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Too polite to be honest - SS continue to lie

Caroline2b1211's picture

So today after work i went to the activity centre to pick up SS. 

What a surprised when i discovered SS was waiting with another little boy and his mother. 
The little boy was yonger than SS, probably 6 or 7 YO. He seemed eager to see me and said to SS : Is it her ? 
Then, he looked at me and said : i have something to tell you. His mother was just behind him. 

I did not understand what was going on. SS answered rapidly to me "No, he has nothing to tell you, let's go !" 

So i insist on the boy and asked him what was going on. The mother was quiet. 
He told me that SS has bullied him all the day, reffering to him as "Mister baby cuddly". His mother replied : "oh no my darling, i'm sure it was affectionate". 
I asked SS to explain himself. He said that the boy told him he has a comforter called "baby cuddly". SS thought it was funny and started to call him like this. Then, all the other kids followed.

I was so shocked. It's the first time for me to be pointed out by a child and his mother about SS bad behaviour. I didn't know what to say, so i came up with an "I'm sorry you feel hurt, i'm sure SS didn't mean to offend you but as you don't like it, i will tell SS to never ever call you like that". The boy was relieved, i asked his mother if everything was OK, and we left. 

I was so upset about SS behaviour. I didn't even know he was capable of bullying someone !
I was trying to figured out how to deal with that, when he naturally asked me while walking : "Are you pride of me ? You see, i didn't tell any bad lie about dad and you". I was just speechless ! 

I calmly answered : you just bullied a little boy, younger than you, all the day. He was so sad he waited with his mother to see and talk to me, and you are asking me if i'm proud of you ? No i'm not, there is nothing in your behaviour i could be proud of. Fortunately you're not telling bad lies about your dad and I. There is no congratulation for an absolutely NORMAL behavior ! Just stop asking for congratulation and start acting like someone who deserve it !

Then, he started all the victim speech : yes i know my behaviour is horrible. I've made really dangerous and serious mistake. I don't deserve any forgiveness for ever ever in my entire life.
I could see he didn't belive a word he was saying. He was just trying another method to be comforted and congratulated. 

I just don't know how to deal with his personality. I try my best to be a constructive model, but i just don't know what to do. I know he needs help, but, i'm just speechless.

Comments

Harry's picture

That his fathers job.  His father responsible to deal with other mothers, deal with his kids bad behavior. You know as he gets older I it's only going to get worst. 

Caroline2b1211's picture

Yes i know that, i told everything to DH for "information" so that he can do his parent job ! Which he did. 
I obviously know it will getting worst with the time if nothing serious is done

Esperanza's picture

This sounds so hard and terrible. This boy needs help! His father needs to address these behaviours and support him so he can start changing his ways.

I feel bad for him, he obviously learned from a young to be manipulative and has emulated toxic behaviours.

best of luck for you and hang in there 

Caroline2b1211's picture

MIL and SIL are really manipulative people. DH familly is absolutely dysfunctionnal and the members always treated SS as a victim that needed compensation.

I think it started in his early years, just after SS and DH separation. However, these "drama series" didn't seem to have an impact on SS behaviour. DH has always been strict about it and when SS played the victim (it was always happening after MIL or SIL visits) he was corrected and situation was explained and never last more than a few minutes. 

That's why, i'm surprised of the current situation. Could those two crazy ones impacted him so deeply ? 

One another hand, BM is really young in her head and have some default (imaturity for the most) but i have never seen her playing manipulative games. The stepfather neither. 

Thumper's picture

 "I'm sorry you feel hurt, I'm sure SS didn't mean to offend you but as you don't like it, i will tell SS to never ever call you like that".

-----------------

Maybe you do not realize it but the words you used minimized the impact of what SS called to the other kid. Regardless if anyone else may think it is  not a big deal or kids will be kids attitude.  I would have said:

MY ss calling you xyz hurt your feelings.    That was not nice at all.  It is important we treat each other kindly.

 THEN--OH yes, THEN,  I would have MADE my ss say to the kid and the kids mom..using the kids first name..."Thomas, what i said to you was not nice and I hurt your feelings. I will do better. I am sorry.

 

I am of the opinion that some circumstances DO require Step parents to react and respond. This is one of those times...your dh/bm put you in this position by having you pick up SS.

 

 

Caroline2b1211's picture

Hello Thrumper, 

I'm impressed by the accuracy of your suggestion. Course my response to the child was not correct. I was just feeling so bad i didn't know what to said. 
Plus, it's SS, and i'm a little afraid to not feel legitime to tell such things. 
But i'll keep it in mind if this situation happens again

StepUltimate's picture

... is another option. My SSnow21 got in trouble while in jr. and high school for acting like a jerk, & I made him write apology notes, in this format:

  1. What exactly I did & acknowledge why it was wrong.
  2. Apologize, and OWN it - no b.s. "Sorry you felt that way" tripe.
  3. What I will do differently the next time a similar situation comes up (=what I should have done with the info/circumstance THIS time). 

No matter what skid chooses in life, there are consequences. I explained that all humans make mistskes/act inappropriately at times, but mature humsns own their part, apologize, and course-correct going forward. That relationships take work, and apologies when we offend enable everyone to move forward without building up resentments... is part of that work.

My $0.02!

Thumper's picture

2. How do you handle it? Let bm or dad be present at all activities and pick up's. IT is their job not yours. IF work is a problem..hell we all find a way to pick our kids up. They can too.

 

Caroline2b1211's picture

No, it's not. DH goes pick BS (baby) at 4 pm, and i didn't want him to be outside during his naps time. So i suggested to pick up SS insted, to avoid waking up BS.