to use our credit to purchase a new iPhone. He still can't save, I get weekly letters from Chase about his overdrawn account. He says he's working on saving, but he blames his girlfriend and says she smokes 800 worth of marijuana weekly. Apparently she is also a "bottle girl" and makes a lot of money. He never calls to ask for advice or to see how all is going. He only speaks to SS17.
SS17 started his final year of school. Our relationship is still rocky. A part of me feels bad because I know that it all boils down to the fact that they have a toxic mom, and I wish I was nicer and more forgiving. But every time I think Incan get there, something happens.
In September, DH decided to go for another stint on the road. He retired from his doorman position in June and is starting his second career in trucking. I never wanted it to be an on the road thing but it seems this is what it's becoming. I wouldn't have minded as much if SS17 didn't live with me, but he does. Of course, as soon as DH goes on the road, I get a call from SS17's schools that he threatened suicide because a teacher asked him to take his hat off. They said a parent had fo go pick him up from the school and he would have to be cleared by psych before he went back to school. I was on my way to work and had to call out. I picked the kid up and he starts trying to downplay everything, saying they took him laterally, that he was just kidding. I tried explaining to him that he has to stop doing this. That he's about to be 18 and out of school and he can't keep having a chip on his shoulder and treating authority figures like crap.
He then says he doesn't need anyone to like him, proceeded to be sarcastic with me and say "oh because you have it all figured out", I mean just triggering me. He said a lot more, but by the end of the day, he tried to backtrack and ask me for a hug. I was too angry and told him I wasn't ready for all of that especially after all the things he said. I fantasized about kicking him out again, but my conscience wouldn't allow it. Instead, I reported the events to DH and told him that I didn't know how much more of ss17 I could take. If he's going to continue to be like this as an adult, he can move out. Into a shelter, or I'll just rent my house out and up and leave to a smaller place. I don't want to support a grown man who is mean and rude. I see that with SS23, all we did was wait 4 years for no reason, because it's not like he changed much after graduating. He was selfish, manipulative, smoked all his money away and when he finally got pushed to save to move out, he left and still has the same horrible habits. I won't give Ss17 the same grace period. He either has to work, go to college or go to the military when finishes high school. I refuse for him to be in my house on the internet all day while I go work to pay bills.
As for DH, I made a discovery this year about myself. I think I used to think he was such a nice guy but I never saw how much of an inconsistent and lazy parent he was and is. It has made my respect for him diminish, though I try to be understanding. His first 2 kids grew up to be selfish, lying, manipulative, crappy people and I get that the power of a toxic mother is strong, but I feel like DH could have helped them if he had been more consistent, if he cared enough to discipline them, if he would have listened to me when I first told him I thought both SSs were screwing up.
Even now. Even now I tell him he should try to have a man to man with his first son to try to figure out his real why. Why is he so unattached, so uncaring. But DH doesn't seem interested in making that a priority. He says he'll get it one day, life will teach him. I keep wishing for this "family", this "togetherness" of all of of us, where both SSs finally get it and act like we are all family, but nope. Not in the cards for me with them it seems.
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Comments
"He says he'll get it one day
"He says he'll get it one day, life will teach him"
Seriously? LIFE will teach him? What an effin' cop out! How about HE teach his son for once? How about HE be a parent for once? Tell your clueless DuH that you don't have the time for LIFE to teach his offspring stuff that HE as the kid's FATHER should have been working on since the kid was born!
Way to be a passive waste-of-space, DuH!
DH says
DH says that he has had conversations with them, but he doesn't understand that it was never about just conversations. It's also about consistency and discipline.
You should have given them
You should have given them dad's number & stopped taking calls. Not your circus.
^^^This^*^
.
Normally
I normally don't pick up any calls I don't know, and I don't have anything to do with SS17 and school since he was about 13. I tried to help with schoolwork and he refused to listen, and older SS or DH wouldn't help me talk sense into him so I gave up. I only picked up because it was an unknown number and they called me back to back twice so I thought maybe it was my daughter's school. Big mistake. I would have never picked up if I knew SS was going to be an asshat. Had to take him to a psych, and they ended up giving us a social worker instead. She laughed it off and said she thought the school was being dramatic. It was a waste of my time.
Dad
Should have opened up a can of whoop a** on both of them a long time ago. This is what happens when you fail to discipline and parent. I'm sure low income housing would be interested to know that this girl and her ne'er do well spoiled brat boyfriend are living in the unit and probably not on the lease either of them.
He should have
Definitely opened that up a long long time ago. But I do take ownership of the fact that there has definitely been red flags in the beginning that I didn't heed.
Red flags that we didn't heed
I think most of us are guilty as charged on that.
I think I've posted this
I think I've posted this before but here it goes again.
You cannot tell that the flag is red when you are wearing rose coloured glasses!
SD16 Power Sulk
This sounds like my sitch, with a few variations (boys vs girls). Sd16 power sulk is too entrenched and enmeshed with her mother to see straight. Shes lazy and I dont see anything she is doing that is going to be positive for the future.
And here too, Husband is lazy parent and just feels like "well if she wants to follow her sisters path and wants to be a mess, I cant help her". Meanwhile Im going to work every day supporting her lazy a$$ while she sits around during summers and breaks and does nothing to help out.
Yup
This is me too. I really hope SS17 turns a new leaf. I hope his atttitude changes. If it doesn't, I don't know how long I can live with him. He is very defiant, very moody, and hates any authority. He got a very part time job with foot locker and already dislikes his manager. I just don't want to have to do life with a miserable entitled person. I stuck by DH until they turned 18 as I said I would but idk if I can bend much more without breaking.
This sounds like my H also.
This sounds like my H also. Lazy, lazy parent. The only difference, and why I think the SDs will turn out OK, is that BM is a good mother. I really feel for the kids that have two bad (or lazy and ineffective) parents.
I do too
And also the society they get unleashed on
"He says he'll get it one day
"He says he'll get it one day, life will teach him."
What these men fail to realize is that parents are LIFE, they are their childrens teachers, if they don't teach them no one will!
Absolutely
We have to teach our kids first!!
I can't find the article I recently read on how women lose
sexual and love interest in men as children get older and men do not effectively parent.
Apparentlly it is a thing.
I think it goes both ways. Kid obsessed failed parents are just not appealing. Whether they are men or women.
It is
Definitely a thing Rags. We want men to take on their own stuff, especially their own kids! We don't want to deal with them!
I think any person who
I think any person who threatens suicide should have a 72 hour psych hold to ensure their safety. It has the added benefit of preventing future bullshit like this.
Agree
Too bad the social worker didn't take this seriously. I wish SS would have been held accountable, that he would have been stuck in a psych ward to determine if he was serious. This is where I feel we fail as a society. What if he was a mass murderer and this was the first time he had to show what he had wanted?