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In Desperate need of advice

miss_vee's picture

I really just need to vent about my situation. Very confused and frustrated! I have been with my BF for a little over a year now. The mistake we made was moving in together way to soon after we started dating. The back lash is terrible and something I didn't expect because everything seemed so great in the beginning.

I have 4 kids. 3 girls ages 16,9 and 7. And 1 son age 13. My oldest has a different father than my other 3 and is hardly around. She just got her license and goes to school in another town and her friends are her life right now so she mostly lives with her bio dad. My son is 13!! He is at his worst right now and mostly stays at his dads as well. He comes every other weekend when he feels like it. Which is totally fine with me. My little girls have a set schedule every other weekend and half the week every week. Ok so there it is. I am not the greatest mother. I tell my friends and family I can barely stand my own kids How am I supposed to stand someone elses?? although I keep them safe and fed, meet all their needs and spend quality time with them when I have them. They just drive me crazy sometimes.

My BF has two kids. a bio son age 9 and his step daughter with his ex wife age 11. His ex wife is currently fighting him in court over custody of his son. She wanted him to have no time with their son. But once he finally won some time, she sends her daughter every time he gets his son! That just trips me out! His son is not that bad at all. And yet he still gets on my nerves. I hate the youtube junk he watches on the living room TV. I hate all the paper he wastes making paper airplanes and the millions of pieces of cut up paper I have to clean up in his room. But his step daughter! I feel she will always be impossible to love. She thinks she is an adult. Likes to boss every one around, she's an attention seeker. I don't know why she comes with us. She acts miserable every time she comes and she takes it out on my 9 year old every single time. They are both pretty head strong and they constantly butt heads. I am not sure what it is they just DO NOT like each other at all and get into it every weekend we have them both.

Of course I want to protect my child and feel that since his child is older she is responsible for the bad behavior because she is able to dominate manipulate and persuade my girls and also I've watched her personality. I've watched her try to intimidate my youngest daughter for asking her to share some beef jerky by giving her a dirty look. I've seen her give my 9 year old attitude because she was jealous that my daughter and her little brother got along so well. However he says that my child is just as bad as his, his child is just better at it. He knows his daughter has behavioral issues and I know my daughter does to. We both know our kids are not happy in this current situation.

the other night we decided to take off the filter and tell each other exactly how we feel about each others kids. To get it out of our systems. In the privacy of our bedroom, just the two of. He thinks all my kids are ugly and that they are all going to amount to nothing. That I have babied them all to much and they are dummies. I think his daughter is a little b!tch and I don't want her around my girls to negatively influence them and I think his son is ugly looks just like the mom and I don't believe he is even his real son. It felt good to let it out for both of us. Felt therapeutic. But now what do we do??

Do we stay together because we love each other and we have a great time when it's just the two of?? I love being with him. I look forward to our alone time. No matter what we are doing. But once the kids all come I find myself feeling miserable. We have talked about living separately and only seeing each other when we don't have our kids. But what's the point?? I think if we don't face it now, keep trying to blend this family and we start going backwards by doing what we should have done in the beginning We are just dooming any chance of a future together. We've already made so many mistakes because we were both selfish, I don't want to hurt my kids more by changing things up on them again. He says if I love him I need to love his kids and try harder with them. I don't think I will ever love his kids... And he says he can't be around my kids more than he has to. I don't want to let him go, But I feel like for both our children's sake we should just walk away from each other...

On top of all this we have our own relationship and financial issues we have been dealing with. As a consequence of moving on with each other to soon after our previous relationships ended. I just barely learned I have PTSD from my cheating, emotionally abusive ex husband of 14 1/2 years. We are broke because he pays a crap load of CS and alimony. So there's some resentment that his ex wife refuses to work and is sitting pretty with all his money while we struggle. Obviously that's not every single detail of our life. There is still some good in our relationship. I do still believe he is a good man. We just cant seem to see eye to eye on anything these days. any advice or support would be greatly appreciated.

Dovina's picture

"we decided to take off the filter and tell each other exactly how we feel about each others kids" LOL that must have been a blast, therapeutic, yet hard to hear about your own.
I think it would be best for everyone if you did live separately. Too many negative dynamics, it would be nearly impossible to attain peace IMO. Besides your children are fairly young, do you really want them around a man who can't stand to be around them? Do you want your kids and yourself to be around his little "b*tch"? You can date nicely from separate homes, together not so much.
Good luck to you!!

notsurehowtodeal's picture

I'm going to ask the question I always ask in situations like these - why do you subject your kids to this situation? You have known DH's kids are mean to them, and now you know DH thinks your kids are ugly and dumb. If they haven't already, your kids are going to pick up on his feelings.

You will not be hurting your kids if you "change things up on them again." You will be taking them out of a chaotic and negative situation and putting them in a calm and loving home. If you want to stay married, you need to move out and keep your kids safe.

And why in the world is his SD coming to your house? She is a trouble maker - if he wants to see her he can do it outside your home.

miss_vee's picture

I guess because I know they are not in harms way. And I love this man. It's just his older child that is mean to my daughter. Apparently my daughter is mean to his son. I have never witnessed it but my BF told me so I did address that with my daughter.

But yes, seriously considering moving out. solely for the kids sake.

He says that is his child and if he has to he will choose her over me or any other woman. He has only known me for a little over a year. She has been in his life for 11 years. Period. Sad

notsurehowtodeal's picture

They may not be in danger of being physically harmed, but they are certainly being psychologically harmed. Your daughter is probably being mean to his son because she herself is being picked on. The dynamic between the kids is not good and won't change unless he starts disciplining his kids.

Believe what he is telling you. He will pick his step-daughter over you. Not his biological daughter - his step-daughter! You deserve way better.

ndc's picture

Personally, I'd make a clean break. I couldn't be with someone who didn't like my kids and said they were ugly and dumb. Nor would I want the negative influence on my children from his stepdaughter. You're not married and have no children with this man, so you have fewer impediments to walking away than many do. I'd rather be alone than in that situation. You can do a lot better.

marblefawn's picture

Move out. Try dating him when you don't have your kids. Get to know him without the burden of living with him. If you can make that work, try SLOWLY to blend the family. By then, you might be down a few kids, which would make it more manageable. What is your rush? You've already screwed up with several men by acting too quickly. Why not try doing it the right way this time?

You asked what point there is in living apart and dating him. A few things:

1. If you had done that in the first place, maybe you wouldn't be having all these problems. Dating is to get to know one another, talk out how you'd do things if you were together. If you skip that or rush it, you end up right where you are. In your case, dating should also be getting the kids used to one another before throwing them in a little house and expecting all the problems to work themselves out. I mean, really, you're an adult and you can't work it out. How do you expect kids to figure it out??? It's downright cruel to do that to kids.

2. It's never going to be easy for you to blend all your kids with someone else's kids, so why start over with a new guy and a new set of players? At least now you had your clear-the-air moment with him, and you do say you love him. So why not back it up and try to make it work the right way? You might love having him without the hassle of all your kids.

3. Why not date during your free days and focus solely on your kids when they're with you? Things will go better with your kids. You'll be proud of the mom you are instead of half apologizing for how bad a mother you are. And while you're being an awesome mom, you'll look forward to long dates with this guy (and NO KIDS!). Every night can't be date night. Make the most of your free time without the burden of your kids, and make the most of being mom during kid time. Live in the moment you're in.

You really don't need to drag your entire family into your relationship with this man. In fact, it will be better for everyone if you don't. Live on your own. Get yourself together. Get your kids into a stable place. You say they have problems? Give them your full attention when you have them. Save playing house for when they aren't with you. You owe it to them. And frankly, you owe it to the world around you to produce kids who can manage life and be happy.

miss_vee's picture

Thank you! That is the kick in the ass that I need! Not everyone tip toeing around it. I think I just needed to hear some real solid unbiased advice!

stepmom for 25 years's picture

Just my opinion after 30 years of wisdom..
I was in your same situation many years ago, although not as many kids to contend with, but ALL the same... You should REALLY think about ALL of this before you make a commitment.. We did that commitment ( not to the liking of the step children) but in a way today,regret it every day.. . If I had to do it all over again I truly think I would have done things differently.. Emotion, physical attraction etc. brings people together, BUT if they are NOT really thinking about the others that are on board on this thing called life, ALL can go haywire.. We all meet someone.. our sweetheart in life.(Sex & Hormones). Marry(maybe) & have children & supposedly live happily ever after.. NOT!!!! so now we start again, but this time MUCH more complicated!!!
Before you decide to do this... please find some family counseling!!( you will need this b/4 your marriage only because of all the complications. ) We never did this, only with my own boys, but regret it every day. I truly do not want to see you here years after.. venting about what is going wrong with your life with your SC.

miss_vee's picture

I agree. I think counseling needs to be our next step in order to make any kind of positive change. Smile