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Am I overreacting??

Cindylouwho's picture

I got so upset with SD20 last night.  Part of me, feels like I may be overreacting and like it may be petty, but I am still so aggravated about it this morning. 

Our household consists of DH and I, SD20, DS15 and DS13. My boys are with us 50% of the time and thier dad 50% of the time. SD20 is with us all the time. Goes with her BM maybe one night ever other month or so. She has lived with her dad for about the last 10 years or so. I have been with DH 4 years, married 1. She works part time, has very little responsibilities, will not even get her driver's license, so she is completely dependent. 

We enjoy playing games, dominos, uno, scattergories, Phase 10. Sometimes the whole family plays, sometimes just some us, sometimes just DH and I. Last night, a rare night that SD20 was with her BM, DS15 at work, DS13 at baseball practice, DH and I wanted to play a game of dominos. We could not find the game or our card games. We have a game closet and we tore that closet apart looking for them. Now, mind you, we place this often and have played it recently, so it should have been right there.  He finally text SD and asked her if she knew where the dominos were and she replied that she had taken them and the card games with her to her moms. I was so aggravated and yes, I did tell DH how I felt and he was frustrated as well.  But today, I am still very aggravated. I am aggravated that I wanted to play the game and have fun quality time with my DH and OUR games were not available. I am aggravated because who knows what else she took with her. I am aggravated that she took them and did not ask.  That is the big thing, I think. If she had have said Hey, mom does not have any games and I would like to take some over while I am there, we would have probably said sure.  But I am aggravated that she took things from my home without asking. It may have just been some small games, but it is the point. 

You guys, am I making a big thing out of nothing? Am I being petty? Because I am so aggravated, yet almost embarrassed that something as small as a game of dominos is making me this mad. 

Comments

advice.only2's picture

Is SD20 mentally delayed in some way? Is that why she only works part time and does not drive?

If so then DH needs to teach her that taking other peoples things is stealing and if they are not returned she will have to purchase new ones and return them.

If she's not mentally delayed then I guess I'm at a loss as to why your DH is allowing his grown daughter to be a leach and take things from the house.

Cindylouwho's picture

No she is not! That is the problem, she is more than capable of being an adult, however she has been spoiled and babied I think due to BM not being around much. It is the cause of much stress. I think she has recently been feeling a little embarrassed because my DS15 just got an after school job and she made the comment that he would be making as much as her. She needs to feel embarrassed for sure! 

advice.only2's picture

She should be embarrassed, reading your post I figured she was mentally only 12 or 13.

acef92's picture

Of course you are not. DH has to teach SD she can not take things to her mothers, actually he had to since she was a child. You can't allow this girl to take whatever she wants to her mothers, she has to have respect for you, your house and this things. I've been there and of course I would be so pissed. 

Ispofacto's picture

If it were me, I wouldn't even let her borrow those things if she asked.  In my experience, you will never see that stuff again.  We have a large collection of movies and games and I always had a strict no lending policy.  We are not a library.  My kids had a ton of friends and every one of them wanted to borrow stuff.  The one time a had an adult neighbor borrow a movie, I had to ask for it back weeks later.  His wife borrowed my blender and broke it.  The dumbass was using it to mix cookie dough.

There is a word for taking something that does not belong to you:  stealing

That makes your SD a: thief

So you live with a thief you can't trust, and none of your possessions are safe.  In your home, which should be your sanctuary.  

So no, you are not overreacting.

SD needs to work fulltime, or go to school fulltime and work parttime.  If she works fulltime, she should be paying a nominal amount of rent, which you can secretly stash for her until she launches.  

Personally, though, I could not live with a thief.  People need to feel safe and secure.  She has violated your trust.

 

JRI's picture

I understand you being upset and I'm glad your DH will discuss it with her.

However, I think your anger over this reflects dissatisfaction with the whole SD scenario.  Have you and DH discussed a launch plan for her?  What does he think?

Cindylouwho's picture

We have talked about it, but not in depth enough to really do anything about it. Some days I wonder how we got here. How I let it get here. 

JRI's picture

Search launch plan here on Steptalk.  You will see that many others have faced and are facing this issue.  You will get some ideas.  Good luck.

CLove's picture

To February, your last post. This failure to launch adult skid is a problem. And your husband created this problem. There is much in the way of great advice here. I will give you my opinion. "neither a borrower nor a lender be". Pure gold! Do not lend FTL (Failure To Launch) anything.

And time to get things in order in YOUR home. Time to Queen Bee the heck out of YOUR home. Because she is too comfortable and will not seek changes herself you must get this ball rolling. Trust me, they dont get better without a LOT of push, so stop being a doormat (as indicated by your assertion that you are asking if you are being petty).

IN my situation, luckily SD21 Feral Forger doesnt live with us -  refuse. She has asked. She STILL at almost 22 has no drivers  license, no job and might be taking like 1 class. She is dirty, mean, rude and lies and steals. And lives with her toxic mother.

I often wonder if we could have "fixed" her. Im good at pushing, but she has figured out that screaming and crying and acting crazy generally gets her her way and I wont live like that. So Id rather spend my time on SD14 Munchkin and not her.

YOUR SD. You cannot fix her, shes already "set". the best you can do is get her moved out ASAP.

Cindylouwho's picture

I love this response. You are exactly right... time to be Queen Bee! It is time for me to start pushing. SD or DH or maybe both, actually!! It is too late to help her be an adult and I am starting to realize this... But what I can do is have control of my home!! THANK YOU so much for your input! These are great! It is so great to be in a judgement free zone about this stuff!

notarelative's picture

No. You are not overreacting. She is 20. If she wants games at BM's she can use her own money and buy some. DH needs to let her know that this is unaccceptable. Otherwise there may be other things that make their way to BM's. Personal products that BM does not have the money to buy. BM is entertaining and needs good dishes. The potential is unlimited.

If SD does not return with the items, her dad needs to take his daughter to the store and have her replace the items with her money. Monetary consequences tend to sink in.

ndc's picture

I don't think you're overreacting.  Having your possessions not available and where they're supposed to be when you go to use them is frustrating, and having a kid take your possessions without asking feels like a violation.  Especially a kid who is already past her expiration (I mean launch) date, is not contributing and doesn't appear to be making much progress toward independence.

I think it's great that your husband is going to talk to her and let her know that taking things to her BM's house without asking is unacceptable.  However, I think things will only get worse unless he has the more difficult conversation with her - the one about her future outside of your home.  Is this girl going to school?  If not, why is she only working part time?  A normal 20 year old who is not in school should be working full time and supporting herself, or at least trying to get to that point.  It doesn't seem like she's doing that.  She needs a launch plan.  If life is too comfortable for her at your house, and no one is pushing for her to become independent, it's understandable that she would be fine with the status quo.  It sounds like she's living an easy life. Not every kid is motivated to be out on their own, so someone might need to light a fire under this one. Your husband needs to let her know that her becoming fully self supporting soon is an expectation, and a plan needs to be put in place.

Cindylouwho's picture

YES, YES, YES.... She is only working now because we told her after she graduated and turned 18 that she had to either work or go to school. So she is working part time.. enough that she could say she was complying with that rule. However, she calls in constantly and has no motivation. I feel bad sometimes because my kids are already more responsible and independent that she is, but then I remember that it is not on me!! It is definetly time to push!!

Cover1W's picture

Good lord, she needs to work FULL time and with an aim for moving out.

Get her into a lease agreement stat with you and your husband (as the owners she's renting from). Put all terms in there, rent, utilities, causes for eviction, etc. You can get fee templates on line.

20!  OMG - nope.

Wicked stepmo.'s picture

You are absolutely not overreacting. I felt the same way every time OSD would just help herself to my things.

She would take my clothes without asking, my curling irons, she took the karaoke machine that was for everyone. 

I would be livid because she didn't ask and just felt like it was her right to take whatever she wanted. To me that's no different than the co worker that eats other people's lunches in the break room.

Merry's picture

I had to tell my own daughter, at about that same age, that my things were not HER things. Embarrassed the crap out of her, and she deserved it.

It might seem like a small thing ("It's just a cheap game, Daddeeeee. I was going to bring it baaaaaack.") But the real issue is that she felt entitled to take something that wasns't hers, without asking. She broke your trust and that IS a big deal.

AgedOut's picture

my children knew that you do not use or take something that doesn't belong to you, unless you ask and receive permission. She's too old for this sh!+. Does she pay rent, buy her own food, pay a phone bill, etc? if not, maybe it's time to turn up pressure. she needs to grow up.

hereiam's picture

She is only working now because we told her after she graduated and turned 18 that she had to either work or go to school. So she is working part time.. enough that she could say she was complying with that rule.

Seriously, though, I think we all know that that means working full time, like an adult, not just whenever she feels like it.

If one is not in school at 20, one needs to start adulting. Part time work is for people who are in school. Or retired. Or wealthy and just working for something to do. If none of these apply, she needs to work full time.

Her taking your things out of your house? Oh, hell no.

Now, if she wants to take herself to BM's, for good, that would be okay. But YOUR things stay in YOUR home.

justmakingthebest's picture

Nope, not petty at all. My kids have tried to take games to their dad's house because they aren't a "game family" and we are. Nope, don't touch my games. I have however gifted their family with some games at holiday times and such so that my kids have games there.