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anyone else experienced step kids ignoring them?

Indo's picture

so I was outside and needed something and started yelling one of the st kids name. I couldn't leave where I was so I just kept screaming louder and banging on the side of the house I would scream one of the kids names wait a couple seconds bang on the house wait a couple seconds scream another kids name wait a couple of seconds you get the idea

finally after I gave up doing my work outside I came inside

I was exhausted and I said to the kids could you really not hear me screaming your name and pounding on the house? I needed help.

all three kids are sitting in the living room heads in the books doing their homework and none of them look up or even acknowledge that I've walked in the room. I asked a second time and none of the kids look up from the book work homework . I walk around to face all three of them and I slam my hand out on the counter making a very loud noise . shocked they all three look up at me with wide eyes and I say,

I asked a question do you think it's an option to not respond to me? they are still looking in silence and the oldest girl rolled her eyes at me
so I looked right back at her and said, not answering me is not an option . ignoring me is not an option when I ask you a very simple question.

the oldest girl who rolled her eyes yelled back at me right to my face we didn't hear you

I'm not sure intensity and yelled back thank you thank you for responding to the question I asked

I grabbed my stuff and I walked out the door I called my husband and told him what happened . He thought I was upset that they didn't come outside to help me and I had to keep explaining to him that I didn't care that they didn't hear me outside my problem was when I came inside and they flat out
ignored me to my face I told him that that would not happen again and that is exactly what their biological mother does to him and does to me when we are in public and in communication and if she is teaching them that then God help both of us because I will not put up with it I didn't come in the house pissed off at them but I left the house going to stop at them

a child not answering not responding not acknowledging and adults in the room especially and Adult speaking to them is a power playit is a I don't have to do what you tell me to thanks and I simply won't put up with it

ChiefGrownup's picture

You actually had a great response. Wish I'd thought of it. "do you think it's an option?" -- love that line. So wish I had thought of it 1 1/2 ago.

When you solve this problem, do post. I need more ideas.

Cover1W's picture

SD11 (then 10) decided she hated me this past fall. She began just totally ignoring me or making smart remarks to basically anything I asked, just under the radar of DPs hearing/understanding of sarcasm. She then got SD9 (then SD8 ) on her side and they both started doing it.

It took me lots of talking with DP, and me calling SD11 an outright bitch to DP in a description of her inaction/attitude toward me, AND him finally directly observing incidents and being the recipient of several attacks himself and one final, grande finale of SD delinquency to get him on my side.

What did I do? Nothing. I asked nothing of them, I didn't speak to them and I didn't do anything with them or for them. I didn't go anywhere with SDs and DP. DP ended up having a lot of private talks with them - basically saying he loved me and I wasn't going anywhere and that having two horrible daughters was not acceptable.

It's slowly come around so we enjoy each other's company again for the most part. It's constantly a challenge but I don't expect anything from SDs except polite 'thank yous' and 'pleases' when asking about things. If they are great, I'll help more. Consequences are there and I think they see that now.

BarkAtTheMoon's picture

OMG I have SD19 and SD13 full-time, but thank goodness SD19 is 45 minutes away at school. Although end of May is rapidly approaching. BM died two years ago. SD19 will just NOT say anything when I come home and "nests" in my living room. At least she did last summer. SD13 will back away and walk out when I am calling her out on something. She is just plain stupid. The other day she was going out to the garage and I had to say, "Don't walk out there while I'm talking to you."

I already do nothing for the skids. Any time our cell phone usage goes over due to SD19, I transfer the money from her savings to our account. Phone upgrade? Oh, look at that $55 upgrade charge on the bill. "Tansfer!" DH manages her money and I manage ALL of the money and I only do what is fair. Her expenses are HER expenses. She never bothers to check her bank activity. Too bad. Just calls Daddy when her balance is low and he transfers money from her savings to her checking for her. Yep 19. She can't figure it out. Spare me already.

SD13 ate all a ton of ice cream bars this past week and and left none for DH and I. Hmmmmm, so I took the rest of her Easter candy. I mean, it was just laying there in the pantry, so.....thank you, Easter Bunny! Yep, little victories help get me through. It sounds immature, but I have to keep myself entertained in my pathetic steplife.

Last summer SD19 had the nerve to talk back to me and tell ME that I was immature and always thought I was right. She did this right in front of SD13 and DH. DH said nothing. I bit my tongue and have since learned that she is most likely a BPD narc. I'm immature? Well, get the stick out of your young tight ass and loosen up some. It's called having a sense of humor in the face of what is really turning out to be a terrible stephell for this SM! You say I think I'm always right? Well, that's because I speak from life experience and KNOW more than you do. You inferior bitch. I can't help you if you have low self-esteem issues.

Thanks for the vent. That felt good. Biggrin So yes, ignoring works well but I haven't done anything for the skids in awhile so I guess this is normal for them. This summer I may have to do the "get right in their faces" option. You know, with the hedgehog and all. }:)

~ Moon

SweetMom's picture

My skid BM is 37 and can't handle her finances. Her father handles her money. I know this because she to DH when she asked for child support early. It happens to people when they are spoiled brats, she's a daddy's girl I guess.

Just J's picture

My skids' BM also is a grown woman who can't handle her own finances. This woman in her 40s has her mommy pay her bills and keep track of her checking account. BM used to always blame DH for their money problems, and her mother believed it until she took over BM's account, and then she realized what an irresponsible idiot she raised.

BarkAtTheMoon's picture

LOL, I meant "because" of the hedgehog issue. No way I'm getting near that thing! RODENT creeper creep. I like DOGS!

LOL

janetdoesidoe's picture

Agree with the above. The Parent needs to take over matters and handle the situation. He should not be ok with the children behaving/talking to you-or anyone I that way.

Monchichi's picture

Yes, and he does not care if I ignore him 90% of the time. The 10% it sends him off his trolley is when it's fun time and I won't let him come with/ participate. Then he likes me and he's sorry and he will stop being a naughty sh*t.

B22S22's picture

Both my SKs used to ignore me. In fact, they would walk out of a room, even if they were mid-sentence with their dad, if I walked in.

I know a lot of people say your DH/SO needs to talk to SK(s) about it, but you want to know my take? No amount of "talking" is going to change their behaviors or their feelings towards you. I told my DH, "You can't MAKE them like me, you can't MAKE them talk to me, so why try? Telling them how much it hurts you and I just validates that they 'won'."

The one time DH attempted to say something to them, while I was standing right there, resulted in me saying, "DH, I honestly don't care what a couple 14 year old snot nosed kids think about me, my success in life doesn't hinge on their opinions of me. Stop trying to convince these little children they need to be something they're obviously incapable of being."

That shook them up because then they KNEW they weren't getting under my skin, and I backed it up with my actions. If they wanted to sit and chat with their dad they could. But they knew I wasn't going to hide in my room or vacate my house for the day. I knew my very presence pissed them off, so I stayed present (besides... MY HOUSE!). I didn't bristle (on the outside) when they'd start in with, "Hey Dad, Mom said...." (or Mom does... or Mom makes this better... or Remember when you, Mom, and us..... which was funny, because DH and BM divorced when the SK's were 1 yo). I'd actually ask them questions in front of their dad, and let them bare their asses by not answering me. Then I'd do it when DH's parents were around (OMG, you should have HEARD DH's parents go off on the SK's for THAT).

Was that considered stooping to their level? Maybe. Maybe not. But they needed to know that I've been around the block a couple of times, and they were certainly not going to bring me down.

Now? One SK is actually very pleasant to me. The other one, not so much; but he was the most lost-cause from the very beginning so I didn't have high hopes for him.

SMLIFESUCKS's picture

OSD11 ignores me, YSD9 will ignore me if her sister is around. So this weekend coming up, I think things won't be so ugly and tense because OSD isn't going to be here.

OSD thinks she is hurting me, nope, she is hurting herself and her DAD. I don't cook anymore at ALL, even when sks aren't here, don't appreciate it, don't tell your kids to eat or go to their room, this is your consequence DH.

I do nothing for them. I ignore them all the time. They come to hug me when they leave and I basically allow it but really do not want them to do it, DH insists on it.

daddyrob's picture

I have been ignored by my SDs as well. I can come home, SD16 is home, I say hey, she says hey, then either keeps her head in her phone, laptop or tv, or goes to her room. No interaction. SD6 does the same. I have picked her up from school and been ignored. I have told my wife I feel more like a butler at times than a stepfather. My running joke to my brother is I'm Mr Belvedere, although its not funny at all. I do feel hurt by it. And of course my wife makes excuses for them. So, I'd agree that this is common.

daddyrob's picture

She doesn't either. I have spoken to her about this numerous times. For this and other reasons, I have disengaged.

Indo's picture

UDPATE-

I spoke to my husband on the phone while I was driving away. Told him I would be driving to X city an hour and half away and calling college friends for dinner.
I stayed gone last night until 10:30pm. (I texted my husband when I was leaving that town.)
This morning I got the feeling that my husband was upset with me. He asked me to help older stepdaughter with her math homework if I had time/if not that's ok too.
I asked if "we" were ok. He said yeah.
I asked if he talked to the kids about yesterday and he sighed saying, "I told them it was bullshit." And then he left for work.

The kids acted like nothing was wrong. The oldest girl's math was still sitting out so I asked her what she had problems with.
She said, dad told me to ask the teacher because he couldn't figure these two out.
I helped her. Maybe 5 minutes. And she said thank you.

Rest of the morning with kids went fine, but my husband's normal call at his break time this morning didn't happen...
I think he thinks I overreacted to the kids...

Indo's picture

He did have to stop doing whatever he was doing last night, come home to make the kids dinner, check homework for all three.
(And apparently admit to his oldest daughter and me both that he can't help her with her math anymore because it is beyond what he did in high school.-it's no secret I'm the bookworm and he is the hands on guy-he needs me to help with this sort of thing.)

SweetMom's picture

^^^yep!! Vent, vent, vent to him and let him know constantly that it bothers you. Threaten to make other arrangements and he will fear loosing you, then he will get off his ass and do something.

ocs's picture

i give you kudos for not slapping little miss eye roll.

I'm ignored too, but in my case it is great.

SD15 walks in, says 'hi', i say "hi"

Couple of hours later, "bye' and i say "bye"

SweetMom's picture

The little brat that yelled, " we didn't hear you" is the BM instigator. She does it to get brownie points from BM. The others were scared because they know when they go home they have to deal with the BM drama and mini queen. I have a mini queen that comes over 'when she wants' and she is BM eyes and ears, also BM best friend and a mini mom towards DH bio daughter. I have ignored the shit out of her over her shitty attitude and she admitted to DH that she doesn't come because she doesn't feel wanted (yay), because she isn't wanted. That's DH ex step daughter and instigating bitch. Sd11 is very nice to me when she comes alone with minimal smart smirks. Overall sd11 hugs me all the time like bedtime and when she is leaving. I guess she feels closer because I've known her when she was a little little girl. I'm going to expect her to do what yours is doing In The future. When that time comes I will be educated by you folks lol

Indo's picture

They live with us full time, bio mom gets every other weekend visitation.
I've thought about disengagement from reading it on this site, but my stepkids usually aren't this bad. This had only ever happened once before when we were dating and it was literally YEARS ago.
I feel sorry for the kids because I know their mom is whispering in their ears bad things (we have debunked a few)...

I did tell my husband thatthis better have been an isolated incident, or I would be taking steps back- he and I both know he needs me around for the day to day stuff or he couldn't function.

IslandGal's picture

I would find it extremely rude if skids did that to me. If they did it to me..I know what I'd do back..I'd either ignore them from then on..or go right up to them and say something like.."well HELLO to you!! How are YOU! How was your day?? what did you get up to?".. shooting questions like bullets they can't duck from... and watch their eyes go wide in total shock.. no way could they ignore THAT!!