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How do you do it?

Confusedelephant's picture

How do you be a step-parent? Or maybe not even a step-parent but somewhat of a care give to your SO's daughter?

My SO has a 4 year old from a previous relationship. I get along with her great, but I really struggle with the dynamics when it's the 3 of us together, which is most of the time.

If I'm to bring anything up, So gets extremely defensive and it causes a huge arguments like when I said I'm happy for her to be in the bed in the mornings, just not every morning. 

I'm wondering if it's too much for me to actually cope with. I don't feel overly supported by my partner and get overwhelmed very easily with it all. 

Winterglow's picture

You should never be in a bed with a child who is not blood-related with you. Doing so leaves you open to all sorts of accusations. Ask your SO how he'd feel if bm had his daughter in bed with her and her bf.

He also needs to understand that you are his gf, his daughter already has a mother.  Besides that, when she's on his visitation time, it's to spend time with HIM. You are not a substitute parent for her.

Understand that you can support him in his role as a father. Why do you feel he should be supporting you?  Is he heaping responsibility for his daughter on you? Not your job.

 

Confusedelephant's picture

Asking that is a whole other argument. Although it's meant to be 50/50, his daughter pretty much loves with him 85% of the time.

I've made the point about not being a substitute parent, he had a go because his daughter tells me she loves me every time she sees me, and multiple times a day, and I don't say it back. It's a boundary thing for me and also understanding what those words and that emotion actually means.

I do support him, but he can be dismissive when I bring up any topic that relates to the dynamic or how things are between the 3 of us in the house. 

Winterglow's picture

Search a little on this site for Disney daddy. It might give you a little insight into what's in store for you.

 

NotMeAnymore's picture

I agree. I was writing my long winded comment while you summed it up perfectly!!!

Confusedelephant's picture

Perfect description. This is pretty much the situation I'm finding myself in... Lots to think about and if it's something that I can accept/live with/bite my tongue on.

We've had times when I've given his daughter into trouble and he's then made jokes about it with her and being best buddies with her.

 

I've also noticed that generally, when it's us 2 we're absolutely grand and get along fine. When it becomes a 3, it's total. Disney Dad and I'm ousted and just to go along with whatever

Cover1W's picture

Yeah you can read my blogs. I getcalong well with YSD just the two of us, but the whole atmosphere changes when DH is involved as he's way protective of her and casts me as the bad actor. So I avoid things if it's the three of us a lot.

NotMeAnymore's picture

My SSs twins when I met them at 12 did tell me in a couple of ocassions they loved me, that I was their third parent... fast forward now to 19... they barely know I exist or care much about me... and life has been tough with Disney BPs, and trying to establish house living rules, trying to provide structure and perfomance.. so brace yourself if your BF is already acting like this. BPs cannot fathom that SPs do not LOVE or fall in love with their hatchlings and make them THE PRIORITY in life!... I mean I like my SSs but I don't LOVE them... and I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to them in life, I would like to see them succeed; but my SO and I have very different views on parenting, so hell broke loose for 8 years... and SSs knew and milked it and manipulated underhanded and in a subtle way and between the houses... manipulation which I brought up many times and was frowned upon.

LOL I sound very bitter...

Confusedelephant's picture

How do you get through the hell?

Every week feels like a new fight effectively over nothing because of differing views. I'm allowed so far in, but that's it. I can do some parenting bits like teach her to ride a bike and swim but not others. If we have a falling out, I'm blocked out from doing things like reading bedtime stories (which generally I'm more than happy to do and she asks for me to read to her every night).

I'm almost at the point of being passive in the dynamics which goes against my grain as I love kids and love teaching and showing them things.

I feel at such a loss with it all... 

notsurehowtodeal's picture

Your bigger problem is your SO being dismissive of your concerns. It shouldn't matter what you are concerned about in the relationship, he shouldn't dismiss it. It sounds like he wants you to be a "replacement" Mom when his daughter is there, and that is not working for you as his daughter already has a Mom. You need to figure out what you are comfortable with and then let him know. If he isn't ok with your boundries, you need to rethink the relationship.

Confusedelephant's picture

This is true. It feels like I can't bring things up without being made out to be over dramatic or him being dismissive and defensive. 

Rumplestiltskin's picture

Your SO has his daughter 85% of the time and wants her in bed with you, wants you to say I love you, and doesn't understand why you have reservations. Does he let you make decisions as much as he and BM do? Do you have equal say as to when she comes over on BM's time? Can you make decisions about discipline?

This guy is delusional. He wants you to "be mommy" when it comes to you doing certain things, but not others. That's not how it works. You won't develop parental feelings without the entire experience of being a parent. From my experience, adoptive parents develop those feelings but most stepparents don't. That's because they are not allowed the full parent experience. They are expected to do certain things but prevented from doing others. Told "don't overstep, you aren't the parent." That's when resentment develops. 

Confusedelephant's picture

Exactly this. Oh no, I'm not allowed to make decisions and if I try to discipline I'm undermined and talked over more often than not.

Don't get me wrong, I care for his daughter and do alot for and with her. But like today for example, my SO and I have had a falling out and because we're still not exactly on speaking terms, I'm now not allowed to read a bed time story, so not only do I get punished, she's also punished for something that isn't her fault.

 

Rumplestiltskin's picture

"But like today for example, my SO and I have had a falling out and because we're still not exactly on speaking terms, I'm now not allowed to read a bed time story, so not only do I get punished, she's also punished for something that isn't her fault."

That's so fk'd up. If you stay together he's going to one day say something like he wants you to be more invokved or love her like your own, not realizing it's him who prevented that. Seriously, you will probably grow to resent her and it won't be because of her behavior but because of his. ETA also, though, shitty parents can actually parent bad behaviors INTO kids by reinforcing them so SD might become intolerable, behavior-wise. 

hereiam's picture

 he can be dismissive when I bring up any topic that relates to the dynamic or how things are between the 3 of us in the house....I can't bring things up without being made out to be over dramatic or him being dismissive and defensive. 

Huge red flag if you cannot discuss these things with him. It's important for the relationship to have this discussion.

I've also noticed that generally, when it's us 2 we're absolutely grand and get along fine. When it becomes a 3, it's total. Disney Dad and I'm ousted and just to go along with whatever

Another red flag. He shouldn't treat you differently or oust you when his daughter is around. 

It sounds like he needs to remain single for awhile and just focus on raising his daughter (nothing wrong with that). Any woman that he is with, is going to get the short end of the stick. Don't let that woman be you.

I remember my DH telling me that if he had gotten full or majority custody of his daughter (she was barely 5 when he and BM split) that he would not have gotten into a relationship with me. I thought it was a weird thing to say but after reading a lot of stories on this site, I get it. He knew that she would need a lot of his attention and it wouldn't have been fair to me.

If your BF can't balance parenthood and a relationship, he should at least be honest about it.

Confusedelephant's picture

You're absolutely right, he shouldn't treat me differently when his daughter is around. I understand she needs alot of attention, especially when she's moved from pillar to post between 2 homes with 2 different sets of rules.

Broaching the subject with him can be difficult on the daughter front. He automatically goes into defensive dad mode and thinks I'm attacking him/her, when all I'm trying to do is communicate about a concern. I also sometimes get condescending replies about being a parent.

I never ever thought that I would get involved with someone with a child/children because I'm fully aware of alot of issues that can creep up, and when I do highlight them, I feel like I'm shot down.

Maybe it's a rethink on my part.. 

hereiam's picture

If you can't communicate with him and he doesn't take your concerns seriously... it might not be the relationship for you.

Cover1W's picture

If you cannot sit down with him and have an adult convo about both your roles with his kid, expectations, boundaries and what you will and won't do as a step, that's a problem .

My DH has been not easy in the dad role, but he's good to me overall and we could talk about things, whether or not they could be resolved. If he cannot talk with you are compromise that's a giant problem. 

Mominit's picture

I'm going to be the odd one out here. I broke up with a guy who was awesome. But didn't have dad vibe. He was great for me, but not for my reality.. me and kids. My (now) DH of 20+ years had kids. We parented the same. Our kids jumped in bed with us, For nightmares, or for good morning snuggles. I signed up to be Mom2. He was Dad2. 
if you're not on the same page, willing to be Mom, ask yourself..,is this the relationship for you? Some folks do well with disengaging. That was never an option for us. We both committed to each other and our kids. It sounds like your SO wants you to be Mom, heart and soul. My DH and I had the same expectations. Your not wrong if you don't want to. But he isn't either. 
Figure out each others expectations and boundaries, then put emotions aside and make decisions based on reality.

if you don't want to Mom kids, maybe this is not your relationship.

Confusedelephant's picture

Don't get me wrong, I'm good with SD coming in in the morning if it means she lies a little longer or has had a nightmare, and SO is also there. I only asked for it not to be every morning.

I don't have kids of my own, so it's a huge learning curve. And it'd be a learning curve even if I did. It's not that I'm not willing to be mum2, I've got to be given that space to be that person.

I'll try and approach the expectations and boundaries again and hopefully this time we'll both take things on board and can work it out. 

Thumper's picture

OP

It does not matter whether or not you are ok with your boyfriends 4 year old daughter coming  in the bed with you and her dad. You should not allow it to happen. 

I do not want to come across rude to you. Surely you realize how wrong that is, don't you?

 

 

NotMeAnymore's picture

There are situations where BPs do not allow SPs to parent their kids and find that any parenting suggestions are meant to be criticism or an attack.

So it's not necessarily that SPs don't want to parent SKids it's the brick wall that BPs lift with their protective attitudes.

Thumper's picture

RUN

Oh, never, ever sleep in bed with another man OR womans child.

 

Rags's picture

Establish, publish, and enforce standards of behavior and standards of performance for any spawn in your home. Regardless of kid biology.

If you do not, it will only degrade from where things currently are.

You do not have to have papers with daddy to do this. It is your life, your home (you live there), and your standards.  Daddy can either enforce them or GTF out of your way while you do it. Do not give him/them any other choice.

Do not sacrifice yourself on the altar of Sparental martyrdom to a failed family which includes a prior breeder mate and their baggage.

Harry's picture

This will never change. Your SO is looking for that "Happy Family". What he created in his mind. What has nothing to do with real life.  He's never going to find it and it's all your fault that life doesn't go his way.  He actually disrecepting you. He telling you he the boss in the relationship. If you don't comply he will pick up his kid shd leave.  
Having a kid 85% of the time where he shouting you out.  Questions why are you staying for.?  To be beat up 85% of the time. 
'You just can't live this way. It's inky going to get worst. When SD realize the power she controls.  Time to make a exit plan. Its time for DH to have another failed relationship and marrage.  Do you see a pattern here.

ndc's picture

This isn't really a "step" problem - this is a problem with your partner.  He's dismissing your concerns,  "punishing" you, ignoring your boundaries and not treating you like the priority you should be.  Sure, the issues come up the most regarding his daughter, but they'd be there anyway.  

When I first met my husband, SDs were 1 and 4 and they slept with him every night he had them.  I told him I was not sleeping with unrelated children and if he wanted me to ever stay over his kids had to be in their own beds. Guess what? He had those kids sleeping in their own beds in less than a week.  He didn't dismiss my concerns, he addressed them.  Same with excessive BM contact; boundary was put in place and respected.  This is not to say that my DH is without fault or that steplife is great - not at all - but the relationship was worth pursuing because he was willing to deal with issues, take my concerns seriously and prioritize me and our relationship.  It doesn't sound like that's the case with your boyfriend.  I'm guessing it's not steplife, it's HIM. I'd give some thought to throwing this one back. 

Harry's picture

There bed room ..is there bedroom,, This is there  private space in the home. SK are not allowed in the master bed room,  SK are not allowing to go through the draws ;. Closets.l touch the makeup. .Some SM will put a lock on door..

When a person goes into a second marrage. It's going to be different then when two people have bio kids. Your DH must understand that his concept of the big happy family is gone,,it was lost in the divorce 

CLove's picture

A Step"parent" is allowed to do, and help, and love, and PAY as long as you do not also try to have any kind of authority.

I suggest you read around on here.

NotMeAnymore's picture

Yep... for example I was NOT allowed to discipline, correct, and establish sleeping habits, school habits, hygiene habits, request MORE chores around the house - there was always some type of cat fight; but oh boy, hell broke loose when I didn't want to go 1/2 to pay for one of the SS teen twins for us 4 to travel all to Alaska or Italy!! I said NO, I refuse to pay $5k - $10K for one of the children... if I can't parent, I can't PARENT all the way!!! Mind you I had already paid in the past for smaller local trips about $1k - $2k for a child to be kind and try to have a family feel....

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Mind you I had already paid in the past for smaller local trips about $1k - $2k for a child to be kind...

Not everyone can afford that!