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Summer visitation is exhausting!

Silent14's picture

We are wrapping up the first week of summer visitation. I don't think I'll survive the rest of summer break.

DH likes to think of himself as a hard ass, tough dad. Truth is, he's gullible and easily manipulated by SD15. I try to stay as disengaged as possible until it affects my house or my kids... which seems to be pretty often. DH doesn't seem to realize that when he walks out the door for work, all the rules go out the door too. Guess who works from home and gets to deal with the fall out all freakin day?!?! Lucky me!

SD15 and SD12 are so sneaky. There is not a single rule they follow when DH isn't around. They use or take anything in this house regardless of who it belongs to. They steal junk food they aren't allowed to have. They play loud rap music while I'm trying to work. They wear inappropriate clothing that dh doesn't allow. They turn the house upside down when they visit. They treat the house like it's one big trashcan. I'm having a very hard time sharing my home with them during visits. Each and every summer continues to get worse.

If I hear the excuse, "I didn't know, because I don't live here" one more time, I will lose my sh!t on someone. It's been 6 freaking years and the rules have always been the same!

The worst part is I'm becoming the problem. I can see it in DH's face every time I try to talk to him about the goings on of the house.

Comments

stepmomof1biomomof1's picture

Even though they are way to old for it.. Make a rule sheet. List what they are supposed to do every day. List the house rules. That way they can not say " I didn't know"

Silent14's picture

"SD15 is old enough for a job" Ahahaha! That's a good one. She is only interested in handouts. She doesn't have any interest in earning her money. Mark my words, she will still be unemployed in 10 years.

CLove's picture

I had to laugh along with you at that one.

Winona SD18, STILL does not have a job. Even when she had her work permit at 16 - still no efforts to finding a job. Since she graduated high school last week, she had 1 interview (her cousin works there and got it for her), and has 1 today (from an application she filled out 6 months ago apparently).

Winona SD18 is also only interested in handouts. Graduation was a "cash grab", like b-days and Christmas, and she just last night asked for money for a haircut, because wants a new style. I wonder what happened to the 100-200 she got for graduation presents (no $$$ from So thankfully, he bought roses and a stuffed dog and a flower lei for her, plus she has a cute little convertible as a present, once she can legally drive...)

Winona is simply not wanting to grow up. She eats my food, lounges around the house now all day, and doesn't lift a finger to help. Its a struggle to get her to clean her room.
SO tells me that he will not give her money for haircut, or anything else, that he is already providing her a room and food and electricity/shower, he doesn't need to keep buying her things. WE shall see!

yeah, 15, good luck getting any work from that one! ESP if she is not respecting your household once DH is gone.

Write up a "House Rules" sheet and then let kids know they need to respect YOUR house while they are with you.

SM12's picture

Ohhhh NO!!! I had the same issue when DH and I first started living together, married. I also work from home. DH and BM thought because I worked from home that I could be the "nanny" and keep the kids all summer and every day after school. Of course they used the whole "its your duty as the SM" crap and the "Don't you love my kids?" guilt trip. My SS's would also refuse to follow any rules, steal from my BS, leave trash everywhere, fight, scream, yell, tear up the house and generally be horrible. And they were all old enough to know better....Early teens and preteens at the time.

I would try to correct them but I was also trying to work. It's not like I could sit in the same room and babysit every second. Then BM would pull in the drive, honk and they would run out the door leaving a huge mess, the door open and every light in the house on.

I finally told DH that I was at my limit, they needed to either stop the messes, and screaming or I would not be watching them any longer. They didn't stop. On top of that, BM was showing up later and later everyday to pick them up and not giving me any warning she would be late. She actually made ME late to meet my XH to drop off BS for his visits.
I politely text her (because she never came to the door) and asked that she give me a warning if she was going to be late as I had other places to be. She unloaded on me telling me how much I hate her kids, blah blah blah.
Finally I had enough and gave DH and BM a week to find other arrangements. I was done.

I honestly believe and have told DH that by forcing me to watch the SS's (After I had said I wouldn't before we even moved in together) they actually ruined my relationship with the SS's. I became the heavy from day one and our relationship has never recovered. I am not close to my SS's at all. I rarely see the oldest two and it has even affected their relationship with DH. If he would have listened to me, our time with the SS's from the beginning would have been much more peaceful and enjoyable. DH and BM pushed them onto me to avoid parenting and now we have a fractured relationship with the SS's.

I would tell your DH he is ruining the family dynamic and he needs to either find other arrangements or you will find somewhere else to work during the day.

Silent14's picture

There have been so many times I have wanted to pack up and go work in the office. Problem is I don't trust SD15 in my house unsupervised. She likes to take things that don't belong to her, and apparently SD12 is closely following in her footsteps. Also, I try not to leave her alone with my daughter.

I will look into camps and see if there is anything available for teens.

KittyKatMomma's picture

Disconnect the wifi
Lock up the junk food
Shut the electricity off

And it stays that way until the house is cleaned from their mess.

My stepchildren are 16/10 and know not to act like heathens because
this SM has no issue laying down the law.

Especially for the SD16 who's only here 4-6nights a year
because they know I have no issue tossing their shit out the door
or sending them back to their mother

Silent14's picture

Oh, I have considered this. I'm sure it would be quite a shock to DH. I can't even imagine how many times they have gotten away with stealing.

Turning off wifi would only hurt my kids. His kids aren't allowed internet access for bullying other kids and and being sexually inappropriate. All devices in our home are locked down so they can't sneak them. Plus I need wifi to access my work's network.

Peridwen's picture

What kind of router do you have? Many of them can be set to allow only specific devices to access the internet, even if the other device has the password. I have our router set up to lock out our kids devices when they are supposed to be at school or asleep.

KittyKatMomma's picture

you can set the wifi up so only your kids can access it
I had to do this with DH"s sd16 (she's BM's daughter not mine)

Get the cameras set up.
Then maybe he'll learn his little angels are really demonic

bearcub25's picture

You tell your DH and the SD15 that if she and her sister can not behave as young ladies, DH will have to get a sitter for them as you will no longer be their baby sitter.
When SD whines she is too old for a sitter, you point out that No, you act like a child so you will be treated like one.

You may need to make other arrangements to work somewhere else during the days they are at your house and then you leave on those days and let your DH figure out his children care.

Edited to add: I just read you dont want SD alone in the house. You can put a dead bolt on your bedroom door, and your BS, and look stuff up in the bedrooms.

You have 2 choices: Stay and be miserable or force your DHs hand. It isn't going to change by complaining, I've found men don't respond to nagging, they respond to action.

Peridwen's picture

Tell DH: "The minute you walk out the door, all the rules we've made go out the window. SDs' do not respect me or you and they flaunt that as soon as you leave. Since you refuse to believe me, I am installing NannyCams/Survelliance/will be recording with my phone/etc. I expect you to watch the footage and then start backing me up when I start handing out consequences."

If the girls behave when DH is home, they know what the rules are. They just don't respect you or think that DH is a total idiot who will never catch them. DH will need to enforce to the girls that you are his voice when he isn't home and he will back you up. Since they have been getting away with it for 6 years, its not likely to be a smooth transition but it can happen if DH is willing to step up. A real hard-ass dad expects his kids to respect his rules in his home, even if he isn't there.

zerostepdrama's picture

The worst part is I'm becoming the problem. I can see it in DH's face every time I try to talk to him about the goings on of the house.

^^^^^ This and your post is exactly what happened with me, DH and girl skids. If you and DH do not get on the same page it's only going to get worse. SDs are only going to get worse as well. I

Ndtotalk22's picture

When my SD was old enough for a job, she applied for a few and didn't get callbacks, So I told her we would go into every business in a certain area and ask and fill out applications...we did, and she got her first job (at a dollar store). While it wasn't a great job, it was a great learning experience and she got a better job the next year as she had experience! My son was out shopping with me and wanting his first job a few years later and I told him the same thing, we were in a strip mall with a movie theatre, restaurants, grocery store, etc. He went in an applied while I was shopping and got hired on the spot at the five guys and has been a good employee and learned a lot.

First jobs are hard for kids to get on their own if they are at all shy or lack confidence but it can be an awesome game changer in their personalities when they have their own money to spend, own bank account, etc.

Also the 12 year old is old enough to help neighbors with weeding, pet walking or babysitting (a mother's helper) if you live in a development.

PS. stop the handouts and don't give up on them, you could be the best thing that ever happened to them.

FrenchPeas's picture

I was told I could be the best thing to ever happen to my former steps. That's BS. When they are this bad off at these ages, you can't help them. The damage is done and the patterns set. I tried to help ex OSS and ended up with him putting hands on me. They are exactly the products of their raising. And it's not the SM's job to try to repair or undo the damage.

I kept my kids away from the ex steps as much as possible. Then I ended up leaving entirely due to their horrible parents and their awful behavior. I was told how badly I hurt their fee fees by not allowing them to walk all over me and my kids. I said it sucks to be you, doesn't it. Took my children - who are my priority - not these damaged crazy ass people and got away.

Sorry you're dealing with this. Not your mess to fix.