strugglingSM's Blog
I really dislike one of my stepsons
I really dislike one of my stepsons. We went through absolute hell the past year with BM going to war about how traumatic it was for this SS to come to our home. DH had a terrible mediation where he ended up agreeing to paying more child support than he owes under the law (BM just didn't provide information on a good chunk of her income and his useless lawyer didn't push the issue) and also agreed that SS only had to come to our home on Saturday and Sunday, not Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday (a really stupid distinction, I know, but BM and SS felt like they won over that one).
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BM couldn't resist
To give a brief recap of my step-story....for the last several years, BM has been working hard to alienate one SS (she has seemingly given up on the other one because he does not give her the histrionic reactions she craves). She has told him that DH "caused the divorce" and that DH "hates her." This has caused SS to cause drama in our house for the last two years, including screaming, crying fits that are complete inappropriate for a teen.
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Proud of DH
If you’ve read my previous blogs, you know that during DH’s last mediation with BM, BM contacted DH’s brother and this brother collected information on BM’s behalf. When DH found out and called his brother out on it, his brother said he just “had to get involved because DH is “not respectful” enough of BM and is not putting “the interests of the children” first. DH replied and basically said I’m their dad, you don’t know everything that is going on and I’m asking you to butt out.
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BM's attention-seeking and lack of self-awareness
BM recently posted on multiple public community Facebook sites to complain about how parents insist on getting involved in their children's disputes with others. She crowed on about how she is working to teach her children coping and communication skills so they could resolve their own conflicts.
I had to laugh at this, because BM is constantly inserting herself into whatever "conflict" SSs have with DH. She has also rushed in to resolve any conflicts they have at school (both children have switched teachers mid-way through the year several times) and on the sports field.
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BIL Knows Best...and agrees with BM
If you read my previous blog, you know that BIL was in cahoots with BM during the whole drawn out mediation saga.
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BM has already vowed not to honor mediation
It hasn’t even been two weeks and BM has already sent DH a message - via Our Family Wizard - that she does not intend to honor their agreement.
The one thing DH got was to alternate Christmas. Previously, BM had every Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, which DH has been disgruntled about for years. DH offered to give BM more child support than he was owed and to reduce his time with BM’s enmeshed pet (overly dramatic SS).
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Mediation and In-Laws
DH had his mediation and it was sort of a shit show. I won’t share every detail, because I’m honestly pretty upset about how ineffective his lawyer was, but some highlights:
1) BM demanded 24/7 access on the children and refused to budge on anything, not even restricting the hours during which SSs have their phones. Then this last weekend we only had one SS, not BM’s favorite, and she didn’t text him once. She is in constant contact with the other SS when he is with us, but ignores this other child. I sort of feel bad for him.
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BM texting all weekend
BM has been texting both SSs since Friday evening to plan their vacation. She texted them on Friday night to show them the “treehouse” that sleeps four that they plan to stuff seven people in for three days. Then she texted them again on Saturday to tell them all the things they plan to do while there. Then this morning she texted them to “ask” if she should email the parents of the friends who they want to come with them. DH only has SSs four days a month, why is it that BM always has “urgent” matters to text them about during those four days.
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Dealing with the "I know you are, but what I am" approach BM takes to everything
To further the long saga of mediation - first demanded by BM in October, but she has refused to schedule since then, alternating between threatening to take DH to court if he doesn't give in to her demands and claiming - through her lawyer - that she now thinks they just can resolve things through a quick phone call - we finally received a letter from BM's lawyer that includes the issues she supposedly wants to mediate.
Still on the list:
- That DH not communicate with her through the children
- That DH stop saying mean things about her
Manipulative Teen Stepchildren
I can’t stand one of my SSs. He is enmeshed with BM, so is constantly telling her everything that goes on in our house. He is also a liar - he always has been, it just used to be little things, like cheating at games and blaming others, now it’s big lies like telling BM that I take his phone away when he is talking to her because I’m jealous.
He also regularly throws temper tantrums even though he is a teenager. He is particarly likely to do this when he is embarrassed or gets in trouble for something. BM is the same way - nothing is her fault.
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