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Why do I feel like I just shoved my own foot in my mouth? Sorry if this long.

AmIReallyTheStepParentHere's picture

I am the STAH 'mom' for SD2. She is almost 3, and I have never seen a worse case of the 'terrible twos.' DH has sole custody, and BM has still yet to grace anyone with her presence at a visit. (They are supervised only). So while DH works 6 days a week, 10 hour days, I stay home with SD, all day every day. I wouldn't have it any different, most days... I am 20 weeks pregnant with my first, and exhausted. I have something called hyperemesis and I have actually lost weight so far in my pregnancy.
My OB says that I need to listen to my body since this is my first pregnancy and rest all I can... OK, so who wants to come watch SD all day so I can rest. SD has stopped taking naps for the most part; she cries, yells, kicks, punches, pounds on the walls, and screams that she needs a drink, or to go potty or, or, or... It was frustrating before I got pregnant, and now I am almost too tired to give to flying sh*ts. She will stay in her bed until her 'quiet time' is over but it the furthest thing from quiet time ever. Around 5pm she is ready to fall fast first into whatever she is doing because she is so tired at the point.
DH gets home around 530 every night, dinner is at 545ish, and then we have to get SDs bedtime routine done (at this point she is so tired and grumpy she doesn't even like being around herself). By this time is around 750 and I feel like falling asleep standing up. The kitchen looks like whatever we had for dinner, and the dinning room is worse. 2 year olds want to feed themselves, but SD doesn't fully understand not turning her silverware upside down before it reaches her mouth. (DH always smiles and goes "How cute" whenever she dumps half her plate on the floor..)
At this point in the evening there is a 50/50 chance that DH will tell me to go lay down and relax and he will clean up the kitchen. "That would be so awesome!" I say, "Are my feet supposed to hurt this bad?" This would really be awesome if it actually happened... DH works all day and I don't doubt he is tired when he gets home, but if your not going to do something don't offer to do it. Every time DH has offered to clean up the kitchen it doesn't happen. I go upstairs and fall asleep with my book on my chest, DH leaves for work in the morning while I shower and wake up before the SD attack. I go into the kitchen and ... :jawdrop:
Congrats if you guessed it! The kitchen looks the same as when I went upstairs the night prior. Only now the food that didn't get rinsed off is caked on, and the smell coming from the garbage that wasn't taken out is making my pregnant nose tell my pregnant stomach to go empty itself pronto! Thanks DH oh so so much!
Last night I was in a fowl mood to begin with, SD was unusually awful and her voice was becoming a cheese grater to my brain by the time DH walked in the door. I was snappy and rude, and when SD asked for bubbles in her bath, I snapped. "DO YOU THINK YOUR BEHAVIOR TODAY WAS ANYWHERE CLOSE TO BEING OKAY ENOUGH FOR YOU TO ASK FOR BUBBLES IN YOUR BATH?!" DH gave me a look and told me he would handle the bedtime routine and I could go relax. Of course I can't just go relax, because that was my chance to clean the f^&king kitchen. So after SD is in bed, DH has the nerve to ask me what is wrong.
I'll admit that I am one of those people that bottle things inside until the pressure builds so much that the cork comes off at sometimes inappropriate times.
DH popped my cork last night.
I literally let everything I have been holding and it was bad.
I explained to DH that my days are filled with SD, and sometimes it is just too much for me. 'I am pregnant and exhausted all the time. Every time I go the OB she asks me if I am resting enough, and I don't even know what enough looks like for a pregnant person. I just don't understand why you didn't use protection with BM! (it slipped out, but I couldn't stop it there) You tell me that you were done with that relationship long before she got pregnant, and you were moving to a different town when she called and let you know she was knocked up. So why the f^&k were you sticking anything inside that woman?!'
I was so livid at the point that hot tears were coming down my face.
DH stares at me, you could almost hear him blinking in the silence. And then he opens his mouth, "I don't understand why you keep throwing it in my face that I slept with BM."
:jawdrop:
"When have I ever brought up the fact that you had to have sex with that vile woman in order for SD to be here today? When have I ever complained about taking care of SD all day every day? And now that I am pregnant, have you ever heard me complain about throwing up all the time while SD screams 'mommy okay?!' at me?! Do you know how hard it is to keep a 2 year old from sticking her head in the toilet and seeing what you are doing while you are bowing down to it?"
Sad
So at this point I am crying and sobbing and again DH stares at me for about 2 solid minutes before opening his mouth again.
"I feel guilty that you have to take care of SD all day every day, I wish I could make it easier for you."
This is where I honestly snapped and probably over stepped.
I looked at him, and almost smiled.
"You should feel guilty that you couldn't wear a condom with BM. You should feel guilty that you were still f^&king her when you knew the relationship was over. You should feel guilty for knocking her ass up, and now that you've knocked me up, you should feel guilty that you can't clean the f^&king kitchen when you say you are going to!"
I stormed upstairs and went to bed. I wasn't going to stand there and have him stare at me for another 2 minutes before saying something that was just going to make me more upset. DH didn't bother me the rest of the night, and I am worried about when he gets home tonight.

Thank you if you made it this far. Should I apologize at all for the way everything came out last night, or should I just leave it and wait for him?

Comments

imjustthemaid's picture

I always say I give everyone here credit that is raising a skid that is very young. I have a 3 yr old with DH and if she weren't mine I do not think I would do it! That age is such a demanding age that I have had a breakdown only she is our kid and I wasn't pregnant so add that to the mix and I don't blame you at all for how you are feeling.

I am a SAHM and its so hard to be home all day every day with a child that young. I enrolled her in preschool and I feel a little better. You need time to yourself away from all kids!! Starting in Sept she will be going 3 days a week from 8-12 and I cannot wait.

I have SD15 and when she was about 11 I threw it in DH's face about how could you sleep with her and I went on and on. He was mad but its how I felt and how I still feel. BM has taken herself out of the equation and only comes around if she needs someone to go to the mall with. SD sees her once in a while here and there even though every weekend she is about a mile from her-she usually goes to BM's mothers house because she has friends in the area.

I feel very resentful that DH had this kid with BM, BM doesn't want to be a mother and now I am stuck with this evil child every single day of my life while DH works 15 hours a day, 7 days a week. It makes me angry but I no longer bring it up to him because it starts the "you hate my daughter" war which I am never up for.

I would explain to him that it is very, very hard to take care of a 2 yr old all day, every day without even being pregnant. You can't even go to the bathroom without this kid on top of you. By the end of the day all the frustration is bottled up and when you tried to vent a little it all came out. You need help and some time to yourself. This is not healthy for you at all. He needs to step up to the plate and help out alot. Maybe she needs to go to a preschool 2 days a week for a couple of hours just so you can feel like a human being again. It will get harder when the baby comes.

If you attack him he has no choice but to get defensive. You have to come at it like you are defeated and exhausted and understanding. When they get defensive nothing can be resolved.

AmIReallyTheStepParentHere's picture

I agree with the "you hate my child" conversation. It is too much. I've tried explaining to DH that when he gets home he gets to vent about his day, but when I try and vent about mine it does turn into the "you hate my child" talk. It doesn't go anywhere good.
I am waiting for SD to turn 3 so we can stick her in a preschool program. At this point I'll take a one day a week preschool, as long as I get some kind of break from SD.
SD also has aggression issues.. I have always thought she has some kind of ADHD, but we have to wait until she is 3 to take her to someone to diagnose it.

RainbowsAndDaisies's picture

In my area we have something called mothers morning out - usually through the library. Its for moms with kids too little for pre-k, usually for about 2 hours twice a week. Maybe there is something like that in your area too? There are also STAHM groups that might be able to help?

AmIReallyTheStepParentHere's picture

My area must suck. Every thing they have for children this age in my area is not just for kids. Every play group, library time, toddler activity requires a parent be there the while time. We do a lot of these, but it doesn't give me the break. Taking SD to the park with other kids and parents is fun, but she has to have my eye sight at all times, and I waddle around getting more tired while she has unending energy.

stepmonster_2011's picture

Sounds like your DH needs to enroll his daughter in daycare/pre-school. Not all day/every day - but just part time. Like either 1/2 day every day, or 2 days a week or something like that.

1. it will give YOU a chance to relax and rest.
2. it will give your SD a chance to socialize with other kids, and with any luck she'll be so exhausted after playing with kids that she'll take that nap she desperately needs.

Good luck!

AmIReallyTheStepParentHere's picture

SD has a summer birthday and will 3 for the next school year, we can't find a preschool that takes kids before they are 3.
The day care sounds great, and I wish we could do that.
Unfortunately, when DH first got SD we enrolled her in a day care, I was working at the time and it was really our only choice. DH check keeps are house running, and my job paid for extras and the day care. The day care she was at was great, until the starting requiring a 30 hour a week minimum. We have yet to find another affordable day that does not have a minimum hours a week limit.

stepmonster_2011's picture

Hmm.

What about a babysitting co-op? Another poster suggested a SAHM group. Maybe there are some other mom's that you could trade playdates with?

Or perhaps a teen in the area could come over after school for a couple of hours? When I was a kid I did this for my neighbor. After school I would go hang out with her toddler/pre-schooler son while she ran errands or just cleaned house or whatever. She paid me like $5-10 for the week (I was robbed!) but as a 12 year old money is money!

Hang in there!

not2sureimsaneanymore's picture

Oh dear. ((hugs))

It's going to be okay, you're stressed and hormonal and goodness knowa neither SD nor DH are making it better. You snapped because you've been carrying so much with you. It's like word vomit--sometimes I do it too. Although it was harsh, I think it was probably for you cathartic and refreshing for him to hear for once what it's like to be in your shoes. Let's see how he steps up after this. That'll be important.

Even more important is your health, you need to take care of you and your baby.

Going forward, after all the apologies are said and done, lay out a list of things you expect to be supported in. Chores your DH should do to lighten your load.

((more hugs))

RainbowsAndDaisies's picture

Have you thought about moving sd's bed time up about two hours? you said she's not napping anymore - most kids will get hyperactive if they havent had enough sleep or if they are tired, at least at first.

AmIReallyTheStepParentHere's picture

We did try that. SD has an internal clock that goes off like, well, like clock work. She has always slept 10.5 hours at bedtime. We tried putting her to bed early but then she wakes up early. When she goes to bed at 7pm, she is going to be awake and screaming at 545am (at the latest). For me this just means that I have to go to bed at 7pm also, otherwise I feel like I haven't slept at all come 530am!

AmIReallyTheStepParentHere's picture

SD broke the side off one side. We got rid of her toddler bed (not permanent just while she refuses to take a nap).
Then she started climbing out of her crib. It took her 5 seconds to get out. So we got a crib tent. It works so far. DH was concerned about it for a while, and showed me online reviews of it. People saying that it is entrapping your child, which is pretty much abuse, or neglect... and blah blah blah, I told DH to invite one of those "hippie parents" over to watch SD all day every day, and then remind them that they can't use the crib tent cause its abuuuuuse... HA!

imjustthemaid's picture

We had the crib tent. I loved it!! She was climbing out of her crib and landing on her head. I was afraid she was gonna break something or hit her head too hard so that tent was our only choice!!

AmIReallyTheStepParentHere's picture

Men have no idea what is like. DH asked me the other day why I was tired and not sleeping at night. I was like.. "Well, DH, there is child inside me, and I used to sleep on my stomach and now that is not possible. Every time I fall asleep the baby moves and I wake up."

AmIReallyTheStepParentHere's picture

DH brings up things I have done in my past, and I honestly don't feel its unfair for me to bring up his. He wants to bring up my exs, well guess what buddy, I never had intercourse with anyone without a condom until I was married. (Honest truth)

We were discussing the future the other night since he has SD, and we are having a boy, that I will handle SD and the boy will be his... Seriously?! I didn't even humor that with a valid response. I told him he was SD bio, and while he was also this sons bio, he was mine, and he was going to have to fight me for that situation.

henrythedad's picture

Uhmm...yeah. Tell him that is perfectly acceptable so long as you are divorced, living in two separate residences and he is paying spousal and child support out the ass!

Delilah's picture

Am I the Stepmother - seems to me you need practical suggestions to apply to your situation in order to help yourself.

Firstly once things have calmed down between you and DH, you must ask him to start helping you out more (imo he appears to be dumping the responsibility of sd onto you, I appreciate he works long hours and as you are a SAHM you are the one who is mostly bringing up sd. However the fact he has told you you are to look after sd while he has BS is plainly ridiculous, that along with the fact he isnt giving you actual help). One being he should be responsible for cleaning the kitchen, not saying it and then not doing it. Do a trial run of where you draw up a schedule of each day, who is responsible for what. One of those make sure you get take out so things are a bit easier. If DH doesnt stick to it, disengage and let him have to see to sd when he gets home. Get take out for you and sd, and leave the kitchen until he does it. I would also be waiting at the door and handing him sd, as I walked away to go to bed.

Until your DH feels the full consequence of not helping you out more, he just wont get it. Nagging wont make you feel better and it wont make for a cooperative DH, which is main aim. So disengage when he comes home if he refuses to listen to you, and actually help out the household.

My other suggestions include are you able to afford a cleaner/babysitter? Even if it is for a couple of hours per week...can you get DH's family to take sd more? Can your family help out (secondary choice to DH's)?

As for sd. I was hyperactive/ADHD as a child. Exercise and diet is key to help. Are you able to enrole sd into any children's programme that involves exercise? Cutting out sugar, colourings, flavourings, E numbers, any stimulants will significantly reduce any child's energy levels. What kind of diet is she on?