You are here

New stepmom here

newstepmomnj's picture

Hi everyone, let me just start out by saying I am so thankful to have found this forum.

A little backstory, I married an amazing man who has a 3 year old daughter (L) with a one night stand. BM is a total nightmare but DH is disengaged from her and it is strictly about raising their daughter. Before I moved in he had his daughter one night a week. After me living in his house for a few months we talked about having her more because we noticed how L would often misbehave and we heard people talking that BM is not doing the best job in teaching her right from wrong. My DH works until late at night so much of the responsibility fell on me. I now realize how misguided this decision was and that was my fault, so please no one point out that I shouldn't of been so eager to be a stepmom right away.

At times L is great but other times she drives me crazy. She acts like a little brat and is my DH's apple of his eye. I understand a daughter is an amazing gift but the little girl really isn't well behaved. I have little patience for this so I will put her in time out, take away things, etc. I am trying to disengage from her and my parenting responsibilities but this causes extreme blowouts between DH and me by him claiming I don't love L and don't want to be a stepmom towards her. I love my husband dearly and when L isn't here things are fine between us. Once he's around she refuses to do anything with me and only wants her father to do everything for her. It sometimes sucks because I bend over backwards sometimes to make sure she is in our house so my husband can see his daughter, but I feel like a babysitter.

I'm looking for advice or suggestions to somehow try to disengage from both of them so I can have my sanity back.

Comments

newstepmomnj's picture

Yes I get that she craves dad time with him and that is fine. When it happened more often I actually began to cry after it happening for 2 weeks straight and my husband laughed and told me to get over it.

I have had conversations with how I feel like I took on too much and his reply back is always defensive and he wonders what kind of mom I will be with our own children if I can't handle his own? I find that extremely insensitive and rude considering it should show the type of person I am, love for a child like they are my own and being selfless so he can spend time with her. He becomes defensive/frustrated when I discuss anything about her so I'm at a loss.

newstepmomnj's picture

Exactly! He gaslights me on my capabilities of a mother because I expect a toddler to be raised a certain way, especially if I'm doing half of it. It makes me feel like I'm crazy but I have yet to question myself as a mother because I know I will be just fine in that department.

yolo222's picture

your hubby sounds like a real piece of work. Honestly he should not expect you to love and take care of that child as if it were your own. You are doing it because you love your hubby and the child. Since you are expected to and you are taking care of the child you should be able to discipline how you see fit. Of course you and your husband need to be on the same page to be consistant.

He it questioning your mothering skills? Seriously I would be so mad. This guy seems like a complete and utter moron. Sorry for the harsh words but he does.

My ex used to tell me that I "wasn't good for his kids" because I wanted a bit of space from BM. Every time we had an argument about something small this was his comment. I literally bent over backwards to deal with his kids and exes schedules etc. Never said a bad word about BM to the kids.. never had issues with the kids. ... nothing. It's like he was just making things up. Anyway I digress about my own situation. I don't like the way you are being treated here. It struck a nerve with me as I was being told similar things for no reason. Please do not put up with this. It's not right for your husband to say things like that to you when it's not true.

I hope things get better for you...

newstepmomnj's picture

Thank you.. I've been disengaging as much as I can and I'm also hoping it gets better. Thank you so much for the insight.

newstepmomnj's picture

Thank you for the advice! It's sometimes so difficult to love her like she's my own when she's acting like a brat and I lose my patience. I have been disengaging in the sense that I make plans on the weekends when she is here. It sucks that I have to leave my own house to feel comfortable Sad

justanothergurlNJ's picture

I do not share that opinion with you, but I have a 15 year old daughter so that mall is the devil to me lol!!!! Best pizza and bagels in the damn country! lol

justanothergurlNJ's picture

LOL bagels with cream cheese and lox are my fav! I am also A DUNKIN girl don't care much for Starbucks. Dinners we have the best dinners here too.

Ravenhead's picture

I would say it gets easier but that really depends on many variables. I too am glad to have found this forum. Its hard dealing with someone elses kids. And dont let peope stepmom shame you!!! When you marry someone you are not expected to like nor love your in laws. Where in hells bells does it say we have to love someone elses kids like they are our own. I tell my step kids you may not like me and thats fine but you will respectfully follow my rules. Its an up hill battle. I cried at first too. I straight up told my husband i cant stand his kids anymore. He is ok with that. He has me, our daughter thats 1& 1/2 years old. And his 2 girls 11 and 9. He knows with a home full of females there will be drama and fights for his attention. He doesnt expect me to love his kids. I will say it gets much worse before it gets better. I went from no kids to 2 kids over night it felt like. And it was so overwhelming. Luckily i dont have one of those husbands that always sides with the kids.
He does get onto them when they act up but its still hard. And the people that judge you dont understand. Here we were falling in love with a man with baggage and it all happened so fast. You dont get to go on dates cuz the kids are always there. Everyday two faces that arent related to you just staring you down every day. You dont get to be the couple that fell in love and dated and then moved in together and then have a baby of your own. No mam that fairy tell is for someone else. Instead we have to stay up late on weekends just to be alone together. We dont get to go out ever. No one wants to baby sit 3 kids especially when one is the spawn of her parasitic devil of a mother.

justanothergurlNJ's picture

Welcome. There are a few Jersey girls here. I have no advise on this. I am mostly un involved with skids. SO does most the disciplining and he only has them EOWE. Most of the ladies here are awesome and funny. On occasion the claws come out but you're from Jersey you can take it. Good luck on your journey into step parenting.

This place has saved my sanity many times!

newstepmomnj's picture

I do love her and think she's an adorable little girl, especially when it's just me and her. But you're right. I'm in my late twenties and constantly exhausted because I'm so stressed about my home life. I'm tired of walking on eggshells or afraid to discipline her. I will be making myself less available more and more often. Thank you for the advice! Smile

sunshinex's picture

Here's what I did when I found myself in the babysitter role when I didn't want to be...

About 30 minutes before SO would usually head to work, I'd start getting ready to go out. If he noticed, I'd say "oh, I'm leaving to go XYZ it's really important sorry" and if he got upset or whatever I'd say "well why wouldn't you ask me if i'm available to babysit first?"

Now since you've started watching his daughter and it's become routine, you need to explain that you're going to start XYZ hobby so he will need to find a sitter at night. Even if it's just for 3 days a week or something. Give him a couple days to prepare something. If he's anything like a lot of the dads on here, he won't prepare anything.

Then when the day comes, you just leave. Go out. Stay out. If he calls you, ask why he didn't prepare because he knew you'd be doing XYZ. If he throws a fit about you not taking care of his child, that's when you need to make it firm: You are NOT mom and you do NOT love her like her mother would and there is NOTHING wrong with that.

Make sure you let him know that it's only natural and a relationship MAY form some day, but certainly not with him rushing you into it or forcing you into it. If he can't understand that, than I hate to say it, but it's not a relationship worth being in.

EDIT: and if he gets upset... don't forget to ask him how he could possibly be so selfish as to think HIS need for a babysitter is more important than YOUR need to have hobbies you enjoy. Bring up maslows hyierchy of human needs too lmao I was a big fan of that... "How dare you think I don't deserve basic human needs like spending time with friends and family and feeling accomplished socially? How dare you insinuate that YOUR need for a babysitter for YOUR child is more important than my basic needs?!"

Wink

newstepmomnj's picture

I don't see this being a forever situation anymore because I'm looking into changing jobs by June which means no more working from home 2x/week and being flexible to leave early to pick her up. I told him this tonight and he was completely aware this would be a possibility and he said he knows and he appreciates me being able to help....hmmm