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having issues with my blended family

stressed247's picture

This is going to be long so brace yourself. Thank you in advance for reading my story. Here is some backstory...I married my husband when I was 21 years old. He had a 2yr old boy and 4yr old girl from a previous marriage. When we met he was separated from his wife and after the divorce was finalized she lost her mind and dedicated her life to brainwashing her kids to think I am the devil. It was a very nasty divorce and we battled for 4 years to get custody of his kids from that psycho and finally now have joint custody. In those four years the kids have had psychological and behavioral issues (anorexia with the girl, weight issues, the mom shaving the girls legs when she was six, mom telling the girl she needs braces and needs to change herself, mom puts them in diapers at night even though they are nine and seven years old now. The boy has really bad ADD and won't listen and they both lie alot. The list goes on and on...) my husband since the divorce has been blind to these issues and refuses to believe there is anything wrong and has issues disciplining them and I always end up having to do it so I always look like the bad guy. This has put a major strain on the kids and my relationship as well as my relationship with my husband.

Now I have an 11 month old daughter and I hate my stepkids being around her. I don't want their negativity and bad behavior to rub off on her as well as the negativity from their mother. I have tried to let things slide and let them interact with the baby, but they don't follow my rules and the girl ends up trying to play mom to my daughter and the boy has said multiple disturbing things about my daughter dying. So I don't let them hold her or even play with her since they can't listen to my instructions or respect me as a stepparent. My husband doesn't understand why I do the things I do and is blind to all of the issues. We fight daily about discipline. I know I need to let them be involved but I'm so worried about the kids hating me and trying to be around my daughter at the same time. If they can't respect me I don't think they should be involved with my daughter. I don't know how to address this any better with my husband and I can't keep being the bad guy in our relationship I feel like it's too late to have a cohesive relationship wth my blended family and have considered divorce to save myself and my family the stress. On top of the family stress we have all the stress with his ex which causes more and more resentment. I need some help from other blended families on how to deal with this. I love my husband but I can't stand always feeling like I'm the issue in our family. No one is open to counseling either. Please help sorry this is so scattered.

stressed247's picture

Ugh it's so refreshing not to be bashed for for feeling this way! Thank you so much for your response. I've already told my husband I can't parent his kids alone and I will be putting my foot down more. I just hate being in this position a d I hate feeling like my family is falling apart. I feel like a horrible stepmom and wicked because his kids are beginning to resent me for not letting them be around my daughter and do things with her and I hate that, but I don't know what to do when she gets older and wants to play with them more. I'm lost!

dogtac69's picture

Start by demanding, not asking, demanding, that DH take over the discipline of the SKs. Secondly, don't leave your baby alone with SS. He, probably, is just talking about the baby dying, but why risk it? Good luck.

stressed247's picture

I never leave my baby home without me. Not even with just my husband because he doesn't follow my rules about the baby and the stepkids. The boy has also taliked about killing animals. I know he is a boy and only 7 yearyears old but it scares me. He hasn't said anything in awhile after I confronted him about it but I can tell it's still going on in his head. The girl is a whole other issue....my hus and will let her do everything for the baby when I'm not around and I'm not ok with that. She tries to mother the baby and thinks it's okay to get in front of me while I'm doing something. It's so nice to have support. Thanks guys!

Rags's picture

Voice recorder!!!! Keep in in your procket on auto start and when SS says creepy crap about your baby dying save it. When you have an informative compilation of threatening creepy statements sit down and play it for your DH. There is nothing like a voice recording or even better... video... to give a clueless parent clarity about the behavior of their spawn.

Inform DH very clearly that he has a choice. Respect you as his wife and step up, parent, and discipline his older children and protect his youngest child from them before you have to or STFU while you do what he should be doing. That is it, the Skids bear the consequences of their behavior either way but they will bear the consequences whether DH pulls his head out of his ass and opens his eyes or not.

Good luck.

Alwaysannoyed's picture

I also try to never leave my baby home when I am not there. My husband does not do anything for my daughter when I am home and the only time he asks me to leave her is when SD is home then he wants her to stay so SD can play mommy. I can't stand that my SD refuses to understand she is a sibling not a parent and my SO plays right into it. She also tries to stop me from being a parent and I don't like it either, stressed247 I am right there with you. To be honest there is something creepy about my SD's behavior when it comes to my BD, my SO and even our pets. The worst part is my SO thinks she's perfect, yup so perfect that she annoys the hell out of him on a regular basis... I guess what he means by perfect is that everyone else has to think she's perfect and never be bothered by her weird behavior only he gets to express his annoyance :?

luvmykidsmore's picture

Ugh. Sorry you're going through this. I am in a newly formed blended family and going through some stuff with one of the two Schildren. Trying to find some patience, but finding myself being more and more protective of my own biological kiddos. Still trying though. Good luck.