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Step-parenting

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How to get step daughter to move home

168 replies

stepparentinghell · 20/07/2024 23:15

How can I convince my step daughter to move back to her mums.
I am literally at my wits end, this has caused me to start self harming again as has triggered my abandonment anxiety, my kids are stressed too as they feel left again.

Basically we don't live with my partner, we have always lived separately but will stay at each others houses. For 5 years this has worked.

6 weeks ago via daughter fell out with her mother and moved into his. Since then he doesn't stay, we don't stay at his, he doesn't come back for lunch breaks etc. my life and my kids life is upside down. My eldest feels it's just someone else leaving him again.

Stepdaughter basically is loving living with him because he gives her money for whatever she wants, beauty treatments, clothes. She is 12. She is a little shit at school and he doesn't care. She ripped all her acrylics nails off as he wouldn't replace one broken one and he's now talking about taking her to have them re done again. He works all the time she is always on her own; she was caught by me cooking with hot oil and using a plastic coliandee to take food out the oil. I went mad as I was worried for her safety but her mother and dad had w go at me. Instead of thinking their 12 year old is home alone all the time and playing with gas flakes and oil. She wanted a new phone so she has the new iPhone 15 pro, her mum apparently doesn't buy clothes for her so he's constantly buying them. This means now he complained even more to me about the money I have and her and how skint he is. I have come to stay at his tonight as his other daughter is here. And he's so focused on what else can he buy this 12 year old. He's given her his bank card for his seperate account so she always has money on her. She is staying because of what she gets out of him. His ex wife is more concerned with what I am doing and saying on fb etc. I am at my wits end. I just want our life back. Where when my kids were at their dads we could have time to ourselves etc. He has booked to come on holiday to Greece with me and my kids, he's never come abroad with us as his ex wouldn't let him buy passports. But this year he's decided he will come, I am now worried he will bail because the daughter will have to go back to her mothers for the 2 weeks. And again this lets my kids down! I am so bloody fed up with this all. It's like he just can't see what he's putting me through. We had our set routine and life and now it's duxked. He's even said that since she been staying even if she goes back he won't be staying at mine as much because he's now use to not being up earlier as my kids get up earlier. It's literally ruined. I have come upto bed at 8 because I am just fed up of watching it all tonight he's not even bothered to come up. But says I am the bad guy if I leave and he will tell everyone it's because his daughter moved in

OP posts:
PortiasBiscuit · 20/07/2024 23:20

Why are you with this guy?

GrazingSheep · 20/07/2024 23:21

What sort of shit life have you brought your kids into???

KikiShaLeeBopDeBopBop · 20/07/2024 23:22

You know it's not the daughter's fault, right?

stepparentinghell · 20/07/2024 23:24

He had a phone call from school because she was rude to the teacher on a school trip. She argued with a teacher and refused to go in a 4 as she wanted to go in a group of 2. Then she stormed off so teacher followed and as she was sat down her teacher picked her bag to get her to follow her which would the SD up more. Her dad is all ' well the teacher did wrong picking up her bag and making her work in a 4' so again hasn't disciplined her. She is 12 and already a nightmare. How can I make him see he is ruining her. The same with money.
I made a point in front of her tonight as she said she was staying at her friends that he can finally stay at mine tomorrow, same as I have said I will try to find beds and get my kids to share some days that his kids stay if it means we can't get back to normality and we can get back to pur life before she moved in.
SD has told me that she wants to probably move back to her mums but when I told dad he was like 'she doesn't tell me abs the mum this'

OP posts:
POTC · 20/07/2024 23:26

Unless I'm missing something, you would be splitting up with him because his daughter moved in. You've said you want her to go, implying you wouldn't split up with him if she did go to her mums.
His daughter should be his priority above your children as they are not his children, same way as you are clearly making yours your priority over his.
You seem to be suggesting that your children, who are not actually related to him and have been in his life less time than his daughter, should be more important to him than his own. Flip that around and think how you'd feel if he asked you to send yours to live with their dad so he could have you alone.

stepparentinghell · 20/07/2024 23:27

@KikiShaLeeBopDeBopBop she moved in because she didn't want to do sports day and her mum said she would have to and she thought her dad would let her get away with it.
I had a conversation the other week as she told him her friend was staying and we went out and she kept asking for money. I said to the SD that her mum isn't releasing the CB or UC elements and stop CSA so she's getting £600 a month extra and her daughter doesn't live with her! And that she needs to be careful asking him for all this money, next minute she's asking him
To buy her and her friend a bracelet. She is literally scrounging for money

OP posts:
GrazingSheep · 20/07/2024 23:29

Unbelievable

stepparentinghell · 20/07/2024 23:29

@POTC my kids have always lived with me, his hasn't and it was always they stayed two nights a week which worked. My youngest is autistic and he is so thrown and upset because his routine has been disrupted with her moving in, he also has never known life without him in it. My eldest he witnessed the trauma, the peeing everywhere etc when my previous partner have left and he's putting him through this again.

OP posts:
GrazingSheep · 20/07/2024 23:30

My eldest he witnessed the trauma, the peeing everywhere etc when my previous partner have left and he's putting him through this again.

No. You are putting your children through trauma.

yeesh · 20/07/2024 23:31

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

EG94 · 20/07/2024 23:33

I’m usually firmly on the side of the step mum but I do think you’re being unreasonable here and openly admitting you don’t want the step daughter around. I can’t work out if you don’t like the disruption this has caused to you life or his shit parenting. Maybe both. His parenting won’t improve if she’s 12 and she’s still this shit.

I can’t see you’d be happy if he miraculously did start parenting his daughter either so I don’t see a compromise.

I think your only option is to leave as your partner is also telling you if she moves back home, he doesn’t plan to be around you.

BreadInCaptivity · 20/07/2024 23:33

Your partner is the main problem, but you have also accepted a living set up that has facilitated his ability to "retreat" and act without care for the impact on you and your children.

You can't get her to move out any more than your partner should be able to ask the same of you and one of your children.

BreadInCaptivity · 20/07/2024 23:36

stepparentinghell · 20/07/2024 23:27

@KikiShaLeeBopDeBopBop she moved in because she didn't want to do sports day and her mum said she would have to and she thought her dad would let her get away with it.
I had a conversation the other week as she told him her friend was staying and we went out and she kept asking for money. I said to the SD that her mum isn't releasing the CB or UC elements and stop CSA so she's getting £600 a month extra and her daughter doesn't live with her! And that she needs to be careful asking him for all this money, next minute she's asking him
To buy her and her friend a bracelet. She is literally scrounging for money

She is 12.

These are not conversations you should be having with her.

The issue is you don't agree with how your DP is parenting her.

Your focus is misdirec

LadyMinerva · 20/07/2024 23:37

You don't talk to a 12 year old about her parents financial affairs. You are adding fuel to the fire that is her playing her parents against each other.

She is 12. You are an adult.

I feel bad for the disruption to your kids but none of this is her fault and this is not a battle you are ever going to win.

POTC · 20/07/2024 23:37

stepparentinghell · 20/07/2024 23:29

@POTC my kids have always lived with me, his hasn't and it was always they stayed two nights a week which worked. My youngest is autistic and he is so thrown and upset because his routine has been disrupted with her moving in, he also has never known life without him in it. My eldest he witnessed the trauma, the peeing everywhere etc when my previous partner have left and he's putting him through this again.

But your child is not this man's responsibility, he is yours. My son is autistic, I chose not to get into a relationship for that reason.
His daughter is his responsibility and its about time he took on more of a role in her life.

InWalksBarberalla · 20/07/2024 23:37

His step daughter doesn't need to 'move home'. She already living at home with her father.

BreadInCaptivity · 20/07/2024 23:37

...focus is misdirected.

BreadInCaptivity · 20/07/2024 23:38

stepparentinghell · 20/07/2024 23:29

@POTC my kids have always lived with me, his hasn't and it was always they stayed two nights a week which worked. My youngest is autistic and he is so thrown and upset because his routine has been disrupted with her moving in, he also has never known life without him in it. My eldest he witnessed the trauma, the peeing everywhere etc when my previous partner have left and he's putting him through this again.

Again you have chosen this set up.

SheilaWilde · 20/07/2024 23:40

Maybe just take a step back and focus on your own DC and their needs. You're bringing the drama into their lives, no one else.

stepparentinghell · 20/07/2024 23:40

He will soon hate being on his own and will stay again though once she goes home. He just saying it for effect right now.

OP posts:
UltramarineViolet · 20/07/2024 23:41

Oh the irony!

It sounds like you need to split and focus on your own DC. She isn't your step daughter (luckily for her).

MyOtherCarisAVauxhallZafira · 20/07/2024 23:42

She's a CHILD.
Your venom towards a 12 yeast old is horrific. She should be her father's priority and if her behaviour isn't great because she's being spoilt and has no boundaries set, that's on the adults raising her.
YABVVVU to start talking to her about her mother's finances and to call a child a scrounger!
You sound absolutely awful

EG94 · 20/07/2024 23:43

stepparentinghell · 20/07/2024 23:40

He will soon hate being on his own and will stay again though once she goes home. He just saying it for effect right now.

Then you should have a better sense of self worth to be picked up and dropped according to when he decides and if he does try to come back you should say no. My kids have just gotten over the last disruption, as sad as it is, you are not able to be a dad and partner and I will not put my kids through that again.

MyOtherCarisAVauxhallZafira · 20/07/2024 23:43

How many 'stepdads' have your children had? Who was peeing everywhere when the last one left?!

socks1107 · 20/07/2024 23:46

I'm a step parent, and I've had some dreadful times recently. But she is 12, and he is responsible for her not your children's stability.
Your behaviour is appalling

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