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Step-parenting

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I've realised what I find hard / unnatural about step parenting

413 replies

Hmmmmmm1 · 27/07/2022 19:38

I was thinking about this the other day, trying to decide what it actually is about being a step parent that I find so difficult and I basically came to the conclusion that I can't think of anything else in my life that I'm expected to love and think is great but which doesn't actually bring any positives to my life either if that makes sense?

There's nothing about being a step parent that brings anything positive or joyful to my life. I don't find any part of it fun or enjoyable. It's actually a minefield sometimes but with none of the payoff like, for example, with my own DC who drive me round the bend but who I love completely and bring so many positives to my life that it's worth it.

And yet you're expected to just never complain and be constantly in love with the whole thing. It feels like quite an unnatural thing when I think of it like that.

The kids are good kids but I don't love them like my own and I don't get excited to see them or have any sort of huge maternal bond with them, it wouldn't affect my life or happiness if they weren't here in the same way it would with my own children for example and yet I have to deal with his ex, helping out with X Y and Z etc...

Basically the whole thing is like one big chore but with not much in return to make it enjoyable, I can't really think of any other scenario in my life that is like it.

I know I'll get loads of replies along the lines of 'you knew he had kids' blah blah, I'm not interested in those tbh. It's pointless arguing with people of that train of thought.

Just wondering if any other step parents feel like this? Like step parenting is just one big thankless task that doesn't really bring any positives to their life?

OP posts:
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SongsAboutMe · 31/07/2022 11:44

And in regards to this, yes I'm talking about their entire personality. The vast majority of things my DSS says and does, I find hard to like. I'm not talking about occasional bad behaviour in amongst otherwise being lovely.

Your husband has produced a child that is so unlikeable, what does that say about him? Even really awful parents I know that have produced children that have many unlikeable traits, have many positive ones too. What’s gone so wrong?

SpaceshiptoMars · 31/07/2022 12:33

SongsAboutMe · 31/07/2022 11:44

And in regards to this, yes I'm talking about their entire personality. The vast majority of things my DSS says and does, I find hard to like. I'm not talking about occasional bad behaviour in amongst otherwise being lovely.

Your husband has produced a child that is so unlikeable, what does that say about him? Even really awful parents I know that have produced children that have many unlikeable traits, have many positive ones too. What’s gone so wrong?

Why blame the Dad or the Mum? Our genes come from aeons past, and at least 50% of how we are is dependent on those genes. We are who we are, and sometimes the person we most resemble has been dead 50 years before we were born. And sometimes, the random combination is not a fortunate one.

DuchessDarty · 31/07/2022 13:42

You are massively overthinking and reading into people's terminology. Obviously when people describe someone as dislikable they mean they find them dislikable. This is just pedantry and nitpicking.

No it’s not pedantry and nitpicking. It’s a mature way of thinking about people - to not make absolute statements about people, to separate behaviour from the entirety of a person, to make clear from our wording that we recognise it’s subjective and we’re not the sole judge in whether someone is likeable. But we’ll have to agree to disagree on this.

aSofaNearYou · 31/07/2022 14:06

Your husband has produced a child that is so unlikeable, what does that say about him? Even really awful parents I know that have produced children that have many unlikeable traits, have many positive ones too. What’s gone so wrong?

Not much really, my DP hasn't lived with DSS since he was a toddler and has never managed to have much influence on his personality. A lot of DSS's traits that I struggle with do come from his upbringing in the other house, as they have different values to me, but nonetheless I don't think it's always the parents "fault" when their children grow up difficult to like. Lots of unpleasant people have nice parents.

It's not that anything's gone "so wrong", either, he's not a monster, he just doesn't really have any traits that I enjoy and has lots that I find tiresome/unpleasant.

ClaraCookies · 31/07/2022 21:56

What I wish for those saying that you shouldn't have gotten together with your spouse if you didn't love the SC, or love them like a niece/nephew, is to recognize that sometimes we do all that and things change. And sometimes you need to detach a bit to survive and keep things harmonious. And "loving like a niece/nephew" doesn't work when you've been actively involved in the child's life from a young age, are invested in them and their second parent when they stay with you regularly over the years, and you have children that are their siblings.

I think it can be so hard for a stepmum, and things can change in a way they wouldn't with your own DC.

In my case, I loved and still love SDC but have had to mentally pull back because it hurts too much. The child I helped raise doesn't live with us full time and as they've gotten older, not even a teenager yet!! they don't want to come over because we have different rules than the lazy parenting of the ex. We don't let them stay in their room all day glued to a screen or eat and drink poorly. If we "make" SDC come over for their weekend and they don't want to, it's a downright miserable time, and their poor siblings, our DC, suffer immensely.

SDC has a whole other, different life away from us, and nothing prepares you for how that dynamic plays out as they grow older, especially when they are in that environment more than yours. Nothing prepares you for MIL/FIL treating your parenting choices like a joke because you're not the child's real mum, or treating dad's opinion as less-than because he doesn't have SDC full-time. Nothing prepares you for when this child, who is still a child, doesn't show any care for you, doesn't appreciate you, doesn't want to come round, talk while at their mum's, ignores their siblings, etc.

It's not that DH needs to do a better job - he reminds SDC, tries to teach the importance of family, etc. At the end of the day, you can't make them care if they don't. And realistically, you can't make your own biological kids care either, but at least they're stuck with you, at least they live with you full time, so there are still going to be even some small moments of tenderness, making up, just talking, spending time trying to figure things out, etc. You can also take your own kids for counselling but can't just freely do that with SDC unless their mum is on the same page.

Many people seem to expect a stepmum act like a real mum, love them like your own, but nothing prepares you for the disconnect of loving them like your own but having such little say because they aren't your own. If their real mum is in the picture and your views don't align, you can become so stressed at seeing how SDC is being shaped/influenced so negatively and you are helpless. This isn't a case of "accept them for who they are" when you know that's not who they are/were and it's a product of bad parenting that you can't undo. And you can try, but undoing bad habits and disrespectful attitudes is near impossible when you have them 2 days of the week every weekend or every other weekend.

When as a mum I say parenting is hard, people act understanding. When as a stepmum I say it's hard, people act like I'm the one doing a poor job. I have always gone out of my way to make SDC feel loved and welcomed, but in my case things changed for the worse and me, DH and the kids don't seem to exist to SDC when they're at their mum's. And it hurts more than anyone could know going into this stepparenting thing.

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 31/07/2022 22:20

@ClaraCookies eloquently put. I for one and sorry your in this situation. It's hard. V hard.

Grits2thebay · 01/08/2022 05:21

the reality of other peoples children (and you are constantly reminded that this is what they are in big and small ways) who come to stay in your house and where key aspects of your life are determined by the preferences of people you fundamentally disagree with and with no way of changing that is a very different thing.

This is the most accurate description of being a SM that I've ever seen! I was SM for 10 years to DSD and DSS, with no DC of my own. I don't miss those days at all. They were nice, reasonably well behaved children. It just required a level of sacrifice and compromise that was unsustainable.

After my divorce I refused to date men with DC, and I felt very lucky when I met my current DH who has no DC. Because I could never do it again. It complicates your life in ways you can never imagine.

I'm sad to not know my stepchildren as adults, but we've lost touch (it's been 7 years) and I've decided to let it go and not try to force a continued relationship. I see it as a sign that my efforts were not appreciated and made no difference to them. It doesn't matter who did or didn't want to be there (me or them), in the end it's as if our family never existed.

MintyDogBreath · 01/08/2022 08:32

Just to bring a bit of balance, many step ch don’t want a step parent and find it joyless too.

At least you can extrapolate yourself from the situation. As a SC I had no say in it, had it inflicted on me, and couldn’t escape.

SpaceshiptoMars · 01/08/2022 10:29

MintyDogBreath · 01/08/2022 08:32

Just to bring a bit of balance, many step ch don’t want a step parent and find it joyless too.

At least you can extrapolate yourself from the situation. As a SC I had no say in it, had it inflicted on me, and couldn’t escape.

Many of the SMs here were also stepchildren themselves. Me included. Even that experience is insufficient to prepare you for the many pitfalls you are likely to encounter..

Apart from hostile exes, the biggest problem is that, apart from DH, many of his family will be unwilling to flex at all to absorb another woman. What they mostly seem to want is a compliant skivvy, with no opinions, needs or wants of their own! A programmable robot, in fact.

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 01/08/2022 10:29

@MintyDogBreath I'm sorry you had a rubbish time growing up in blended family.

I grew up in one too and acknowledge that there were tensions, my sister (half although she's just my sister in rl) bore the brunt of this from her Dm . Once kids come along you can't really extrapolate yourself though as a sm. Its also pot luck on what dynamics your walking into (which often sm find out about far far to late)

It's a bit like in nuclear families - you sometimes get dealt a crappy hand and you can't remove yourself either.

Your experience and op experience can both be true and neither one discounts the other or makes it sadly any easier.

MaxOverTheMoon · 01/08/2022 11:50

I grew up in shit blended families. Utter utter shit and eventually went into care. I didn't belong anywhere after my parents split up and was a huge inconvenience to all. I went into my marriage determined my step son wouldn't feel like that.. and my own dc ended up being the left out ones and me the family scapegoat. I didn't deserve the treatment I got and it was all in the name of - aw poor sdc.

SpaceshiptoMars · 01/08/2022 13:07

@MaxOverTheMoon

BrewFlowers

lionsmane22 · 01/08/2022 13:20

Many of the SMs here were also stepchildren themselves. Me included. Even that experience is insufficient to prepare you for the many pitfalls you are likely to encounter

As a step kid, I always knew that I would never ever be a step parent. I'm amazed that anyone does it, the naivety of those with no experience is bad enough, but for step kids to become step parents and then complain how hard it is? No shit sherlock.
Why on earth would you even think of putting yourself in that position?

Step parenting IS unnatural. It doesn't work more often than it does. I struggle to be sympthetic for the choices you made

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 01/08/2022 13:37

@lionsmane22 that's like going to the parenting board and saying why did you become a parent you know it's hard and you have no right to talk about it.

I get you had a bad experience being a step child, but that doesn't mean you can come along and dump that on op.

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 01/08/2022 13:39

@MaxOverTheMoon I'm so sorry you were failed lovely. No words just hugs 💐

lionsmane22 · 01/08/2022 13:46

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 01/08/2022 13:37

@lionsmane22 that's like going to the parenting board and saying why did you become a parent you know it's hard and you have no right to talk about it.

I get you had a bad experience being a step child, but that doesn't mean you can come along and dump that on op.

It's not at all like that. The discussion has moved on from OP to generalisations on step parenting and experience.

It's more like askign someone why they would move back to a place they hated while they were growing up. IF you grew up in a "blended family" (awful phrase) and hated it, why would you purposefully get yourself into another one as an adult? It's crazy

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 01/08/2022 14:24

@lionsmane22 It's incredibly similar iMO and people are gonna flame me for this but

When I had my DD and she was a very much wanted baby. I thought oh this parenting lark there will be hard times but it will be ok. It won't be too awful.

Dd god love her was a high needs baby and I say this with love Fck me I was on the floor.

I had looked after my nieces, spent vast amounts of time with children, looked after many many babies for friends and family for fairly lengthy periods. I thought I was capable could do this. And actually I really struggled and that was with the bond that comes with biologically linked child that I desperately wanted.

What was worse is people said well you wanted a baby. Like some type of gotcha moment and it made my isolation worse. We all as parents have thought oh this will be fun and gone nope actually not fun not even slightly.
I see people say I don't have any sympathy for people like op it's nativity and I think it's just not that simple. If my Dd had been a non high needs baby my view of parenting would have been very different.

My blended family (I hate the term too) growing up was tricky, but ultimately fairly calm and everything worked alright, I got a sister out of the bargain and she's one best friend now as a adult.

The point I didn't get to see as a step child is that - actually it took work from all the people in the family to get it to work well, not just one participant. That's why blended families fail because if one of those cogs don't pull their weight, it all breaks down.

I'm a sm now and it's hard but on balance I wouldn't change anything. My life is richer for the people in it. But I had no idea and if we don't talk about it or allow people to talk about it, then people will still have no idea.

The expectation that it's on sm to solve every single issue that may or may not predate her is unrealistic.

The board is for step parents and as much as I appreciate it's painful to hear some of these things from a step child's view, step parents should be allowed a place to blow off steam and talk about things. Without being shamed into silence by the helpful narrative of, you knew what you were getting into.

And your right op has definitely vanished from this thread.

lionsmane22 · 01/08/2022 14:27

The point I didn't get to see as a step child is that - actually it took work from all the people in the family to get it to work well, not just one participant. That's why blended families fail because if one of those cogs don't pull their weight, it all breaks down

Does that include the children? I hope not

Cantbeliveyoufakeit · 01/08/2022 14:59

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 01/08/2022 14:24

@lionsmane22 It's incredibly similar iMO and people are gonna flame me for this but

When I had my DD and she was a very much wanted baby. I thought oh this parenting lark there will be hard times but it will be ok. It won't be too awful.

Dd god love her was a high needs baby and I say this with love Fck me I was on the floor.

I had looked after my nieces, spent vast amounts of time with children, looked after many many babies for friends and family for fairly lengthy periods. I thought I was capable could do this. And actually I really struggled and that was with the bond that comes with biologically linked child that I desperately wanted.

What was worse is people said well you wanted a baby. Like some type of gotcha moment and it made my isolation worse. We all as parents have thought oh this will be fun and gone nope actually not fun not even slightly.
I see people say I don't have any sympathy for people like op it's nativity and I think it's just not that simple. If my Dd had been a non high needs baby my view of parenting would have been very different.

My blended family (I hate the term too) growing up was tricky, but ultimately fairly calm and everything worked alright, I got a sister out of the bargain and she's one best friend now as a adult.

The point I didn't get to see as a step child is that - actually it took work from all the people in the family to get it to work well, not just one participant. That's why blended families fail because if one of those cogs don't pull their weight, it all breaks down.

I'm a sm now and it's hard but on balance I wouldn't change anything. My life is richer for the people in it. But I had no idea and if we don't talk about it or allow people to talk about it, then people will still have no idea.

The expectation that it's on sm to solve every single issue that may or may not predate her is unrealistic.

The board is for step parents and as much as I appreciate it's painful to hear some of these things from a step child's view, step parents should be allowed a place to blow off steam and talk about things. Without being shamed into silence by the helpful narrative of, you knew what you were getting into.

And your right op has definitely vanished from this thread.

Great post pitchforks, very balanced.

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 01/08/2022 15:01

@lionsmane22 don't be daft, what a weird thing to say. My siblings and I didn't care what the adults got up to. We were all expected to be decent human being and that wasn't a step family thing, just manners and being a decent human being type thing.

The only person what was made to care was my sister, as her mother made it clear there was a side and punished if she didn't chose it. I could list out the punishments she received as a child which were extreme and over the top. Luckily for her mum got a new partner and it all settled down (somewhat)

The problem is her mum didn't appear to be a nut, no one could have seen it coming. I never heard one bad word from the adults about her mum. My sister (half obviously) however after having her birthday party cancelled for mentioning she had a good time with a day out with us to mum, she cried for days. Even as a child I witnessed the cruelty inflicted on her and thought hey that's not right, it's not fair.

Silly things like I knew until her mum had gone to never pretend like we were as close, while in her presence or she would punish my sister. And punish her she did. Lucky my sister is a adult and can speak about the things that happened. I didn't know as a child just how bad or nutty it was. Mum appeared to me to be like every other adult.

My sister has limited contact with mum her now and close to dad and my mum. She's also as tough as they come. I'm luckily to have her in my life.

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 01/08/2022 15:06

I might add that my mum tried to shield my sister from the hurt caused by mum and got called all manner or names by various people (which she later admitted to when we were adults) and sister focused all her teen angst on the wrong person (her words now as a adult)

She put in a loyalty bind and my mum her sm recognised that and just loved her harder and kept the balance. Mums admitted to saying it was like walking blindfolded round a load of bombs under foot. One click and boom.

Plantstrees · 01/08/2022 15:14

I have six step children. Some were lovely as children, others were challenging. What I can say now, many years later, I really love four of them dearly and only two am I indifferent about as adults and one of those is fine when I see him, I just don't go out of my way to keep in touch. I think the rewards come later with step-children as when they become adults they appreciate everything you did for them and no longer resent you the way they may have done as children. They understand why divorce happens and accept that you are not to blame.

SpaceshiptoMars · 01/08/2022 15:28

@lionsmane22

As a step kid, I always knew that I would never ever be a step parent. I'm amazed that anyone does it, the naivety of those with no experience is bad enough, but for step kids to become step parents and then complain how hard it is? No shit sherlock.
Why on earth would you even think of putting yourself in that position?

Your experience was your experience. Mine was mine. I'd say my DSM was a better parent to me than my actual parents. Of course it wasn't perfect, plenty of issues, but as I grew older and heard people speak about their biological parents, I realized she'd done a pretty amazing job, all things considered. There was a strong Sound of Music theme to it.

My DSM took me on as a small child after my mother died. (And my siblings too). All high needs kids, one majorly so. She decided against having any of her own as her hands were pretty full already. But she also worked full-time, so life was somewhat manic for many years.

Anyway, the years went by. I married, but no children came. My husband died, and I was left widowed and childless. When an widower with adult children came along, it didn't seem a ridiculous proposition at all! It was several years later that that the tricky stuff manifested - once it dawned on the eldest adult child that I was no temporary 'girlfriend'...

Plantstrees · 01/08/2022 17:27

Just to add that I took on SC twice, each DH had 3 DC. The first three DSC were Primary age when I got involved with DH and the second three were teens. The two sets of DSCs have never met due to geographic distances.

I didn't have much to do with the first exW as DH dealt with pick ups and drop offs most of the time. When we did meet it was all perfectly civil and as time went on she was willing to babysit my DC sometimes so they got to spend a lot of time with their DSS. I loved the large extended family and we had some great times together. My DC have always loved their first three DSS and I would say that their lives were enhanced by them. These DSCs are still in my DC's lives.

With my second DH, the second mother had abandoned the family a few years previously so I didn't have to deal with her, but the DSCs did resent me taking their late father's sole attention away from them. My DCs did not really gel with these new DSCs although they all rubbed along ok, it was much harder. This was probably due to the fact they were all teenagers by then. My DC's no longer have any contact with these DSCs - not so much intentional, but really more that they have nothing in common and live a long way apart.

The only reason I wouldn't do it again is because I am now too old! I now have step-grandchildren which is wonderful so these are also a real positive outcome of looking after my DSCs.

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 01/08/2022 18:28

Plantstrees · 01/08/2022 17:27

Just to add that I took on SC twice, each DH had 3 DC. The first three DSC were Primary age when I got involved with DH and the second three were teens. The two sets of DSCs have never met due to geographic distances.

I didn't have much to do with the first exW as DH dealt with pick ups and drop offs most of the time. When we did meet it was all perfectly civil and as time went on she was willing to babysit my DC sometimes so they got to spend a lot of time with their DSS. I loved the large extended family and we had some great times together. My DC have always loved their first three DSS and I would say that their lives were enhanced by them. These DSCs are still in my DC's lives.

With my second DH, the second mother had abandoned the family a few years previously so I didn't have to deal with her, but the DSCs did resent me taking their late father's sole attention away from them. My DCs did not really gel with these new DSCs although they all rubbed along ok, it was much harder. This was probably due to the fact they were all teenagers by then. My DC's no longer have any contact with these DSCs - not so much intentional, but really more that they have nothing in common and live a long way apart.

The only reason I wouldn't do it again is because I am now too old! I now have step-grandchildren which is wonderful so these are also a real positive outcome of looking after my DSCs.

I think this highlights exactly what I was talking about. First marriage easier because everyone played along nicely.

Second children had been elevated to adult status in absence of the mother. All goes tits up.

But really glad to see there are positives !

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