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Step-parenting

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

Step daughter makes me feel so unhappy in my own home

353 replies

Futurebride · 27/02/2024 00:08

I'm not really asking for advice but not sure what else to try to make things better. Sorry this goes on a bit.

My SD age 13 won't acknowledge me and its got worse since I married her fantastic dad. I've known her for 7 years, she was always cold toward me but I thought in time things would improve. Eventually they did a little, but since the wedding things have deteriorated. SDs mum is jealous and intentionally unhelpful and works against us - we have standards and are trying to bring SD up to be a respectful, balanced person but SDs Mum won't work with us on discipline (she thinks it's OK for SD to shout F Off in my face and says she doesn't care what goes on in our house) and won't remove privileges for really bad behaviour like we do, so we are seen as the bad guys.

SD is increasingly difficult (knowing her mum will back her up). She won't acknowledge me or talk to me. She leaves the room purposely saying goodbye Dad, goodbye Dog, but not me. She increasingly harps on about the times before I was in her life. She says the sky is green if I say it is blue. I cook her favourite food then she refuses to eat it. She is refusing to do anything her Dad asks her to and is rude. In addition, we have the usual teenage battles of too much phone time, only coming out her room to eat, refusing to engage in household activities when we give her the choice of what to do together, refusing to clean her room etc. She has vaped at 12, smoked joint and now just had sex at 13.

Her attitude is so awful toward me and her Dad that the atmosphere is now awful in my own home. She genuinely believes she can do what she wants in life. We have suggested she perhaps spends more time with her Mum but she doesn't want to (as she has a friend near our house). I have an older daughter so I know about teenagers but SD is is on a different level. We have never criticised her mum in front of her. I have only once tried to intervene in discipline when she was screaming at her Dad and that went very wrong. In 7 years I have always bit my tongue on her manners and behaviour and try to address them through her Dad. He has been good in trying to address her behaviour and they used to have a close relationship as he has spent so much time doing outdoorsy things with her, but now he is at a loss what to do, esp with the promiscuity this week. SD is already having counseling at our suggestion as she wont talk to us. I have always been kind to her and not get involved with discipline, but it has got a lot worse not helped by the fact her Mum says her Dad doesn't want to know her since he got married! (We are dealing with a jealous witch) We are therefore dealing with 2 children and just don't know how to make things better for all of us. She is with us every other week but I now feel like I don't want to be here when SD is , yet it is my house.

OP posts:
Versailles2025 · 27/02/2024 09:43

Youcannotbeseriousreally · 27/02/2024 08:40

it’s the OPs house!! So she is staying put!! The nasty step daughter can go elsewhere and the husband too if he wants but the OP isn’t moving out to give anyone space when it’s her house!! ( honestly , this belongs on that other thread about times where people say stuff on MN that is ridiculous!)

You are so rude and you obviously have no life and you are the ridiculous one for taking what I said I would do and being impelled to insult me. You have a warped brain.

I simply gave an opinion on what I what I would do. I would immediately remove myself from the house when SD visited to reflect and decide how to go forward. I would look into living separately during this time. I would rather sell my house than live like this.

GrumpyPanda · 27/02/2024 09:46

ilovebreadsauce · 27/02/2024 08:33

One thing that jumped out at me is that you twice refer to the girl's mum as 'jealous'. What were the circumstances of the break up? Did her dad leave his ex( and her) for you?

There's always one...!
FFS.

JingsMahBucket · 27/02/2024 09:47

I would rather sell my house than live like this.

What utter nonsense is this?!

MaloneMeadow · 27/02/2024 09:47

Youcannotbeseriousreally · 27/02/2024 09:29

🙄

🙄 to you too if you can’t see how an obviously mentally struggling teenager needs help and support.

Versailles2025 · 27/02/2024 09:49

JingsMahBucket · 27/02/2024 09:47

I would rather sell my house than live like this.

What utter nonsense is this?!

Why? This is what I would do. I wouldn’t live like this for any amount of time. We don’t even know if OP owns the house 100% or 50/50.

It’s not nonsense if it is actually an option. It’s idiotic to battle on when things are only getting worse.

Two houses and let DH and SD get on with it.

arethereanyleftatall · 27/02/2024 09:55

I wouldnt describe a person who gets married to someone his child dislikes as a fantastic dad.

Youcannotbeseriousreally · 27/02/2024 09:55

MaloneMeadow · 27/02/2024 09:47

🙄 to you too if you can’t see how an obviously mentally struggling teenager needs help and support.

Not the OPs problem though and she 100% shouldnt have to put up with the disgraceful behaviour.

Reugny · 27/02/2024 09:55

Justwrong68 · 27/02/2024 09:03

I get this way of thinking. The old evil step mother trope is dead in the water. You're not her mum, you're her dad's lover. My kid is also 13, I can't imagine the idea of moving someone in and expecting him to get on with it. He's traumatised enough by the break up, even after five years.

He's not traumatised. You are the one with the issues.

Children don't give a damn as long as their parents partner/spouse isn't nasty to them, and treats them nicely and fairly.

However if you play games with your child's head by not keeping your negative feelings to yourself that their other parent has moved on and got a new spouse/partner, then you can screw your own child up.

Reugny · 27/02/2024 09:57

MattDamon · 27/02/2024 08:47

If the mother is such a bad influence/not parenting, why doesn't the father go for full custody? Telling her to spend more time at her mum's is the exact opposite thing a good father would do.

The child is 13.

Therefore the child can choose who she lives with.

In fact if the child doesn't want to see her dad, she can just stop turning up.

arethereanyleftatall · 27/02/2024 09:59

MattDamon · 27/02/2024 08:47

If the mother is such a bad influence/not parenting, why doesn't the father go for full custody? Telling her to spend more time at her mum's is the exact opposite thing a good father would do.

I thought exactly that. If his dd is being neglected in her mothers house, then the solution is for the father to step up. Not blooming step back and then blame the mother for her behaviour!!

Reugny · 27/02/2024 10:00

NameChangeAgain0224 · 27/02/2024 08:39

Same here.

i don’t think you can ban her from the house and make your husband see her elsewhere as I think that would make things even worse, but I would definitely just leave them to it and spend as little time with her as is possible.

If the OP owns the house yes she can ban her from her home.

I know separated parents whose teen children are banned from their home they share with their spouse/partner unless their parent is in.

However their older adult siblings aren't banned as they have better behaviour and attitude.

This means if they forget an item at that parents house they can't turn up and collect it. And their adult siblings don't engage with their nonsense.

arethereanyleftatall · 27/02/2024 10:00

OF COURSE it's the step dds house too!!Jesus Christ, this thread!! Or do you think a 13 yr old should buy their own house?!?

MaloneMeadow · 27/02/2024 10:00

arethereanyleftatall · 27/02/2024 09:55

I wouldnt describe a person who gets married to someone his child dislikes as a fantastic dad.

Exactly. I would never have married DH (DD’s step dad) if they didn’t get on well together. Her happiness has always has been my first priority, the way it should be for your own child. There is no way I’d force her to live with somebody she didn’t like, that’s just creating an unhealthy environment for all involved and I wouldn’t be happy either.

Icantbelievebodiesgone · 27/02/2024 10:01

Reugny · 27/02/2024 08:38

What's that got to do with the price of fish?

Unfortunately some people have an issue if the other parent of their children moves on after they split up and stops running round after them. They then use their child as a weapon.

It’s very relevant. If the new stepmother was the other woman of course there will be bad feeling on that part of the ex wife and the daughter.

OP what does your husband do when your stepdaughter is telling you to fuck off.

I would also report to the police that 13 year old daughter has had sex. This is a criminal offence. Who has she been having sex with and what age.

You shouldn’t have to move out, as other posters have advised. That’s a ridiculous and untenable suggestion.

helpfulperson · 27/02/2024 10:04

This is seriously unhappy child whose needs have been made second to those of the adults. It was obvious from the start that she wasn't happy with the situation but you moved in together and ploughed on regardless. But don't worry, I doubt you'll see her much as she gets older.

MaloneMeadow · 27/02/2024 10:05

helpfulperson · 27/02/2024 10:04

This is seriously unhappy child whose needs have been made second to those of the adults. It was obvious from the start that she wasn't happy with the situation but you moved in together and ploughed on regardless. But don't worry, I doubt you'll see her much as she gets older.

This.

Reugny · 27/02/2024 10:06

Icantbelievebodiesgone · 27/02/2024 10:01

It’s very relevant. If the new stepmother was the other woman of course there will be bad feeling on that part of the ex wife and the daughter.

OP what does your husband do when your stepdaughter is telling you to fuck off.

I would also report to the police that 13 year old daughter has had sex. This is a criminal offence. Who has she been having sex with and what age.

You shouldn’t have to move out, as other posters have advised. That’s a ridiculous and untenable suggestion.

The daughter shouldn't have been told about her parent's relationship.

As the OP has been with her husband for a least 7 years, why would a parent be telling their infant school aged child this?

There have been threads on MN where a friend or a mother can't get over the fact that their marriage to their first spouse broke down 20, 30 and even 40 years late, and they are still married/with the next person after all that time.

stealtheatingtunnocks · 27/02/2024 10:07

Poor kid. No one is listening to her.

arethereanyleftatall · 27/02/2024 10:08

@Youcannotbeseriousreally
You seem totally self absorbed. Completely unable to empathise at all with a child.

MaloneMeadow · 27/02/2024 10:13

Reugny · 27/02/2024 09:57

The child is 13.

Therefore the child can choose who she lives with.

In fact if the child doesn't want to see her dad, she can just stop turning up.

Really? Not every child is fortunate enough to have a good relationship with both parents. My child certainly doesn’t! It sounds like her mother most certainly has her own struggles and isn’t fit to look after her. The father in this situation needs to step up and make sure that her needs are being met. This doesn’t seem to be the case, hence why she is struggling and rebelling

Youcannotbeseriousreally · 27/02/2024 10:13

arethereanyleftatall · 27/02/2024 10:08

@Youcannotbeseriousreally
You seem totally self absorbed. Completely unable to empathise at all with a child.

I can empathise, I just fundamentally disagree that the OP should play second fiddle to the absolutely shit behaviour. Which might not have anything to do with the parents divorce. Yet everyone is so quick to make excuses. That’s why the behaviour of the child is already so bad. She needs dealing with but the OP isn’t her mum and it is her house so she shouldn’t be treated this way at all.

this is the way that step parent threads always go on Mn. It’s so boring. Adults are allowed lives and should be treated with respect regardless.

arethereanyleftatall · 27/02/2024 10:16

@Youcannotbeseriousreally
The child's behaviour is clearly a direct result of the selfish choices made by the adults in her life. By marrying someone she didn't like, to a child, her father might as well have said to her direct 'I'm choosing op over you.' That is fundamentally shit for a daughter to learn about her father.

MaloneMeadow · 27/02/2024 10:17

Youcannotbeseriousreally · 27/02/2024 10:13

I can empathise, I just fundamentally disagree that the OP should play second fiddle to the absolutely shit behaviour. Which might not have anything to do with the parents divorce. Yet everyone is so quick to make excuses. That’s why the behaviour of the child is already so bad. She needs dealing with but the OP isn’t her mum and it is her house so she shouldn’t be treated this way at all.

this is the way that step parent threads always go on Mn. It’s so boring. Adults are allowed lives and should be treated with respect regardless.

Children also have lives and should be treated with respect regardless.

Moving your new woman in fresh after a messy divorce and simply expecting your DD to be able to just get on with it is not respectful or reasonable in my book.

Youcannotbeseriousreally · 27/02/2024 10:17

arethereanyleftatall · 27/02/2024 10:16

@Youcannotbeseriousreally
The child's behaviour is clearly a direct result of the selfish choices made by the adults in her life. By marrying someone she didn't like, to a child, her father might as well have said to her direct 'I'm choosing op over you.' That is fundamentally shit for a daughter to learn about her father.

No child should be dictating an adults life. End of.

helpfulperson · 27/02/2024 10:23

arethereanyleftatall · 27/02/2024 10:16

@Youcannotbeseriousreally
The child's behaviour is clearly a direct result of the selfish choices made by the adults in her life. By marrying someone she didn't like, to a child, her father might as well have said to her direct 'I'm choosing op over you.' That is fundamentally shit for a daughter to learn about her father.

Exactly. It doesn't mean you couldn't continue a relationship with her father.