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Step-parenting

Connect with other Mumsnetters here for step-parenting advice and support.

I’m starting to dislike my step daughter

201 replies

Ashlea22 · 21/01/2022 02:36

Warning long post!!

So me and my partner have been together 7 years, he has 2 (11.13) from previous relationship (split when both children were under 2) we also have 3 together. We have the girls 50/50 split with their mum and since the day I met them, his eldest has taken a dislike to me.

I am in my late 20s much younger than their mum, so I’m unsure if that’s perhaps part of the problem. She’s obsessed with her dad that’s only way to say it, but he’s literally the best thing since sliced bread to her and can’t do any wrong. So originally I assumed you know, evil step mum taking dad away narrative is normal maybe for young kids?

Her behaviour towards me I’ve put up with it for so long now, I feel like I can’t! She screams at me constantly, I mean screams! In my face in front of my family, friends it doesn’t matter who. Its always been this way, I stopped tidying for her room because she would go mental that I touched her things.

She will come in the door il say hiya or ask her how she is, immediately she will start screaming at me so now I say nothing at all, if I sit in front of the car beside her dad she’ll refuse to get into car start shouting and crying till I move. If I sit next to her dad she’ll physically try to push me out the seat and starts an argument, over past few years she’s started to swear at me.

Bad words like I’ve never called anyone half the things she calls me daily, I regularly get called a bitch, asshole, witch, horrible, I get told to fuck off, or worse once to go die. She has slammed doors actually on me, pushed me, once she slapped my back as I was leaving her room, she puts horrible tik toks up about me, she tells people I abuse the pets and her, that I don’t feed her(we actually almost weigh the same so when she is pushing me she is strong).

She says I ignore her, that she doesn’t get anything, she says the most horrific things about me and to me, she has called me a retard because I have an impairment. She’ll tell her mum these stories that are just lies about things that I’ve done or said she must think I’m a monster!

She also said horrific things about her mums new boyfriend what he was supposedly doing, that I had to talk to her mum/dad because I was so worried about it. later she said I made it all up, Her sister had heard her telling me so thankfully told them I was saying the truth. She says things like she wishes her dad would cheat on me so I’d leave.

on the contrast her sister spends more time with me than her dad (not saying she’s a saint all time just a typical kid who has moments) but she looks forward to seeing me spending time with me etc.

Example 12th birthday I spent hundreds of pounds and hours doing up her room, so when she went to secondary it would be nice. She picked everything she wanted, she told me how she wanted it and I did it exactly like that. When she seen it for first time she took a huge tantrum screaming, swearing I was so upset.

For her 13th she insisted she didn’t want a party then morning of her birthday she changed her mind. I spend the rest of the day running around getting stuff for her friends, the cake she wanted, decorating, food etc only for her to lock herself in the bathroom and tell me to fuck off when I asked her what was wrong.

She is really mean to her all siblings, she will physically hurt them even being 5 and 3,3. She threatens them, screams at them If I ever try to give her into trouble for something, it results in world war 3.

It feels like I’m being bullied that sounds so stupid but it does. It’s so confusing because she’ll come tell me things she wouldn’t even tell her mum, she take takes my clothes, make up, she’ll ask me about boys etc one minute then next I’m evil again. I think she genuinely believes that she has a bad life.

All birthday Christmas presents/parties I do it comes from me and she knows that so will tell me what she wants, then call me a bitch later that night. All days out/holidays are me, I always do stuff for the kids, I try really hard for them all of them. I would never get one with out the other. I feel like I’m the only one that find it actually really wrong that a child is even allowed to talk to someone like that!

I’m not saying I’m perfect because I’m not, I was young when I met them I probably made loads of mistakes which is why this has happened. I’m in a house of 5 kids so there are many times over the years when I have just snapped, been grumpy or I have lost it and stormed out because I’m sick of it. Everyone says to me they’d of left by now how do I put up with it, that the worst thing I done to her was just be with her father.

What upsets me most is my kids have started to copy the way she treats me and they have started swearing at me to get what they want ,says I’m horrible, a bad mum that they hate me too.

I’ve tried and tried so many times to talk to my partner about it, even though he agrees she shouldn’t be doing that nothings done apart from a shouting match between him/her. It will normally end in an argument between me and him, I’m literally at the point of leaving only thing that worries me is her behaviour towards the kids.

(Worth noting she confided in me that she was depressed a few years back, which is why I think I’ve sort of took it on the chin most time with her outbursts. I tried to get her mum and dad to get her into counselling, made doctors appointments, anxiety treatment, I’m only one who kept pushing for her to get help. I feel sorry for her if she feels like that as I’ve had mental health issues, I love her but she’s making me dislike her. if that makes sense, which is a horrible thing to say and makes me sad even writing it)

OP posts:
ProudThrilledHappy · 22/01/2022 08:52

@Geppili

Jesus. He hasn't married you so that you do not have any claim on his assets. You have given up your job and he is paying peanuts and expecting you to do childcare. You need to leave.
This this this!!

You are in a very precarious situation financially. What would happen if he had a serious accident or died? What claim do you have on the home or money? None, probably.

You have far greater problems than his daughter

PegLegAntoine · 22/01/2022 09:10

This is awful :(

She needs some serious intervention. Good that she’s been assessed for SN already. But the fact she isn’t autistic/ADHD doesn’t mean she has no issues.

I read recently that this sort of behaviour towards women only can be a red flag for abuse - as you say she is like this with other women too maybe she’s traumatised somehow?

But you have to protect your own children. If you leave, you need to ensure he doesn’t have all the kids at the same time - sounds like he wouldn’t keep the younger ones safe. He’d still have to pay child support anyway.

Although I have a feeling that without you for childcare he’d not be so bothered about having the older ones 50:50 Hmm

arethereanyleftatall · 22/01/2022 09:11

Even with all of us shouting it at at you, none of your responses have really recognised and accepted what the actual problem is.

The problem is the deeply awful and selfish man you had children with.

Everything he does is calculated so that he gets an easy ride in life and one woman or another picks up his pieces. You have been very naive I'm afraid. Luckily for your sc mother, she recognised him for what he was and dumped him pretty quickly. (I'm guessing). Good for her. I'm sure he's very charming on the surface. Possibly 'a nice guy' but not a good one at all.

Without you noticing particularly, he is paying off his own mortgage, furthering his own career, whilst you're doing all of the work which counts for nothing. He is cold, calculating and manipulative so chances are you won't get much from him when you split. And that's getting worse every day.

First step. Acknowledge you need to get away from this pathetic man. Then
I would save every single penny you get now. I would get a job, not one that's helping him out. Share childcare costs with him for your own dc and he can pay/sort out his dc. Get your ducks in a row to save your own children from this dreadful mess.

Flocon · 22/01/2022 09:36

@Ashlea22

Home isn’t mine this is his home, I did have a job but when twins came he wanted to be self employed and said we couldn’t afford childcare cost so I quit. I do the accounts of his business and do all the PR social media side, I manage the bookings etc, he gives me £20 out of every £100 he makes. I then get £80 a month from child benefits so I just save, I don’t have any friends anymore due to never being able see them because I always had the kids. It didn’t feel like abuse what he was doing I have an abusive ex and my current partner didn’t seem like him at all. I thought he was a good dad as that’s how he appeared when I met him, and he does tell her to stop it if he sees it but if I asked him to go speak to her once he’s came home from work he wouldn’t.
If you asked would he be OK with you getting a different job?
Ashlea22 · 22/01/2022 12:36

@arethereanyleftatall

Even with all of us shouting it at at you, none of your responses have really recognised and accepted what the actual problem is.

The problem is the deeply awful and selfish man you had children with.

Everything he does is calculated so that he gets an easy ride in life and one woman or another picks up his pieces. You have been very naive I'm afraid. Luckily for your sc mother, she recognised him for what he was and dumped him pretty quickly. (I'm guessing). Good for her. I'm sure he's very charming on the surface. Possibly 'a nice guy' but not a good one at all.

Without you noticing particularly, he is paying off his own mortgage, furthering his own career, whilst you're doing all of the work which counts for nothing. He is cold, calculating and manipulative so chances are you won't get much from him when you split. And that's getting worse every day.

First step. Acknowledge you need to get away from this pathetic man. Then
I would save every single penny you get now. I would get a job, not one that's helping him out. Share childcare costs with him for your own dc and he can pay/sort out his dc. Get your ducks in a row to save your own children from this dreadful mess.

He finished things with his ex wife he left her days after the 2nd baby was born she didn’t want him to leave the divorce was messy.
OP posts:
youvegottenminuteslynn · 22/01/2022 12:40

This man left his ex days after their baby was born? Jesus Christ OP he sounds like an absolute cunt. Who does that?!

ChaToilLeam · 22/01/2022 12:57

Holy fuck, just read the updates. What a trail of destruction this man is leaving in his wake. Don’t be part of it, OP. Get away.

arethereanyleftatall · 22/01/2022 13:08

'He left her days after his child was born.'

Wtaf have I just read? And you've seemingly written that in his defense? Christ, there's no hope for you at the moment op. Sorry but there's not until you can recognise where the problem lies.

lunar1 · 22/01/2022 13:31

WTF am I reading! Get your ducks in a row and leave. He's made sure you are entitled to nothing.

He's abusive and I wouldn't be surprised at all of his daughters behaviour that is a direct result of his parenting.

I wonder if he will stop at 5 children and 2 ex's to mess up, or if he'll move on again.

Geppili · 22/01/2022 14:02

"He left her days after the 2nd baby was born.."

Can you not see that this act of his (which you mention to justify that she didn't want him to leave) is despicable?

Can you not see how calculating and controlling he is?

Can you not see how your SD's behaviour is probably a symptom of this toxic set up?

Can you not see that you urgently need to seek employment, become independent and leave?

Sexnotgender · 22/01/2022 14:10

Wow. He’s done you up like a kipper.

Can I be rude and ask how old you are and how old he is?

MostNamesAreTaken · 22/01/2022 16:40

What exactly attracted you to a man who left his wife days after his baby was born? Was there some kind of power imbalance? Otherwise if this is not something that bothers you, I suspect you are telling a very biased version of the story and you SD may have a very different account.

Chailatteplease · 22/01/2022 16:50

I’m usually on the side of the step-children, but this situation sounds horrendous and I would leave. Your partner should not be letting her treat you like this.

aSofaNearYou · 22/01/2022 17:41

@MostNamesAreTaken

What exactly attracted you to a man who left his wife days after his baby was born? Was there some kind of power imbalance? Otherwise if this is not something that bothers you, I suspect you are telling a very biased version of the story and you SD may have a very different account.
I don't think any account from SD about her dad using would justify her treatment of OP
MostNamesAreTaken · 22/01/2022 18:04

SD has lied about both her step dad and step mum according to the OP. It sounds like she has accused them of some kind of abuse. The odds are, I think, that she is a disturbed kid screwed up by an emotionally absent father who yet insists she lives with him 50:50 and defers parenting to his girlfriend and a mum who has struggled since being abandoned shortly after giving birth. It is however not impossible there is some kind of abuse going on, which maybe would cast the SD in a more sympathetic light. Not trying to say where the abuse would be -I think blame can get transferred and kids do just make stuff up., Given the usual.rush to say "I believe her" the SD is being dismissed out of hand, I presume because this story isn't being told from her POV.

Her behaviour is ofcourse unacceptable, there is a line that sounds like has been crossed. The other four kids need to looked out for too.

Ashlea22 · 22/01/2022 20:06

@MostNamesAreTaken

What exactly attracted you to a man who left his wife days after his baby was born? Was there some kind of power imbalance? Otherwise if this is not something that bothers you, I suspect you are telling a very biased version of the story and you SD may have a very different account.
I did not know the circumstances surrounding his first marriage until much later in the relationship, originally he appeared like a real hands on dad according to his Facebook accounts, way he talked and acted etc. He is 14 years older than me he was very charming and sweet he portrayed himself as a loving single dad that regret hurting the kids by leaving his wife but left because he wasn’t happy. I don’t think it’s right he left her days after a baby that’s cruel and I can’t imagine what she went through, which is why I think she maybe isn’t so willing to give him a easy life by helping me if that makes sense. I’m sure if you did ask his step daughter she would tell you exactly what she tells other that I am this horrible mean person, all the things I’ve heard her tell people before. I do genuinely believe she thinks her life is horrible, that I am horrible and that if I wasn’t here her dad would be only hers or perhaps her mum and him would get back together. I was probably far too tolerate of behaviour at the start because she was just a kid I was a new person coming into her life, her home, in her eyes trying to play mummy I thought it was quite normal for resentment to be there but it’s escalated to where we are today. I’ve always tried to be more of a big sister rather than trying to be there mum, offering advice etc that mum maybe can’t. If there ever is an issue regarding boys/friends/how she’s feeling in herself stepdaughter will come to me and tell me not to tell her parents which is what confuses me because the way she treats me. I would never and have never emotionally or physically abused any child, ignored them, left them out, I never get one without the other they all get the same. I do find though I’m harder on my own because if they swear etc they get into trouble but now with her I don’t say anything Incase it starts an argument. She will go phone her dad and mum tell them I’ve done things or said things that aren’t true but I do believe she thinks they are. Her account of things that happen is so wrong it’s actually quite dangerous hence the mums boyfriend issues, it was horrific and I believed her why wouldn’t I no sane person or child would make stuff up to hurt her mum only for it to come out as complete lies and her to admit eventually it wasn’t true after saying I made it all. It makes me sad saying I’m starting to dislike her because if it was my daughter and someone said that who was in her life I’d be furious but I’ve tried, I’m not perfect I’m sure I’ve made mistakes but I’m not a bad mum or step mum I know that and my main concern was always that the kids were happy I tried to make her happy but she’ll never be happy with me here.
OP posts:
LiG123 · 22/01/2022 20:32

@Ashlea22 you're avoiding the husband comments?

Ashlea22 · 22/01/2022 20:32

I took the advice of retracting my normal care etc for stepdaughter when she came back from her mums today, I’ve disengaged and not tried to get her involved with anything I’ve done or reason with her as I normally would. When she has tried to start on me with shouting (because I said frozen 2 came out a few years ago so might not be on sky when we were looking for it for the twins, she said I was lying it’s new just out she got very angry started swearing at me) I ’ve stuck to my guns and have said to her dad I will no longer be doing anything until it stops. it’s resulted in a huge argument over text as that is how he says things a lot of times rather than speak face to face he says I’m acting like a child by behaving this way that it’s cruel to exclude her from things I am doing, that it’s my fault because I wanted to be her friend at the start and shouldn’t of let her away with it. That if I didn’t like it to just fuck off then because she is mean to him as well but he just “deals with it” I’ve been told to not come down whilst they watch a film together until I’m ready to be an adult. No other kids are down stairs we are all upstairs not one other child wants to watch a film with them they were all pretending to be bears with me including his other daughter. I’ve personally never ever seen any of the kids ever treat him remotely 5% of the way she treats me. Unless I’m delusional I do think now from everyone’s response that he may be the problem that he’s the one who can’t see the truth and is enabling the behaviour.

OP posts:
MarshmallowSwede · 22/01/2022 20:35

And what is your partner doing while she is behaving this way?

A child screaming and throwing a tantrum until you sit in the back seat? Pushing you away from your partner physically so she can sit next to him, screaming and throwing tantrums about a room decoration?

Again.. is her father saying anything about her behaviour.

I know it’s easier said then done, but I too would leave. There is no way I would allow a child to behave this way towards me. Most importantly I would not stay with a man who allowed his child to behave this way.

Ashlea22 · 22/01/2022 20:36

[quote LiG123]@Ashlea22 you're avoiding the husband comments?[/quote]
Not at all, but he’s not there much during the day or weekends so I can’t really say anything about him because he’s out. If he sees it he’ll say stop it if he doesn’t see it he won’t get involved. I didn’t think he was abusive he always made out the things I had to do for the family or he has to do was for the family. I’m thinking I have just been a stupid naive young girl who has taken children into an unhealthy environment without even realising and I’m heartbroken to be honest I’ve felt sick all day with the comments. I genuinely thought that I’d of had reply’s saying I was the problem with his daughter that I needed to do this and it would fix it. But it sounds as if everyone as the same agreement the blame lands a lot of her father which I didn’t even think of to be honest.

OP posts:
Ashlea22 · 22/01/2022 20:38

@MarshmallowSwede

And what is your partner doing while she is behaving this way?

A child screaming and throwing a tantrum until you sit in the back seat? Pushing you away from your partner physically so she can sit next to him, screaming and throwing tantrums about a room decoration?

Again.. is her father saying anything about her behaviour.

I know it’s easier said then done, but I too would leave. There is no way I would allow a child to behave this way towards me. Most importantly I would not stay with a man who allowed his child to behave this way.

He’ll tell her to stop it she’ll scream more shout more he’ll shout back then normally says to me just go in back so she’ll get in the car, or he’ll get up move so she can sit next to him away from me.
OP posts:
LiG123 · 22/01/2022 20:55

@Ashlea22 I'm so glad. I was worried you'd been brainwashed a bit and couldn't see it.

You're stronger than you think, how dare he banish you upstairs. Tell him to fuck off, it's your home too and go down stairs!!!

LiG123 · 22/01/2022 20:56

@Ashlea22 he is letting her get away with being a brat by making you move. You should be a team! Tell her no, get in the car or we'll just all stay here and walk in the house.

MostNamesAreTaken · 22/01/2022 20:57

What's the driver for 50:50? It seems hard on the kids if he is out most of the time. Does their mum want it? Does their dad want to avoid maintenance? Changing contact to when their dad is available may be a quick win.

Do you have anyone you can talk to in real life? Over the Internet we are giving opinions based on a small snapshot of information. Your DH comes across as a walking red flag but that may not be fair.

Is there any potential for family counselling to get to the bottom of SD behaviour?

XingMing · 22/01/2022 21:43

I never get involved in family breakdown threads, but I will break my rule here to say that you need a refuge for yourself and your own children, and then a helping hand into work and eventually financial independence and your own home, preferably in an area some way distant from your present location. The situation you are describing is abusive and exploitative.