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Doesn't feed him, but seems to be ready to make false accusations - Warning, Long

mombydefault's picture

Where do I begin without writing a novel?

A little history:
BM literally abandoned SS and DH to move to another state. I met DH AFTER she had been out of their lives for quite some time. She has always blamed me for their divorce. When DH, SS and I began living together (DH has primary custody) I invited her over to see our apartment at that time. I assumed that a 'mother' would want to know where her child is living. I assumed wrong. She declined my invitation, called me every bad word possible and accused me of trying to take her place as SS mom. I even helped SS pick out flowers for her for Mother's Day, against my DH's wishes, and that was ill received as well. For 3 years after I met DH she tried to get DH back. It finally stopped when she remarried. I have long since ceased to go out of my way to be kind to her.

Birthdays:
The first time she was invited to SS b-day party, she declined the invitation b/c I was going to be there. After she remarried, she requested to be invited. We invited her. She did not show up. She did not call us. When DH called her after the party, she said that she was hungry and stopped to get fast food instead of coming. We had plenty of food at the party. This past year, she insisted on being invited. We left it up to SS13 to decide whether or not to invite her. She was invited. Once again, she failed to show up. Just several months prior to this she had started to pretend that she wanted to be involved in SS13's life, which is a rarity for her.

Fast forward to now, which is 8 yrs later, BM decided to get weight loss surgery. Over the past few months she has made it a point to send text messages to my DH on a regular basis telling him how she's going to 'get back into modeling' once she has the surgery. I realize that ugly people can be fashion models, but they still have to meet measurement requirements. If you're 5'4" you will never be a fashion model. At the very most you MIGHT be able to do auto modeling or promo modeling, but you actually do have to be attractive for that. DH & I think her delusion of modeling is humorous, but it's really irritating that she is once again trying to impress my DH. I thought we were past that. I wonder if her husband has noticed how many texts she's been sending to my DH. BM did not take SS13 for 1 of 2 wks that she was supposed to have him over the summer. She did not see him b/c she scheduled her surgery at that same time. It was questionable whether or not she would take him at all this summer, but she did decide to take him for 1 wk. In the past 2 weekend visits that she had prior to this, she did not feed SS13 dinner, yet she insisted that he stay at her house later until 9 PM. She also did not feed him breakfast on some days and did not have food for him to fix for himself in the house. DH confronted her about it. The 1st time she literally told DH that SS13 never told her he was hungry. Really!?! She didn't feed him b/c he didn't tell her to!?! The 2nd time it happened recently, she just got defensive and told DH that he could talk to her husband if he wanted to discuss it. Instead of taking responsibility, she was going to hide behind her husband. I told SS13 to make sure he reminds them to feed him and to call us if they don't.

DH picked SS13 up today. SS13 often rambles on talking to me about everything. He trusts me and sometimes likes to talk non-stop. Today he told me that BM does not approve of him being assigned to do household chores by me. I've raised SS13 for longer than she ever did at this point. I don't care if she approves or not. I may not have given birth to him, but he is my kid and I will not be told what to do in my household. His summer chores are things such as reading, French lessons, light dusting and pulling weeds. His combined daily chores should not take any longer than 2 hrs max per day if he focuses on them. It's not extreme in the least bit. SS13 also told me that BM's husband put a list of phone numbers in his shoe and told him to call one of the listed numbers 'if anything ever happens'. SS13 said that there was no prior discussion and that BM's husband did not explain further. The numbers were given to him on Monday. He came home today on the following Sunday. I asked if he had been left alone at their house where he might need the numbers (although it would be weird to put them in the shoe in that case) and he said that he was never left alone. That leads me to assume that BM and her husband are implying that 'something' may happen at our house. The phone numbers even included BM's husband's parent’s phone numbers and BM's sister's boyfriend. I asked SS13 if his dad knew about the numbers. His response was 'no, should he?'. I told DH about it. DH & I instructed SS13 to write the numbers on a notecard and to keep it in his wallet. We told him to tell BM & her husband that we had instructed him to write the numbers on a notecard instead because it's gross that it's been in his shoe all week. We want it to be clear that we know about it, but also want to be clear that we have nothing to hide and that SS13 is welcome to have their phone numbers. I did, however, inform SS13 that if someone who is not authorized to pick him up from school tries to do so, he is not to go home with them. I did inform him that kidnapping charges would be filed if BM's husbands parents or BM's sister's boyfriend ever do so. SS13 also previously told me that BM's sister wanted to come to our house and visit. BM told her that our house is in a bad neighborhood and that she shouldn't visit. BM lives near streets known for prostitution (Harry Hines, Dallas) and has bars on her windows for safety. We live in a city that was rated one of safest places to live in our state. DH contacted BM's sis and let her know that she is welcome to our home at any time.

Ugh....I thought the lack of proper care in her home ended years ago (there's a long past). I thought her trying to pursue my DH ended when she remarried. Evidently, I was wrong.

mombydefault's picture

I appreciate the comments and I do understand what everyone is saying, however I have to disagree to some extent. My DH is VERY involved in SS13's life. DH handles expenses that are SS only expenses vs. family expenses. DH handles doctors visits, all interaction with BM and most discipline. DH is also very thankful to me for my involvement in SS13's life. I work from home, so over the summer I am home all day long with SS13 while DH is at work. I have raised SS13 along with my DH for 8 yrs. SS only lived with his BM for a couple yrs (literally, only a couple yrs) before she abandoned him. If I'm going to raise SS, I will be involved in both the good and bad of his life. DH and I are a team. We feel it's important for SS to know that we are a team. Tog has a very good point, this will make it easier for BM to turn SS against me. However, I refuse to not have equal control to my DH in my our home. If we did not have primary custody, it would be different. Seeing that SS lives with us, he needs to know that I have the same authority as my DH. I will not let a BM or SS be the authority figure in our home. I will not let SS believe that he can manipulate me out of fear of BM's actions. In reality, my SS does know that I am going to enforce rules, but he also knows that I am going to be there for him, not his BM. He's been saddened by her lack of care for him many times in the past. He's even made comments to DH about BM never being at his band recitals, but knowing that I would be there.

As far as the food is concerned, I agree with FormerAAGirl 100% about him being old enough to fix something for himself. I have made it a point to teach him basic cooking skills so that he will be self-sufficient when he is older. He also frequently fixes himself after-school snacks at our house in the microwave. The problem, is that they often don't have food available for him to fix on his own in their house. They eat out for almost every single meal. I've considered packing microwave meals and power bars for him when he goes to their house in case they don't feed him, but I haven't because I feel they should have to feed him. DH is also recording every time BM decides not to take him when she's scheduled to have him and when she does not feed him in case anything ever goes to court.

Tog did make good points about Borderline Personality Disorder. I do need to learn more about mental disorders to be prepared (as much as possible) for whatever BM throws my way. I also need to try to understand how BM rationalizes the things she does. She has been diagnosed with Schizoaffective & Bipolar Disorders. She also has some history (unfortunately, undocumented) of violence. My DH has stated that there's a huge difference in her behavior when she's off her meds vs. on them. DH also believes that her husband may have some milder mental disorders. Her husband frequently lies to try to impress my DH and his behavior is just very odd. I have not been around him enough to get a good feel for his stability. I refuse to go with my DH to pick up or drop off SS.

derb84123's picture

I have to agree with you on the household stuff. My DH has primary custody as well- BM is in their lives, but not always allowed to see them per court. I am not their mother, they are not my children, but they are children in my home. I have raised them longer than their biomom ever did. If a child is living in my home I am goign to be involved 100% in all aspects. DH and I are a team, and we will treat sks the same as our bio. All the children will have the same responsibilities (age based) and follow rules set by both adults in our home. I do homework, discipline, chores, the whole thing right along side my DH. Not every family can work that way- but in my world, when BM is mentally unstable, PASing, and even authorities say she is detrimental, I step up to the plate. These kids need stability, and my husband and I act as one. So I def understand where you are coming from.

The food thing- something we experience too. BM has visitations at this time, and often the sks don't eat. (mine are younger than yours). I don't send food, but ss has brought food before (long story they have a "store" at school and he got food for mom). I do my best to make sure they know how to make food (sandwhiches and such at their age), and just make sure they eat before they go and when they come back. A lot of that is out of our control. But if we hear about them not eating we make sure the appropriate ppl know.
I do think that a counselor could be good for SS. My sks see one and it helps A LOT especially since BM has been PASing since they were toddlers.
The good news for you is ss is 13. Just keep being you, a constant in his life, and he will be ok.

mimi38's picture

Newbie here but went through some of the same situations. It's a consistent battle with BM, her parents and SS. She walked out on Daddy an SS 3 years ago right after mothers day when he bought her and new SUV....nice. When we finally convinced SS that he had to go the court ordered weekends then she would cancel, very rarely would feed him on the weekends he did go. SS got McDonalds late every afternoon and that would be all, now this child is used to meat and potato home cooked meals, he would come home and stuff his face until he was sick and Daddy would never say anything to her. Over the summer he would come home sun sick because she wanted to go to the beach but never bought him anything to drink or snack on while they were there, sun burned 9 ways from Sunday. Would call SS screaming at him because he didn't want to go see her or talk to her then she would hang-up on him. She would call back not 10 minutes later crying about how she missed him and loved him....HOLY CRAP BATMAN! if that's love shoot me now. We had a house fire 1 year ago, home and everything a total loss, with in hours of the scene clearing she calls and starts threatening Daddy that she going to take him back to court for custody if he doesn't replace SS cell phone so he can call her.....she didn't buy the phone we did. Now she's go SS so warped in the head that he comes home and will not eat anything that I make, and it's all things he loves and always eaten. SS is actin just like BM rude, disrespectful, demanding. I told Daddy last night that I was clearing out his room today and he can start at ground zero and earn everything back. Told him that I was at the end of my rope this is last ditch effort then I'm done. He knows I'm a woman of my word if I say I'm done I'm gone, I have a strangely good 16 BS and 3 dogs I'll be ok without the drama.