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Feeling alone in this journey

Stepmonster829's picture

Hello All,

this is my first post on here and I am glad that I have found a place where hopefully I won’t feel so alone anymore. I am engaged to a man who I love dearly who has 2 boys from his first marriage. I am really struggling with him understanding what it’s like for me as a step mom. For example, we get the kids every Friday or Sunday each week and sometimes more than that. Well this week, we had them Sunday, just took them on a 4 day vacation, was getting them again on Wednesday on finance decided to pick them up tonight (Wednesday) after I had told him all day how tired I was and I didn’t feel well etc. the one boy asked for him to pick him up and I get that it’s hard to say no but I was tired and I feel like my needs never come first. I work a very demanding job which is of course my choice yet I feel like I get no compassion. Had I said hey tonight’s not a good night I’m tired his response would have been well their my kids. Yeah I know their your kids but like come on here. So I said nothing and then told him instead I would take myself in a date which I have neve done. So obviously he was mad and was like oh, your so tired yet you can still go out. To where I feel like saying I can’t handle the dam kids tonight and you give me no choice. It’s like I am supposed to understand that he has kids yet no one cares that I feel differently at times. I am really good to them and treat them well yet I never get a say and if I say something then I’m so horrible for even suggesting not getting them. I feel so alone. Anyone out there feel like this? Also I don’t have any kids of my own. For I have to accept that him wanting to see them is what it is and I have no say? Help!

Comments

tog redux's picture

You SHOULD have a say, and you should assert your right to have a say.  He should be asking if you are OK with them coming over for extra time, and if you say no, then he should respect that. And if you do agree to extra time, it should be clear that you will not be the person caring for them when they do come over.

Honestly, I would not have ever told DH his son couldn't come over, BUT - I did no parenting or care for him. And if I said, "that's fine, but I'm going to hole up in the bedroom and watch movies because I'm tired," DH would have said that was just fine and asked his son to be quiet and leave me alone.

You have to assert your needs as important too.

hereiam's picture

If you want to go out, you can go out, but you should also be allowed to have some down time in your own home.

My DH, never once, just unilaterally made the decision that his daughter was coming over. Yes, she was his daughter, but he chose to be in a relationship with me, so I mattered.

If people want to just do what they want, without taking anybody else into consideration, they should stay single. The, "but they're my kids," does NOT trump everything.

He knew when he got divorced that he wouldn't be seeing his kids everyday.

Cover1W's picture

Personally, I am ok with DH taking SD(s) whenever he wants to, he's their dad. My only issues with this would be if it interrupted plans we had already made (unless it was an emergency) together.

As a SM, without kids, I get what you are experiencing.  But remember they are his kids. And remember they are not yours. There's plenty of times I have taken myself out to dinner with a book, met up with friends, holed up in the bedroom or on the back deck with a book, ran a LOT of errands that took ALL DAY, went on weekend get aways with my friends, etc when he has the SDs.  Because they are not my responsibility and I'm not their parent.

I would suggest you have a discussion with your DH, without judgement, and let him know that you will still be doing your thing if he has his kids.  If it's something you want to be doing with them, great, do it!  But otherwise, you have every right to opt out.  I do it to this day, and to this day DH doesn't like it, but hey, not my kids.

You'll have to learn to communicate effectively to make it work.

ESMOD's picture

Does he expect you to entertain his kids?  I might have suggested that.. "hey, honey, I'm tired.. why don't you take the kids out to eat tonight.. and I am going to turn in early.. I can fix myself a sandwich".

I don't think I would have ever told my DH he couldn't have the kids.. but he wouldn't have taken them if we had some other "emergency/plans/issue" that would make it a problem.  If I was tired when they were over.. his job to keep them quiet and out of my hair...

ndc's picture

My DH has his kids half the time, and I help out with them a lot, have a say in what goes on with them in our house, am able to discipline them, etc.  Given the choice, DH would take the kids anytime BM asks him to.  Early in our relationship he did just that and I went along.  (DH and BM are amicable and it's not unusual for them to switch up days or weekends to accommodate their various needs).  Once after we'd had them about 4 weekends in  row, BM asked him to take them again for the weekend and I told him I didn't want them to come because we hadn't had a weekend to ourselves in a month and BM was taking advantage.  He told her no and now he usually asks me before he agrees to take them on BM's time.  If he had not responded that way, I wouldn't have married him.  I have needs, too, and I do not think they should always come second to his kids.

StrawberryPie's picture

My DH was just like your fiance when we first got together.  I remember all those feelings very well.  YOU ARE NOT ALONE!  I recommend having some discussions with him about what you are feeling and how you can work together and communicate together. 

And being tired of all the kids stuff - I totally get it!  And now my DH does too.  Sometimes I tell him when I just can't take anymore, 'why don't you and the kids go do XYZ and I'll stay at home.'  The kids are happy doing XYZ, my DH is happy because he gets to hang with his kids (and yes my DH ALWAYS wanted me to do whatever they were doing - 'so we can be a family' as he said, but you know what - not my kids!), and I am happy because I get to recharge.  

Remember - you are not alone!  And glad you said that you needed a little alone time!

Stepmonster829's picture

Thanks! Next time I am going to suggest doing my own thing. The issue is that he sees it as out of spite and I don’t like his kids. I have a hard time communicating with him because I’m his eyes I am wrong. I feel helpless and resentful. It sucks in step mom land 

StrawberryPie's picture

Yeah I get this.  I have been down this road too.  I used the following two items over and over until things finally changed.  Now this issue doesn't happen any more. 

#1.  I'd tell him a (true) story about how some of my favorite memories of my dad are just the two of us.  Since we always did everything as a family growing up it was rare to have some alone time with just my dad.  And it felt really special when I did.

#2.  Also true - that its just different not having a biological connection.  My patience is thinner.  And some things that the kids do grate on me, because they are not my DNA.  Its just different.  And sometimes, I am my best with the family when I get some alone time.  And then I can come back recharged. (But I am super direct and am not always that tactful.  Sometimes, I'm like 'I can't take it anymore!  I'm tagging out!')

Stepmonster829's picture

Thanks that advice seems good. It’s like he wants this one big family and he doesn’t understand that although I love them they aren’t mine. He said earlier “we’ll they are my kids and you knew I had them” and I get so mad when he says that. So I’m like yes, I knew you had kids but I shouldn’t feel like a guest in my own home and you need to respect my feelings.” He’s being selfish and telling me I am being dramatic and like always tried to turn it on me like I’m some monster. But from now on, I am going to take everyone’s advice.  I will take time for myself and let him have his time. I’m done!

ntm's picture

Dump him and find a man without baggage. You’re not married yet, and there are red flags all over the place. Life’s too short for stepkid crap. Seriously. If I could have a do-over, I wouldn’t do it. At the very least get your own place to retreat to when he has visitation. 

Harry's picture

You are not married yet.  It’s only going to get worst.  He does not respect you NOW is the best time of your relationship.  Only bad think can happen from this point.  BM could died, run off with new BF and you can get the kids 24\7 365 days of the year.  

Do you ever go away for the weekend alone.?  Do you ever do anything alone with out SK.  Plays coincerts camping .   Do you really want this life.  You are be treated second.  He is doing what ever BM wants.  BM is controlling your life and home, 

Stepmonster829's picture

Hello All,

i gave him the silent treatment and it worked! He told me he is sorry and his intentions weren’t to make me feel unimportant. I was shocked that he finally put himself in my shoes. I told him sometimes my needs are important in my home and he needs to respect that. So I think he finally understands where I stand. I love the kids but I also have my own needs as well. I work an extremely demanding job which is exactly why I haven’t had one of my own. Sometimes I need quiet time and he finally gets it. Thank you everyone!

Stepmonster829's picture

I’m so glad I found this forum! It’s so nice not to feel alone when other people just don’t understand. I am tired of society expecting me to act or feel a certain way. I learned one thing, people only do to you what you allow them to do. So from now on I am taking time for myself and if he has the kids coincidentally then oh well. I deserve to be happy in this world! Thanks again everyone love this forum! Also, quick question. Do I create a new blog everytime I have a question/post or do I just add on to this one? Not sure how this site works 

strugglingSM's picture

I agree with many of the sentiments above - these are your SO's kids, so if he wants to have them extra time, that's great, as long as it is not disrupting plans you already have in place, as long as he is not expecting you to take responsibility for his kids while they are with him, and as long as he is not expecting you to financially subsidize his time or additional activities with his kids. 

Finding the balance as a stepfamily is a challenge. Your SO needs to allow you to have your space, just as you need to allow him to do what he wants when it comes to his children. 

There will always be a power struggle when a new person (i.e. the stepmother) arrives on the scene. If your SO is truly interested in having a successful relationship with you, he will not let BM or his children call the shots about anything that goes on in your home. The two of you should discuss what's okay and what's not. For example, maybe last minute changes to plans are not okay or maybe unexpected arrivals from the kids are not okay. But, you need to reach that agreement together and figure out what will work for both of you in your home. Having strong, healthy boundaries will be key to success as a stepfamily. If there are no boundaries, there will be problems. 

The sad reality for stepmoms is that, especially if you don't have children, there is typically a power imbalance in the family. Your SO will always have the trump card, because he has to cater to the needs of his children. The challenge is that nearly everything can be spun as "for the sake of the children", so unless you and your SO are on the same page, there will be a lot of conflict over what are reasonable deviations from the plan and what aren't. For example, my husband's family and BM's family seem to think that it's in the "best interest" of the children to see both families on Christmas. This means I never get to see my family on Christmas, unless I go alone. As someone who always alternated Christmases between my mom and dad's family, I do not feel as if I was harmed as a child by not seeing some of my family on Christmas. I think this decision is purely for the benefit of all the adults in the situation and honestly, the kids would survive if they saw DH's family the weekend before Christmas every other year and the same for BM's family. Also, if SSs were my children, they would alternate Christmases. Yet, this has become WWIII with both DH's family and BM.

The biggest challenge to step-life is managing all the external people whose expectations about how things "should be" are not aligned and/or cannot possibly be met in real life. Many BM's feel that they should still be able to treat their ex-husband's like husband's simply because they have children together and often don't want to accept that the new reality means that the ex-husband has his own life and doesn't have to be at BM's beck and call. Managing this is trickier with children, but ultimately, issues arise when the parents have no clear boundaries.