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Stepson + girlfriend + baby coming home?

jjhernandez's picture

:? Stepson, girlfriend and baby are coming home and I am not happy about this.

Well, at least that's what my wife wants. She wants to help her son and she feels that by allowing them to come live with us, it will help them be better parents. SS (step son) is 19 and his GF is 18, she is about a month pregnant and currently they live at her parents home. Her mother is not happy about her pregnancy and my wife feels that if we let them come live with us (for a while she says...), then they will be better off. I am supporting the household completely so I see the extra burden both financially and personal since I enjoy the calm and harmony that we currently have at home. My SS works part time and goes to jr college, so he is not able to support himself which means that if we allow them to move with us, I would be supporting him, his gf and the baby.

I am 55 and I did not see this coming when I married my wife....

your comments will be appreciated.

PS. my SS father's wife will not allow them to move in with them.

jjhernandez's picture

some more information: My wife and I don't have any children of our own. Right now her youngest daughter (she is 11) lives with us. My children are grown and living on their own.

GhostWhoCooksDinner's picture

No. Negative. Never. They'll never, ever, ever leave. Your retirement years will suck.

jjhernandez's picture

My wife tells me that I don't love her because I refuse to allow our SS to move in with us. She says I am selfish, self-centered, and I don't care about her feelings. Sad

Easylikesundaymornin's picture

Ummmm how about No !

Why does gf need to live with you ??? That makes no sense ~ she has parents ~ she can stay there. Sign them up for parenting classes but they don't need to live under your roof.

If SS lives with you while baby momma lives at her house. Charge ss rent to teach him responsibility of paying bills. Maybe give him half of total amount of rent paid when he leaves to help him out but by no means have baby momma drama.

Ou vay ~ can you imagine the drama of the teenage fights n how loud your house will get ~ no F'ing way !!!

ChiefGrownup's picture

When she was 14 I started telling DH loudly and often that no pregnant teens will live with me, no teen baby mamas, no step grandbabies of teen parents. So he is on notice. It was also my way of motivating him to be more pro-active in teaching the girl responsible behavior toward the opposite sex. The first time I said it was when she told us about the bikini selfie she sent to a boy. I was very loud thereafter.

Tell your wife you don't approve of the pregnancy, either. So the young parents will be no better off at your house. End of discussion. Also tell her it will be a TERRIBLE example to the budding adolescent in your home and unfair to her.

These kids will undoubtedly need some help though so figure out in your own mind what you can feel good about. A bit of babysitting? A bit of cash? A supply of diapers, no cash? Whatever it is, set clear limits from the get go. A bit of babysitting means 1 afternoon and 1 evening a month, not every damn day all day. A bit of cash means no more than $300 a year. Or whatever. Just figure out what the limit is you can feel good and cheerful and grampa-ish about. Then be loud and clear about that limit.

If your wife is obstreperous about this and insists on pouring buckets of gold coins over their heads, tell her you are keeping track and will deduct it from that kid's inheritance. It is NOT fair to the other kids whatsoever not to do so.

Ninji's picture

LOL, My Skids are only 9 & 11 and I've already told SO that I'm not raising any more kids that aren't mine.PERIOD. They need to have a plan if this happens, that does not include my money or my home.

ChiefGrownup's picture

Excellent, ninji! High five!

Also, op, if the answer is "zero" as in zero is what you can feel good about in helping these teen parents, don't feel guilty about it. You undoubtedly have your reasons.

You may find it difficult to sell your wife on that plan, though. But just don't feel guilty if you really feel strongly about it.

sandye21's picture

Do not allow it. Period. You are already supporting her 11 year old daughter. Remind your wife that you are 55 years old and this could very well eat into your retirement in the long run - and her comfort when she is older. You say your wife said you didn't love her because you won't support her son, his wife and eventual baby. That's unfair of your wife to use your love for her as a manipulation tool for you to do something that is unreasonable. Your SS did not use birth control, knowing he was going to college and could not afford a child. So you have to pay for his irresponsibility? He can quit college, get a full time job and support his family like you probably did when you were his age. OR your wife can always get a part time job to help pay for their living expenses somewhere besides your home.

Ninji's picture

Excellent idea. His wife can get a job to support SS, GF and new baby. I bet she would love that one!!

brandtbaby's picture

I agree with what has been said. You don't teach natural consequences by bailing them out. You both have to want them there for it work. It will eat you alive and if you give in the fight will happen later and it will be worse.

Maybe she can get a job to pay for them to live elsewhere if she want to teach them how not to be responsible for their choices.

It seems like she is enjoying the comforts of the money you make.

Say no.

Rags's picture

If you ever want your life back don't let this happen. SS needs to get a FT job and support his family in their own home. The GF can get all kinds of taxpayer breeding for dollars benefits as a single teem mom. If they want to play hide the sausage like adults they can step up and be adults when they create a spawn.

My younger brother and I were in engineering school together when he got his GF pregnant. Her parents agreed to pay for the wedding, pay for the pre-natal and delivery costs for the baby and my parents agreed to pay the living expenses for GF (she has been my SIL for 21 years) and my brother until he graduated with his BSEE. When the wedding day arrived my SIL's parents had paid shit for nothing, when the baby was born, same story, so my parents paid for it all. We graduated less than 48 hours after my niece was born and my brother immediately went to work. He paid my parents back in full as quickly as possible and gives his ILs a bill with accrued interest every year for Christmas and a copy of the letter they sent saying they would pay for the wedding and the baby delivery costs. They just laugh it off and ignore it. He bares their asses each and every time his family visits them. My parents have no use for his ILs. The money is not the issue, their commitment then failure to deliver is the issue. My SILs parents are multi-millionaires so it is not like they can't afford it. Meanwhile they have been subsidizing my SIL's adulterous whore of an older sister's family for nearly 20 years. What pisses off my brother's ILs is that my brother needs nothing from them and they have no control over their daughter, my brother, or their 3 kids.

If my brother and I had not been as close to graduating as we were my parents would have cut him off instantly but they figured 9mos of increased costs to support my SIL to get my brother to graduation was money well spent.

If your SS was much closer to graduation I might suggest that you help, but he is so far away he needs to step up, man up, and support himself and his family

IMHO of course.

shes driving me crazy in my retirement's picture

"The money is not the issue, their commitment then failure to deliver is the issue. My SILs parents are multi-millionaires so it is not like they can't afford it."

Rags - I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but the richer they are and the longer they have had the $$, the tighter they are.

Ninji's picture

Or adoption?? After living through StepHell, I hate to see young people set themselves up. His SS could be paying CS for a long long time.

shes driving me crazy in my retirement's picture

^^^^^^This!

Sadly the SS will have to chuck college for now and get a job to support his GF and child. And, there are social services that will help them with a place to live, medical, etc. if they get out on their own.

I am certain SS will balk. Heck, who wants to go to work when one can go to school and live at home. But when he got her pregnant he forfeits his college and wants and needs. Heck, there is all kinds of birth control available these days.

By the way, does GF have a job? She is only expecting and can still get a job at a fast food place, grocery store, etc.

As to your wife....ah, well there is the big problem. But, if I read correctly, you are also raising and supporting her 11 year old daughter. To me, that is all you are responsible for.

Good luck, it is going to be tough.

hereiam's picture

Your wife has a lot of nerve expecting this and a lot of nerve trying to guilt you into it.

Your SS and his GF want to be grown ups and have a baby, let them be grown ups and figure it out. Making their lives all cushy-cushy is doing them no favors. Their bad decisions should not be your responsibility, financially or otherwise.

They can stay where they are.

shes driving me crazy in my retirement's picture

^^^^^THIS IS EVEN BETTER!

Let your SS come back home and the GF stay with her parents. Heck, just because he got her pregnant is no reason either family has to provide them with a place to shack up, so to speak.

And there is welfare....as nodoormat says above, that is what it is there for.

I will tell you this flat out....once they get in you will never get rid of them, especially after the grandchild comes. Then you will be expected to babysit et. al so they can go out. Nip it in the bud NOW.

Stepped in what momma's picture

Sounds like it's time for your wife and SS to get jobs OR sign up for welfare. I will not tolerate people that don't want to help themselves asking me for help. If they wanted to help themselves birth control would have been first in order and instead they are having a second kid= not no but HELL NO would I allow this in my home. Your wife needs a job and so does her son, if she wants to support him tell her to get on it, they can be one big happy family over at their new place. SMH, it would never have occurred to me to make the same mistakes over and over again then ask for my parents help to bail me out.

jjhernandez's picture

Thank you everyone for your comments. It just confirms that I was not totally of the mark when I refused to allow them to move in. Teaching responsibility for our actions and facing the consequences starts and ends at home.

grace8205's picture

Did you or your wife knock up GF? NO, you both did not so this is for them to figure out and not come live with you. Skid might have to quit college and work full time because that is what a really man has to do, he was man enough to knock her up and he has to be man enough to step up to the responsibility. Don't let your wife guilt trip you into this.

I agree with all the comments posted, if they move in it will eat your retirement funds that you have already saved and it will not allow you to save anymore.
Even if your wife says it is temporary you know that will change.

If your wife wants to get a job to help them financially let her however it should not effect her current role as your wife. Since you support the household, I assume she does the house work, has dinner on the table, etc. If she wants to work to support them and is willing to not have it impact things in your house know so be it, but if she cannot continue her role at home and work then it should be discouraged. It might sound old fashioned to some however if one spouse is supporting the family the other needs to pull there weight and make the house a home for the other spouse.

Just say no and stand your ground.