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Can I please just have a rant about my husband and step son

133 replies

GratefullyDecline · 12/01/2022 11:46

And how much my husband babies him. It infuriates me.

My step son is 12, nearly 13, and is never made to lift a finger, ever, to do anything.

And it's honestly starting to really annoy me. When I grew up, chores were just part of life. My parents were never hugely strict but by that age I was expected to do small things to help out, tidy my room, wash up sometimes, set the table, that sort of thing.

My step son is made to do nothing at all. He's never washed a glass, set the table, has tidied his room less times than I can count on one hand. He doesn't even make his own breakfast before school my husband rushes around in the morning making sure he's got a bowl of cereal placed in front of him whilst he sits there watching TV.

I'm a SAHM and sometimes help out in the mornings. But I am now refusing to take him to school unless the weather calls for it. I'm not messing all the other children around driving a 12 year old 15 minutes down the road. At that age I was getting on public transport for 40 minutes to two towns away to go to school! I also refuse to sort his breakfast out too and if he doesn't make any for himself (which I shout down to him and tell him to do) then that's tough, we'll still be leaving.

His room is absolutely disgraceful. I have given up asking for it to be tidied because DH doesn't enforce it. But I won't go in there to do things now like change bed sheets etc.. there is just shit everywhere, all over the floor, rubbish etc.

I've just had enough and am now completely detaching. Whenever I bring anything up to H he says it's nothing to do with me if he wants to make him breakfast or whatever, fine no it's not (even though it still annoys me watching it), but I'm not going to be expected to do the same.

He says I won't be as hard on my DC when they are that age and I'll be exactly the same which is absolutely not true. I absolutely plan (and do already) to get my children to do some small age appropriate things around the house and I certainly won't be rushing about every morning making pieces of toast for teenagers! My toddler already knows to put toys away and things when asked.

I appreciate this is not my step sons fault, he's never been made to do these things but it's just making me resentful of the whole situation. I understand teenagers are lazy, I'm not expecting the world. But even if he was just asked to do some things, keep his room tidy or whatever, I'd feel better. Even if he didn't actually do it in a weird way?! At least I'd feel like DH had some actual expectations of him and how he treat the house if that makes sense? I used to pull my face at being asked to tidy my room and it wasn't always tidy at all, but my parents still told me to do it, I couldn't have just gotten away with being treated like a 5 year old all the time.

Driving me nuts.

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GratefullyDecline · 12/01/2022 11:50

Just to add, when I say I'm a SAHM I am but I do also do some self employed work for a small business I own. It's not much but I do it completely around the DC so still call myself a SAHM.

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rookiemere · 12/01/2022 11:54

My DS 15 room is a midden, so can't help you with that one, but I will say as soon as he started senior school the expectation was that he got the bus in the morning unless I was going into work in the same direction.

TheWickedStepmum88 · 12/01/2022 11:55

How often do you have your stepson? Is your husband hesitant to enforce rules because he wants to be the fun parent?

I'm lucky to not be in this situation, but I've heard from others here and other forums that completely disengaging is the only way to get it into your husband's head. Stop doing anything for your stepson that he can't realistically do himself at that age. Your husband will eventually realise (I would hope?!) that he then has to pick up the slack and it's not a liveable situation for anyone.

He's not doing his son any favours either. My sister was the baby of the family and never had to lift a finger. She's now also had the slowest start to adult life, is still financially dependent on my parents and has no real life skills. It's really in their best interest.

Good luck (especially with what I'm sure is going to be a bunch of non-stepparents chiming in soon to give you their opinions)

sadpapercourtesan · 12/01/2022 12:01

There are a lot of references in your post to your own upbringing, your parents, your childhood, your experiences. I think you need to consider that your resentment against your stepson (and your DH for the way he parents him) has nothing whatsoever to do with your own childhood, and the comparison is unhelpful and irrelevant.

Lots of parents still make breakfast for a 12yo, and take them to school if available. It isn't inherently better to make them take the bus, nor is it "babying" to make them breakfast. I do think he should be asked to tidy his bedroom or wash up every now and again - but these are parenting decision - you are NEVER going to be in a position to make them - so I think you need to recalibrate your expectations and try to detach a little. It doesn't sound to me as though your DH is doing anything wrong, nor does your stepson sound abnormal - but you sound very overexcited about it all. He's right that things will look different to you when your children are this age. You don't see it now - but that's rather the point.

GratefullyDecline · 12/01/2022 12:01

How often do you have your stepson?

1 week on 1 week off.

Is your husband hesitant to enforce rules because he wants to be the fun parent?

I genuinely don't even think it's this. He just babies him. Like sometimes if I say I'm not driving him to school my husband will actually go into work late to drive him in. It's a 15 minute walk from our house. That is absolutely fucking ridiculous imo and no it may be "nothing to do with me" but it just annoys me so much watching it.

Quite honestly it feels like they are just raising another man who expects everything done for him like you read about on here all the time.

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GratefullyDecline · 12/01/2022 12:03

It does affect me though when DH gets stroppy or accusatory because I won't do the same things for him.

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GratefullyDecline · 12/01/2022 12:04

And the fact I'm a SAHM, I can tell my husband thinks I should be going in and changing sheets etc.. like I do in the rest of the house. And I would, but the rest of the house isn't a pig sty and if it were, I'd expect the person who messed it up to tidy up before I changed their bedding / hoovered / dusted their room or whatever else.

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Santaisstilleatingmincepies · 12/01/2022 12:08

Just leave them to it. Your dc will have no respect for either of them in time.

sadpapercourtesan · 12/01/2022 12:08

Yes, I can see why it would frustrate him, if you're refusing to do a bowl of cereal for the 12yo when you're doing the other children's anyway.That does seem rather mean-spirited. Similarly, if you're dropping other kids off school I can see why it would seem like petty point-proving to refuse to take the 12yo - if the school is so close, it can't be adding much time to your journey.

Ultimately, it is for your DH to make the decisions on how his son is parented. And he really isn't doing anything terrible unconventional by making his son breakfast and taking him to school. You can, of course, put your foot down and refuse to support that parenting, say "when I'm here he can get his own cereal/walk to school", but you should be aware that you're choosing to sour your own relationships when you do that.

candlelightsatdawn · 12/01/2022 12:08

Your gonna get the usual poor SC and the hand wringing that is only applied SC which excuses any of this behaviour. Ignore it.

However this isn't a SC issue per say more a teenager issue which isn't being dealt with by the parents. The issue is as SM you have limited control over it, esp of DH is of the calibration of "my child my choice".

Nachoing, I know it's completely frustrating because you can see the damage it does to a teenager to treat them like a infant, but remember it's no reflection on you.

imsureineverdo · 12/01/2022 12:08

Wow, you seem very angry over a parent making a child breakfast and taking them to school!

TheWickedStepmum88 · 12/01/2022 12:09

I disagree entirely that it's nothing to do with you or none of your business. If he lives in your house and eats the food you buy, he can follow your rules. Your expectations are not high.

However it's impossible if your husband and yourself are not on the same page. If trying to reason with him doesn't work and he's unwilling to compromise, I doubt there's much you can do except for disengaging entirely.

GratefullyDecline · 12/01/2022 12:11

@sadpapercourtesan

Yes, I can see why it would frustrate him, if you're refusing to do a bowl of cereal for the 12yo when you're doing the other children's anyway.That does seem rather mean-spirited. Similarly, if you're dropping other kids off school I can see why it would seem like petty point-proving to refuse to take the 12yo - if the school is so close, it can't be adding much time to your journey.

Ultimately, it is for your DH to make the decisions on how his son is parented. And he really isn't doing anything terrible unconventional by making his son breakfast and taking him to school. You can, of course, put your foot down and refuse to support that parenting, say "when I'm here he can get his own cereal/walk to school", but you should be aware that you're choosing to sour your own relationships when you do that.

I'm not, my DC are not school age and they stay home with me most of the time. I would be going out (and drag the others out too) purely to drop him off when he could just walk like most of his friends do. He never actually minds either. Whenever it's me and him in the morning he just gets on with it and walks to school/makes his breakfast. It's his Dad fussing over it that winds me up.
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GratefullyDecline · 12/01/2022 12:11

@imsureineverdo

Wow, you seem very angry over a parent making a child breakfast and taking them to school!
Yes because that's the whole point of the thread well done
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ANameChangeAgain · 12/01/2022 12:12

I think you need to let him get on with it. Saying you won't do these things for him is fine as it isn't your job. It won't do the child any favours, but let DH pick up after him if he wants. Let dh tidy his room, change his sheets. (Making ss breakfast and taking to school isn't babying, but isn't your job either). You won't raise your children this way, but if your dh and his ex want to raise a helpless manchild then its up to them. If ss doesn't pull his weight then dh will have to pick up the slack, just make sure he isn't shirking his other responsibilities whilst doing so.

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 12/01/2022 12:12

Your DH is doing him no favours at all. Your SS will grow up to be irresponsible, entitled, feckless and make someone an awful partner.
Children need to be taught how to be a decent person and your DH is not doing this.

Classicblunder · 12/01/2022 12:12

It is bloody ridiculous to drive somewhere that is a 15 min walk away

IAmSantaOhYesIAm · 12/01/2022 12:12

I think it’s wrong of a pp to suggest it’s not up to. He’s living in your house half the time, of course it’s up to you to help with parenting him.
He’s being done no favours at all having no chores or expectations of helping or cleaning his room, like you say you’re raising a boy to be a man - he’s going to carry on expecting everyone to do everything for him.

girlmom21 · 12/01/2022 12:13

Does your husband do as much for the toddler as he does for the teenager?

GratefullyDecline · 12/01/2022 12:13

The school and the breakfast are examples of a wider issue... DH never getting DSS to do anything for himself. Even something tiny like making a slice of toast or putting some cornflakes in a bowl. It annoys me but yeah if he wants to fine, it's the fact he expect me to as well AND everything else, the general way he treats the house (like all teenagers I know, but is NEVER called out on it).

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aSofaNearYou · 12/01/2022 12:13

@GratefullyDecline

It does affect me though when DH gets stroppy or accusatory because I won't do the same things for him.
Your DH sounds like an absolute PITA.
GratefullyDecline · 12/01/2022 12:14

(Making ss breakfast and taking to school isn't babyin

If you have to go into work late because your making cereal for and dropping off a 12, nearly 13, year old then I respectfully disagree.

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TheWickedStepmum88 · 12/01/2022 12:15

You could post on here saying 'my stepson looked me in the eye and smirked as he stabbed my daughter and now she's dead' and the responses you'd get would be 'poor child, he must have felt so insecure and confused, I bet you made him feel like he wasn't part of the family. Anyway it's not your place to discipline him'.

Baffles me that people who aren't stepparents are even on this forum. I don't own a Mercedes but I'm not hanging out on forums for Mercedes owners to tell them how to maintain their cars.

Beamur · 12/01/2022 12:15

Rant away 😁
Two observations I'll offer!

  1. You're absolutely right that this young man is learning no life skills or self care and that's actually quite a dereliction of duty for a parent.
  2. Some teens do appreciate a bit of babying. At 12 he's year 7? First year at High School? This is a time that is a huge change and can be really hard work for kids. They have to step up a lot at school and being cut a little slack at home may make everyone's life easier.
Saying that, your DH is running the risk of creating a man-child here. I think you are absolutely right to stop doing certain things for him and refusing to get his breakfast, give him lifts, etc. With regards to him never being asked to do anything, are you allowed to do this? As a SM myself I knew my boundaries, but it never occurred to me that I couldn't ask my SC to do chores in the house. We were pretty light on expectations, but by this age they got their own breakfast and changed their own beds and I would ask them to tidy their rooms maybe once a month. If I asked them to dust or vacuum they would. I always did laundry but their clothes for washing needed to be in the basket. Ironing privileges were withdrawn when they turned 15.
Chamomileteaplease · 12/01/2022 12:16

Have you ever had a calm conversation away from the kids with your dh about this?

I would be fascinated to hear what the hell is going on in his tiny mind.

It would drive me mad too. Stick to your guns Smile.

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