I have just got back from a lovely holiday abroad.
I paid for 2 of my DC, my DP and his 3 DC to go on a weeks break to get to know each other a little better as we are buying a house together this year.
All are adults! The oldest are earning and support themselves.
We had a lovely week of sport and sunshine and I cooked and cleaned and DP and I paid for meals out as well as all activities. The DC did washing up. It was a good week overall and we did feel like a family.
My DD22 was a brat at times. She criticised my tea-making, my jokes, complained when we got lost and DP was map-reading, tutted and sighed at me and made me feel like shit. It reminded me of her DF and why I left him.
DS19 wanted banter. This meant pretending to push me down steps "for a laugh" and joking unkindly until I felt like crying. When I asked him not to speak to me like that he said I was too sensitive.
Incidentally the DC got on very well with DP and with his DS23 and DS17 but not his DD21. And by the end of the week DS had plenty of banter with the boys.
Please tell me - should I just accept this was a bit of boundary testing in a new and weird blended family and I was too easily upset? Or are my DC treating me the way my ExH did and I need to draw a line? I am feeling a bit raw right now.