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To give up on 8yo DD?

269 replies

ByeByeTether · 22/07/2017 13:50

I have 3dc, a DS17 who despite being born to a teenage mum and having a useless father who has barely bothered with him, has turned out really well, is sensible, kind and funny. A dd6 who is lovely but clingy and accident prone (suspect dyspraxia). And dd8 who this thread is about.

During my pregnancy, abusive XH was having an affair with a 16yo girl and then had many affairs since, so things have never been easy. She was a fractious child and then went on to have some behavioural problems as a toddler - would hit other children. Despite the difficulties, I threw myself into motherhood, putting my career on hold and completely living for the children.

At around the time I left XH, dd1's behaviour deteriorated. She has no self esteem and will not accept compliments. She is violent and destructive and has 'meltdowns' every day. She's obese and very tall so I cannot physically control her.

After 3 years of begging for help but being turned away by all the professionals, the school stepped in and we now have a social worker, she's seeing CAMHS, has been accepted on to some other schemes but it feels like too little too late. The professionals are basically blaming me saying that I behave as an abuse victim and she has become the abuser. I have raised the possibility of an underlying condition such as ASD. They don't seem interested in exploring this avenue.

My problem is, I have nothing left emotionally or physically, to try and sort this out. I am quite ill with a chronic condition so I have barely any energy. I do not enjoy my DD's company and our bond is severely fractured. I don't know if I can get that back. I hate my situation and motherhood, it's now affecting my relationship with dd(6) and I am withdrawing further and further.

Their relationship with their dad (XH) is complicated. He's controlling and abusive to me still. He's seeing them EOW at the moment but has gone through phases of not seeing them at all and doesn't take proper care of them all the time. He would never have them full time as his girlfriends and his social life come first.

I have a week off work this week to spend with them. Usually I would be planning our time to pack in as many activities as possible but this time I don't want to do anything or go anywhere. I've spent the last week being battered by DD and I am dreading a week of the same. She's already kicked off this morning over her hair.

I have begun an online parenting course and signed up to emails from a parenting site but I feel like I'm past the point of being able to turn it around. I feel totally and utterly trapped with just one way out but I don't want to leave my DC without a parent and I could never do that to my family. Does anyone have any advice about where I go from here or has experienced similar? What do you do when you are at the end?

OP posts:
GplanAddict · 31/07/2017 08:14

How was your weekend OP?? Flowers

ByeByeTether · 31/07/2017 13:57

Thank you again to everyone for thinking of me.

This weekend they were supposed to go to their dad's. I was really looking forward to the break and getting some stuff done that I can only do when the kids aren't about. Youngest refused to go a fortnight ago so it was to be my first child free weekend in a month. However, dd2 got very upset at having to go. I finally got her to agree but when he turned up, she stood at the front door crying refusing to get in his car. Eventually she agreed to go if he came out of his car to get her but he just shouted at her to hurry up and so she wouldn't go. XH seems to think the kids should want to go no matter what and will not work with me to encourage them to want to go. This is an ongoing problem which I don't know how to resolve. I did manage to take them out on Saturday though and we've only had a few less violent meltdowns. I have felt quite tired and ill this weekend though so that's not been good. I'm back to work tomorrow and don't feel like I've spent my week off productively.

As there's so much wrong, and so much to do, my small achievements tend to get overshadowed by everything still to be done. I've thought about starting a 'sort my life out' thread to keep me on track maybe. Over the last few months I've managed to quit smoking and I've started to declutter and decorate the house. I've made good progress with this so far in the hopes it will reduce my stress and the time I spend cleaning and looking for things. The house has got into a bit of a state due to my illness so it's something I really want to sort out. It's already had a positive impact on us all I feel but there's still a way to go.

Other small achievements since starting his thread:

  • I've booked a triple appointment with my GP for in two weeks time. I'm going to talk about my condition as despite being on the correct dose of medication according to them, I still feel very ill and symptomatic. I'm also going to talk about dd2 as I strongly feel she may be dyspraxic. And finally, I am going to take a list/diary of dd1's behaviour and see if they can get is a referral for assessment. I've spoken to NAS who have given me some resources and information. A lot of it is about complaining but I don't feel up to that at the moment.
  • I've decided to start on the citolapram today
  • kids uniform is mostly sorted with just a few bit to get
  • I've booked a last minute holiday. Just to Butlins and I couldn't really afford it but I really want my DC to have some happy memories of their childhood instead of the clusterfuck it's turning out to be. We've been before and they love it even if it is very stressful for me. It's something to look forward to though.
OP posts:
Maryz · 31/07/2017 14:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LorLorr2 · 31/07/2017 14:32

I don't have useful advice but just wanted to send you a hug Flowers give yourself credit for dealing with so much stress.

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 31/07/2017 15:46

YOU have done really well.

these small steps are just amazing, and I hope you can see what you haver achieved. also the things on your list are what I do to make myself feel sane, its amazing what a painted wall and a declutter can do

also well done for not making her go to her dads. he sounds like a fucking pearl doesn't he ?

I am really impressed by you OP

VampireSnail · 31/07/2017 18:47

You're doing really well OP. You should feel proud of yourself SmileFlowers

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 31/07/2017 20:33

I like maryZ idea about seperste visits
All kids benefit from one one one and elder DD would maybe like to help de clutter and choose paints - ?

Italiangreyhound · 01/08/2017 13:34

OP you are doing amazingly well. So proud of you.

Just a warning, sometimes people pop on who have not read the thread or updates. So jusybe aware future posters may still react to your original post.

You have lots of supporters now who know how tough it is.

You are doing brilliantly.

Italiangreyhound · 02/08/2017 23:39

Forgot to say we have been to Butlins and love it. The lazy river is a favourite.

Notevilstepmother · 03/08/2017 00:34

Can you get respite foster care for her to have a weekend away sometimes instead of going to her Dads?

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 07/08/2017 00:10

How are you all OP ? Hope an OK week xx

Italiangreyhound · 07/08/2017 03:10

Thinking of you OP.

ByeByeTether · 11/08/2017 12:23

I'm so touched that there are posters still thinking of me. Thank you all so much Flowers

Happily I have some good new to report:

I had my colposcopy appointment and despite convincing myself it would be bad news, I only have minor cell changes which should hopefully go away on their own.

I have started taking citolapram and am already feeling the benefits. It's made me more tired predictably but my mood has lifted and I don't feel as desperate and at the end as I did before. I also took a day TOIL but sent the girls to holiday club so I could get a much needed break. I didn't even feel guilty Grin

But best of all, I have noticed a marked improvement in DD. So much so that we had a full day without a single meltdown yesterday. I think that's a first in around 18 months.

I'm putting this down to a combination of things. I think I'm being calmer which is helping. I've been trying to spend more quality time with the DC and have felt more able to put into practice some of the things from the parenting course I'm doing. With it being the holidays, things are more relaxed. They're going to holiday club but I'm not rushing to get them there on time and on those days I just start and finish work later (thankfully my workplace is quite flexible). I may get flamed for this, but I'm being much more relaxed in my expectations of DD. If she wants to watch her iPad at bedtime, I'm letting her and also she's got back into minecraft which was a previous obsession but we'd stopped her going on the Xbox as 'punishment'.

It's not been perfect of course as we have still had meltdowns but it's all feeling a bit more positive. Her birthday is this weekend so she's looking forward to that. And we have the Butlins weekend very soon and she's so excited. I've paid for her to do a dance session with Diversity as a birthday present which I think she will love. I think having things to look forward to have definitely helped her mental state.

I posted recently about how to deal with XH and have taken the 'grey rock' suggestions on board so I feel I'm dealing with him more effectively. He's sending goady emails but I'm just ignoring them and letting the girls decide if they want to go or not. So far dd1 hadn't wanted to but dd2 did go on her own a couple of nights ago. Of course he's using this as 'proof' that I'm lying when I say they don't want to go despite him seeing her crying and refusing to go the previous time Hmm This still needs a lot of work so I'm going to do the freedom Programne if I can.

I just want to thank you all for holding my hand through my mini breakdown. It's made a huge difference Flowers

OP posts:
youarenotkiddingme · 11/08/2017 12:37

Really pleased that things have improved a little.

Totally agree about lowering expectations. See any small achievement as a massive step forward.

DisorderedAllsorts · 11/08/2017 12:41

Investigate ASD particularly PDA route.

www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/about-us/contact-us.aspx

thegirlwiththecurlyhair.co.uk
This is an organisation specifically for girls & women with ASD.

WellThisIsShit · 12/08/2017 17:06

Well done, you're doing so well and I know how hard it is for you Flowers

Keep up a bit more focus on yourself, as you desperately need care and attention and kindness... and if no one there to do that then it has to come from you (says another single mother with no support network and a chronic illness!).

I don't think people really 'get' how difficult things can really get when you're fighting on all fronts and slowly going down and you just can't keep fighting anymore, after so long with no end in sight, but there's no way to stop the endless effort needed just to stay still/ go slowly backwards. Oof.

You know that bit in zombie films where an innocent human is finally overwhelmed by a hoard of grasping hungry brain eaters? The human sinks down beneath the weight of the zombies all grasping and biting at them... well, sometimes life can feel like that! Too many zombies and they never stop coming for you... that's what life can feel like, when you're desperate, running on empty and all your crys for help are ignored or need so much effort and more battling that you can't do anymore.

But you're doing the right things to fend off the zombie hoard (!). Deal with one thing at a time, put your own wellbeing at the centre, and try to protect yourself against the things that suck your energy and resilience (i.e. The ex for example).

And don't try and take on all the zombies at once! Zombies must form an orderly queue and then you can bash one at a time over the head.

Lots of kind and positive thoughts going your way (& an axe for single file zombie slaying Wink)

Italiangreyhound · 12/08/2017 17:35

OP that is so fabulous. You are doing brilliantly.

So pleased about your year test results.

My dd is looking more and more like it will be ADHD, it can present differently for girls. We have been through the mill on disasterous family holiday and now things calmer.

Flowers
Italiangreyhound · 12/08/2017 17:37

wellthisisshit like the Zombie idea.

WellThisIsShit · 13/08/2017 09:06

Too much late night Netflix watching for me whilst fending off my own zombies Italian :)

OP hope you're feeling ok today

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