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Desperately Need Advice (kind of long)

Stressed357's picture

Ok, so I've posted before about how my DH likes to go off and do his stuff without his family and how I've always felt like I'm the babysitter for his son, we also have a DD 5 months. Well, yesterday everything came to a head. I had tried to disengage from his son Diablo because he doesn't like to listen to me, and goes to his dad because he knows that he will 95% of the time give in to what he wants.

So anyway, DH calls me up at work and starts chewing me out about how I treat his son, and how his son doesn't even want to be at the house with us anymore, and on and on and on!! He say's he's noticed how I don't interact with his son anymore and that my priority is the baby, and that I'm not the same with him either. So I told him, I know I'm different, but if I'm being disrespected and it's allowed, then how am I supposed to act. You want me to bend over backwards for a kid that doesn't want to listen to me, has no respect when I try to set rules, or even enforce them, and that has dad there making excuses for his behavior! Instead of telling his son he needs to listen, he tells me, oh, he doesn't listen to anyone...so rather than correct the problem, let me just make an excuse for it, thus allowing it to happen! So, like I've said in other posts, the kid is a generally good kid, with some problems here and there (been sent to principals office 4 times since starting kindergarden - remember he's only 6). But neither bio-parent is willing to set any firm consequences for the behavior. And about me making my DD a priority, yes, I'm going to do that, I'm the one that gets up at night with her, I'm the one that buys her everything she needs, so yes, I will do everything I can to ensure she is my priority!!

So back to the chewing me out....(I've gone outside by this point). So then when I mentioned to DH that I'm tired of being taken advantage of, and being made to feel like the babysitter, and the maid, and to have to sit and have him tell me about all the trips he's taking this summer ALONE to go watch this band, or go see this concert, I told him it's BS! I said this is not the marriage I signed up for, to have a husband that would rather think about things that HE wants to do, instead of things we could do as a family! I said when I got married and decided to have my daughter, I knew what I was getting into, and what I was giving up (going out whenever I wanted, etc), but that he still seems to think that's the life he can live. He said, I've done that my whole like, even when I had SS. I said, yeah, but the difference is that you had him part-time and now you have your DD all the time, she doesn't go off to her moms house for X amount of days!! I told him if he wasn't willing to give that up, he shouldn't have had another child!!!

So then we get back to his son and how I'm the horrible stepmom!! Apparentely his son told his niece that I am mean to him!! Well duh!! I make rules and don't let him get away with everything...I make him clean his room and put his stuff away, and have at times taken things away when he doesn't listen to me!! Funny thing is that DH ex-girlfriend was also mean to his son, probably cause she enforced rules too, and SS never wanted to be over there, and never was, DH left him with his BM or with grandma all the time. But I said, how horrible I am, that 90% of the new clothing in his closet is from me....not his own dad or mom!! But he just sees how I'm so mean to his son now!! I don't tell his son anything anymore, I just don't sit there and give him all my attention, I let him and his dad have that relationship!! But I've tried, and am trying to at least get back to having a friendship with his son! I won't ever love him like I do my daughter, and I shouldn't be expected to!! He has his mother who loves him that way!! But yet, I'm still expected to be the mom figure.....I even got told how horrible I am cause I don't go to his baseball games....well, neither does his BM, but apparently that's ok....

Anyway, so here is the part I'm seeking advice on. I told my husband that I am trying to work on things, but it's not going to be any over night thing, it's going to happen in baby steps, but that's not good enough for him, he wants it to happen yesterday and it can't!! I even tried this weekend to be better with his son, and it's little things that I would wish he'd notice, but he doesn't!! It's all overwhelming for me at time, and he just doesn't get it. He thinks I should just be able to snap my fingers and presto - life is perfect. It's not that easy for me, it's all been an adjustment, heck, having a baby alone is an adjustement and add to that post-partum depression and it's a hard battle!!! So then he tells me that his son doesn't want to come to the house anymore and doesn't want to be around me, so I said basically you've left me no choice but to leave....you want the change instantly, and am saying how he doesn't want to be around me, so what am I to do - give him and do exactly what you want, but get nothing in return or leave!!! So I left!! Last night I stayed at my moms house, and am planning on staying there again.... I guess I'm just looking to see if this is anything that anyone thinks can be worked out, or it too far gone and I should take my DD and go??

alwaysanxious's picture

Its hard but if it were me, I'd stand my ground. If you give in now, he will know you always will. You'll be second fiddle to a child and won't like DH anyway because of it. If he is willing to make some changes, of course it can be worked out. If not, then what can you do?

cc01's picture

Wow! I have almost been in a similar situation.

With my ex, we had 2 babies together, and he had 4 other kids, and when he would take them over to visit, he would leave them there for me to care for, and he would be off doing whatever he wanted. I had to do everything for everyone, and take care of my kids on top of his! Cook, clean, laundry...the whole bit. It's exhausting.

What i've learned- he will never change (unless he truly wants to). Why should YOU be the one to change, when it's clearly HIM that needs the adjustment!!!
He leaves you with his son, and expects you to be responsible for him, but doesn't want you to exercise your authority! If I am caring for a kid in my home, and feeding, clothing, and caring for them, I have every right to ask them to do things like cleaning their room, picking up their toys, and correcting their behavior.

If yourDH doesn't like the way you do things when the skid is around, tell HIM to do it then!!! How can he even tell you how to parent his child, when he isn't even around to do it!

If he doesn't like that way things are done, tell him to do it. Simple as that.

As for him taking off and doing as he pleases, put your foot down on that. BUT...if he is set in his ways, and you let him get away with that before...he's most likely to continue this behavior. My ex always used this one on me "when you met me, you knew I was like that, but you stayed anyways. why do I have to change now."

An ultimatum might get him to change his ways of thinking, but if you've already gone this far, and he doesn't seem to care, why waste any more of your time trying to do the right things, when nobody appreciates that?
Does he even care???

Stressed357's picture

Thanks everyone!!! It's a horrible situation to be in, and I think I'm just fed up with it already. It's not like the problems are new problems, they've been there since we first got serious, and I would always tell him how I felt like I was just a live-in babysitter!! I've told him for the past two years that I don't appreciate him wanting to go do vacations by himself, and how it needs to stop!! But he still plans and plans and then tells his friends, oh, let me ask her if I can go, so if I say no, I'm the bad person in thier eyes too!! I compromised on all his latest trips he wanted to do but said that it all needs to stop cause I'm tired of it, and if he mentions another thing he wants to do alone, then there will be divorce papers on the table when he gets back.....but now his reasoning is that he plans all these things cause he doesn't want to be around me...ha, BS!!! Yet, when something breaks in HIS house, that still has the ex-wife's name on it, I'm the one that fixes things....ie, washer broke, and I bought a new set, the entire cost was from me!!! We don't have our money together, because I'm not going to pay off his debt, but I'm a lot better with money, so he likes having that, and having someone to be the responsible one, so that his money can be spent on him!

And yeah, I get the whole I've always been like this BS as well, and, I'm thinking, hmmmm, that's probably why you'll be 29 and twice divorced!!!

As for me leaving, I don't even know what kind of reaction it had on him. I went to the house and got a lot of our stuff, and so it's noticable that I'm not there, but I haven't really talked to him since the big blowout. He did ask when he could see the baby, and originally I said maybe Thursday, but I called him this morning to say he can have her tomorrow during the day....and he'll probably see her Thursday during the day, but I'll get her back that evening and will have her all weekend because get this, he's going out of town with his friends!!!

overit2's picture

So, he wanted to marry you and find a built in babysitter for his EOW visits and still remain a single bachelor carefree man???

Give him his walking papers-this man is a moron. Let him "always be this way" all the way to the bank to retrieve more cs this round.

cc01's picture

Well, I know it will be tough to go through this (if you stick with it). I am recently just back on my feet from a divorce to a selfish man who sounds much like your now ex.

The struggles I went through are worth the sanity I have regained!

Stressed357's picture

Just a little update... I'm still not at the house, and DH only sees DD when I'm at work, and as soon as I get off, I go right over and get her.... But here is the kicker, we started counseling to see if we can save any part of this marriage, and she basically handed him his a$$ on a silver platter!! Everything he was doing and thought was ok, she focused on and pointed out how he's not right in his behavior and how he's going to end up coming home to an empty house indefinitely!! It was amazing to have someone completely understand where I've been coming from, and for him to hear it from someone other than me!!! Oh well, I get another wonderful weekend with my DD and am enjoying my time away, while he can sit and think about everything he's about to lose!!!

I love it when I can sit there and have to fight back my smile and finally have a peace of mind that I haven't been wrong this whole time like he says!!!!

roseslady2's picture

I used to feel the same way. Then, I read this book called "Created to be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl. It made me really angry, I threw the book, then I read some more. Then, I tried out her first suggestion... and it worked and I got what I wanted from mmy husband. I still faulter, but I've read this book 3 times now. I love how my husband and I have started to work together. I love how, even though I don't always get it my way, my ssons are starting to see how important in their lives I am and how I can hlep them achieve their goals. It's a weird funny kind of reverse psychology, but I'm loving the outcome.