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Step-parenting

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Weekends with step kids are boring

137 replies

Navigatingstepparenting · 17/05/2026 10:39

Aibu?

Been together 6 years, live in seperate houses mainly because he has a 4 bed house but won’t have his children share who visit maybe every other weekend these days. My two children can’t share due to my youngest a disability. His mother owes them house and she is apparently told old to sell this house and get a bigger one, told us when she’s dead then we can do what we want but she doesn’t want to. Also financially I would actually be skint living with him.
Anyways his kids are now 12 and 14. They come roughly every other weekend now when I have my kids rather than every weekend. Which I am happier about as means that we get the every other weekend without my children and his and can just relax and chill like we use to when we first got together as he use to have his kids Sundays and Mondays every week but that changed to every Friday and saturday. Unfortunately I will still book my weekends away on my child free weekends and it’s upto him whether he stays at home with his kids or comes with me and he choose to come with me. So I think naturally they now come every other week. But this is now my dilemma. His kids will stay awake a lot durn the night (says he can’t control this because their mother allows it.) and then they sleep u til like 1-2pm. My every other weekend with my children we have to to be quiet until 1-2. Usually I have a lie in Saturdays so they are happy in the room they have to share the 2 nights we are here but then I get up and we don’t do breakfast or lunch until they are up, we just sit and watch tv, play iPads and do nothing with our day or go out and do nothing fun because we wait for them to get up and then they don’t even want to go out. I then get grumpy and in a mood because I’m like this is just boring, he believes it’s doing my kids good as believes over the years they have been too spoilt with weekend to zoos and theme parks etc as his kids didn’t and holidays abroad etc. but I’m bored at home, I also don’t want my eldest wanting to live with his dad because we do nothing. Today I have made plans as he went to work at 7am and his kids let themselves out when they wake up and that’s wrong because I am treating my kids to a day out, well yes unfortunately I am because I have to do something with them! But we can’t make any noise and wake his precious children. I’d i stay at home the weekend we get moaned at that we aren’t spending time together as a family.

I take my kids abroad most years, his kids don’t have passports and that’s a him problem I can’t be expected to pay for them aswell as me and my kids. But I am putting £30 a week into an account same as him to do weekends away in this country with all our children! That’s great but we have done one and have another booked and one of his kids is saying she may not come as it’s too childish. We go to like park deans. But she had a blast last time, and we’ve said we are open to ideas to suit everyone. Anyways he doesn’t really like to go spending on them park days etc but has said this time we can take food to cook and use the money to d a theme park or something to make her want to keep coming. Sorry but she’s just being ungrateful on my eyes. Her mother doesn’t take her away we are trying to do something every other month and it’s not good enough. But he just tells me I am making them the enemy and I’m being harsh. Like err no. She’s being ungrateful.
Now refusing to eat dinner if I cook it, although it’s cooked the exact way he does it.

All his kids did was spend all weekend upstairs anyways! Like what’s the point in coming over? The youngest was because she wanted her friend over Friday night which disturbs everyone as they can’t be quiet. But he thinks it’s great because the friend is allowed to stay here and not the mothers and that he could win the battle with her wanting to move on here.

I get staying home is great we save money but I’m bored of it. Step

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Navigatingstepparenting · 18/05/2026 17:43

@MiaKulperour UC would comprise of
child Disabilitt payment
adult LCWRA
2 child element
2 adult element.
the majority of the Uc would be my and my child’s disability and he’s wanting half of the UC

OP posts:
MiaKulper · 18/05/2026 17:47

He's not a keeper, @Navigatingstepparenting .

Scarlettpixie · 18/05/2026 17:48

You should not consider living together and both need to put your kids first. When you are in a relationship with someone who has kids you always need to consider that some or all of them could end up living with you full time. You sound like you don’t like his kids. They are not your step kids as you are not married. You don’t even live together.

What he says about divorce makes no sense (except the not wanting to pay the fee). Divorce is no fault now. You don’t even give a reason beyond irretrievable breakdown. It’s very straightforward.

BudgetBuster · 18/05/2026 17:58

Honestly I'm completely baffled by you OP.

You hate his kids (particularly his younger daughter). He is MARRIED with no intentions of divorce. He has no assets because he collects wives like they are gojng out of fashion but doesnt want them to have any rights. He hardly ever sees his kids anyway and even when they do visit he goes to work or spends his time with your kids instead.

You are sponging off the government to keep benefits you arent entitled to while living in his MUMMYS house. You are uprooting your kids left right and centre (go to their dads, go to your house, go to boyfriends house where there is no room) - utter chaos!

You weirdly are calling yourselves a family but honestly both your kids are going to be absolutely messed up because you are hellbent on being this married man without any thought for any child.

littlemousebigcheese · 18/05/2026 18:05

Jesus, are you desperate enough to put up with this? I couldn’t be bothered.

arethereanyleftatall · 18/05/2026 18:16

I would imagine that as his children are now teenagers, his use for you as a babysitter are now concluded, so now he needs to see if he can get his hands on ‘your’ £4k month.

excelledyourself · 18/05/2026 18:22

BudgetBuster · 18/05/2026 17:58

Honestly I'm completely baffled by you OP.

You hate his kids (particularly his younger daughter). He is MARRIED with no intentions of divorce. He has no assets because he collects wives like they are gojng out of fashion but doesnt want them to have any rights. He hardly ever sees his kids anyway and even when they do visit he goes to work or spends his time with your kids instead.

You are sponging off the government to keep benefits you arent entitled to while living in his MUMMYS house. You are uprooting your kids left right and centre (go to their dads, go to your house, go to boyfriends house where there is no room) - utter chaos!

You weirdly are calling yourselves a family but honestly both your kids are going to be absolutely messed up because you are hellbent on being this married man without any thought for any child.

These aren’t her first of set of hated stepdaughters.

This guy is an absolute waster (alcoholic and drug user), but at least his kids have a room at his house.

She had the last ones sleeping in the hallway.

BCBird · 18/05/2026 18:32

inmyhair · 17/05/2026 11:10

Just see him on the days he hasn't got his kids. No need for all that drama.

Makes sense. U see each other 50 percent less, but at least it's quality time. Not sure what you can do about him not seeing ur children though.

Loadsapandas · 18/05/2026 18:33

Navigatingstepparenting · 18/05/2026 15:44

@MiaKulperno he didn’t go to Dubai. Me and my children are going and he will be stuck at hime with his kids. And he’s not happy about it. It’s actually a holiday gifted via inheirtance not money from the state used.

Because when his kids aren’t around there isn’t really any issues. So why not live with him for the sake of 4 days.

we had moved our stuff, but then wgen finances and money etc started happening I didn’t give up my rental property.

You didn’t give up your rental?

who is paying for the at empty property?

is this a wind up?

PetrolKoala · 18/05/2026 19:34

You‘re focusing on making the problem his kids when it’s him.

He wants to insist you go to his and can’t go out without him/his kids. He wants you to move in and take money that is meant for your child and yours disability. He wants your children to share when it’s already been deemed enough of an issue that you are able to get an additional rental amount so they don’t share as that’s what’s in the best interest of your children. He wants you all to be a family for the small amount of time that he sees his kids when I’m sure they’d rather just spend some time with their dad. He won’t get a divorce because of some nonsense excuse. It all sounds controlling and drama filled.

Just stay at your own home and let your children enjoy their time with you. They are the ones that are losing out in this scenario.

Zoec1975 · 18/05/2026 19:40

Sometimesitsmyownfault · 17/05/2026 11:51

Life is too short for all this nonsense. Wouldn’t you be happier without him/them? Weekends on your own terms? Not tiptoeing around so you don’t disturb his kids WTF? Meals appreciated and not whinged at? Honestly, what is the point of a relationship like this?

Agree

TellHerToFuckOff · 18/05/2026 19:52

This poster is a bully btw, hates her partners daughters, particularly the youngest one, and gangs up on her with the older one.

People would do well to check out her previous threads. Her treatment of his youngest child, the way she speaks about her are absolutely vile.

OP, you’d be doing these girls a favour if you just left them and their father alone.

RudolphTheReindeer · 18/05/2026 19:52

He sounds like a controlling dick and will end up a cocklodger. Wake up and dump him.

TellHerToFuckOff · 18/05/2026 19:59

RudolphTheReindeer · 18/05/2026 19:52

He sounds like a controlling dick and will end up a cocklodger. Wake up and dump him.

Nope, she is the controlling dick and the cocklodger based on her previous threads. Nasty individual

Besidemyselfwithworry · 18/05/2026 21:10

Navigatingstepparenting · 18/05/2026 10:57

@Besidemyselfwithworry I currently recieve around £4400 a month. My Pip is £570, my son DLA is £570, carers allowance, 3 bedroom home rate, LCWRA and UC is approximately £2400 a month. Plus CB and CSA.
I would lose the majority of the £2400 a month because of his earnings! As he has also said we would have to split any UC 50/50. As apparently why should he not gain anything out of us moving in as all the bills go up. Which I would be paying those increases but he doesn’t see it that way. The majority of my UC is mine and my son’s disabled elements however he doesn’t understand that.
he is very frugal, he doesn’t do dishwashers and tumble dryers which I have as a necessity due to my disability so that’s a lot more running, he doesn’t see my kids clothes and clubs as joint so that I have to find somewhere. His water bill double last year but apparently that was my fault for living there for a few weeks in Easter rather than his daughter actually lived there and was having 2 40 minute showers a day.

my kids love staying there, mainly when his kids aren’t as we don’t have to be silent. I don’t see why if we lived together my kids are there 26 days a month, his 4 days… they can share for the 4 days. Whilst my kids need seperate rooms and it’s part of my youngest issues. When they aren’t there durn the week he allows my eldest to stay in his youngest daughters room so my kids are seperated.

he doesn’t want to pay the divorce fee, and he believe if she files he can try and gain the debt money back as it proves if she files that he didn’t choose to end it all. His mother is in agreement too. Something about when he divorced his first wife, the kids mum, she tried to take him for this and that so he had to get rid of money or something.

thing is he can be lovely, any issues I have he is there and sorts them, needed to change my car he put the £2000 extra on his credit card, my car breaks he pays for it, the kids need to get their hair cut he does it, the youngest is having a meltdown he deals with it. There is so many good aspects, he takes one of my kids to a club thing every Wednesday, every Tuesday he takes the other to football, he is there for them, he’s who they message and ask to come to school plays and things and he does his best to be at everyone. We have discussed living together this year, however we cannot find a solution for the sleeping arrangement. I have suggested building an extension on the house, or we convert the summer house to a room for one of the kids. He’s suggested getting a caravan on the drive for a kid. But we have to iron out this whole kid thing first. An d frankly I don’t know how. Suddently the last 2 months it’s all about ‘his girls’ and things but realistically it’s all just words. I have been taking his eldest out every week doing homeschooling, and to hair appointments etc as her mum doesn’t. But that’s over looked. His kids can never do wrong, he’s just bought the 14 year old a box of about 40 disposable vapes.. because apparently he’s better getting them from him than some dodgy bloke. He wants to be their friend not their parent. But will parent mine as he says he can’t undo the mistakes with his and he doesn’t get a day because they live with their mother primarily. Again there is issues there but he doesn’t go to social to get them living with him etc and even his mum said we don’t want the eldest moving back in with you.

last weekend I said I was going to stay home as we have coughs and colds and he gets really ill if he catches it, his response was well if you do I won’t be impressed we aren’t seeing you, he wants us there with him and his kids,

Wow that was lengthy
doesn’t change anything
This whole set up sounds absolutely ridiculous and not sustainable

Daisymug · 18/05/2026 21:11

If he works? Is he claiming UC himself? He can’t be getting much if he’s working! If you move in together is he going to be your carer? And you are the carer of your child?
If you only stay over max 3 times a week, which I don’t believe! Why use them days when he has his children.

Navigatingstepparenting · 19/05/2026 04:05

@Daisymug he was receiving UC when his daughter lived with him last year, think he’s still on the system but doesn’t get much.
in the carer of my child, I habe no choice. But his DLA and my pip are used for things to make our lives easier. I use mine to pay for a gardener, cleaner etc as I can’t do it myself. But he doesn’t understand this. Living together he would do the garden anyways but the cleaning is something we have to discuss.
originally he would stay maybe 1 night a week at mine but has this real thing that he prefers his house and his belongings around him. Frankly it’s because though since he’s stopped drinking he plays this game to keep him occupied and he can’t play it at mine as it’s computer based and doesn’t play on phone. I stay one night durn the week as that’s a night we have good home cooked meal by him, and then stay when he has the kids as that his choice of days for us to stay, but again good meals etc as he cooks for his kids anyways. Then the other 4 nights a week we usually do one takeaway, the others easy heated food/prepared meals. He wouldn’t want us staying more than 3 nights as the that technically is us living there and he cannot afford that unless I was to pay half the bills which i couldn’t do alongside my house.

I have fibromyalgia, ME, severe depression and mobility issues due to knee and restless legs. I have good days where I can cook more but I know my limits. And caring for my son and his needs mainly with the night time wakings and bowel and bladder maintenance is why my soon qualifies for HRC.

OP posts:
Shocke · 19/05/2026 10:48

Oh come on, what with the gardener and cleaner and the paying for her boyfriends insurance out of the UC payments, holidays to Dubai, not to mention the “durn” 😂😂

Nah, got to be a wind up 😂

MiaKulper · 19/05/2026 10:51

You can't garden or clean but you're your child's carer? Hmm

arethereanyleftatall · 19/05/2026 11:32

Either way, the op must be very very bored.

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 19/05/2026 11:37

This cannot be real. No wonder the country is on its arse if people are getting this much cash.

BudgetBuster · 19/05/2026 11:45

MiaKulper · 19/05/2026 10:51

You can't garden or clean but you're your child's carer? Hmm

She can't cook either so lives with her married boyfriend so he'll make dinner 😂

EmailsaysOOO · 19/05/2026 14:40

Navigatingstepparenting · 18/05/2026 17:43

@MiaKulperour UC would comprise of
child Disabilitt payment
adult LCWRA
2 child element
2 adult element.
the majority of the Uc would be my and my child’s disability and he’s wanting half of the UC

I don't understand this. If You're claiming for 2 adults then part of the UC must be his, mustn't it ?.

Navigatingstepparenting · 19/05/2026 15:32

@EmailsaysOOOyes half the couple allowance wild be his per month. But the rest is my elements. And he doesn’t understand that .

@MiaKulperyes I am his carer. His care needs are to monitor and watch him whilst awake at night. As he is unsafe, and to help with bowel
medication. Things I don’t have to do physically strain myself. His brother helps me but as he’s under 16 he can’t be registered as his carer

OP posts:
EmailsaysOOO · 19/05/2026 15:38

Navigatingstepparenting · 19/05/2026 15:32

@EmailsaysOOOyes half the couple allowance wild be his per month. But the rest is my elements. And he doesn’t understand that .

@MiaKulperyes I am his carer. His care needs are to monitor and watch him whilst awake at night. As he is unsafe, and to help with bowel
medication. Things I don’t have to do physically strain myself. His brother helps me but as he’s under 16 he can’t be registered as his carer

So he's asking for more than a half of the UC? But he's not paying anything regularly for you or your children. So why does he think he's due any more than a half ?.