I’m sick of living with my step kids. I love them, I want to see them do well, but right now I just want my life back. 8 years we have all lived together since they were placed with their dad after being removed from mom. Things have settled down and they can see mom when they choose. Despite telling us all the time how much better she is at everything and one telling us how she was going to live with her as soon as she could and putting us through hell complaining about being here they want to stay here now. Now I spent years working really hard to make up for what they went through. I did not want kids, but they were here so I did my best. I’m no Mary Poppins but I tried to be there supporting my partner with looking after them balanced with a busy career. They’re now almost 15 and 16, essentially good kids but being parented across two households which do not communicate with very different values and cultures. This is hard and I’m exhausted with it. living with an almost adult with typical teenage lack of consideration empathy, who eats whatever you put in the fridge in a minute who you have to constantly chase to tidy after themselves, frequently refuses to cooperate help out with simple tasks, thinks your are a taxi and lets you know mom and dad can do this this this and this better is just getting under my skin. I know it’s over sensitive but I feel like saying to their mom can you please take some of this on? We tried to take an extended holiday and spent the last part of it getting daily calls from the kids who were unhappy at being left with their mom for so long accusing us of abandoning them. They go on the odd weekend to see her relatives but won’t spend any extended time there. DH leaves me with all off the educational tasks because he claims I’m better at it- We get no input or interest whatsoever from mom on that front. So no one else is showing the vaguest interest in getting our eldest ready for GCSEs to the point where DH can’t understand why he can’t come in loudly drunk waking her up the night before a challenging mock exam - which she is stressed about already. During our holiday I had to skype help her write sixth form applications while she was with mom and older (educated) relatives in tears because she had no help. I’m isolated at home this week with possible virus symptoms and it would have been great for them to go to hers straight from school instead of having them at home but we know there’s little chance as they won’t want to go. I know this is all because I’m grumpy and unwell but I need to rant. I just popped into the kitchen to grab a small treat I got myself online whilst I’m stuck in- to find as usual it’s being sucked down by a teenager who just shrugs with no empathy when you point out that it was obviously yours.... and she’s eaten every other last thing anyone might snack on since Friday afternoon. I don’t mind really but it was just like come on- not today. I’m getting moaned at because I haven’t sorted her work experience out yet -I have, it was a hospital placement and they have naturally suspended any educational activities. I can’t ask another parent to pick up the slack because surprise - DH says he doesn’t understand enough to help and mom is as ever completely not involved interested - no idea. I want to be curled up with a book while I’m unwell not doing laundry sorting out ungrateful teen complaints and having every last thing I want to eat when I have little appetite disappear. Rant over. Better out than in.