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Mini-wife syndrome. Where is mini-husband syndrome ??

t_bell40's picture

I did as a member recommended and googled mini-wife syndrome. It talks about fathers who are guilt riden. What about mothers who are guilt riden ?? I didn't find anything on that. That is my problem. My GF is guilt riden and SD22 is not stepping up and being a husband but, more like reverted back to childhood. She came out in the kitchen the other day and said "Mom mom could you give me a hug.?" Mom mom ?? That's a new one. Almost like "mommy" but not. My GF also refers to her daughter from time to time as "peanut." A name she had for her when she was 1yr old. Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill ?? I have a 30yr old daughter I call "Poop" so, is that any different ?? Poop isn't say "Dad dad give me a hug" though. So, ya , the interaction between the 2 of them , GF and SD22 , is nauseating. I want to tell my GF that I am disengaging her daughter. I have already told her the consequences of her out burst the other day , will be that I won't lift a finger to help her in the future. It makes for a very uncomfortable situation when you are there at someones house not looking at or interacting with their daughter. I can tell her the remedy in my mind is that SD22 give a heart felt apology over the disrespectful out burst. And when she says "F You" , I say "perfect. F you it is then" Sad, but, this is the brat I have dealt with since I started dating GF 7 yrs ago. SD22 was SD15 then. Sadly I am not sure anything will ever change with our relationship. I think it important that my GF take a stance. As in saying what her daughter did was wrong on so many levels. !!!

SonOfABrisketMaker's picture

You have a whole other adult in your home, taking the resource of your gf's attention and it grates on you. That's understandable. But you're going to have to let some of this go for your own sanity. You are only going to be the loser in any battle that invlusldes trying to get a parent to love their child less. There's nothing wrong with pet names or asking for a hug. We're herd animals, we enjoy touch.

I'm not sure what the big blow up was but it's understandable that you are especially annoyed about the situation if you feel disrespected and marginalized. However, disengaging from a 22 year old probably has less impact than disengaging from a 15 year old.

Have you considered seeing a therapist to help you find constructive ways to express and maybe change the resentment you are feeling?

enuf's picture

Your girlfriend will not take a stance,why should she? Her dd is not bothering her, she likes the attention and the affirment from her dd that she is a good mother. The only one who has an issue is you. You say you are living in your gf house and you have been cohabiting for 7 years and nothing has changed. Believe me it will not. Her dd knows that she is affecting you, moreover she just told you off and guess what her mother does not care otherwise she would have told her daughter to shape up, at least I did when I was married to my ex.

Sadly, I do not think that you can affect their relationship, and I think that if you want your relationship to survive with your gf the only recourses ise to disengage. I did not follow my own advice and guess what after being in a relationship for 25 years he divorced me because of a severely enmeshed relationship with his middle aged who was 49 years old when we divorced because of him.

Your sd is staking her territory by really flaunting the "mom mom" and other terms that are getting to your goat. She is definitely winning in the battle for dm/gf because you are annoyed. There is a sight to learn how to disengage on ST look for it in the forums. Best of luck to you,

marblefawn's picture

It drives me nuts that SD is 30 and still calls her father "Daddy." It's this aggravating thing women do to infantilize themselves in relation to their fathers - men don't call their fathers "daddy," and it sure isn't considered a cute thing to be a "momma's boy," but women love to be "daddy's girls." I didn't ever like it, but the more I got to know SD, the more the "daddy" stuff grated on me. So I think it's natural the "mom mom" thing is grating on you.
I disengaged and it has helped. What if you just don't go to GF's house? When she finally asks why, you can tell her that her daughter makes being there uncomfortable. She might get tired of always having to come to you and address the situation. But she's more likely to just deal with having to come to you because these parents will do anything to get out of parenting.

Ninji's picture

My DH's exstepdaughter still calls him daddy. She's 20. It drives me crazy. His own daughter and son don't call him "daddy". They haven't even had a real relationship for over 8 years, and yet it's still "daddy". I'm just glad she lives far away and after all the disrespect she has shown over the years, I refuse to have anything to do with her or allow her in my home.

SugarSpice's picture

my sd calls her father her bff. i feel sorry for her husband. a womans bff is her own husband and not her father.

lynn22's picture

omg my sd talks like a little girl when she wants something and at 26 she went to sit on his lap. it blew me away..

lynn22's picture

omg my sd talks like a little girl when she wants something and at 26 she went to sit on his lap. it blew me away..

Acratopotes's picture

You are over complicated the situation....

both girls are adults, how they interact with their parents or how parents interact with their adult children is none of your business, unless it's your money being spend on a step child,

You are taking mini-wife to literal, it can be Dad - son/daughter, Mum - son/daughter.... it's a bout any parent feeling guilty because of a divorce,

It bugs you cause your GF still calls her daughter Peanut, yet you still address your daughter with her nick name? Why does your GF's actions pisses you off, maybe your actions piss her off.

Yes disengage from the adult daughter, you are not her parent, make sure you know there's only 2 people in a relationship, you and GF, and GF must be on the same page, if she's not then there's a problem, it has nothing to do with either daughters, it's between you and GF...

t_bell40's picture

Thanks All. First of all, No, No, No we are not living together. GF would love to because that way she would not have to go out and get a real job. She is trying to support having a roof over her head and meals on the table. No help from SD22 financially at all, no room, no board. My parents had a policy , when you graduate high school, you either go to college and live rent free or you get a full time job and pay room and board. That is part of the problem. Most of us grew up in a time when kids had respect for their parents. If you didn't, DAD would help you with that.
My not going to GF's house only give SD22 power. She'd say "look what I did." I have told my daughter 30yrs old, that I am building a house and moving. She needs to find another place to stay. I am sorry she is recovering from opioid addiction, but, it has been a year since she got out of jail and has been living with me and having her sons over. Love seeing my grandsons but, not every weekend. That is what it has been. Every weekend 4yr old boy and 8 yr old boy take over the house. UUUGGGGHHHH.
So , ya, an incredibly amount of HS to have to deal with. SD22 is just a small part of it. But, told my GF that she needs to step up and tell her that was horribly disrespectful , which she has, and tell SD22 she owes me an apology, which she hasn't. SD22 said she would apologize to my GF, but, not to me.
I will do whatever it is to keep my GF happy because she deserves it and not to be influenced by what most would say is a 2yr old.
Just sad. Sad
Oh, and too, I have been seeing a counselor for about 4yrs now, that is aware of the recovering daughter, the grandsons that were placed with me for a yr by Bethany Christian services, the GF and her job crisis , the Spoiled Brat SD22 and the possibility of building a new home. But, ya, thanks for the advice, way ahead a ya

enuf's picture

Yes, you do have a lot on your plate. My one advice, is that it really does help if you can write about like you do on ST and talk about it when you find individuals you can share your dilemma with. We have a million jumbled thoughts going on in our heads constantly. Writing or talking about helps to organize your thoughts unilaterally and in an organized fashion and therefore be able to deal with the issues in a better way as your thoughts are no longer jumbled.

enuf's picture

Yes, you do have a lot on your plate. My one advice, is that it really does help if you can write about like you do on ST and talk about it when you find individuals you can share your dilemma with. We have a million jumbled thoughts going on in our heads constantly. Writing or talking about helps to organize your thoughts unilaterally and in an organized fashion and therefore be able to deal with the issues in a better way as your thoughts are no longer jumbled.

SugarSpice's picture

i have an adult brother who has his thirty year old son as a wife.

they do everything together and share confidences. the son tells his father how to dress. they finish each others sentences. the son does the shopping and the cooking.

they use the word "we" like married couples do.

the son does not work but is addicted to social media and video games. son claims to have plans to be a musician in a rock band and my brother has spent thousands of dollars of musical equipment. drums and expensive guitars.

the son goes to sleep at all hours of the early morning and gets up in the afternoon. he does not attend college.

this is enough said.

i think the work mini wife can apply to sons and also fathers.

still learning's picture

Oh yes, ss32 could definitely be described as a *mini-wife.* He moved back home after his parents divorced and basically "hid from the world," (dh's words). DH supported his every need, gave him rides, paid his bills. They shared confidences and sit side by side w/thighs touching. Had I known all of this before we got married I would have raised my eyebrows but DH assured me that ss32 had moved out, was independant, on his own and only kept stuff in his old room because his place was too small. I was dumb enough to believe it all and accept everything DH told me at face value. Right after we got married ss32 claimed homelessness and reclaimed his room. Then I find out that DH has been paying his bills all along and bailing him out.

I put my foot down and told DH that I agreed to marry him, not his grown stoner son. Our marriage almost ended but things did turn around.

SugarSpice's picture

at 32 your ss is a man and not a child. hiding from the world is an excuse for not growing up.

you are right to be outraged.

still learning's picture

Sometimes I wonder if he's really a *man.* DH and BM enabled the crap out of him and he can barely function in society. Right now he has a 19 yr old gf who is working, has a car and who is basically supporting jobless, carless (his got repo'd) ss32 while they live w/BM. It's sad to watch anyone who is mentally and physically healthy to act so helpless. Unfortunately he's been allowed to play *poor me* victim role for so long that he seems to be stuck in it. It's really unattractive and I don't know how any woman puts up w/it. 19 yr old gf must be really desperate and have daddy issues is all I can figure.

SugarSpice's picture

i am glad things turned out well.

my brother never married or dated after bm drug addict left and abandoned their son almost 30 years ago.

brother and son sit side by side in restaurants and feed each off their plates with fingers and forks. it is really unhealthy! i am sure bystanders think they are two lovers.

it is stomach turning as my brother and his son are to close to each other and nephew will never grow up. not only did his son drop out of college he also quit work. this has been going on for more than five years.

small wonder brother has not dated or married as he already has a wife in his own son. sick.

SugarSpice's picture

my brother is my only sibling and he constantly defends his son. the other day the son refused to speak to me because he said i hurt his feelings.

i tried to say something but my brother got very defensive. brother enables his son not to grow up.

this is a man of 30 and no longer a child. he has the emotions of a boy of 12.

the son plays video games and on social media all day but cooks and clean the house, and does grocery shopping. just like a stay at home wife.

enuf's picture

Tell me about it. My ex would stop in the middle of making love to me when his ds called to chat with him because he could never bring himself to let the phone ring and let it go to messaging if it was his ds, no matter what we were doing. What was worse was ex would go take a crap while he was on the phone with his ds. I would hear him on the toilet groaning, farting, and making all kinds of noises but would continue on with the conversation and he would even flush the toilet while on the phone. You would think one of them would say, "let me call you back", as ss also knew his df was on the toilet. Talk about sick.

SugarSpice's picture

after being intimate with me dh would immediately spring out of bed to call the skids. no hugs or down time.

just wham bam thank you maam. this is when the skids were still living with bm. needless to say i put an immediate stop to it. what kind of aSShole husband does that to his wife?

Cara1128's picture

A sd who is out of college should nor be acting like a 5year old (thats how old I assumed she was from how she asked for a hug). Is there immaturity there?sure.
However: None of the behavior of the daughter to her mother is inappropriate
If some person came into my mothers house and told me i couldnt ask my mother for a hug bc in bothers them i would tell them to foff too.
The outburst of the adult daughter towards you should be dealt with between you two as adults.
Her wanting a hug has nothing to do with her attitude towards you.
I would refrain on telling GF how to behave towards her daughter.