CRAP wife, mother and friend :(.. be gentle and hugs pls

[makemeslim]

Say's it in the title, My husband thinks i'm crap, my Kids think i'm crap and i don't really have close friends cause i don't allow myself to and when i do they don't like me so what's the point??
I do everything i can for everyone, so why am i so fecking crap??
Is it because i do to much or what, and how do i change things, i'm a outgoing person whom people who i know from school runs and groups ( child led) think I'm lovely,, so why is it the close people hate me so much??

I do have a overwhelming scene of self pity I've just being informed by my eldest whos birthday I've just ruined so he tells me, and i also ruin every other occasion for everyone,( but my sister also tells me the same which breaks my heart haven't spoken for over 12 months and the rest of the siblings went with her!!) God i wish i could just be so fecking great and perfect like the rest of them

I'm really sorry you are having a tough time with your family at the mo.

It's wonderful that you are a very caring person and spent a lot of time and effort getting his favourite foods etc.

Sounds like he was in a grump coming up the garden path, and has deflected it onto you.

It's hard to be tough to someone you love, but tough love sometimes does work. I appreciate he has debt to pay etc but I hope he has a job? So, I would tell him as of DATE he will be expected to either pay £20 (or something) a week OR a big household chore which you currently are doing.

As for dh - you are in a partnership not a employee. He needs to pull his weight, be it doing chores or standing up to his son when he speaks to you in that way.

Failing that buy Shirley valentine and get lots of holiday brochures

And finally - book yourself in for a massage

Thank you all for your support, i need my bed now but shall return tomorrow, i have a day off on Friday and no-one or nothing to do, how terribly sad is that for a woman of a certain age with No money shall call by tomorrow and thank yo all for your very very kind word and understanding or or both x

Make yourself happy and hopefully everything else will fall in to place. Do something different on Friday even of its a walk in the park or a trip to the library. Chin up my love

Um; guessing 23 year old learned how to treat you from his dad?

i totally recognise your problem and empathise completely. However to be able to put in place good and healthy boundaries so that you and others respect you id going to take some work and i think you will need support. Am seeing that you are not over financially blessed at present, but would it be possible for you to access some counselling so you can start to value yourself better and expect to be valued by others?

i do feel for you. No-one should feel as bad as this and no-one should be spoken to like that. you deserve better.

Have you tried writing a letter to the 23 year old? Tell him how you feel about his behaviour. Do you feel strong enough to set out some rules in the letter? How about:

If you wish to remain living here rent free, I expect the following:

1. Put your washing out on time or wash it yourself

2. Prepare a meal for the whole family once a week, including buying the food.

3. Take your turn at the washing up

4. Set a good example for your siblings in your speech and actions.

5. Treat me with respect and I will respect you and treat you like an adult.

If you are not happy with these rules, please consider your options for accommodation elsewhere.

The others could all do with a letter too!

Thank you all for your help and advice, im actually going to write a whole load of rules for all of them, it will be their when the get in tonight, they can begin to do a lot more than they ever have including cooking, cleaning and RESPECT!!! Wish me luck and thank you all fro your advice and kindness

makemeslim - I"m sorry you're having such a hard time of things at the moment. I hope the day improves for you.

Having read your posts (and particularly your thread title), I think the biggest problem in all this is your H, unfortunately. Your DC have clearly grown up seeing your H treat you with precious little respect and so your eldest is simply repeating the behaviour that he sees as perfectly respectable. In essence, you are this family's whipping boy.

How do you think they will respond to your list tonight? I suspect you will get nowehere unless you start demanding, not asking, to be treated with respect. That means action, not threats of "do this or..." what exactly? You'll be upset? I doubt they'll care. You need consequences you can carry out, such as refusing to pick up after anyone, do anyone else's laundry or cooking. Do you think you can you do that?

You've been this family's unappreciated maidservant for so long that I doubt any of them have the first idea of exactly how much you do and how much their own lives would unravel if you stopped doing it. No amount of telling them will get them to understand. You need to demonstrate it.

I wish you luck.

Dahlen, thank you so much for your words, you have hit the nail on the head, i have just finished the ironing, left hubby's (To be fair to him he does offer to do his own.. so yes actually he can!!!)and eldest's for him to do from now on, Eldest didn't come back last night i guess he stayed at his girlfriends house, and they normally stay there until Sunday now, And his dirty washing will stay in his room in the basket where he's left it, he can do it himself now, there'as enough for a load, i have no problem doing their washing if it's put in the wash basket , but will no longer go and collect it of the floor and let them find it all ironed and hung in the wardrobe.
I've made it like this and its my own fault, from now on i'm going to put far more importance on ME!!!! i know i'm in for a rocky road of letting them get on with it, but i know i need to get this situation sorted for once and for all, My eldest is in for a real shock, if he wants feeding, he can also go and buy it before cooking it for himself and his girlfriend, they are no longer going to get the treatment they have for him to speak to me the way he did.. I just need to be strong and stick to my guns thank you once again for your kind words it means alot .

You owe it to yourself and your family to learn not to be a mug. Hope you have a good day on Friday.

Thank you, im trying to arrange to go out with a NICE friend,, if not maybe a swim or the Gym ( but do you have to be a member for this??), or a walk, or nails, but they'd get wrecked whilst playing with my little girl so that would be a waste of money really, oh What can i do on my own that's not too sad

there are PAYGo gyms, guess they can be googled?
swimming is good if you like it and it relaxes you
spa /massage/facial/
For free you can go to a department store and have your make-up done
Take a book/magazine to a nice tea shop or go and sit in the sun looking at the blossom,
art gallery/museum
haircut
lunchtime concerts in local city
cinema I like to go alone...but that might not be your thing!

What an ungrateful little sod... sorry makemeslim

I grew up in a family who had very little money (and then my mum abandoned me when I was 9) and when she did come back it just seemed like she couldn't be arsed with any of us apart from her new baby.

I would have loved loved loved a mum like you! All the effort you went into and him knowing you don't have a lot of money I feel for you. I think you should show him this thread and the fact that some of us NEVER had a birthday tea or cake (unless we made it ourselves)!!!

Feel free to adopt me as a replacement I'm only 30...

There is a new gym, with a pool, i may ask if they do a day pass.. thanks x

He is 23 not 13.

Stop treating him like a child with a 10 year olds birthday tea and he might stop behaving like one.

Sounds like you actually need to start be selfish rather than selfless.

Given no one appreciates what you do - stop doing it. Don't do their washing etc.

Focus on improving your own morale and sense of worth and start by telling your son if he speaks to you like that again he can move out.

Thank you Yellow Tulips, maybe you could be a little more sensitive to others, the tea party was actually because my little girl who is 7 wanted it.

and a 23 year old is old enough to know that and to appreciate that birthdays are for everyone.......not just the "birthday boy".

Foolonthehill, agreed, I've already begun to put into practice my new life, That Means I'm on the TOP of the priority list, not the bottom!!

sings "the only way is up" loudly and badly!

Have you plans in place/support to keep up with the new you when things go tits up??

OP, you sound lovely and very much like my Mum who bends over backwards for everyone she meets but because of a lack of assertiveness, often gets taken for granted. My Dad is the worst offender, he's not disrespectful luckily, but bone bloody idle and selfish. Nothing gets done if she doesn't do it.

She has taken on a whole new lease of life in recent years though and stands up for herself. It can take a long while to change habits that are so ingrained but little things yield big results so far.

Be warned, you may get a backlash and things get worse before they get better but you're not doing them any favours by letting them get away with it. Your son has learned that it's ok to treat people badly, even those who love you and his future partners might bear the brunt. Your daughter may learn that is expected that she will be treated like that which would be a tragedy.

It sounds like the worm has turned though, good luck.

Op I am interested as to why you have no contact with any of your siblings.
What has caused this?
You say everyone thinks you are "crap" and treats you accordingly.
I don't mean to be harsh, but are you a human doormat that everone wipes their feet on (and you allow them to) or do you think that you genuinely annoy/irritate those around you?
What I am trying to say is do you think your problems are the result of a character flaw or your lack of assertiveness??