An odd dynamic
So, my BF and I have been together for a little under a year and are both in our mid twenties. We've been going strong and settling in along with my five yo son. My BF has no children himself, but his mother has addiction issues and very recently we've taken in his younger half brother who are 15 and 16. This is a huge life change for everyone, and I admire my BF for stepping up when no one else in his family would. However, he has little to no parenting skills and I myself have no experience with teenagers. The boys have had no structure whatsoever, no rules. We are having to get a bigger apartment to accommodate for everyone, they are currently camping out in our living room. They play video games all day, and will continue to play late into the night unless my BF tells them to get off. They eat constantly. They're generally polite, but the oldest gives an attitude if something doesn't go his way. He was upset we didn't buy snack food... but these kids go through snack food in 1-2 days. I've been having to pick up after them and they were constantly eating in the living room on our new couch, which wasn't necessarily a rule at first but after cleaning up crumbs it's been the one thing I've asked them not to do. My BF corrected the 15 yo after us reminding them all day, and the 16 yo piped up saying he thought the rule was "dumb". My Bf laid into him and defended me, but afterwards admitted to not knowing what to do or how to approach it. He explained that they are not used to structure and he's not sure how to discipline them. I think we should ground them from their xboxes when they are disrespectful or choose not to follow the one rule we've set into place. I know space is tight and everyone may be stressed, but I'm very anxious about losing footing if we allow this behavior from the start. Again, I do think our home is the best option for them. My BF and I want children of our own one day and these kids don't understand the kind of lifestyle change it's giving us as well. Also, I have rules that go into play for my son and this type of behavior is a bad example for him. Any opinions or advice would be appreciated, I just want a healthy environment for all involved. Thank you!
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Where is the father of these boys?
Both of their parents have
Both of their parents have substance abuse issues and provide unfit living conditions. The boys lived with their paternal grandparents until they passed away within a few months of each other. They lived with their mom for a short time before my BF felt he had to step in. Her abuse is ongoing and he doesn't want his step brothers living with her. Both of their parents have agreed to sign guardianship to my BF.
BF needs to consult a lawyer
BF needs to consult a lawyer about the guardianship. It may not be as simple as just having the parents sign something if it is done correctly.
Your BF needs to learn skills
Your BF needs to learn skills, and his brothers need a safe place to talk about their anger and hurt from their mother. I highly recommend that all three of them get into therapy of some kind ASAP so that they can work through this new dynamic and also have a place to learn new skills.
Would likely also be good for them all to participate in AlAnon or TeenAnon, so they have support.
This isn't going to be as easy as just having kids. These boys were taken away from a rough environment, and now are being parented by a peer. That requires some special skills. Can the boys' case worker offer any suggestions? Or any local foster care agencies offer any guidance?
Also, you might find better help from a foster website than a stepparent one. This is an odd dynamic, and one that might be better addressed by other family fosters than "regular" stepparents.
Thanks for the advice, I wasn
Thanks for the advice, I wasn't sure where to look. They don't have a case manager That I know of, their grandmother just sort of took care of them and raised them for their parents. I'll look into resources from DHS or something related to fostering, thanks again for that idea.