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To feel trapped in my own fucking home?

78 replies

ishouldbecleaning · 27/10/2013 14:10

2 bed house. I have DDs 5 and almost 3. DSS is 11. Sleeps on sofa every other weekend. Which means we have to go to bed at 10pm. Fine. But I dont sleep and being in bed that early when I dont nod off till 2-3am is torture. Had to wake DH 3 times last night cos DSS had turned the TV back on, loudly. The last time was just before 2am. Nothings been said about it. Constantly winds DDs up. (Dds are squealy pains as they all are but he winds them on purpose and frequently) has been telling tales all weekend but then wihin minutes backtracking and telling full story after trying to get girls in trouble.The xbox is on all fucking day. Call of Duty, other games I dont want my kids seeing, scary monsters etc on. Girls only have to go within 5 foot of him and hes snapping, shouting at them. House is small and Im tip toeing around a stropping pre teen whilst dh does nothing to curb behaviour. Every evening is filled with more xbox and
Whatever dss wants to watch.

Sorry just needed to rant.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Turniphead1 · 29/10/2013 20:36

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

RandomMess · 29/10/2013 20:41

Somehow a compromise has to be made. So either switch weekends or let ds go back to sharing the room with your dh.

allnewtaketwo · 29/10/2013 20:44

I agree with the others. Although the 2 child free weekends a month may be bliss, the other 2 are therefore hell. Why not have 4weekends a month as tolerable by switching?

HaroldLloyd · 29/10/2013 20:44

I suppose your having 2 difficult weekends to give yourselves 2 child free weekends - or you could have 4 much easier weekends.

I would not want to go to bed at 10, I'd let him go back in with his dad.

If he is breaking things, wouldn't he just muck about downstairs anyway? That's a separate issue that needs dealing with.

whatwoulddexterdo · 29/10/2013 21:07

It sounds like neither you or your dh want to be involved with any actual parenting.

Stepmooster · 30/10/2013 05:01

So all your children have to suffer so you can have 2 weekends off?

DH's ex is like this. Really pisses DH off that she insists on child free weekends with her hubbie.

DH would love to live with his son every single day like he used to do.

One of the reasons his ex chucked him is because she missed child free weekends and holidays when the eldest 2 went to their fathers.

I agree that it doesn't sound like either of you want to be full-time hands on parents. Kids pick up on it. Maybe your DH thinks he can share parenting with the xbox.

SweetCarolinePomPomPom · 30/10/2013 05:40

If it's only every other weekend then buy a camp bed, but your DDs in your room, and him in theirs.

As for the rest, well that's what it would be like if you had an older boy who lived in your house all the time with two little sisters. Just learn to live with it. He's your husband's child.

If his behaviour if bad though then your DH should be dealing with it.

SweetCarolinePomPomPom · 30/10/2013 05:47

OK just read the thread and realised that your DDs are not your current partners, and that this really is a non-problem, easily solved. Swap weekends. There is no need for things to be like this - if your 'down time' is that important to you then you'll just have to accept things as they are, won't you? Or sacrifice your 'down time' (how many couples with three kids from 10-3 get four days a month, or even a year to themselves anyway? Confused) for the sake of an easy solution to this problem.

ishouldbecleaning · 30/10/2013 10:51

Can't swap weekends.

My ex's contact with my girls is dictated by his parents, as he lives with them, and his job.

DH's contact is dictated by his ex, she makes sure both sets of her kids go their different Dads on the same weekend so she gets time to herself.

As for the quite frankly, horrible, comments on my "not wanting to be a parent", (based on what, exactly?!) I raised my girls myself when my ex walked out when youngest was just 5 weeks old. He barely saw his kids for the first two years because "it was too hard" for him to deal with 2 kids under 3 once a month for one night and his parents couldnt handle them being at their house (my ex earns more than enough money to live alone, chooses not to, when my kids are at his/his parents house, his Mum does the bulk of the childcare and he does all the fun stuff) I have Bi Polar Disorder - so the down time IS needed. My ex finally grew up and (I suspect, having been berated by his mother) started seeing his kids on a regular basis. DDs are SO happy that they get quality time with their Dad. It has to be his way, or no way, and they deserve time with him, and this was the arrangement before I met DH.

OP posts:
ishouldbecleaning · 30/10/2013 10:59

My house cant be re-arranged. We have living room and a kitchen diner. Thats it. We cant extend, dont have the money. Dont have the money to move (but we are working on that)

I clearly made a mistake by coming on here for a small rant about how I felt crap that particular weekend. Sorry, not perfect.

Me and DDs had been out all day Saturday, DH and DSS had been out all day Saturday too. Im at Church with DDs from 10am till 1:30pm every Sunday and DH takes DSS home at around 3pm on Sundays.

I take the girls out every Saturday that I have them because I want quality time doing fun stuff with them on the weekends that I do get to see them, as we dont get chance to do anything during the week.

As for the bed thing, we have put him on camp bed with DDs on several occasions which has resulted in him waking the girls up on purpose all through the night. He's been in my bedroom and damaged my furniture several times.

Ive already stated that the girls cant sleep in my bed at all because they will then expect that every single night which obviously cannot be done. They both thrive on routine and are very rigid in what they will and will not do.

OP posts:
Petal02 · 30/10/2013 12:13

Ignore the nasty comments - unfortunately it goes with the territory round here.

Just thinking about your last post, about how the weekends cannot be swapped: it seems that your and your DH have had to accept other people's arrangements, even though it leaves you with an almost impossible bedroom situation. I just wonder if you also played hardball with one of the exes (either yours or his) and insisted there had to be a change?

RandomMess · 30/10/2013 12:38

What Petal02 says really. YOu do have some choices, none of them easy. Why doesn't your dh go up to bed the same time as DSS so he doesn't have the opportunity to damage the furniture? At least you could have the TV and kip on the sofa?

None of them are ideal solutions but try and work out what would be the best out of the limited options available?

lunar1 · 30/10/2013 12:49

I'm not sure why you are allowing yourself to be dictated to. Your house situation sounds a nightmare, I think you need to stand your ground with one of the ex's to get the weekend swapped. Or have your dh go up to bed with his son.

You have to change something as the current situation doesn't sound like its working for anyone.

Petal02 · 30/10/2013 12:53

It just seems that your problems are largely caused by (a) your ex’s parents schedule; and (b) your DH’s ex’s schedule. You’ve accommodated all this, but at significant detriment to your own household. I’d be tempted to insist on some schedule changes with one of the exes. It’s not impossible ……..

catsmother · 30/10/2013 13:14

Yes OP, I think you have had something of a hard time on here. It's true that many/most parents don't get "time off" regularly .... I certainly don't now DP and I have our own child, but that's not to say that most parents wouldn't appreciate some "me" time every so often and if contact weekends are dictated by inflexible exes then there's nothing wrong in taking advantage of that.

Having said that, you obviously have nothing to lose by at least trying to get one or both of the exes to be a bit more accommodating. You wouldn't, for example, be asking your ex to have his girls more often - but simply at different times. I appreciate it might not be possible with whatever his job is but if, for example, he were to have them 2 weekends in a row, while SS still came EOW, that'd mean that you'd have 1 weekend with ALL the kids, 1 weekend with your girls and 1 weekend just adults (I think). The same setup could obviously also apply if SS's mum agreed to send SS over 2 weekends in a row - but again, appreciate that arrangements can become terribly complicated when people are a) rigid, and b) in her case there are 2 of her exes to negotiate with.

Anyway, the point is, that if you could possibly arrange things as above it'd mean that the conflict and practical difficulties you describe would at least be limited to just one weekend a month instead of two. E.g. SS could sleep in the girls' room if they weren't there. I understand that he isn't well behaved and, apparently, damages stuff (deliberately ?). If so, then you need to have a very serious talk with your DH and stress that if you're to find a way through a difficult situation that isn't ideal for anyone then it's absolutely vital that you both need to apply a consistent approach to all the kids (age appropriate obviously). It's ridiculous that DH won't discipline him - there have got to be house rules which all the kids understand, and consequences when they don't obey. I'm sure your feelings of stress, frustration and being trapped are exacerbated by seeing your DH do nothing to curb bad behaviour. Obviously, deliberate damage (if it is) is completely unacceptable and SS is old enough to be punished for that.

Similarly, in such a confined space it's bloody ridiculous to have an Xbox on all day. I'd be seething at the monopoly of the TV, and the annoyance factor, even if it were inoffensive games but what the hell is your DH thinking of by letting him play him play COD - which I'm sure are all either 16 or 18 certs - at the age of 11 ?! If they're DH's games then they should be put away where SS can't get to them - but regardless, even if they were on open display on a shelf a firm "no, you're not old enough" should be the end of it. It's totally irresponsible to let him play - and appalling that your much younger kids should also be exposed to this. At the very least, playing violent/scary games isn't going to put SS in a calm and tolerant frame of mind is it ? I really don't know what else to say ..... I'm just agog that your DH allows this, and must think it's okay for it to go on in front of a 5 & 3 year old. Come to that OP, I have to say - and I don't mean to upset you any more - I wouldn't stand for my daughters being exposed to it. I'd bloody well chuck those games if DH wouldn't be responsible about it.

Anyway, I think the key here first and foremost before you get on to the practicalities is a united front over house rules - and DH has absolutely got to buy into that - and a firm limit on the Xbox, you set a time and a session length and that's it, providing the game is suitable for both SS and the girls. If you feel confident that SS is less likely to play up and/or damage stuff - because he's had the house rules laid out very clearly to him - then that in turn might make you feel happier about some of the "solutions" re: bed swapping etc that have been suggested. If you can't partially address this by gaining the co-operation of one or both exes then I think the "best" answer probably is that SS sleeps in your room while you invest - if you can - in a decent sofa bed for you and DH whenever SS stays. I know that's far from ideal but you'd at least be able to go to bed when you want and SS would also get some space of "his" own when he comes. Obviously, as I keep saying, you agreeing to try that would only be possible if you felt SS could be trusted to behave and once more, that again comes back to DH stepping up to the mark and doing some actual parenting. In fact, the snidey remarks about a lack of parenting skills apply, IMO, to him and not you.

I really hope you can get through to DH. His agreement and action is key to living through this as best as you can. I do appreciate some of where you're coming from ...... I spent just over a year having to accommodate 4 children in a 2 bed flat and it was hellish. We had the 2 youngest in with us and the other 2 shared but it was like playing a human jigsaw and you couldn't step out of bed without treading on someone. Obviously it also meant privacy was compromised and I found that very hard - thankfully we were able to move somewhere larger and vitally, there was never any question of one child monopolising the living room or getting away with murder. I think it would have finished me off had that been the case.

mojojomo · 30/10/2013 13:29

Have you asked the various exes if they'll swap? DH's ex should know that it's in her son's interest.

Is there any reason why you can't sleep on the sofa? It seems obvious if you're always up late, but with toddlers waking at 6am maybe staying up until 2/3am yourself isn't helping.

I agree with the others that your husband needs to step up.

mojojomo · 30/10/2013 13:31

Catsmother has covered it all.

Bonsoir · 30/10/2013 13:53

Agree with other posters - your two child free weekends a month are a luxury you cannot afford, given your space constraints. How about rearranging contact so that DSS coincides with your DDs only occasionally, but that the majority of time with DSS is when your DDs are with their father?

SweetCarolinePomPomPom · 30/10/2013 14:02

Exactly how is your DH's access to his son 'dictated' by his parents? Confused If they are older and retired what difference can it possibly make to them which weekends he sees him? Confused sounds like a bit of an excuse to me, sorry.

Petal02 · 30/10/2013 14:24

Agree that it does sound like an excuse if they’re older/retired – I can’t imagine it would make much difference to them if they had the children for say, weekends 1 and 3 each month instead of weekends 2 and 4?

But I really don’t think it’s satisfactory for anyone to be sleeping on a sofa every other weekend. That’s definitely overcrowding and surely not sustainable long term?

SweetCarolinePomPomPom · 30/10/2013 14:49

Or the son goes in your room, away from the x box, gets a decent night's sleep, and you invest in a decent double blow up bed and put it in the sitting room for the pair of you.

SweetCarolinePomPomPom · 30/10/2013 14:51

If your DP is only seeing his son once a fortnight then he should be doing things with him, not allowing him to sit for hours on computer games. I know the reality is that boys love computer games, and men have stuff to get on with around the house at weekends, but he only sees him once a fortnight so this is not a normal situation.

SweetCarolinePomPomPom · 30/10/2013 14:52

Sorry that sounded really sexist - of course both men and women have stuff to get on with around the house - it's just that in this instance we are talking about a man and his non-resident son.

CrazyOldCatLady · 30/10/2013 15:53

In fairness, your post does give them impression that you've arranged your weekends this way by choice:

We have all 3 kids on the same weekend because if we didnt, we'd never get any down time, any time to ourselves, or any time as a couple. As it stands we get 4 days a month to ourselves

Petal02 · 30/10/2013 16:00

Given the OP's nightmare living arrangements, I'm not surprised she needs some 'down time' each month, but I do concede that parents in 'intact' families don't tend to get 'downtime', however intact families don't usually suffer the bizarre arrangements often found in blended families.

If a more practical solution to the visiting could be found, the OP probably wouldn't feel the need for respite.

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