Anyone else got more step kids than their own?

[theredhen]

I think I am struggling with the balance of "yours" and "mine".

We are a family of 7, but only 1 child is mine.

When step children arrive, my house rules go out of the window and a new set have to be applied. To be fair, this is probably because it is virtually impossible to parent 5 children in the same way you do with 1. You simply do not have enough hours in the day to give the attention to discipline, homework, manners etc.

Just wondered if other people in the same position as me feel the same way or if you look forward to being a big, happy, noisy bunch and dislike the quiet than ensues the moment the step children go back to the RP.

All came to a bit of a head when DS came home upset and said he had lost his pencil case in school. It not only contained pens and pencils but a brand new pen drive with hours of homework and his caluclator (nothing to do with DSC) and I ended up having a bit of rant at DP about how it's not fair that everything of DS's goes missing and he's going to his Dad's and got nothing to take with him and reminded him that he only has one set of possessions not a whole other set at another house. I even suggested that maybe DS stuff is now at Mum's house never to be seen again.

DP has searched all round the house and spoken to each of his kids on the phone and asked them if they knew where the stuff was, has said he will pay for new stuff and generally been nice and even suggested that I might be correct in my small thought that the missing items might have gone to their Mum's. He said he would be very disappointed if that was the case but he admitted it had crossed his mind.

I'm pleased that DP is helping you out with this, if you've got some support it's half the battle.