You are here

New here & Mixed emotions. How do I feel better?

FedupAJ's picture

Well - I am SO glad I came across this site. I have felt AWFUL the past year or so dealing with the feelings I have towards my SS10.  My DH and I have been together about 5 years, married almost 3.  I have a BD16 and it took her awhile to adjust to the situation.  At first I spoiled my SS.  We had a really great relationship.  My DH would have him when he wasn't working.  Then after awhile he changed jobs which allowed him to have SS more. I was always for it.  I even helped/pushed him to get 50/50.  The BM is a piece of work. She has an older daughter, not my DHs,  who seems that BM counted on her to take care of SS a lot.  We battled in court for awhile and got 50/50.  It took us another year to finally get the CS changed.  That was always stressful and irritating to me that we would have SS yet BM would get full CS. At least that is sorted out now. 

Anyway - of course my SS was "cute" when he was younger...he has a speech impediment which hasn't improved the past 5 years, I feel, due to lack of proper parenting.  And it is NOT cute anymore. It's annoying and frustrating.  I know he's not my kid. And I have to remind myself that ALL THE TIME. BUT...I seem to be the only adult that actually gives a crap and tries to help him.  My DH has gotten better.  But this all puts stress on our relationship whenever SS is around.  There are other issues like lack of ALL common sense. It's so frustrating teaching SS to function as a human and then when he goes back to his BM it's all forgotten and then we start all over. Simple things like hygeine, brushing teeth, being able to play by himself and not always needing someone else around, thinking for himself, and just...I don't know, everything! Yes I know he's a child.  But he will always act like one if he doesn't learn and have to do things and use his brain.  This would be easier for me if he actually had a disability. Beleive me - I hate myself for how I feel. 

It's also gotten so bad that my DH knows how I feel.  That breaks my heart.  I wouldn't want to be with someone that think that way about my BD. My DH is mostly great when we don't have SS. He's not perfect. No one is. But we have a great friendship and relationship and I know he knows I care and that's why I get so upset.  But I don't know how much longer I can go on feeling like this.  I try to avoid home when we have SS.  My BD gets annoyed with it all too.  But she has told me that SS needs me.  

I just need some advice or support??   I hate that I don't like my SS anymore.  He's not a bad kid. It's not fully his fault but at the same time he is at the age where he can take some responsibility and not be so dependant on everyone else.  Everything about him irritates me to the bone. This is not who I am Sad  

Comments

TrueNorth77's picture

Ugh, that sucks. I push independence on SD9 and SS12 pretty hard, while my SO does not. I take opportunities to teach SD especially to do things on her own. SD: Can you open my snack, I can't get it. Me: Did you try? SD: Kind of. I show her the best way to open it and she proceeds to struggle for a minute but does get the snack open. She microwaves food on her own. She put a band-aid on her cut foot the other day on her own (I wasn't around and SO was busy so she just did it herself). She will always ask my SO to do things for her, and a lot of times he does, which irritates me to no end because it teaches her nothing! But I have noticed her becoming more independent with me teaching her things on my own. I'm also with her quite a bit. I don't mention SS because he just sits in his room playing video games so he isn't really a factor.

I don't have the patience to wait on someone else to do things, or just let things slide by and have them be someone else's problem. I have kind of taken things into my own hands when I can, and I can see results! If I did nothing and let SO handle this all and not teach skids to do things on their own, I would be very resentful also. As it is, I still have frustration about it, but it's manageable.

The most frustrating part about all of it is, if your DH would just parent his kid and teach him he needs to do things on his own, your resentment towards SS probably wouldn't be so strong! DH probably doesn't like that you feel that way, but it's also in his control to change things to improve the situation.

Merry's picture

Can the school intervene on the speech impediment thing and recommend speech therapy? It has to be affecting his social life at this age as well, or it will soon.

 

FedupAJ's picture

He is in a 'special ed' program for his speech but I don't think he is seen enough.  I wish we could get him enrolled in our school district because I know it would be beneficial.  We live about 30 minutes away from BM. I have made flashcards that I found online to help his problem letters.  My DH does those with him.   It doesn't help when we try to correct his mistakes and then he goes back to his BM and she babies him and I don't think 'helps' him.  I feel bad for him because he is going to get picked on. I don't think he has many friends as it is. Sad

Areyou's picture

You don’t have to do anything for SS10. Set an example for everyone that we all have to pay attention to what we need. What you need is peace. Take it in anyway you can find it. Ask for what you need with no guilt.