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Husband Sometimes Ignores SD...

sunshinex's picture

So this is a bit unusual in my situation... usually my husband is a great dad, but lately I know he's been dealing with a lot of work stress and possibly some depression as he goes through bouts of it. I want to stress that he's a great man - he treats me wonderfully and he's a fairly good dad. But lately, he's been ignoring SD5 and it's starting to bother me. Yesterday, he played video games for 3+ hours and she just kind of wandered around the house, trying to get his attention every now and then. This has been a reoccuring thing for the past couple of weeks, and I know it's because he's stressed out, but I need to find a nice way to tell him to knock it off.

Because she's so young, I sometimes try to entertain her while he's busy, but other times, I just get annoyed that he's leaving it up to me and I'll go in my room and read or I'll go shopping, but it bothers me to know she's sitting in her room playing or trying to get his attention for 3+ hours while i'm off doing my own thing. I don't think she's anywhere near old enough to entertain herself for that long, and I'm not interested in doing it every day, so how can i gently bring something like this up? It seems like neglect in my opinion and I don't think he's aware of it.

I think he's just been in his own world, and I do treat SD as my own, but there's no way he's checking out everyday for 3 hours while I take care of a kid that's not mine. What really bothers me is that he's not even assuming i'll watch her, because i tell him when i'm going out and remind him that SD needs this or that before I go, I think he just thinks she's fine on her own. Am I wrong about this? Is 5 old enough to entertain yourself for a couple of hours?

Again, he's usually pretty great and I know he's in a bit of a funk so I don't want to lose it on him, but I do want to get the point across that it's not okay.

Acratopotes's picture

yes you are wrong... a 5 year old should be able to entertain themselves for hours.... nothing wrong with it...
if DH has to entertain her every minute he's at home you will complain in 10 years time... cause by then SD is to old to learn how to entertain herself... be glad she's not the point DH revolves around...

Simply do what you want and if you go out for a couple of hours... DH is there for supervision, so far SD has not hanged the cat or burned down the house, you are not there to see if DH gets up and gives her a snack or something to drink, thus stop stressing.... they are fine and you are getting a little independent step daughter

Acratopotes's picture

:jawdrop: seriously... my kid entertained himself for hours, and not in front of the TV

he had building blocks, played out side, draw pictures.... I never had any problems, I was around yes in case something should happen...

OP is not there when her DH is alone with the kid for 3 hours... she does not know what they do.. SD can ask her Dad... should i draw this or that, or she can ask her Dad is this block building nice and he answers her... but he's not sitting down with her on the mat playing with her....

sunshinex's picture

That's true. Sometimes I'm here when it happens and I know he talks to her, responds to her, grabs her snacks, etc. He doesn't straight out neglect her, I just worry about the consequences of it... What if when she's older she looks back and thinks "wow, dad chose to sit and play video games instead of play with me a lot of the time"

Acratopotes's picture

She will never think that... cause I never thought that about my parents... she will look back and think, hell I had a great childhood, I'm dependent and I can do my own things, look at my friends who can't even got to the toilet without their mummy..

stop stressing about the future.... she will hate both you and DH when she's a teen, but DH is making sure the basic ground work is right, she will be normal again age 19-22.....

Just do not demand DH to start playing with her all the time, SD will always respect older people, cause she knows who's the adult and who's the child, if you force DH to play with her, SD will grow up thinking Daddy is her friend

sunshinex's picture

Oh she's very independent and she's always been that way. It takes about an hour before she starts wanting someone to play with her or hangout with her. And he definitely does get up to give her snacks/something to drink, but than he sits right back down. I'm glad she's learnt to be independent, I just don't want her to look back and think dad ignored her one day.

uofarkchick's picture

I have a 5 year old. Mine is capable of independent play for maybe 45 minutes. After that, she will come looking for me to ask what she can help with or if I'll come play Shopkins with her. 3 hours is a long time for a 5 year old to be left to their own devices.
There are days where I feel a little blue. There are weeks where I'm stressed. But I have children to raise. I don't get the luxury of checking out on them. Unless a parent has some serious mental health issues, checking out on your kids is selfish. We'd all like to have more time to do frivolous fun things. It helps us relax. But 3 hours a night, every night? That's not okay. I think his daughter needs to go back to her mom (unless mom is a train wreck as well). I'm sure your husband is a as nice as you say but he is not being a good father right now. If he's not willing to unplug the game or seek help for depression (if that's what it is), your stepdaughter should go to her mother.
I see nothing wrong with the healthy boundaries you have set in place.

sunshinex's picture

This is exactly my thinking! She can't' go back to mom's because mom is a train wreck, yep, and probably wouldn't want SD living with her. She's a good kid but mom doesn't like being a parent. She's got better things to do.

I agree that being a parent means you don't get to check out, especially if you don't have another parent in the household ready to jump in. I try my best, but I'm certainly not interested in parenting while he plays video games every night.

He's not being a good father, but I don't know how to tell him that. He's in a weird mental place right now or maybe he just sees it as "she's independent and can play by herself" because that's true, but to an extent.

I think maybe he's really enjoying the fact that she's older and CAN play by herself. He's raised her on his own since birth and he didn't get any time to himself for 2-3 years, so now that she's older, I think he sees it as more time for himself.

uofarkchick's picture

I guess you'll never know unless you ask him. She's 5, though, not 15. It sucks being a single parent. It means sacrificing so much for your children. Maybe let him know that 5 is still so young and that they are very social creatures at that age. I don't really know how you can bring up the subject without putting him on the defensive. Maybe encourage his daughter to talk to him. My daughter has no problem poking me in the arm and saying, "Mama, I'm lonely, will you come play?"

sunshinex's picture

She lives with us 24/7 pretty much all year round. And I don't have a problem with the video games... I've been known to go on 10 hour benders before occasionally, but I don't have a kid lol. That's the only problem. I've even offered him certain times where I'll take SD for the day so he can play. I know it's therapeutic for him. I just don't want him doing it when I'm doing other things so SD is left all alone.

sunshinex's picture

I'm wondering if maybe he thinks because I do it (take a couple hours to myself without worrying about SD) every now and then, it's okay for him to do as well. I don't want to point blank tell him that i'm a stepparent, it's different, but I've gotta say something. If I organize something or say "let's do this with SD" he's all for it, but if I don't, he does his own thing... I don't want to be responsible for making sure they maintain a relationship.

Like I said, this has only been the last couple of weeks or so. But lately she's taken to favouriting me, like when she's gotta get ready for bed, if he goes to help her, she says "NO i want sunshinex to do it" and he'll look all sad... I just wanna say "well of course she wants me... she's barely seen you today because you've been too busy!"

not2sureimsaneanymore's picture

Let him know he can play if he wants but to take breaks to spend with his kid. I get it, I really do. I have chores/errands to do that takes the better part of the day and don't have as much time to answer every single one of DD3y/o's bid for attention (I have to do it for DD4months because, well, she's an infant and her needs are a bit pressing.) But I take short, few minute, breaks to interact and play with DD. DH also works when he's home too and sometimes he'll be at the computer for a few hours--I just gently nudge him and say, hey I think DD3y/o misses you, could you lay with her for 5 minutes? Or I put DD4months into his lap and tell him she wants to get to know him for a few minutes and then I take her away.

Have your DH set up things for the SD to play with at different intervals (like get it ready before he sits down to do his game--first box has clay, second box has watercolor paint, then third box is actually educational TV time). We have a crafts box full of things to do that she normally doesn't get to do, like clay and stuff and it can keep her busy for quite a while.

sunshinex's picture

Seems like responses are pretty divided here and it's an "up to the parent" type of thing... So I'm not gonna worry too much about it. He's pretty good about balancing life in general. He doesn't sit and play for hours if he knows there's a sink full of dishes or the house is a mess. I'm probably over worried - he's a good dad and husband so I don't think this is a battle I need to have!

Maxwell09's picture

I've had this problem sometimes with DH and SS5. We will fight about it or talk about it before going to bed. I tell my DH: "your days of playing Xbox whenever you feel like it ended the day you decided to have a child. SS is five now and all he sees is you playing your Xbox so what memories will he have when he's older? I know you didn't have a dad growing up but you need to be the dad who was around and being on the Xbox for hours on end doesn't cover it. I don't care that you are stressed, everyone gets stressed out and the world doesn't stop, your parent switch doesn't get cut off because you can't compartmentalize work and being a dad. If you don't want to play with him to his mother's because even if she doesn't want to play with him after her long day at work at least she lives in a neighborhood where he can find other kids to play with."

Obviously you need to change it around to fit your situation but this has given me the best response. I didn't raise my voice, I didn't argue; I don't him the truth and let him simmer on it that night. Now he plays with SS or BS in their rooms doing puzzles, cooking together, playing outside or going to the store one-on-one.

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Sunshinex, what about your DH setting up a timer to go off after a certain amount of time? Give SD an activity with an idea of how long it should occupy her, say, 45 minutes. DH can set up a timer to go off after 45 minutes to check on SD.

NOT outside. I do not believe a 5yo should be outside alone and unsupervised.

Cover1W's picture

DH has mild depression and ADD and it's worse in the winter.

He goes through episodes of being totally withdrawn from both me and the SDs (no more than a day or so). He'll be on his phone or computer compulsively - even when we're watching a movie he'll be on another screen and not paying attention. The SDs are better now about letting him know "Hey dad that's not ok!" as they are older, but I do think some of their issues with "responsibility" and learning basic things are party due to his reticence about doing the basics and energy levels. Parenting is hard and draining and more so for him at times. He's admitted this.

And that's very difficult to navigate - I do help when needed, but have had to put strict boundaries about how much I do and what I do. He has to learn to put down his device and engage or at least try to do something new. Since I withdrew several years ago from planning things for everyone nothing is done. He'll complain, but I just nod and tell him, "Well, you can go ahead and plan something if you'd like, let me know what it is if you need input." But he has to do the work.

Have you discussed this with him? DH and I talk about it, he's very open with me and I have no fear in pointing out what's going on, or not going on. Does he know he's depressed? Has he received help for it? You may have to decide how much you can take on and what you are willing to do. I would hope he appreciates your help (this I have zero doubt about which is the saving grace of my time).

Is_What_It_Is's picture

I'm probably showing my age here - but I would have a bigger problem with a grown man playing video games for 3+ hours a day and ignoring everybody. Does he know he has issues with all this? - the video gaming, ADD, and depression? Is he willing to have an honest conversation about it and to seek help? If not, not much else you can do about it. I kinda feel bad for the kid tho...

sunshinex's picture

He definitely appreciates my help and he knows it's an issue. He actually suffers from ADD as well, which I didn't realize was related to this but now that you mention it, it likely is. He's actually really great about splitting up responsibilities. When we first got together, he was awful about it, so I give him credit where it's due. He's realized that SD is his responsibility and anything I do is to be appreciated. He's great about not starting a video game spree when there's housework to do first.

He helps me out a lot, and whenever I'm starting to get overwhelmed or stressed, he's the first to tell me to take a bath while he handles whatever needs to be done. He's even stopped me from doing dishes before and said "you just got your nails done don't touch those" and taken over. He's a great husband and he's come a long way.. This is just something minor he's started doing a couple of weeks ago, which coincides with some major stress at work I know he's been having.

I do feel bad for SD, but I'm hoping he snaps out of it without too much intervention from me. I'm going to have a talk with him about going to a doctor for the mental health aspect of it and I'm sure that'll help.

Rags's picture

My kid was apparently a mutant at +/-5yo and would spend hours playing quietly by himself. Every once in a while he would take what we called "roll call" and call out "Mommy, Daddy!" to which we would both respond with "Here!" and he would go back to playing until the next roll call a couple of hours later. When he was a toddler his mom and I were in school and studied much of the time. I was in grad school and his mom was working on her undergrad.

He was a liner. He would dis-assemble his coloring books and line the pages up as paths throughout the entire house, he would line up his cars, he would play with blocks, he would disassemble the dry cleaning hangers for slacks and turn the cardboard tubes into all kinds of things, swords, shields, etc.... He would spend hours "reading" and as he was learning to read he would sit on the floor in our kitchen recreating the words from the books with the letter magnets on our fridge. I started that with him when he was a toddler and he would do it on his own working out how to read on his own initiative.

I think this kids not being allowed or able to play alone and entertain themselves thing to be a major parental failure in today's parenting circles. Kids who require constant engagement and external stimulation will likely struggle being self motivated as young and then full fledged adults.

sunshinex's picture

This is actually really helpful. I do agree that no 5 year old should require entertainment or activities set out by parents, I just didn't realize other 5 year olds spend hours on their own too! I thought most of them can play for an hour or so before getting lonely lol it's good to know this is normal and she's going to be healthier for it Smile