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Just need to vent over BM lack of boundaries!

Wishful06's picture

Sorry for this all but I just need to get my thoughts out!!

I have been a step mum for 6 years, and getting married in 18 days!

We have had our ups and downs, issues with BM and skids but we have all worked hard to make a fairly pleasant life for everyone involved.

However, BM has SERIOUSLY crossed the line recently and the worst part was I had seen it coming. These are the things she has been doing lately that have been crossing the line, IMO:

1. She just walks into our house, without knocking. The other day she walked in AND UPSTAIRS! because her daughter was in the bath. Now the skid didn't call her up, I certainly did not allow her up and my partner wasn't even aware she was in the house. Every time she walks in, I tell my partner that this is not on. We have now taken to discreetly locking the door.

2. She constantly brings up things that happened in the past with my OH and skids. She does this infront of me, even too me! My OH believes she is trying to find common ground but I think she is establishing her presence. I ignore this, smile and say that's nice before changing convo.

3. She recently has starting bringing up what it was like birthing the girls, what my partner was like and so on. I have just been told, and she knows, that there is an 85% chance that I am infertile (how they got to that figure I have no idea). We are going to start trying for a baby after the wedding but I am very sensitive to this subject and also I don't want to know anything about the skids birth.

4. This is the one that caused an almighty row between me and my OH. The other day she rang early and asked my OH to take an UNPAID day off work to look after the eldest skid who was off sick. As he left he said to me, oh she is whinging that her car is broken and I said 'DO NOT GIVE HER A LIFT" as it was obvious to me. Well, an hour later he rang to say that she has asked if he could take her to work (1 hours drive there and another hour back) to which I said NO F****G way! But my OH is one of those people who doesn't know how to say no without being rude so of course he said yes. It later transpired, 2 hours later to be precise, that no he wasn't taking her too work but near her work so she could test drive a new car. He had to wait for her, then bring her home again. Well, I went bloody mental and said if he ever does that again then don't bother coming home. I will not stand for him getting in her car, her in his car or them spending ANY time together that is not related to the children. And the fact she used a ruse of the kid being ill, despite the fact she had the day OFF work, and now we are 1 days wage down this month and my OH is in trouble at work for doing it. She has not even acknowledged the inappropriateness of this whole thing. My OH then told her that this can never happen again, that he was very angry that she had put him in this position and lied to him etc. etc.

My issue is I cannot say anything to her without it causing problems. My OH has said I can do what I need to, and say what I need to (or he will do it) but we are both very aware that even a nice conversation about it will end in her spiralling and stopping the skids coming round.

So, this is what I have decided to do:

1. Keep front door locked when she is due to come round to get skids.

2. Wait for her to bring up convo about their past and OH is going to say ' this isn't appropriate conversation' or 'this is in the past, we don't need to talk about it' or something to that effect.

3. Tell her myself that I am not comfortable talking about the girls birth, please respect my situation.

4. OH knows now that if he even so much as steps foot in her car/ her in his/ in her flat etc. that he will not have a home to come back to. I will not say anything to her unless she brings it up, if she does I will let her know in the nicest manner possible that I spend all my time worrying about her feelings, about her kids feelings and about my OH's feelings. I sacrafice so much to keep all of them happy and though I stand my ground with certain areas there are many that, as we all have to, I let go. I will tell her that everytime I make a decision about the skids, I try and put myself in her position and consider "would I be happy if I was their mum and someone else was doing this with them", if the answer is no I don't do it so please show me the same respect that I show you and consider my feelings when you are asking MY future husband (Not your friend, boyfriend etc.) to do you favours.

Sorry for the long post but I really had to get that out but I would most definitely appreciate any advice that does not involve me just going mad or my OH speaking up because, honestly, we have to set boundaries on the sly until she gets the hint without us saying it otherwise we will be going to court and we really don't want to be in that position if we can help it.

Thank you!!

Acratopotes's picture

:jawdrop: no no no - ignore BM - there's no reason to talk to her, you do not have children with her... DH needs to set up boundaries and tell her, she's not allowed into your house, she can wait in the car.

Oh Hon, I feel like saying... post pone the marriage till this is sorted

Tuff Noogies's picture

anony - dumb@$$ had half of her body across the threshold once. i made eye contact with her as i passed to go upstairs, then promptly put my fist through the wall. she never did it again. as a matter of fact, for years she wouldn't even get out of the car. }:)

pinkb's picture

Hi Wishful... sorry you are going through this mess. It sounds pretty terrible.

You sound like you have been taking the "high road" for a long time making sure as best you can that your skids BM is comfortable despite the fact that it appears she either a) goes out of her way to make you uncomfortable or b) is too clueless to think about the fact that her behavior and/or topics of conversation make you uncomfortable.

The good news is that it appears your fiance is largely supportive of you and your feelings and is only guilty of being moderately clueless when his ex- purposefully manipulates him.

A few comments on your proposed plan of action:

1) Absolutely keep the doors locked. Also, don't be surprised if BM starts arriving to a locked door at planned visitation times she might show up at UNPLANNED times. I had to do this after awhile when my adult SS would show up unannounced and just let himself in. No problem with showing up just please announce yourself when you come into my home (which it sounds like is the same respect your asking of BM). BTW, you are more polite than I...
Items 2) and 3)... it sounds like this lady is trying to upset you or at least get a "rise" out of you. Why not just say "that's nice" and calmly leave the room.
4) Since "OH knows now that..." should this even be a topic she would bring up? My position on that would be "talk to him if XYZ concerns you".

For fear of sounding like a bitch (I am) you might be too nice to this woman who clearly doesn't care about your feelings... or not enough to change her own behavior.

She's taking up much more space in your mind than she deserves!

tankh21's picture

OMG! Your SO is part of the problem because he is the one that hasn't set boundaries with BM. I sure as hell wouldn't allow BM in my home. She isn't allowed on my property unless she is just picking up the skids and even then she stays in the car because of some events that took place and she cannot be trusted. You need to have your SO set boundaries with BM before you even think about getting married. You do not have to be uncomfortable in your own home. DH needs to simply tell BM that she does not just walk into your house and or show up to your house unannounced for that matter. BM is doing all of these things because she can! Is it up to your SO to stop her.

Wishful06's picture

Thanks for your feedback!!

I am probably much 'Bitchier' (Don't think that is a word but there it is!) in my head but I met my OH when I was 21 and took on a 11 month and 3 yr old so learnt some self control very very quickly.

When we first got together the BM was such a nightmare, always forbidding us to have the kids, wanting more money, turning up at the blue going mad about something and my OH was constantly arguing with her so I ended up being the one who tried to keep everyone happy. Which has worked brilliantly for them but I find it is always me who has to smile and wave like I haven't a care in the world! Happy to do so if it means I can be with those I love but everyone has their limits and this really is mine.

Buy yes, your are totally right pinkb, my OH does support me and he will happily go all out war with his ex if it was to keep me happy (which is probably why I can swallow so much pride and smile and wave!) but he is a total sap and doesn't see what she is doing until it is too late for him to back out.

Acratopotes, I did consider postponing the wedding on the days following the car thing but I thought I am not going to let this woman have a hold over me, my OH or my relationship. There is no problem between me and my OH (other than he is an idiot sometimes) so I feel postpoining the wedding just gives her so much power. My plan is to get married, go on a nice honeymoon with no skids and come back and start trying for a bubba of my own. What better way to show someone that they have no hold on your life than to keep living it to the fullest. xx

Tuff Noogies's picture

don't say anything to her that would be you staking your territory. keep silently locking the door. say nothing like your past is not appropriate for me to discuss, or you are not allowed in my man's car, nothing like that. your dh is the one who needs to grow a backbone and just tell her NO, mean it, and leave it at that.

as far as the birthing of the babies, why don't you have some fun with it? ask her all the totally intimate details, make HER uncomfortable bringing it up. you can do that with her stories of the past as well - make HER squirm. it'll be fuuuun... }:)

Wishful06's picture

Oh I like that! I might try that next time, it would be amusing to see her reaction.

I must admit, that is one of the fun parts of being a step mum, I took my youngest skid to get her eyes tested with my OH and the optician asked me if it was a normal birth.

I said "I don't know I wasn't there" and offered no further explanation. My OH eventually had to say...she isn't the mum...but it made me laugh seeing the look of confusion on the opticians face!

Tuff Noogies's picture

seriously - get ALL up in her bidness!

did you deliver vaginally? did your perineum tear? what did it feel like when your water broke? did you actually feel yourself lose your bowels? was it easy to get the baby to latch on, or were your nipples too sore? how long did your vagina stay swollen?

}:)

Wishful06's picture

Haha, I don't think I could ask with a straight face.

I don't know what I am more afraid of, her getting the arse and stopping contact or her ACTUALLY answering the questions! :O

Aniki-Moderator's picture

"So...how big WERE your hemorrhoids? Did the doctor really want pictures for a doctor's journal?"

pinkb's picture

How about "I'm SO glad it will be a little while before we have beautiful babies together... hubby tells me that its never NEARLY as good sleeping with a woman who has had babies..."

Rags's picture

Don't say a word to the BM. Just purge her from your life as much as possible and let her know that she is not welcome on your property. She can wait at the curb when picking up and dropping off the kids.

Make no mistake. She did not put him this position... he did that all on his own. They are divorced, his commitment and loyalty is not to you. His interface with her needs to be minimized and kept at a kid issue only level.

Wishful06's picture

To be honest, I don't ever doubt his loyalty or commitment. I doubt his brain working many times but he has never given me reason to be wary of his ex, I know how he feels about her (they were never married or even in love). My OH has made it very clear over the years that he would love nothing more then to never see her again but he is nice to her, although doesn't engage in convo etc. with her, she pretty much does all the talking.

I once asked him how he could be so nice to her after everything she put him through and he simply said he has zero feelings towards her, not love, not anger, not hate. He said she is like a work colleague that he doesn't really like but doesn't have the energy to waste being horrible. I think I would be more worried if he hated her because that would show that she still has a hold on him.

Rags's picture

Edit of a Rags fat finger error: His loyalty and commitment is not to BM.

Sorry for the typo. My brain outran my fingers. His commitment and loyalty is to you and letting her interfere is a demonstration that his priorities are screwed up. IMHO of course.

No need for him to hate her but there is even less need for him to have anything to do wither her beyond kid related stuff. Her car situation is a perfect example of this.

My XW wanted a relationship during and after our divorce and we had no kids to consider. I engaged with her for a short while but quickly realized that she wanted things from me that I was unwilling to provide any longer. A new car, sex.... friendship, emotional support.

I had been married to her I no longer wanted to date her. So I let her know that if it was not divorce related I wanted no contact with her. That worked great.

Wishful06's picture

I have been doing the work for 6 years. They live in my home, they wear clothes and eat food that I bought/made. I take them to clubs, school, parties etc. because their Dad does shift work and so does their mum so I pick up the slack (which I am happy to do for my OH and the skids - It was never expected of me, I offered. If it was expected I wouldn't do it!).

So no, with all due respect, I am not just the dad's girlfriend.

But yes I do agree we have let her get comfortable though it was never a problem until she found out we were getting married, all of a sudden she is trying to integrate herself into our lives. I think my OH will need to talk to her about it but I think we will wait until after the wedding. I don't have the energy to deal with her stopping the skids coming to the wedding etc. which is pretty much what she will do.

Wishful06's picture

No, thankfully they never went to court.

Initially she wanted her freedom so we had the kids all the time, then she decided she wanted them back so we came to arrangements that suited all of us.

They have both being trying to avoid going to court for the kids sake but it has been threatened a few times from her until I pointed out her documented behavior for the first 4 years of knowing her and now she says if we ever took her to court she would take the kids and run.

Rags's picture

Let her. Then SO can have her ass thrown in jail. Kidnapping is a crime even if the kidnapped kids belong to the kidnapper.

skatermom's picture

Thankfully they never went to court? This woman needs court and iron clad boundaries. That's her problem she has been calling the shots this whole time.

I can't believe she walked into your house and went upstairs, BM would be leaving in a body bag if she EVER stepped foot in my house.

tankh21's picture

oh ok I was just curious because if a CO was in place then there would be a set schedule for visitation etc.

Wishful06's picture

In truth I don't know an awful lot about CO's and what they can/can't do. I might have a look as a fail safe!

Rags's picture

A CO is the most important tool in managing a blended family situation when there is a contentious relationship with the blended family opposition. Your situation fits the bill.

Avoiding court and a CO "for the good of the kids" is naïve at best and definitely negligent on the part of a parent.

Without a CO there are likely no boundaries and little control over a manipulative X when it comes to the kids. The XW/BM is using this to her advantage and if your SO does not man up and smack the piss out of her in court he is facilitating and enabling her crap.

He needs to demonstrate to his kids that he is all in regarding his relationship with them and will not tolerate their BM interfering in that relationship.

As this moves forward he needs to keep his kids fully informed in an age appropriate regarding the CO, any relevant information regarding their BM's manipulations, he needs to be the man and dad in their lives and not BM's doormat.

We adopted the share the facts and keep the kid informed tactic fairly early in our blended family adventure. As the kid grew up he was fully versed in the manipulations played by his SpermIdiot and the SpermClan and was well informed and armed to protect himself from their crap during visitations with them during his teens and into his young adulthood.

My wife and I considered it our responsibility to make that part of raising him since he will be forced to deal with the SpermClan toxic crap for his entire life. He will soon be 25 and he is very experienced in identifying any SpermClan bullshit and countering it directly and effectively with it occurs. We always made sure to facilitate his relationship with THEM but we also made sur to keep his best interests at the forefront of any SpermClan interface. He now protects his own best interests when they crawl out from under the slime covered rock at the bottom of their shallow and polluted gene pool.

SO needs to man up IMHO and deliver clarity to BM in a big way.

pinkb's picture

I work from home sometimes so I might be able to get away with this more than others... I have a professionally engraved (best $15 spent in awhile) that says "Please, No Interruption Unless Postal Signature Required". I'll literally be sitting in my front window visible to anyone driving up to the house. Sometimes I bother to put my headset on so it looks like I'm working. Sometimes I don't... Smile

CLove's picture

Greetings Wishful. I too have a BM with MAJOR boundary issues. She used to text SO after drinking, sexually suggestive (what he called) zingers. I found out when I happened to check out his buzzing phone, and threw major hissy. She stopped. Biggrin

Also, about a month ago, she was dropping of Munchkin SD10, whom we leave the door open, because its early when BM leaves for work, and she became really upset at something random, so she thought it a good idea to burst into our home and yell at us, and call us names.

She hasn't done that since. But, yes, she will text early in the morning during our snuggle time, she has made inappropriate comments on Facebook, because we have common friends.

Keep the peace, but don't be a doormat! Shut those trips down memory lane down quickly. I read a fabulous post the other day, by a member who goes by "peacekeeper", and it really stuck with me. The gist of it is that it is appropriate to "honor the past, but not worship the past, not LIVE in the past." That's all Ive got.

Thumper's picture

Congrats on your soon to be wedding in 18 days.

As owner/renter of your home YOU decide who is invited inside or not. You are not under any obligation what so ever to talk with his ex OR have anything to do with her.

Didn't you know that???

Was your soon to be husband court ordered to allow entry of his ex into YOUR home? Were you?
Please take care of your home, your privacy, your marriage, your social media, your email ...everything. YOU owe her nothing not even an acknowledgment if you do not want to.

best wishes.

Wishful06's picture

Thank you for all your advice!! I am glad that it's not just me being overly dramatic.

I had a looong chat with my SO last night, and showed him the posts to prove it is not just me being a bitch, and I think he finally gets it. He has arranged to meet his ex today to discuss boundaries and what is and isn't acceptable and he has assured me that he is just as pissed off about the issues as I am and that he has been so worried about her taking the kids away that he has allowed us to become this all singing and dancing family that jump to her every need. He agrees this needs to stop before we get married.

Just to clarify, the only reason I said I would 'discreetly' lock the door is because I don't want to make a point of the kids seeing me do it. We never lock our door, we are very much an open house so it would speak volumes if the kids saw me do it before their mum turned up and I don't think it is fair to put them in that position. I couldn't care less what BM thinks but I want to avoid unnecessary hurt on the kids if i can.

So, really thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my post. You have literally all helped make my SO see the error of his, and my, ways and our relationship feels like it has grown Smile .

I think I am actually more excited to get married now that I know my voice is truly being heard. xxx

skatermom's picture

Wondering why they need to meet in person. This can be done over the phone. They need to stop spending any time together!