Hya all,
This might seem a bit all over the place but basically my Mum had been with my step-dad for over 10 years and married for 2. They've got 3 children together (my half brothers) and me and my other brother from when she was with our dad.
They've had they're ups and sown but over the last 3 or so years it seems my mum is just getting more and more ratty and fed up with my step-dad. They seem to row (more my mum getting angry and upset) it seems every other week and it can be ongoing sometimes for ages.
Now, Whats happened in recent years is that my step-dad got into some issues with a couple who lived down the road over a land dispute. When we realised that he didn't really have a leg to stand on and that this private road was owned by the couple, my mum wanted my step-dad to just quit there and then, but he is VERY stubborn and VERY childish and doesn't like to "Give In".
So he carried on with the court cases, costs mounting up etc.. It cased chaos and a lot of upset in the house for well over a year. When he lost the case it was really bad after that too because he's got to now pay back in installments all the thousands he now owes, and he gets really depressed over it because he's had to sell his American classic cars and struggles to fund his drag racing.
Now, leading on to the drag racing. It's very costly and he just about scrapes by trying to do it but he's spent so much money fixing the car, building a recovery truck to tow it that isn't even completed yet, and my mum just keeps getting angrier and moaning to him more and more saying that he cant really afford it, he should be spending his money on the children and spending time with them on the weekends. He works as a self employed builder travelling 80 miles every week day and then a lot of weekends he goes to his mates in wales (6 hours journey) to get the car and pickup fixed/made.
She feels that she works full time at the school, then comes home and does all the housework, cooks dinner and makes step-dad dinner when he gets in and he doesn't do anything.
She gets housekeeping money from him and about £20 for each kids birthdays and Christmas, but she says everything else she pays for.
Now the most recent issue is today she gets a phone call from him in Wales saying that he's slipped over and done his knee in. He's 57, coming up 58 and has needed a knee op for ages but the hospital told him to wait as long as possible because he was young.
He went to the hospital and they've told him his knee is just so bad it's riddled with arthritis.
Now my mum is upset because she says he wont be able to work and she'll have to support him and the house 100% and he wont do a single thing.
Just to put things in to perspective, My mum is a very clean person.. my step-dad hardly ever cleans up after himself.. at least not to a very good standard. He can hardly cook for himself, he can manage a microwave just and fried eggs/omelette.
He can't come to terms with giving money to the couple that won the court case and feels like they've stole it from him. If he gets overly wound up he is known to smash things up in the house and have a huge tantrum. He can be nice and when mum and him are getting on good everything is fine and dandy. But mum is very very sensitive and can get overly annoyed sometimes with things that aren't that bad.
She's been upset today over the issue, but I cannot handle stress and arguments very well and Hate always being dragged in it, but I'd like to find out some others opinions on this, any advice appreciated.
Sorry for the waffle.