Dhs ex! Where to begin?

[sadsong]

I've been with dh for 4 yrs and during that time we got married and had a little ds together. Which is the lovely part of our relationship. The not so lovely part is dh's ex partner. Dh has children with her and his previous step children, whom he is also dad to. The door has always been open to them and
although I can't say it's easy at times mostly we manage. Dss came to live with us 3 yrs ago as ex part couldn't cope with him. So he is difficult challenging but he
lives with us and sees his mum alternate weekends.

Dhs other biological dd still lives with her mum along with her half sisters and now another new brother. Dsd really is no bother at all in comparison to her brother. So we find it strange some of the things that go on. Dsd and my dd get on very well and share a room when in our house. Only a year apart, which us nice for my dd as she lives in a house full of brothers.

The problem is we think dsd is being a bit neglected with her mum. Although she does seem to have some expensive clothes (labelled ones) I would say 50% of the weekends she's come over she's been riddled with nits. Now that's fine to an extent as dh and I just comb through with nitty gritty and conditioner and alleviate the itch, but if course because they can sometimes be hopping mad the whole house has to be done. When it's so obvious, I don't know why her mother doesn't get on top of it. Poor dsd (who actually doesn't make a fuss) must be so uncomfortable. Dsd is now 12 and she says mums too busy and she does it herself. There are other things that concern us too. But this to be honest is really getting us down. Poor dsd it's not fair on her. If ex is questioned or reminded she just blows up at us. None of our business etc. We think the important things are being neglected but don't know what to do?

Suggestions welcome!

[headinhands]

If they're jumping about they are not headlice. Are you sure they're headlice and not something else like rabbits?

[sadsong]

Well this isn't just about nits, but on this occasion they were very large as well as the usual eggs. The large ones were crawling over her crown of her head and when I moved her hair slightly, maybe I caught it at a funny angle it did seem to jump. She really was infested this time poor thing. Her hair is very blonde so very obvious.

[theredhen]

I agree her mother should be supporting dsd. I also think your dsd is probably quite behind in her development because of her mothers neglect. I'm sure the headlice are just one example of the neglect that's making you frustrated.

It's hard to understand why a mother doesn't appear to care that her 12 year old is riddled with headlice but I guess that's just a difference in parenting styles really. Same with the toilet flushing.

All you can do is make sure you teach her to be more grown up at your house and equip her with the skills she needs at her mothers. It shouldn't really be your job to teach her, but that's the joy of being a step parent sometimes. Having to step I when the resident parent can't be bothered.

[sadsong]

Thanks theredhen! Well we do insist on our rules in our house etc. She's a lovely kid, very easy going like her dad, but yes a bit immature. Bug then given the choice a lot of children would take the easy way out if no one noticed they hadn't/had done something. Perhaps I need to have a chat with her to see if there is anything we can do from a distance?

[Fairy130389]

I really really feel for you. There are definitely some paralells here with my dsd's mother but thankfully dsd has never lived with her (not since small baby anyway) I know that when she did, as a baby, she would be constantly filthy, ill, living with random men in and out all the time, strange dogs in the house constantly, being whisked off to stay in strangers houses sleeping just in the pushchair, bottles not sterilised (I could go on!) those things on their own might not seem like the end of the world but when they pile up like that you have to ask yourself how that would make a child feel...

I agree that it wouldn't be fair to move a 12 year old now unless it was something she was activeley pushing for, but can you increase your contact? every weekend for example? I don't know how far you live from them but it might help to take her out of the situation more regularly?

Otherwise, all you can do is remain consitent and care for her properly when she is with you, and try not to worry - easier said than done I know!!

[ElenorRigby]

DSD's mother neglected her for years.

She had nine rotten teeth taken out under general anaesthetic at just 6.

She had niit infestations for years, we used to treat them all the time but the life cycle meant they always came back. We would treat them, mother wouldn't, so they were always managed rather than eradicated.
The worst of infestation came when DSD's mother stopped contact for months (she made false allegations against DP, went through social services, police and numerous family court hearings) When DSD returned to us her lice infestation was that bad, she had lice crawling over her face and scabs on her face from scratching. When she gave her granddad a hug she left lice crawling on his shirt.

She also got verrucas so bad they spread across the ball of one foot leaving it painful to walk. Again we treated them, her mother didn't. They eventually got so bad they had to be frozen off at the GP's.

A friend of DSD's mother (a nurse) ended her friendship with the mother telling us DSD was being neglected. DSD was being put to bed ridiculously early. No food in the house. Mum having a revolving door on her bedroom. Addicted to cocodamol and booze. Clothes that didn't fit, dirty, smelly etc.

We took advice and were told that there was no point raising concerns as it would be found mother was just stressed and doing the best she could.

OP at 12 nobody will bat an eyelid about the neglect your DSD is suffering, her mums doing the best she can don't you know!

All you can hope for is that she chooses to vote with her feet (courts give some weight children's views of where they want live beginning at 11ish).
You can facilitate that by telling she can move in whenever she wants and emphasising how much better life would be in your home.

Best of Luck.

I know through experience how horrid it is to see a child neglected whilst your hands are tied. :(

[sadsong]

Fairy & elenor thankyou! I think you've hit the nail on the head with what we are up against. And yes nits have crawled down the side of poor dsds face. This has been going on since I've known dh. She was 7 when I first met her. After a day of doing craft with her I too was infested for the first time. I'd never caught them from my own dc before as never had they had it to the extent she gets it.

We've made some decisions this week about me going very part time and meaning I will be a sahm. We can afford it and i think it will make a calmer family life than currently it is.

[squiddle]

My friends dscs were the same - nit infestation so bad she found them crawling in her bathroom. Mother would not treat and the teenage dscs just seemed to get used to it. The dscs used to remove clothes at the door, be treated and change - but all my friend and her dh could do was manage the situation. So sad. I would say your dsd would be much better off with you but you are unlikely to manage that. So yes you do have to stand by and watch. But you can make dsd's time with you stable and comforting and happy. Kids can cope better with difficult situations if they have trusted adults who acknowledge their difficulties even if they can't change them. You sound like an amazing sm.

[squiddle]

And great if youcan go part-time and devote more time to the family - hard to manage everything with a fulltime job.

[purpleroses]

You have DSD every two weeks. You really don't need to stand by and watch her suffer with nits. Go to the pharmacist with her and ask them what to treat them with. If the one you've used hasn't worked - this is quite likely because the nits are resistant. Something that works properly should kill all the nits, and then two weeks later you treat again, so the eggs that have hatched are then killed too. Buy her a nit comb to take back to her mum's, and some conditioner if she doesn't have some there. Instruct her on how to comb her hair every day - and tell her firmly that if she can't manage that then she will have to have her hair cut shorter. Text her to remind her.

There may be other areas of her mum's behaviour you can't do much about but this really isn't one to be washing your hands of - you have sufficient contact time to sort this one out.

[sadsong]

Purple I don't think you quite understand how I and dh have tried. And I certainly haven't written her off and will continue to support her. We have tried a number of treatments at different intervals but IMO unless the combing is done in between visits it is more of a managing task. I actually don't think I can go all wicked step mother on her, dragging her to the pharmacy demanding they inspect it, tbh totally humiliating her. I think she would hate me If i did that. A few years ago she wouldn't let me comb her hair and would scream and haul. Now she let's me help and sees that it's important it gas to he done.

My problem really is with her horrible mother. That if we started making demands via text she would either ignore it or her mother would tell her to ignore anything I said.

We've have addressed it with her mother this week and she ignored the messages, phone calls and made her other older dd text back it's dsds job not ours. I've sent numerous combs home, conditioner and treatments. I expect her mother puts it in the bin.

[ElenorRigby]

Sadsong and purpleroses unless they are continuly treated over a least 3 weeks but preferably longer it is a managing task due to the life cycle of critters. Expecting anything of a mother that doesn't give a damn is a futile waste of time.
DSD also never had her hair and nails cut under her mothers "care". DSD's mother even told DSD she didn't know where to buy nail clippers. So we sent nail clippers home with her numerous time to no effect, it made nooo difference.

[purpleroses]

I thought it was a 2 week life cycle - so you kill the adults, and then 2 weeks later the ones that have hatched since are just getting old enough to breed, so you kill them again. We've found too that it's best to comb regularly too to get rid of them - but a 12 year old really ought to be able to start doing this herself. In the bath whilst coated in conditioner is the best time. Do go to the pharmacist and ask advice - you don't need to drag her with you if she'd hate it - but they really are able to tell you which types work in your area and this moment in time. The school nurse may also be able to tell you that (ours gives vouchers out too). Your DP can talk to her school and school nurse. He doesn't need to rely on her mum for that. It's miserable for them to have nits at any age, and a 12 year old risks being ostracised once her classmates notice.

Do appreciate that it's difficult if her mum won't help - and must be very frustrating as you would hope she would care about her own DD enough to do so

[ivykaty44]

olive oil for the nits and at 12 I would be expecting dd to de nit her own hair, she cuts her own nails as she doesn't like toehrs doing it -though I give her strict instructions never to do so after a bath and alway straight across

[sadsong]

When she's with us of course we encourage nag dsd to do things for herself! but at home there's no enforcement. So dc that aren't shown from early on how to care about themselves and the importance of it face a different and harder battle. She simply isn't being nurtured at home I dread to think how she's going to cope with periods!

Her mother buys her a designer jumper and considers that mothering. But actually other things are more important, but sdc dont seem to understand that. She's one of many in our house, but she fits in beautifully. Very laid back and just wants to be part of the family. She doesn't attention seek at all.

Dss who has lived with us for 3 yrs, still idolises his mum. Children do, dont they! Even though she's let him dreadfully.