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Tired of staying quiet

Feeling done's picture

First, I would like to thank everyone who posts on here. I am so grateful that I found this site. I have been a stepmom to SD29 for four years and I have thought there was something wrong with me. I feel resentful toward her and want nothing to do with her. This is a result of disrespect and rudeness from her right from day 1. I have kept quiet and even apologized when I didn’t want to...just to try to keep the peace and make things work. She is totally self-centred and has no regard for anyone’s feelings except her own. A lot has happened to bring me to the point of not caring if I ever see her again. She has announced the date for her wedding and I don’t know when the appropriate time to discuss it with DH would be. I don’t want to attend the wedding. I would prefer to avoid anything to do with it because my gut tells me it is not going to be good for me. I feel sick to my stomach with anxiety any time I have to be around her. My husband is beginning to see the truth of what she does, but he has never really stuck up for me verbally. He has distanced himself since the last incident, but that was because his feelings were hurt by SD. I’m not sure how to approach DH about me wanting to completely disengage. This wedding isn’t for 2 years and I’m already upset by it. I’m exhausted. 

notasm3's picture

Actions speak louder than words.  The first time I disengaged from my husband's adult son I just quit doing anything with him.  He did not live with us so it was fairly easy to just avoid him.  I didn't ask about him.  There was no big announcement - although like you I thought about it a lot.

Gradually SS33 cleaned up his act, and I started  being okay with his stopping by with his GF and their baby. Even had them over for dinner.  But after their HIDEOUS behavior 1 1/2 years ago I just said "Keep them away from me" to DH.  There was no way for DH to defend their actions (ransacking our home while we were on vacation, sleeping in our bed, etc.)

Now I do not bad mouth them. I don't make my DH listen to a stream of how awful they are.  I just said the "keep them away" phrase with such venom and hate that my DH knew I was DEAD serious about never letting them cross my path again.  I could go on and on for days about what horrible people they both are.  Their child (now 2 1/2) very likely has fetal alcohol syndrome - they are that disgusting.  But there is not one thing I could do to save that child.  But I do not say a word about them - good or bad.

My advice to you is to kick the bitch out of your mind.  I know - not easy.  But as of today she does not exist to you.  You can do this.  It's okay.  So she's getting married - give it no more thought than you would to a stranger getting married.

IF you are invited to any showers, etc just politely decline.  No elaborate excuses needed.  "I won't be able to make it."  And you don't even have to send her a gift.  You do not have to volunteer to do anything for her.  She will of course be more than willing to suck you dry of money and then treat you like the hired help who needs to sit at the back of the church or in a corner somewhere.

Stop thinking about all the horrible things she might do to you. You do not have to allow her to abuse you. She can't do a thing to you if you keep her away.  Sure she can say crud about you - but immediately stop anyone who tries to repeat it to you.

 

hereiam's picture

The wedding is two years away, I would not stress over it, right now, a lot can happen between now and then.

 

Areyou's picture

Don’t let her think she is better than you. You are better than her. You don’t have time for her.

Feeling done's picture

Thank you. I have consistently tried to make the situation better and tried to force DH to see it all from my side. It doesn’t work. SD goes into the “boo hoo poor me - all I want is my parents together and no-one understands” crap. BM has an affair and left to live with her BF...they’re married now. I’ve labeled myself a people pleaser and blamed my anxiety on myself. It’s time for me to keep the responsibility where it should be...on SD and DH (for allowing it all to continue). There’s days I look at DH and just can’t stand him. I’m not sure if that’s normal. I’m so filled with anger and hurt...total disengagement without talking to DH sounds like the right move for my sanity!  And yes, the wedding is two years away and SD does not deserve my energy. Thank you, some days I’ve felt like I’m crazy. 

notasm3's picture

Most of the time a parent will never be able to "see" what their child is really like.  As horrible as my SS is - my DH keeps wanting to think he's turned over a new leaf.  They just do not want to accept what an ahole their child is.  I can kind of understand.  Who wants to acknowledge that your own flesh and blood is a putrid tub of crap?

So don't waste your time trying to convince him that she is awful.  Just don't let him coerce you into accepting the unacceptable.  Let him worship his daughter - but away from you.

still learning's picture

You've got two years to plan a 2 week long European cruise with a good friend or family member for the exact date of the wedding.  Regretably you won't be able to attend but will send a set of Tupperware along with DH for the happy couple.  

Sandye gives great advice on disengaging and it's pretty much what I did.

"Do not show your hand to any of them. Simply say no to everything involving the step spawn."

I never announced my disengagement to DH or skids but just stepped way back and became very uninterested in skids and redirected all of that energy into myself and my marriage.  During the first 2 years of our marriage we talked and fought about skids often and now the subject rarely comes up and when it does I make sure it's short and sweet.  

 

marblefawn's picture

I went through the same thing with an adult SD: cringing just hearing her name, anxiety every time I had to see her, my anger after every time I saw her, and the worst is that resentment you feel toward your husband.

You're on the right track with disengaging. Tell your husband you don't want to hear from her, hear about her or have anything to do with her because it's just too painful for you after all that has happened. He can see her alone outside your house. Tell him you don't want to get in the way of his relationship with her and this means less tension so he can enjoy his time with her -- it doesn't matter if he doesn't like her. It's just something he can't possibly argue against because YOU'RE DOING IT FOR THEM!!!!

If you disengage to this degree, the resentment gets better. You stop having daily arguments when a SD visit approaches. You don't lose endless hours thinking of SD's sins of the past because you aren't reopening that wound every time you have to see her. It gets better.

The wedding is way off. I doubt enough will change for you to want to be there. But if you press disengagement now, he will probably expect you won't attend...or at least he won't be surprised when you tell him you won't. If his ex will be there, all the more reason for you to stay home and not cause more friction -- YOU'RE DOING IT FOR THEM!!!!!! (Self preservation is a nice side effect of all this selflessness!)

I bent over backward for my SD's wedding, even after everything she'd done to me. She was very sweet in that year leading up to her wedding. I really thought we'd turned a corner. The wedding was uncomfortable, awkward, tense and miserable for me (and my husband). SMs are just there -- no one thanked me, no one included me, no one acknowledged the weird position I was in nor that I was sucking up so much to keep peace with BM and SD. I came home just happy I didn't end up with a black eye from the ex. Within six months, my SD was back to acting like I didn't exist.

On the plus side, I dropped 20 pounds from anxiety before that wedding and I didn't even have to try!

 

 

Aanallein's picture

I have two adult skids, both mid twenties, both left home, I have been in their lives for 19 years, gave them everything i could give, I am the complete opportsite to their abusive preditory BF....they hate me....I can do no right by them, I love their Mum with all my heart...but I feel alone all the time, I just wanted a family, I got pain.  I am trying to stay out of sight so DW doesn't have get upset and choose sides.

sandye21's picture

Sorry to hear you are going through this but this is very typical for the Skids and an enabling parent.  Actually staying out of sight might be a good idea - an opportunity to spoil yourself and do whatever you want to do.  Do the Skids live with you?

Suemm44's picture

Wow. Definitely one of the questions I myself need to ask. Don't feel alone. Sd is getting married next year and as this approaches I'm sure to see lots of drama. You're not alone at all

Trying to be WIse's picture

Many on this site helped me a little over a month ago when I was just married and my adult SDs sat through the wedding, adamantly pouting and glaring. Yes, that was hurtful, but here's the benefit: DH had to face the fact that they behaved outrageously. Never spoke to me, my children, my family, left the reception to stand outside, DH followed them (THAT isn't going to happen again). So many people at the wedding saw all of this and commented on it to us that DH can no longer pretned the "girls" (grown women) are just being misunderstood—not when his business friend says to him, "Hey, who were those sullen women in the front row?", not when my children say to us, "I tried to talk to your kids but they looked right through me." The up side is that he sees it all and that my decision to have nothing more to do with them is now unchallenged. He gets it. I hope your wedding goes better than that, but if I were you, I would not attend. 

Dovina's picture

Weddings, funerals, graduations feels like a trap from the first family. Its prime opportunity for a SM to be crushed, marginalized, shunned, and the list goes on. 

If your gut knows, stay far away. We are always worried about protecting DH's feelings that we arent there to support him. The problem with that no one is there to worry about ours. Mind you the wedding is 2 years away, plenty can change until then. Remember weddings can cause the worst bridezilla syndrome, so you can just imagine how rough a SD can become. Sounds like you are thinking ahead and already know the score.

still learning's picture

"We are always worried about protecting DH's feelings...The problem with that no one is there to worry about ours."

This is the trap so many SM's fall into then they turn into the family doormat for the sake of DH. The flip side is "Poor DH" could care less about how his wife feels as long as she stays to take the beatings and he doesn't have to take his head out of the sand to deal with his outrageous adult children.  My DH used to tell me how much I hated adult ss while adult ss was screaming and throwing mantrums around the house.  Yup it was all me, all my fault that ss33 was acting like a toddler.  

Dovina's picture

the old "you hate my SS/SD" while turning a blind eye to their atrocious behavior. Thats us driving a wedge because we refuse to accept being that doormat as you said. Evil SM's Wink

Cloudy With A Chance's picture

You said so many insightful things, like "If your gut knows, stay far away" and "We are always worried about protecting DH's feelings...the problem is that no one is there to worry about ours."  Great advice and observation for the original post and for me, too. Thanks so much for that.

Over the years, my gut has been right more often than not, yet I found myself ignoring my instincts in favor of DH's feelings. I've tried to keep things bottled up inside and go with the flow.  I've pretended SD's disrespectful, pushy behavior and snide comments are only due to her upbringing by controlling BM. I've pretended she's not bullying DH to comply with her wishes (because if he doesn't, she'll withhold contact with his grandkids). Always pretending something I don't truly feel and believe.  Lately, all that pretense, anxiety and discomfort has turned into resentment, then anger, leading to uncharacteristic outbursts from me to DH.  But your advice is sound, my gut knows SD is mean and manipulative, and I am going to stay FAR AWAY from selfish, jealous and obnoxious SD, regardless of DH's feelings! There's an event coming up that SD is organizing, which DH is required to attend and I just scheduled a trip to see a dear friend over that weekend--so liberating! *yahoo*

Too old for this's picture

I attended my SD wedding.  After contributing financially, emotionally I was clearly the outsider.  Out of the pictures, out of the thank you’s,  out of the family seating area.  Why set yourself up for this?  The cruise suggestion sounds good. Look after yourself,  when you see a train coming, get off the tracks.