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So fed up with SD's constant complaining!

no-win-situation's picture

I need advise on how to deal with my SD 23 that complains constantly about every little issue in her life everytime we get together.

I love this kid & have been the only mom in her life for many years. BM is an idiot with serious mental issues & is basically out of her life. I love her but do not like her at the moment. When we see her which is usually once a week she starts complaining about various issues in her life, all of which are solvable but she won't do anything to solve them. Her co workers are mean to her, her brother which she lives with is messy, her skin is dry, her hair won't grow, life is hard wahhhhh!

Last week she came over with her BF & spent the evening with us. I had a big box of canned goods,food, cleaners, household items etc I had gotten together for her & her brother (my son 28) that she lives with.

My DH & I have an estate sale company & often also clean out the home after the sale. I purposely grabbed a lot of this stuff with her in mind. I spent a significant amount of time gathering it after the sale & more time sorting through various boxes & bags we brought home.

When they were ready to leave I reminded her not to forget the box of goodies. She asked if she had to take it tonight & I said yup, the next sale is coming up & it's gotta go before hand. She starts complaining! I don't want to carry it, its too heavy. I looked at her BF & asked if he could carry it & he did with a smile. This is the same kid that complains that she's broke all the time.

This week it's her car. We are in Michigan with record low temps, she has an older car that wouldn't start when it was 20 below. DH of course took her to work, charged the battery etc. That wasn't enough. On facebook she goes, "My life is so terrible, this year is starting to be the worst ever" whine whine! It's a car, nobody died & daddy fixed it like he always does! I resisted the urge to write WAHHHH in the comments!

DH is oblivious as usual. Due to her car issue she spent the night at our house last night so DH could take her to work. All evening no matter whar we talked about she turned it back to herself & complained about something.DH mentioned that we are planning a vaca to Vegas next month & the first thing out of her mouth is, I want to go with you guys, I never get to go anywhere! Over my dead body!! I just stopped talking & watched tv & tried to ignore her. DH went to bed early like he always does & there I sit listening to her complain about things on the tv until I can't take it anymore & just went to bed myself.

Anytime I try to give her advise on her complaints she brushes it off with an I know or ignores my advise & continues to bitch. Her birthday was the 3rd & thank God I was sick & couldn't go out to eat with her & her daddy. We bought her a tablet for Christmas & it was supposed to be a birthday gift as well since went spent $150 more on her than any of the other kids. Of course daddy had to give her another $50 present because he felt so bad that she wasn't going to get anything else.

My YBS turns 23 in March & I swear I am going to give him $200 & dare DH to say a word. It feels good to let it out! I've been holding in the resentment & it just ends up hurting me in the long run.

I really want to have a good relationship with her but the constant bitching is pushing me away. Help!!

chickadee1444's picture

Take the self-centered brat to a sick kids hospital and let her see what the real world is like.

twoviewpoints's picture

Wow, she's just a a ray of sunshine spreading good well and happiness wherever she goes :O

Short of 'STFU', I really got nothing. Earplugs? Duct tape? She's on one giant pity party. Changing the subject or flat out ignoring her when she starts in maybe. I'd get up and go find something that I 'just have to do right this minute' the next time she starts up. She may start to get the hint.

I can tell you that I've told my own adult child (oldest daughter)if she's not going to do anything to change her circumstance she's whining about than to save her breath as I don't want to hear it. Sounds harsh I suppose, but DD was raised with the 'if there's a will there's a way' mentality so I have no sympathy for big pity parties.

tired and stressed's picture

My SD19 is the same way. She has gotten everything that she has every asked for from my DH and her BM. She is an emotional eater and a diabetic, a dangerous combination. She is overweight and is insecure because of that. One of the reasons she stopped coming over was that I made healthy meals and did not buy junk (among numerous other reasons). Her brother (SS21) has told us that her mother is concerned because she does not have any real friends, except her BFF, soul mate mother, who listens to her complain for hours at a time. She is away at school ~3 hrs away, she is home or a family member sees her most weekends because of lack of friends. She had an internship in NY and I was excited that I would have a stress free summer, oh no...she hated it, "nothing" to do, so she was home or family went there 7/9 weekends (supposed to be there 10, but hated it too much). She didn't want to stay there for 4th of July, what 19yo wouldn't want to be there.
I have resigned to leaving or limiting my time with her because of negativity. The problem is my sons 6 & 3. They really don't acknowledge that she is their sister, because she stays away from our house and never calls. (My 6yo on several occasions has forgotten to put her in family trees at school several times). However, when she does come by, we have to take her out to a restaurant, (can't eat at our house, of course), she is so negative. She also makes little jabs about the little guys ("I think 2 yr old is smarter than 6yr old." ). Even SS21 gets in there and tells his teacher (who is a friend of BM) that 6yo is going to be a handful in class. The teacher pulled us aside at a social event and said, "I know what [SS21] said, but he is so respectful and quiet, never any issues." My husband, usually "doesn't hear it" and then it becomes "I didn't hear, she adores them why would she say that, I think you misheard her..." My husband is convinced and is adamant that his kids should be in my kids lives. I am not convinced yet. There have been other issues too. Because my husband is so excited when they do take time with them, he let them once take him somewhere without a booster seat (5yr old ). My DH was so upset that I took a "wonderful opportunity" and made it sound so bad.
Another thing, what are your thoughts re: my skids taking my kids out to lunch with their BM and to her house to play??? She has been a constant pain in my a$$. She left my DH to be with her "soul mate." When he didn't leave his wife and 3 kids she became very bitter. She has constantly bad mouthed us to her kids, saying we had the affair (we didn't start dating for a yr after they divorced, an I lived in another state). During high school activities where parents were invited I was not allowed to go, they were told to choose me or her. My husband & I paid for all kids grad parties and she sat at the bar and told people she planned it. So I do not want my kids around her, and I would like to limit exposure to his disrespectful, sarcastic, negative kids. What are your thoughts?

Pilgrim Soul's picture

Ignore her whining altogether. It is called putting behavior on extinction. Give her no reinforcement of the bitching and moaning, but be pleasant and affable when she is happy and upbeat. Catch her being upbeat and engage on that note. Once she goes back to her moaning, you are done interacting. Just go about your own business quietly.

She sounds immature and seeking attention - by portraying herself as a victim of circumstance. Refuse to encourage that.

Read this for more tips: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/fashion/25love.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I agree with a poster above about using a children's hospital as shock therapy.

Reminds me of an old British song:

So now you tell me you are lonely,
And say for you that the sun don't shine.
Let me take you by the hand,
and walk you through the streets of London,
I'll show you something to make you change your mind Smile

peacemaker's picture

.o

no-win-situation's picture

Thanks for the support & advice! Sometimes it become overwhelming to deal with the constant negetivity from someone you care about.

Regarding Step Asides reply, while I undertand that the current issue I posted about seems trivial to you compared to the examples you gave on how "you & others here" have suffered, I found your reply demeaning.

"There are too many of us here, who have grown stepchildren who have used us as targets for all their childhood disappointments. We've been punching bags. We've dealt with constant passive aggressive attacks, collusion among all the family members against us, and have been the only person to receive punishing scrutiny for decades."

I have my fair share of battle scars, I lived separately from my husband for over 5 years due to the absolute hatred & physical abuse I received from my SS now 24.

"We have handed them tens of thousands toward their educations/rent/cars/medical since they turned 18, and it was never enough".

Money spent? I've cashed in a 401k, sold stock options & ended up in bankruptcy court due to the money issues DH had from BM & court ordered bullshit.

"I've been in the same room with my SD's while they refused to acknowledge me at all, shot me hate looks, slammed doors, said the most inappropriate things to our young children, threw tantrums, and said vile things about me to my husband."

I've had to lock myself in a bathroom & wait hours until DH got home to set me "free" because SS was on a bi polar rampage. I have had to call the police & press charges to get SS out of the house to provide a safe environment for myself & SD.

I know all about disengagement, I disengaged from SS a long time ago. I know I don't have to give SD anything but as a parent, step or bio you want to help your kids.

Your reply pissed me off because you came at my issue as if I hadn't truly "suffered" as "you & others" have, watch out for that Step Aside, I didn't think this was a contest, I thought this was a place for support & advice from other "Steps".

Before judging others, try a little compassion, we have all suffered or we wouldn't be here.

Merry's picture

I'd call her out on it every time. She complains about something, your response is "so what are you going to do to fix it?" She will complain that she can't fix it, and you say "then stop complaining about it." She sounds very immature, and she needs help understanding that adults have problems to solve all the friggin' time.

I can't stand whiners. If you ignore it, it will just bring you down by having to listen to it.

sandye21's picture

From your latest post it sounds like you have been through a lot. And I can imagine the complaining from SD feels like a scratch on an old wound. Know the feeling. I still believe many of us have been through other abusive situations in our lives such as what you described with your SS which causes some degree of PTSD. One thing people who have PTSD have to watch out for is 'collapse': a scenario which causes the same pain or anxiety as the original event.

Your SD is emotionally frozen in childhood. Your DH obviously feels guilty because he thinks she was short-changed as a child. She keeps whining like a baby. It seems like there are issues from way back which need resolved, and which have nothing to do with you. She needs therapy. She brushes off any advice you offer. Give her a journal to write in.