So I got married to the love of my life last month. Only catch is that not only did I get a husband, I got a clingy, bratty 4 year old SD along with it. I have 3 Godchildren and have been around kids all my life (don't have any of my own, by choice- I do want them, just didn't want them before marriage) so I know SD's attention-seeking behaviors are far from the norm. She will literally scream if her dad is out of her sight & will go looking for him. She squeezes in between us when I am sitting next to DH on the couch. I can't even have a conversation with my own husband without her interrupting (and yes, she has been corrected on these things NUMEROUS times).

One minute she is fine, but the next she is screaming and throwing a tantrum like a 2 year old. I try my best to do things together to try to bond with her like baking cupcakes, letting her help me with dinner, taking her to get her nails painted when I get mine done, etc. It does not work. I have no love or affection for her. I dread her coming (we have her every other week for the full week) and I can't wait for her to be out of my house. I do not feel like a family at all. I feel like it is those 2 (DH and SD), and then me.

We have tried counseling. We went before our wedding (only twice.. maybe we should go back?) and DH seemed to better understand my point of view and how I felt and it seemed like things were looking up so I went through with the wedding. My family and all my friends think I'm stupid for marrying this man. They told me things would never change. They said I deserve better. People on this site even told me I would always be the "other woman" and that DH is already married (to his daughter), etc.

Well now we are married. Is there any hope for us? I don't want to be a statistic
Anything I can do to improve things? Or is it all up to DH? Thanks for any input.