You are here

Someone Tell Me its OKAY to feel this way!!! (or not)

goincra29's picture

So after reading the vents on here from several people, I allready feel like I cant complain. Keep in mind, im new to this whole idea. I have never asked for help from anybody and/or advise in an online forum.

Well, im a stepdad and have a 7 year old Step-Daughter......Her real father, has limited interaction if any with her and stopped paying child support. My wife and I just married last year and I have a new born daughter. So, im now caring and Paying for a new born and a stepdaghter, as my wife doesnt work. Money is not an issue however, its the fact that my wife has created a divide between us in the household. I feel like she resents our new born that we have together, because in her eyes I treat my stepchild well like a stepchild.

I feel bad about the whole situation, because I tend to ignor my step-daughter and treat her like a roommate. I wish her real father was in her life and could give us time for my wife and I to enjoy each other sometime alone. I cant explain the joy of looking into my new born daughters eyes and caring for her. She is a new born and allready I feel so attached, she looks like my mother and she favors me in so many different aspects.

I look at my step-daughter and she is nothing like me, nor does she want to be at all She has no fighting spirit, fears everything and gives up on everything she tries. I love her mother (my wife) so very much, and just "kinda-like" my stepdaughter. This causes so much tension and strain in our house, cause my wife really in her heart wants me to want to be a daddy to my step-daughter. My step-daughter is a spoiled little Brat, that only caters to her mother. My wife and I always fight because she hates it when i discipline my step-daughter. I get after my stepchild because she is in my house, and I refuse to have anyone disrespect me in my home.

Needless to say this has caused a divide in our house, where at times when i get home from work I block everything out and focus on my real daughter (my new born).

I want to be a dad to my stepchild, but its hard when you have a absentee father, whom comes and goes as he see's fit. And a mother who gets her heart broken every time I try to lay down order in my house. Every single fight we have had has been about my stepdaughter. Honestly, I just want her our of my life for a while and to be able to enjoy my wife, and our new born.

Im so exhausted from fighting with my wife for so long and its driving me insane. My step-daughter has a smart mouth and flip lip on her that she uses at her leisure with me all the time, and then the very next minute will want to cuddle with me cause she wants money, clothes or a new toy. And i tell her to get away from me, and my wife jumps down my throat cause in her eyes....."she is trying to see me as daddy".....But in my eyes she is trying to use me. Because, where was that affection a few moments ago, when she slammed the door in my face and stuck her tongue out at me?????

So is it wrong for me to feel the way I do? Is it wrong for me to want a 7 yr old lil girl to get the hell out of my house lol? Is it wrong for me to look at her and know that I dont want a relationship with her and know that I will never see her as mine?

Jsmom's picture

It is not wrong, this is natural feelings. But, unfortunately, you are in this situation and have to do what is best with both of these children. She is seven years old, so she is still workable. As my DH puts it, she is not fully cooked yet. I suggest family therapy for all of you.

Your wife has to back you up on this, if she doesn't it will not work....

goincra29's picture

Definitely, taking the family therapy approach to this one. And my SD is workable, and I would love to work on it. But I feel like my wife directs how I should manage her daughter.

giveitago's picture

Things really might change once baby comes along, SD could demonstrate some 'maternal' skills, develop some sense of responsibility and pride in what she does, it could be a bonding process for all of you. Reward her when she's good and ignore her when she's not so good. When other family members are ohhhing and ahhhing over new baby YOU be the one to stand by SD and avoid any sibling jealousy and try to understand it from her perspective if she looks to be slighted by all the attention the baby gets. When I used to visit friends with a new baby and older children I NEVER went straight to the new baby, I spent time with the older ones and let them show me the new baby when they were ready to show off. This really could be a bonding process for you both...right?

herewegoagain's picture

If your wife has raised her before you came along, then of course she will not acknowledge what the child does because she learned it from her mother. Sad, but true.

With that said, your wife needs to ask herself why she expects someone who is not related by blood to her child to have a closer relationship that the one who is related by blood has. You know, I don't know the reason the guy has disappeared from his daughter's life, but I can tell you that most of the time, it is directly related to the biological mother wanting the guy to move on and for her to start what "she" considers a nuclear family with some other guy, more kids and HER kid...without interference from her ex.

TASHA1983's picture

There is absolutely, positively nothing bad or wrong with the way you feel....the VAST MAJORITY of us feel that way...only some of us are more vocal than others Wink

I wouldnt care what anyone says you are entitled to your feelings and to want time to yourself with your wife and newborn that is completely natural and normal...do not feel guilty or bad for feeling this way...you are in the MAJORITY...TRUST ME!!!!

goincra29's picture

OMG, Im almost in tears.....I needed to hear that and be re-assured. I lost my mother, no father and im the oldest child. And in a new state for my job, so far from close friends.

I really appreciate hearing this from you. You have no idea how much this has helped. I hate being the minority in my household.

Thanks a million!

TASHA1983's picture

Don't EVER feel that way!!! There is NOTHING about being a stepparent to someone elses kid that ever is going to be easy!

You are NOT and NEVER will be in the minority in regards to this topic...in all honesty I cant think of one damn good reason that anyone would ever want to be a stepparent...there is really no reward or happiness that comes with it. The only GOOD thing that happens is they grow up and HOPEFULLY move far far away...or never want to come around ever again!!! Wink

Be strong and always remember YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!

Take care Smile

napamom's picture

What you are feeling is completely normal! I have a SD13 and now two bios (2 and 9 months). I don't even like my SD and live for anytime I have with just my DH and bios to myself. My DH took awhile to accept this fact but finally has. Enjoy that baby of yours and don't beat yourself up. You are very, very normal and not at all "wrong".

goincra29's picture

Thanks everyone for the advise, i cant explain how much it truly means to me. (honestly, i was so very hesitate about doing this, because its very uncharacteristic of me).

I think that my wife and I have such different beliefs when it comes to raising children.
I give her credit for her experience and credit to her for doing the majority of raising my SD on her own for the last 6 years. But there are so many life lessons I will teach my own daughter, that I want my SD to gather as well.
I.E. never giving up, being a leader and team player, always aspiring for bigger and better things. Never believing what a guy says, only what he does.

I never would have thought in a million years how hard it would be to have to be a Step-Dad. To see a child living with you and know that she isnt yours, and doesnt aspire to be like you, and only wants to be like and acts like her BIO.....and have a mother that backs her up on this.

I believe things will work out with it all. But I cant help to feel my SD's pains as she gets older and pulls away from me only to wake up and realize what she is missing in her half sisters eyes, because I know no matter what I am going to be an amazing dad, and give my real daughter everything and the entire world thats in my power to my real daughter.

ownedbypedro's picture

Your feelings are normal. I am going to tell you what I told a co-worker whose husband was having similar feelings about her two daughters (they also have a daughter together).

You have to realize and your wife has to realize that BOTH of the children belong to her - only one of them is really yours. However, she is part of your family and not going away so you need to do some things:

1. Forgive yourself for the way you feel - it is normal.
2. Accept that your step daughter is not who you would want her to be in your perfect world. Accept that you haven't finished raising your biological daughter yet and you don't know for sure how she will turn out either.
3. Find ways to ... let's see...love is the wrong word...find ways to come to terms with who your step daughter IS - and work from there. Do it for both of you.
4. Work with your wife to come to an understanding on how to raise "the girls." You can not have one set of standards for one child and not the other.

My husband had a TERRIBLE time with this - but YOUR WIFE needs to accept the fact that YOU HAVE A RIGHT to feel differently about your step daughter than you do your daughter. That doesn't mean you don't have to treat her well, that doesn't mean you can be unfair - all it means is that you have a RIGHT to your feelings.

You deserve to have your step daughter respect you, she deserves a secure, comfortable childhood and to be raised by people that she doesn't think hate her. I think you can work this out. Good luck.

Amazedstepmom's picture

Depends who you are talking to whether this is considered normal and acceptable. Here on st, yes because we all live the hell of being a stepparent. And yet in the real world without the anonymity that ST brings, it is not acceptable. You will hear things like, package deal, treat her like your own, you are the adult (therefore you must lay down and be a doormat). So, just be cautious sharing your true feelings with those Brady bunch families that think a blended family is all roses and rainbows when it really is far from it.
Had someone told me the things I now think 4 years ago I would have thought they were horrible and now I have entered the reality of pas, skids from hell who have no aspirations in life and who I foresee my DH allowing to live in our basement until they are 40.

Tranquility's picture

Amazedstepmom-you crack me up! You need your OWN column hahahaha- that is exactly how I feel. ROTFLOL

lynnieb80's picture

LOL! You are so right!! That's EXACTLY what I used to think! MY SO has an ex-wife (Not the bio-mom of his 2 daughters) that was an absolute horror. Or according to the family she was. She didn't love the girls the way that she loved her son. She was mean to them and made them clean! :jawdrop:
This is what I heard along with a million other things. I can remember how I would tell SO's family "What an awful woman she must have been! Why marry someone if you can't love their children as your own?! That is what you are SUPPOSED to do!" Oh, how incredibly, incredibly NAIVE I was!!!! If I only knew what a nightmare step-parenting was then, I would have kept my mouth closed!! Now,I'm sure they are saying the same things about me that they were about her.

Tranquility's picture

I will speak from my perspective: I do not expect my bio kids to interact more than cordially with their stepdad (my hubby). That bond takes time to create. Maybe a life time. But, that said, this little girl is in a sad situation, just be her friend. Maybe do something together once a week like throw a ball or take her to McD. Talk to her about her favorite things, colors, movies, friends, etc. She will act negatively at first, but give it a few months and you might be surprised. Teach her how to be tougher and WHY it is good to be tough.

You are not doing this for SD7, you are doing this for your family-of which you are the leader. It's just like a boss taking employees out to lunch, it is for the TEAM.

As for your feelings, it is absolutely normal to feel more detached from everyone once a baby is born-it is an evolutionary mechanism that protects the newborn. In time, she will grow up (and if you don't shape SD7 now, Baby will become like her and eventually start resenting you for being a jerk- remember they are now SISTERS and sisters have strong bonds!)

You can do it! And congrats on your beautiful family Smile

StepDad1981's picture

Wow this echoes my situation in many ways!

My SS is 12, I got with his mother when he was 9. I feel separate from them most of the time as they often shut themselves in our bedroom talking whilst i'm downstairs on my own. My wife keeps nagging me to create conversation with him but I just can't bear to be fake or interact with someone whom I resent. I would love to have a relationship with him and believe me I have tried and nearly succeeded but when my wife is in our company he turns into a little disruptive attitude freak!

I constantly find him glaring at me when my wife isn't looking, and this winds me up to the point where I would love to give his arse a good slapping but just end up snapping at him instead.

The arguments we have are only about him and she accuses me of "not trying" with him. I just wish she would help me interact with him rather than just sitting back watching and arguing when it doesn't happen.

We are currently trying for a baby, I know this will push his nose out of place and to be honest I don't really care. I love my wife to bits but I just can't wait for the day when this little brat realises the world doesn't revolve around him.

courtnado's picture

Nothing wrong with the the feeling but consider this:

My bio daughter was 7 when hubby and I got married. Because of my own guilt, ignorance, and plain fatigue , I didn't work hard enough to set proper boundaries with my daughter and she cllung to me as if she owned mr. She resented the hell out of new husband and then new baby came along. My husband had no experience with kids and was completely disgusted when she acted out. So many changes left er terrified and insecure. I am a grown woman and I can't imagine I wouldn't be the same. But my daughter was 7. She acted out a lot, became clingy, possessive of me. My husband saw her as an a horrible little repugnant spoiled brat and never got over it. He doted and still dotes on our son,now 7. He completely ignored my daughter, except to scrutinize her every move, lest she do something reprehensible like chew too loud or eat too much or leave a light on. Even then he never corrected her--continued to ignore her existence--causing her a great deal of grief and aven fear. There were a few occasions when my husband aknowledged my daughter--tto rant and rave and throw a tantrum at her for some misdeed he just couldn't fathom, such as running the hot water too long when "his" son needed a bath.(he turned off all the water in the house and when she came to me with her hair full shampoo pleading to turn it back on for a minute, he chased her around the house screaming .). But those instances are isolated. For the most part now( she is 15) she does not exist to him and she remains very wary and uncomfortable in his presence. When I am not home and he and my son are, he plays and laughs and talks to our son and she stays hidden in her room. Multiple attempts at counseling. Years of counseling. Promises that he would try harder but nothing
Now that little girl is fairly emotionally disturbed . My son has no idea what a loving and normal family is and tends to pretend his sister doesnt exist as that is what his role model has taught him. I am in failing health from the stress , guilt and shame of all of it and every night Ifor 7 years I have lost sleep wondering. Do I stay and give my boy the happiness he deserves or do I go and give my daughter some redemption. Would it matter now? Is the damage done?
So, no there is nothing wrong with how you feel and at least you have the conscience to wonder. My husband sleeps soundly ( and alone for years now) and doesn't seem to have a clue.
Thoughts tend to become actions. Actions can have irrevocable and devastating effects. You can't control your feelings but be sure you are culpable if your feeling cause you to scar innocent people for life. Your sd is innocent...she didn't ask for this and has no power.
Leave them now and save everyone (including you) the torment. Personally, I wouldn't want to be in my husbands Karmic shoes even if he couldn't help his feelings. Cruelty to a child is just unforgiveable IMO.

napamom's picture

You story is so sad. Stay and give your boy the happiness he deserves? With two parents who don't sleep in the same room? With a mom who clearly resents his dad and is so stressed and sad her health is failing? Where's the happiness?