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Winter clothing

77 replies

Anuta77 · 02/02/2019 16:17

We live in a northern country where it's cold pretty much for a about 6 months. Typically in winter, children wear their winter jacket, snow pants, a neck warmer, warm gloves, warm socks, etc. And typically, they just live the house dressed up wherever they go.

So it's the third winter at least that I see SD (who's now 12) coming to our house underdressed. Her parents come from Cuba, but it's not an excuse, the've been here for 8 years. She comes EOW.

She wears thin low socks, thin pants, no leggings, often doesn't bring snowpants, no scarf, thin gloves, not very warm jacket.... And obviously, she freezes. I often lend her my son's or my things, but this year, I don't have snow pants her size. She has warm things at home apparently, but her mother never checks if she's well dressed. I sometimes remind my DP to check if she takes snow pants, but I can't start enumerating all the winter items she needs and sometimes, he picks her up from mother's friend's house or the mother brings her, so he can't check how she's dressed.

Now, I'm thinking, is the mother supposed to check if her daughter is dressed appropriately? My mother always did and I do it with my son. I even do it with SD, but when I have to dress my 1 y old and fight with my 10 y old, I miss some items and last time we went to have an activity outside, she just wanted to go home because she was cold.

DP used to justify the ex by telling me that his daughter is like him, never cold, but SD is afraid of him, so she doesn't complain to him. And he doesn't say anything to his ex. We try to tell SD to take winter things, but she's still a child and she forgets.

OP posts:
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Anuta77 · 03/02/2019 16:38

I think people shouldn't exaggerate.
SD has a toothbrush, a hairbrush, slippers, pjs, but she brings her everyday based on what she feels like wearing. Yes, we could have panties too, but like I said, she took all the panties home. And if her mother, who has no problem complaining about whatever stupidity comes to her head (like why we didn't include her son from previous relationship who never comes to our house in our family picture or why she was the last one to find out about my pregnancy), doesn't complain about SD bringing her backpack, then why should it be the problem of some people on this board?

OP posts:
CanILeavenowplease · 03/02/2019 16:40

So really your reason for posting was for confirmation that the ex is a terrible mother and you clearly are the only person who cares about the poor child?

Anuta77 · 03/02/2019 16:41

So how should I go about SD bringing her stuff with her for years? (I've been living with DP for 3 years now).
Should I tell her: SD, let's go shopping and from now on, you no longer need to bring your clothes? Temperature where I live goes from +30C to -25 C, that's a lot of different clothes depending on the temp, for twice per month. And on Sun, she should wear whatever she was wearing on Fri to bring "her mother's clothes" back. Because her mother doesn't allow her to leave anything here?
Wouldn't that be weird?

OP posts:
BlokeHereInPeace · 03/02/2019 17:08

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CanILeavenowplease · 03/02/2019 17:20

No, it’s not weird. A couple of changes of clothes is all it needs per season.

swingofthings · 03/02/2019 17:21

Have you considered that she doesn't care being cold as much as you do? Some people, inuding many teenagers don't mind it as much as most adults.

I was a kid always under dressed and at time cold but it didn't affect me much. A bit like some people desperate to go to the toilet when they need to wee whilst others can hold it for hours.

I still don't care that much about the cold. I go for a walk every day and some people tell me that I'm mad whrn it's freezing. I do feel cold at first and then warm up, and I still love it.

Kikipost · 03/02/2019 17:24

You are making this an issue OP

Just bloody buy some winter stuff in the sales and ensure that when she goes to get ready to go back to her mum’s, she is wearing the coat she arrived in

It’s not brain science

Anuta77 · 03/02/2019 18:01

*You are making this an issue OP

Just bloody buy some winter stuff in the sales and ensure that when she goes to get ready to go back to her mum’s, she is wearing the coat she arrived in

It’s not brain science*

Nothing that is posted on this board is brain science, people can just deal with whatever bothers them without asking for advice.
Winter clothes even on sales is not that cheap and I have a son who's father doesn't pay me anything and I have to buy for him. The ex gets money from DP and from the gouvernement. DP even paid her for years for her son from first marriage, so how about she buys her warm clothes and makes sure that SD comes with them? That's not brain science to me.

OP posts:
Anuta77 · 03/02/2019 18:03

Have you considered that she doesn't care being cold as much as you do?

That's what my DP was telling me for years, but she always tells me that she's cold. I heard that her mother doesn't like cold either (coming from Cuba), but if they don't care, I shouldn't either.

OP posts:
Anuta77 · 03/02/2019 18:05

Anuta, you sound a bit weird and nasty. Just buy some cloths for the poor kid. Seriously.

If you want to resort to insults, I can do it too. BlokeHereInPeace, you sound judgemental and stupid (because you have reading comprehension). I don't consider her a poor kid because she has lots of clothes bought with money from DP and from the gouvernement. I don't know how it is in your country, but here, gouvernement pays an interesting amount for each child, especially when the mother is single. I have my own children to pay for, so I consider that I do enough for the "poor child".

OP posts:
Giesabreak · 03/02/2019 18:09

I have my own children to pay for, so I consider that I do enough for the "poor child".

You think you and and your DP do enough, you can't change the mother or the daughters behaviours, so really the entire point of your post was just for others to validate your feelings that the ex is a poor parent?

anniehm · 03/02/2019 18:20

Most the kids who have regular visits to the other parents house keep a set of clothing there, perhaps not snow pants but certainly 2-3 outfits and the arrival clothes are washed so they can be worn home. Plenty of kids split their time and it's not fair to expect their other parent to be packing them up each week and doing all the laundry on a Sunday night. Ok yes she should arrive in a winter coat if it's winter but it's not unreasonable to have a set (buy second hand if need be) at your house.

hmwhatsmynameagain · 03/02/2019 18:59

I've had 2 different 'step children' in my life at different times. They both had their drawers of clothing available to them and their coats etc on the hook and boots on the rack. When they were here they had all they needed with no dependence on the other parent - in my home - my family - my responsibility

Kikipost · 03/02/2019 19:12

About 80% of your previous posts are regarding your SD
Either thinking she’s stealing or that’s she’s dominating your son.. the list goes on.
You clearly have a problem with the poor child

SunnyintheSun · 03/02/2019 20:18

Your DP needs to buy her a full set of clothes to keep at your house. Ridiculous that she has to cart her stuff to and fro.

Anuta77 · 04/02/2019 03:27

About 80% of your previous posts are regarding your SD
Either thinking she’s stealing or that’s she’s dominating your son.. the list goes on.
You clearly have a problem with the poor child

Really? I was "thinking" that she was stealing? You were there and you can guarantee that it's just me having a problem with the "poor" child? And you were there and you can garantee that it was my imagination that she was hitting my son FOR NO REASON or removing my baby by force out of my arms or my son's arms, and yes, the list goes on?

And in this post, I actually showed concern for the "poor" child and I'm still bad.

You're right, I'll just let her parents worry about their "poor" child.

OP posts:
Kikipost · 04/02/2019 05:57

Yes you have “showed” concern.
But showing concern won’t keep her warm
Getting out to the sales and buying a coat scarf and gloves.... now that will keep her warm

Chucklecheeks1 · 04/02/2019 08:06

Going of the tone and content of your posts you show contempt not concern.

But hey, you crack on doing what you've always done as its proving to work so well Hmm

If you took the underlying tone used to describe the poor child and her DM out of your posts you may get more helpful replies.

Chucklecheeks1 · 04/02/2019 08:07

Off*

SoyDora · 04/02/2019 08:41

What are you looking for from this thread? Agreement that the ex is a bad mother?

goldpendant · 04/02/2019 10:53

Sweet Lord, this is still going???

FFS buy some bloody clothes. They stay at your place. 12 yr olds can be very mature yes, also very immature (my particular experience of kids outside UK cities is the latter), and it shouldn't be on SD to explain the whereabouts of her winter gear in this scenario.

Sort yourselves out, you and her mother, and buy her some sodding warm clothes!

Anuta77 · 04/02/2019 13:45

If you took the underlying tone used to describe the poor child and her DM out of your posts you may get more helpful replies.

There was no contempt in my original post about the "poor" child and I did get useful replies and I made my decision as to what I'll do about the situation.

If this thread continues, it's because there are posters who invent things and start insulting and judging which brings the original post in the wrong direction. That's what happens with almost EVERY damn post on this forum.

OP posts:
goldpendant · 04/02/2019 13:59

@Anuta77 trolling threads I've started because you don't like my response to yours is beyond childish and only serves to confirm other posters 'judgement' of you.

Good luck with your situation and advise you don't post in future if you're not open to the wealth of varied responses you'll get on MN.

Anuta77 · 04/02/2019 14:16

Your last response complaining that this thread is going on (don't read it FFS!) was very mature of course. Just like the other poster who went to check my posts to make a judgement about this one.

Hey, please do not give me advice when you have trouble making such simple decisions yourself.

OP posts:
goldengummybear · 04/02/2019 14:30

She's 12 not 2!
I have a scatty 12 year old who packs his bag to go to his Dad's. He has under/overestimated what he needs but making a mistake is part of the learning process. I'm assuming that you're not in the UK based on the -20 comment but here the weather is very unpredictable and it's hard to judge sometimes.

The big problem is that she won't tell her Dad that she's cold and that she's afraid of him. The ex is not to blame here. Her Dad should buy a set of warm clothes for your house if she won't bring her stuff.

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