Hi! I (33f) have done therapy (5 sessions because I was allocated 5 per my job's insurance) to have some help dealing with my trauma in order to be a better adult to my BF (33m) SD6. I understand my issues were/ are due to my own childhood issues and I'm working on it. I do want to bond with my BF's daughter. One day, we will live together. So, how to bond with a 6yo? I see her every other weekend. I don't live with her dad (he has her every two weeks). I plan all the activities we do as a "family". SD 12 and I have a nice relationship, but I feel estranged to SD 6 and it feels like it's the ..read more

My stepson (7) doesn't act like himself when his mom is around us at school events or during pick up for example. He is always up her butt, almost literally, and will act out toward us during these moments. It's almost like he's picking sides which don't even exist. His dad and I have had conversations about this with him, and we explain to him often that with that behavior, it is hard for us to do things all together as a blended family with his mom and her new partner included even though we have a good relationship. We've also told him that we are all on his team and that there's no reason ..read more

My partner (38M) and I (30F) have a blended family. He has 2 kids (SS12 and SD9) and I have 1 (3F). It's been hard lately knowing where I stand and what I'm allowed to do as a step parent. My SO and I have been together for 3 years and I have somehow become the 'default' parent in the house. Im often the one giving them rides to sports when their dad can't, cleaning up after them, making sure they're doing homework and that they shower. Their mom does none of this (SS is failing grade 4). My MIL picks up a lot of slack for both parents and I'm always telling her to take it easy and to let the ..read more

I (F31) have been with my fiance (M35) for 2 years and we're about to get married in less than a week. I initially did NOT want to date someone with children (I don’t have children). At the time it wasn't because I didn't want children myself, just didn't want a "prestarted home" with possible issues with ex wives/bio moms and I wanted to continue having the freedom of traveling with my SO with no issue, etc. But I gave this guy a chance and now we live together, are engaged, and actually have custody of his son (M8) on the weekdays (our home is more stable than his mother's house). When we f ..read more

I really can’t sit here and write 7 years of history It’s so much but at this point here’s what’s going on My partner has 2 older kids (11&13). They have been coming down every two weeks since Christmas. I have 2 kids if my own, they are younger (4&8). My kids and I live together and my partner brings his kids to our home. Every two weeks something has happened. Ie toilet being clogged and then sh*t being splattered all over my bathroom vanity and walls .. tv being broken .. & last weekend two hamsters died.. I literally cannot catch a break. Anyways. When I express frustrations t ..read more

My mother in law started this last summer when I told her to mind her business regarding my household. For DH ;You neglect your child emotionally and financially but the moment I express to you they always come to me for everything and im drained and that certain manners that should be addressed like telling the whole family what goes on in our household .....I "hate them" Right now SD and DH aren't speaking to me. Because I expressed how I spend more money on the children than DH and SD disrespects me because DH talks to me like I'm a child in front of her. I work from home. And a full time ..read more

Hello, I am not a step parent, so please don’t delete me because I need advice from all of you! I (24F) just moved in with my boyfriend (25M). He has a five year old son. The past few months his son’s behavior has gone from the typical five year old behavior to constant whining, crying, and sometimes even hitting. (If this is typically five years old behavior, I am not aware of this.) I did not grow up around kids nor did I babysit. The closest thing I had was my younger brother and we are only a few minutes apart in age. I absolutely love my boyfriend and truly see a future with him, but I n ..read more

A letter to my DH who will never see this and I'm grateful for that because sometimes a momma/stepmomma just needs to vent and bitch. Stoooopppp complaining that SK4 whines when you aren't consistently trying to stop it!! SK4 will never learn that whining gets them nowhere if you cave and give them whatever they want half the time. My God dude I cannot listen to you say how much you hate the whining just to turn around and give in the second SK4 whines or fake cries for something. The fuck dude. Okay rant over ? submitted by /u/whiskeylove21 [visit reddit] [comments ..read more

After 3 years with my boyfriend, BM calls me live in girlfriend. She knows my name as last week she tried to play nice and have a 10 minute conversation with me. Kids talk about me and have interacted with me at sports events and called out my name. I’ve been in their life for 2 years and a few months. It just sickens me that I don’t even get the respect of being called my name. I’m just live in girlfriend. Also, she has tried to turn me against my boyfriend. submitted by /u/h3ntaiprincess [visit reddit] [comments ..read more

Today my stepson (8) came home from school and gave me a little handmade card on construction paper. It says Happy Mother's Day with cats all over it and "Meow" and "Love ya!" which of course I found absolutely adorable and was extremely touched. However... He then started talking about the thing he was working for his "actual mom" (his words).. for a little back story, I have been in his life as long as he can remember. His dad got custody when he was like 2 because BM was being neglectful, and he got into her bf's drugs. I have been more of a mother to him than she has ever since. I have do ..read more