How do you deal with a jealous ex???

[PoppyPrincess]

I've been with DP for 3 years and he has an ex who he has 2 kids with.
She's always been a bit of a pain in the bum but since I got pregnant last year she's got gradually worse, she nags him over tiny little things, makes up issues just so she can have a go at him, creates situations so that she can try and make him chose his kids over me and our baby etc. She's so nasty to him, if he doesn't do what she wants then she threatens to stop him seeing the kids/go to the CSA/ even go to the police if one of us says or does something she doesn't like.
It's all just got out of hand now to the point where she has now said that she won't let me see her children because I am 'mentally ill'. I have suffered with post natal depression for a few weeks which has now been treated and I'm on the mend but apparently I'm 'a danger to her children'.
She could have only found out that I have been ill by looking at my medical records through work which I am currently getting looked in to.
Everything is just such a mess at the moment, we're missing the kids, they're missing us, they're missing out on seeing their baby sister and she's making the kids think that their Dad doesn't want to see them now that he's got a new family which isn't true at all.
I wrote her an email asking her to leave DP alone and stop bullying him and to start thinking about all this is doing to the kids. Apparently she went to the police about the email and they are supposedly coming to see me, so I rang the police to check when they were coming so I could make sure I was in and they have no record of any complaint, she's just completely lost the plot!

She left DP and I believe that she doesn't want him back but I definitely think that she's jealous of what we have got and trying to ruin it for us. She's trying to break our family up every weekend by saying that he can only have the kids if he takes them to his Mum's.
It's just pathetic and it needs to come to an end but trying to talk to her is like talking to a brick wall.
It seems that she can't handle the fact that he's happy again and that he doesn't need her and that she can't control him any more. Everything with this woman is about control and money.
We will take legal action to get proper access to the kids again if we need to but we'd prefer to get it sorted without the need of the courts.
What can we do? I'm happy to let DP see the kids on his own for now but long term that isn't going to work so it will need sorting.
Anybody had similar problems with ex's? How did you deal with it?

[Jemma1111]

Reading many posts on these threads it always seems to be the birth mother who is the trouble maker . Funny that , I know of many women who have nothing but hassle from their children's stepmother , a lot don't seem to like the fact their partners have a history and children with their ex , my children's stepmum is an absolute bitch to my children but she wouldn't admit to it ! And SHE has tried her hardest to drive a wedge between my kids and their father .

[theredhen]

Yep and over in the lone parent board you will read of nasty step parents and over here you will read of nasty "birth" parents.

That is hardly a surprise is it?

There are some terrible step parents out there and there are some terrible "birth" parents out there.

The arguments start on here when someone is determined to believe that only one or the other are terrible.

[sanityseeker75]

As an earlier post advised, there are always more than one side to a story. One week I could tell you I get on ok with DH Ex and others I could tell you she is a complete cow who seems to get a kick out of making our life a misery - I am sure if you asked her how she feels about me then she would probably tell you the same.

That does not mean that PoppyPrincess is wrong in how she feels or even is not being truthful about the things that are happening. I can relate in full to quite a few of the situations she has found herself in eg one year (a long time ago) Ex advised that DH was to take the DSC presents round to hers on boxing day for them to see them open them. I refused point blank, my money had contributed to the presents and I wanted to see them open them - it was just not going to happen. Ex advised they wouldn't come then, I advised if she was going to stop them coming altogether to let me know because it would simply mean my DS had more presents. I had to explain that she can not have it both ways and expect her children to be treated equally to mine but not expect me to share in moments.

What I would advise to you though Poppy is to pick your battles, some things you will never change and never have control over and you will in time learn to let these things go. Other things that directly involve you, your home and you DD then you should stand your ground but you need to do this with D as well as Ex - he should not be using you as an excuse for reasons not to do things as this makes you out to be the enemy - he should grow a backbone and explain he will not do it because he does infact have his own mind and is capable of making decisions himself. Reading lots of threads on posts on MN has made me realise that DP/DH seem to share the gene that makes them try to keep the peace and this often seems to mean that they keep the peace with everyone bar current partner/wife.

PND is definitely not a reason to withhold your contact from DSD and this is why courts are so important. Our Ex (and I say our because I feel I may as well have had the relationship with her sometimes) accused me of physically ripping earrings out of her daughters ears and advised I did nothing but slag her off to them, however she also sent me a text when she stopped contact advising that she wished me all the best and that I was brilliant to her kids it was just their Dad they no longer wanted to see (age 4 and 7 at the time). I was advised that Dad may have to see Kids on his own until we went to court for a few weeks and so for 3 weeks he had them for 2 hours on a Saturday until court date came through. We were granted access every weekend and shared holidays.

Being a SM is a rollercoaster and there are definitely times you will want to get off, but the child is not going to go anywhere and therefore neither is the ex - it is your coping strategy that you need to change as that is the only real thing you have control over.

[PoppyPrincess]

Maybe that's something to do with the fact that this is a step parenting thread so therefore the viewpoint of stepmums? Strange.
You say that your kids stepmum is a bitch to your kids, but who knows, she might be one of the stepmums on here moaning about you?
My son has a stepmum and we get on fine, well we very rarely see each other but on the occasions that we do we get on. I don't interfere with what his dad does with him and he does the same with me. What each of us does with DS in our time with him is our own choice, the only conversations we have with each other is to discuss how DS is or share any funny stories about him. That's it.
Not all stepmums are bitches and I would guess that those who are probably wouldn't be on mumsnet seeking advice and support.

[PoppyPrincess]

Sanityseeker - what you say makes an awful lot of sense and you're right, maybe instead of me trying to change her, change the situation, maybe I just need to learn to ignore it...maybe I need to drink more? Lol

DP is defo one for just trying to keep the peace but recently he has started to stand up to her a little more.

Anyway, I'm going to leave this thread now because its got me over thinking things too much and I can feel myself getting worked up over it whereas I think I should be just trying to put it to the back of my mind and leave DP and his mum to sort it out.
Thanks for the advice though, it's just good to know we're not the only ones experiencing problems like this x

[Jemma1111]

Your damn right Poppy , my children's stepmother might well be posting on here moaning about me , as she is a complete bitch who is jealous of me !

[NotaDisneyMum]

jemma if your DCs are subject to poor behaviour towards them from their stepmum why isn't their Dad standing up for them? What sort of parent does that make him - as good as you and much better than any step-parent could be?
Or is it just Mums who are perfect, and Dads and Stepmums are the nasty, jealous, bitchy ones ?

[Jemma1111]

Well funny you should say that NADM , ex is currently divorcing his wife , reason being he has finally woken up to how this woman has been treating his children and is getting shot of her !

No its not just mums who are perfect , obviously, and there are very good stepmums too . However I can read threads and to me it seems more stepmothers have a problem with their partners ex rather than the other way around . That's my opinion .

Leaving this thread too as I can't be bothered to argue , let's just agree to disagree

[NotaDisneyMum]

I'm sorry that your DCs are experiencing more disruption - I have to say, my biggest fear is that exH and his DW will split and my DD will experience another family breakup.

If you are genuinely interested in the social Conditioning which has influenced your opinions of SM's, then I recommend a book called Stepmonster by Wednesday Martin. It is an excellent review of research into the role and perceptions of Stepmums around the world in a range of cultures

[UC]

Jemma, you really do seem to be projecting your experience onto all of us. There are SMs out there who are kind, caring and generous to their SDCs, just as there are some who aren't. There are also mums out there who are difficult to deal with, feel they own their children and don't want the dad to have a relationship with his DCs, and who try to control the dad's time with his DCs.

Remember this board is aimed at step parents - those who have an easy time of it with their partner's ex (like me, we get on brilliantly) don't need to post their frustration on this topic, as there is none. My posts on DP's ex would be very dull, as I'm sure would hers about me.

[elliebellys]

Why the bickerin? Everyone is entitled to their own opplnions. this is a board for step parenting but anyone has a right to post same as any other board on here.if a post upsets you or winds you up just ignore..as someone said up post,just agree to disagree. Otherwise nothin will ever change.

[dignifiedsilence]

I have to wholeheartedly agree with Poppy. I am in a similar situation and I don't think there is anything my OH's ex won't try. We've had solicitors letters claiming child abuse, that I'd been abusing her kids over social networking sites, my car has been tampered with on several occasions, the list goes on! I do thing in part our respective partners have something to do with how they are now but whats important is how they deal with it now. I'm not allowed to see my future step daughter at her mothers request because the last time she came she didn't want to go home she'd had such a good time. It really ticked me off for months when I look at what sort of person she is and how her other kids can't see their dads and how she has emotionally blackmailed my OH with his daughter for 4 years. I find it ridiculous that she can't let go and get on with her own life! I have struggled to remain silent about it and I will because the minute I say something my OH won't be able to see his daughter ever again!! If she doesn't want me there she doesn't want me there, fair enough I say because in the not too distant future that poor kid is gonna feel totally excluded from her dads family and never feels like she belongs.......will that be down to me and her dad? NO its down to her mothers petty jealousy! If these so called mothers would put their children 1st they would allow the dads to be dads and unless there is some serious concerns about abuse keep the hell out of it!!
Poppy you did the right thing reporting her to her employer if you're wrong you're wrong but with situations like this you have to start sticking up for yourself. I'll do the same if there is another abuse claim my way I feel the way she lives her life social workers will have a field day!!

[dignifiedsilence]

Meant to say unless you have been on the receiving end of something like this you cannot judge. If I'd of known what was going to happen I would have dealt with it differently

[DaemonPantalaemon]

Also, before I sent that email me n DP discussed it and we decided together that I should send it.

I am VERY surprised that no one has picked up on this. Why is your DP agreeing that you should contact his ex to complain about her behavior? Is he so totally spineless that he has to have you do his dirty work for him?

I agree with the posters who say that you have contributed to the mess.

Detach, detach, detach and let him sort it out. If any emails should be written, it should be by him.

[billingtonssugar]

I might have missed something but it's his house she's living in, so he's not paying half of her mortgage, he's paying HIS mortgage (and will presumably profit from the eventual sale of the house) and she is renting off him for the time being. So, despite the fact that he would like to have the children overnight, if he isn't paying the full whack of CSA then I'm afraid she is right to ask for more money. But he is within his rights to "put the rent up", so to speak. The CSA can only be pro rated if he is actually having them overnight.

It sounds to me like he is angry at having to give her money, but isn't doing anything about it. Which is a very passive aggressive move. His actions are upsetting you, his current partner, and leaving things very uncertain for his children. I shouldn't feel he feels all that good right now either, trying to keep both you, and his ex happy.

Personally, I feel you should sit him down and ask him what about this situation he is actually unhappy about. And what he plans to do about those aspects. You can support him in whatever he decides to do, be that getting SS involved, going to court, rebudgetting if he feels he needs to carry on charging her only half rent on his property... Etc etc. you might find he's happy with the status quo and that it is you who's getting their knickers in a twist. I have been there. Trust me, NO ONE else will suffer but you. And you won't win any points or get any thanks for putting things "right". I think you need to pass this back to him and then decide what you can proactively do to support him. Good luck with it all, it's a shit journey xx

[Frikadellen]

Zombie thread alert

[billingtonssugar]

Ah yes