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SS destroyed his room last night

211 replies

SkinTotal · 01/02/2026 18:35

dP has a 16 year old from a previous relationship. He isn't his bio dad, his mum gave birth when they were teens (17) and DP has been in his life since then and eventually adopted him. His dad has never been involved.

We got together when he was around 8, he still had regularly contact although ex was jealous of the new relationship (even though she left DP) and caused issues. Then she ended up meeting a new man and relocated 2.5 hours away just before he started secondary school. She refused to travel halfway so DP did this EOW, he was looking at renting a place there so he could have him during school time but it wasn't feasible with finances so he only saw him at weekend and holidays. When he was 12, his attitude changed and we thought it was typical moody teen etc but he started refusing to come as often and eventually stopped altogether at 13.

We found out he wasn't going to school and his mum was letting him do whatever and we did report to SS but nothing came of it. DP sent presents for birthdays and Christmas and money but he refused to see him which did hurt DP.

Things seemed to have got worse over the years, heshould be in Y11 but he hasn't been since the first term of Y7, he makes racist comments, stays out til all hours drinking and smoking, apparently he's always on his phone and discord and watching violent porn somehow he got around the ban. His mum has contacted DP and he told her to contact early help and apparently they were useless. This was last year. DP had been trying to see him regularly but he refuses to do anything with him

She's now with another man and has gone away with him and wanted her son to come here as she doesn't trust him and he isn't invited on the holiday, he came here Friday night as she was going on holiday yesterday and she's “done with him”

He spent the day yesterday asleep until 3pm, he then went out at about 9pm and came back a few hours later in a mood, I'm pretty sure he'd taken something, not just drank. This was about 2am so DP went into his room and told him to be quiet as he was crashing around. He threw his phone at the wall and then picked up a lego set that he and DP had built together in the past and threatened to smash it, saying he hated DP etc. dp just stood there and don't him to do it. He did and after he was saying “now look what you made me do” “this was your fault” similar to what an abusive man would do to their partners.

He also ripped a poster up. But after that he seemed to calm down started crying and saying he hated his life and other rambling that weren't making much sense. He eventually fell asleep and today he's been totally nonchalant and said none of it happened. We're lying etc

I really don't think he should stay but DP Says he's his dad and can't just abanon him like his mum has and I know he likely does have some issues whether its MH or other.

OP posts:
DotAndCarryOne2 · 01/02/2026 22:04

icequeenelsa · 01/02/2026 21:55

The child wanted nothing to do with him from age 13 when a court would have taken his wishes into account regarding contact. I agree the boy has been failed and clearly has issues but is it fair for op to put up with a violent aggressive young man in her home. Violent porn and potential drug taking - if it were a partner we’d all be screaming LTB.
At the very least her dh should move out with him for a bit.

Spot on. No one here would expect an OP to share a home with a man who behaved like this. He would be considered a threat to her and any children in the home. This boy is no different in that respect so why should OP put herself and her kids at potential risk and be uncomfortable in her own home. Neither she nor her DP know him wel, and they have no idea what kind of threat he represents.

Stompythedinosaur · 01/02/2026 22:03

He sounds like a really sad kid, of course his df shouldn't abandon him!

SkinTotal · 01/02/2026 22:02

Our DC is 16 months. I'm also worried as he's been openly homophobic and racist and I'm not from the UK. And I also don't want my DC to pick up on it.

He can't go to his mums with DP as DP has to work and it's not a WFH job which I'm also worried about as SS will be here.

OP posts:
Glitchymn1 · 01/02/2026 22:01

Terrible. But doesn’t make it OP’s problem.

Mistoponta · 01/02/2026 22:00

Thoseslippers · 01/02/2026 21:46

Its implied. Because as another poster pointed out literally no one would be chucking a bio child out of their home for this

It isn't implied, you have painted it in.

Who said they wouldn't chuck a bio child out?

MissingSockDetective · 01/02/2026 21:59

icequeenelsa · 01/02/2026 21:55

The child wanted nothing to do with him from age 13 when a court would have taken his wishes into account regarding contact. I agree the boy has been failed and clearly has issues but is it fair for op to put up with a violent aggressive young man in her home. Violent porn and potential drug taking - if it were a partner we’d all be screaming LTB.
At the very least her dh should move out with him for a bit.

He hasn't shown any violence to people, he broke a toy and ripped a poster. Lots of teens will have done similar. The rest is op guessing and given that she describes his room as 'destroyed' it seems she may perhaps be prone to exaggeration.

DotAndCarryOne2 · 01/02/2026 21:57

Thoseslippers · 01/02/2026 21:40

Bloody exactly!!
No way would anyone ask their own bio 16 year old to leave over this minor blow up.
Shocking that the OP expects her husband to do that to his child.

I think whether he’s the bio child or not is irrelevant. No-one would ask any child who they knew well and with whom they could communicate effectively to leave their home over something like this. Because they would have a much better idea of what he was and wasn’t capable of than a 16 year old virtual stranger who has landed on the doorstep a few days ago and is already displaying signs of aggression.

soupyspoon · 01/02/2026 21:56

Ponderingwindow · 01/02/2026 21:51

This is a child in desperate need of intense parenting. If you don’t want to be involved in that, fair enough. You should not be asking your husband to abandon his son. You and your husband can’t live together right now if you can’t take this on.

Intense parening can work when the child is open to this and much much much younger without this boys history already

At 16, he is too late for this. Not too late to heal but too late for 'parenting' in that way. I doubt he would be responsive to that.

Perhaps the husband and his son should move in to the ex's property while she is away so that he is in his own home, which would be more cost effective than the airbnb idea

icequeenelsa · 01/02/2026 21:55

YourBreezyBiscuit · 01/02/2026 21:15

Of course he owes him something!! He adopted him FFS! He's his legal guardian! You can't just dump a child you adopted!

The child wanted nothing to do with him from age 13 when a court would have taken his wishes into account regarding contact. I agree the boy has been failed and clearly has issues but is it fair for op to put up with a violent aggressive young man in her home. Violent porn and potential drug taking - if it were a partner we’d all be screaming LTB.
At the very least her dh should move out with him for a bit.

MissingSockDetective · 01/02/2026 21:53

DotAndCarryOne2 · 01/02/2026 21:47

Not at the expense of OP and their other children he doesn’t. And of course it matters. The boy doesn’t know them, and they don’t know him, or what he may be capable of.

Wow. That seems a very strange viewpoint. He is his son. He has to be a father to all his children, they need to work out a way as a family to make this work. You can't pick and choose the lovely, easy behaviour and the difficult teenage behaviour. Many teens have problems, especially those who have suffered as much as this lad.

If op genuinely believes she is unsafe, they need to consider living arrangements and support. However, it seems he has had one angry outburst and got really emotional and upset, this one thing hardly seems to indicate he is unsafe to be around. It seems that, sadly, he has found himself in another home where people think the most convenient thing would be for him to leave.

Ponderingwindow · 01/02/2026 21:51

This is a child in desperate need of intense parenting. If you don’t want to be involved in that, fair enough. You should not be asking your husband to abandon his son. You and your husband can’t live together right now if you can’t take this on.

Snugglemonkey · 01/02/2026 21:50

SkinTotal · 01/02/2026 19:32

He was 13 by the time contact stopped and they would've taken what he wanted into account. Court wouldn't have helped. I've told DP I don't feel safe with him here but he hasn't listened

This is his son. Maybe you need to live elsewhere for a while until the son settles into living with his dad?

Sunshiningxx · 01/02/2026 21:49

Op your kids perfect but him you want out on the streets.
I just cant get my head around anyone like you, you clearly dont like him.

You have no idear what its like growing up with people that dont like you and just wish you were not around, if anything went wrong, something happened the finger gets pointed at you.
I do because i was that kid.

DotAndCarryOne2 · 01/02/2026 21:47

MissingSockDetective · 01/02/2026 21:45

It makes no difference, dh is the boy's dad and needs to take care of him and support him now.

Not at the expense of OP and their other children he doesn’t. And of course it matters. The boy doesn’t know them, and they don’t know him, or what he may be capable of.

Thoseslippers · 01/02/2026 21:46

Mistoponta · 01/02/2026 21:43

I don't think anyone has really mentioned the adoption thing except you? Maybe one pp who I think misunderstood. No one thinks he's less than, that's something you're desperately pushing...

Please pinpoint all the posts who said he was less than because he was adopted. If you can twist more than 2 I'll be surprised.

Its implied. Because as another poster pointed out literally no one would be chucking a bio child out of their home for this

MissingSockDetective · 01/02/2026 21:45

saraclara · 01/02/2026 21:43

That's a false equivalence. This boy has chosen to not have any contact with his adoptive father for years. This isn't a kid who's always lived with them, who they love and who loves them, who they know like the back of their hand and consequently can try to make sense of his emotions and feel confident of who he is underneath.

This is a much less secure situation for all involved. For the lad who doesn't know his adoptive father well enough to trust him, and for the dad and OP to know how to respond and what he night do next.

It makes no difference, dh is the boy's dad and needs to take care of him and support him now.

Okiedokie123 · 01/02/2026 21:45

Poor boy sounds very unhappy and with good reason. I would do all I could to support him, whelp him feel loved and wanted.

DotAndCarryOne2 · 01/02/2026 21:45

saraclara · 01/02/2026 21:43

That's a false equivalence. This boy has chosen to not have any contact with his adoptive father for years. This isn't a kid who's always lived with them, who they love and who loves them, who they know like the back of their hand and consequently can try to make sense of his emotions and feel confident of who he is underneath.

This is a much less secure situation for all involved. For the lad who doesn't know his adoptive father well enough to trust him, and for the dad and OP to know how to respond and what he night do next.

This.

DotAndCarryOne2 · 01/02/2026 21:44

Thoseslippers · 01/02/2026 21:31

No. It IS a strop. He smashed a lego building abd tired a poster.
Which many people do when they are 16.
I did similar at 16. Luckily im my parents bio child so they didn't throw me out on the street. Apparently its okay to massively iverreact if its just an adopted child??
Teenagers act up. Especially ones who have had a hard time
He hasnt hit anyone. He didn't break anything of value. He was crying.
Yes this was a strop.
Its not trivial because clearly this lad is struggling but to try to make him out to be some kind of terror that needs to leave is beyond understanding

And the drinking ? The suspicion that he is taking drugs ? Watching violent porn, spending time on discord ? Blaming DP for ‘making him’ damage his room and then denying it ever happened ? Massive red flags and you’re minimising them all and advising an OP that despite not feeling safe in her own home and worrying for her own kids safety, she should just suck it up because he was only having a ‘strop’. Words fail me.

Superhansrantowindsor · 01/02/2026 21:44

I normally hate the phrase behaviour is communication, but this seems the most blindingly obvious example of this.
He needs stability and security and love.

Snaletrale · 01/02/2026 21:44

He’s pushing boundaries to test dp. Stay firm and strong, reassuring him he’s wanted and loved. The further he pulls away, the more resolute you need to be, until he realises that you aren’t going anywhere and he can actually trust you.

saraclara · 01/02/2026 21:43

MissingSockDetective · 01/02/2026 21:35

But he only broke a toy and ripped a poster, if an older sibling did that you wouldn't immediately jump to throwing then out! It needs dealing with but the reaction that he must leave instantly is too much. The streets would be overrun with teenagers if all parents threw them out on this basis!

That's a false equivalence. This boy has chosen to not have any contact with his adoptive father for years. This isn't a kid who's always lived with them, who they love and who loves them, who they know like the back of their hand and consequently can try to make sense of his emotions and feel confident of who he is underneath.

This is a much less secure situation for all involved. For the lad who doesn't know his adoptive father well enough to trust him, and for the dad and OP to know how to respond and what he night do next.

Mistoponta · 01/02/2026 21:43

Thoseslippers · 01/02/2026 21:31

No. It IS a strop. He smashed a lego building abd tired a poster.
Which many people do when they are 16.
I did similar at 16. Luckily im my parents bio child so they didn't throw me out on the street. Apparently its okay to massively iverreact if its just an adopted child??
Teenagers act up. Especially ones who have had a hard time
He hasnt hit anyone. He didn't break anything of value. He was crying.
Yes this was a strop.
Its not trivial because clearly this lad is struggling but to try to make him out to be some kind of terror that needs to leave is beyond understanding

I don't think anyone has really mentioned the adoption thing except you? Maybe one pp who I think misunderstood. No one thinks he's less than, that's something you're desperately pushing...

Please pinpoint all the posts who said he was less than because he was adopted. If you can twist more than 2 I'll be surprised.

Sunshiningxx · 01/02/2026 21:40

The kid is messed up and i can see why.
And now your online slagging him off to.

Thoseslippers · 01/02/2026 21:40

MissingSockDetective · 01/02/2026 21:35

But he only broke a toy and ripped a poster, if an older sibling did that you wouldn't immediately jump to throwing then out! It needs dealing with but the reaction that he must leave instantly is too much. The streets would be overrun with teenagers if all parents threw them out on this basis!

Bloody exactly!!
No way would anyone ask their own bio 16 year old to leave over this minor blow up.
Shocking that the OP expects her husband to do that to his child.