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Step parenting getting worse vs. better

Cameron51's picture

I have been in my step sons life for almost 6 years. At the beginning, my husband had partial custody. His ex wife abruptly remarried and took his son far away for 2 years. During that time we only had summer & Christmas. 
Once they moved closer in 2018, we started having my stepson every other weekend & summers. He was having difficulty at school. Every time I try to openly discuss an issue, my husband gets very defensive. It seems like he stops listening. I bring up things, because I care.

I feel that my husband becomes overly sensitive, and now he is trying to make up for the time that he lost. This results in every other weekend becoming a binge fest of junk food and video games. I'm expected to be pleasant and make no complaints. I don't even feel comfortable in the house, because I do not agree with this lifestyle.

I try to suggest a walk, disc golf, etc., but that becomes a drag. I suggest healthier meals, but jokes are cracked that I am too healthy. I'm not allowed to complain in the slightest. After a meal, they jet back to the tv. I politely ask them to clean up. I'm talking candy wrappers thrown on the floor, empty drink cups left. I don't expect hard core cleaning, because he's not always here, but I expect cleaning up after himself. However, I do feel an easy chore would make him more integral in the family.

I feel awful, but I dread when he's coming. I don't want to feel this way, and I do love my step son. I'm not really sure where to go from here. We do have a 10 month old, and my step son has had some tough issues recently because his mother and step father were going through turbulent times.

There are a lot of factors here. I really want to turn this around. I don't want to spend the weekend alone and not want to be in my own living room. Help!

Rags's picture

Time to put a foot up DH's butt and let him know that YOU are not his or his failed family spawn's chore bitch.  Post the rules and standards that YOU will enforce in the home and let DH know that HE positions against you at his peril.

Then take shears to the power cords on the gaming systems and put game systems/tablets/phones under the tires of your car if DH or the Failed Family progeny fail to abide by the rules.

SO's can ignore, avoid, and facilitate their failed family breeding mistakes only if we as their equity life partners allow it.

Don't allow it.

Purge any and all junk food from your home.  Just don't buy it.  If DH and the spawn want it, they can leave and eat it elsewhere.  If you cook, they eat what you choose.  If they cook, they use the foods you buy unless they want to go shopping for themselves. In which case as soon as the spawn departs, those ingredients go in the garbage and your home goes back to being stocked with the foods that you choose.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Zero tolerance and total confrontation is very effective in driving desired behaviors in those who are incapable of complying without being held accountable.

Good luck.