You are here

AdultSDs are destroying my marriage

StepmomLI's picture

My story is very sad. My husband is a good man and we have been married for 15 years. To his credit, he realizes that both his daughters (33) and (30) have been severely damaged emotionally from his batshit crazy ex. She is certifiably crazy and really was a very bad mother to her daughters. They are scarred and are bottomless pits of need ...seriously  needy for parental love that even their father cannot provide in full (even tho they are married with families of they're own!!) . They are both happily married with children but are wracked with jealousy over how I treat my children (4, all gown and married)and grandchildren. 

From the start, I tried very hard with both of my SDs. They were in college when I married their father. The oldest (33) is a borderline personality and for seven long and miserable years heaped abuse after abuse on me. My husband was silent. He never lay down the law or set ground rules that would have demanded respect and civility towards me.  Rather he made  excuses for her horrible behavior until finally in desperation, I issued an ultimatum. Her or me. She is currently dispatched from my life (thankfully!) and has not crossed the threshold into our home for 7 years. I hope never to speak to her again. (I have no issue with my husband visiting her and his grandchildren in her home. ))She is mean, conniving, jealous, and abusive. I have a somewhat better relationship with the younger SD (30).. but she has always remained at arms length from me emotionally. Rarely calls or texts.. but she wants full access to my home and invitations to stay in my home for weekends --the same as my children. She  wants to be treated as my children are treated ... and is terribly jealous of my relationship with my children and grandchildren. She wants all the benefits of a close relationship .. but has never done anything to invest in a relationship. Nothing. She's distant,  cool and removed ... decides to be absent from my life for months on end.. and the complains she's being treated as a second class citizen . Often when we DO spend time together she's always asking about my kids and when they were over at the house. ((Believe it or not, when she had her wedding invitations printed.. my name was entirely left off the invitation! (And my husband had to be strong armed to confront her about this blatant neglect !) And at her wedding she insisted on photos with my husband and his ex.. (he agreed to that request despite my pain and explicit request that he do NOT pose with the ex as one fake happy family)... My husband has one goal: to keep peace but his daughter is demanding as a 12 year old and her jealous demands bespeak an emotional void caused by her mother that just cannot be filled .. by him... or by me. Frankly, I have no interest. I'm very polite to her.. civil.. generous..even rather loving.. but I'm not interested in treating her the same as I treat my own. The problem: she manages to manipulate her father into feeling sorry for her and is an expert in pushing the daddy-guilt button. Today she called outraged that we did not invite her into our house for a visit (nobody comes into  the house because of Covid unless they have antibodies or vaccine) She goes to work, mixes with people etc.. and she tearfully accused her father of allowing MY kids into the house preferentially --.(the kids allowed in have had covid and have been tested for antibodies)  My husband just pussyfoots the conversation , tries to defuse her hurt,  allay her feelings and is unable to take a stand and call this infantile behavior out for what it is. And so it goes on and on my and on. Complaints .. accusations.. unreasonable expectations..I am 62 years old and do not want another divorcé.. but I can't take much more of this emotional blackmailing... and tension on the marriage.. and I simply do not know what to do. Please please advise.

Comments

Survivingstephell's picture

There is and adult step kid board and I suggest you spend some time there reading. You aren't alone in having defective stepdaughters that have their own lives.  I think you're right keeping them distant. I wonder, have you told the SDs exactly why they get treated the way they do by you?   Daddy might pussyfoot around the truth but do you?  

lieutenant_dad's picture

Honestly, the 30 year old doesn't sound nearly as bad as you paint her to be. There is some goose and gandering going on it seems. It's totally reasonable for her not to include you on her wedding invitations because you aren't her parent. Being distant with you shouldn't negate invitations into her father's home similar to what is allowed for your own children if she is polite and civil to you. Having pictures with her parents, even if divorced, is a pretty standard photo request at a wedding.

I'm going to assume there is more, because honestly, what you've written about the 30 year old DOES sound like she gets treated worse than your own kids because she doesn't act like your kids, but that doesn't make her bad so much as just make her different. She may have some very good reasons for her personally that she doesn't want to (or can't be) closer to you, and those reasons shouldn't prevent her from seeing her father in his home (in a home that likely feels like a family home to her just as it does to your kids).

Now, YOU don't need to be the one hosting her on weekends. That needs to be your DH. If he is expecting you to reach out with invitations and make up the house for her, then the problem is less SD and more DH. He needs to be doing these things and letting her blame you isn't fair. There's no "to his credit" on that. Him letting SD think you're the gatekeeper keeping her away because he's too lazy to host his own daughter is bullsh*t and needs to land squarely back in his lap every time it happens.

The 33YO sounds problematic. BPD isn't something you should have in your life. Can't blame you one bit for keeping that out. My SSis has BPD (according to her, anyway), and the further away she is from me, the better.

Lastly, you may want to re-examine your visitor policy. Antibodies doesn't mean unable to spread COVID. With new variants around, it's entirely possible for someone who has been previously infected to spread COVID, especially asymptomatically. Plus, antibody protection wanes in folks, and it's impossible to know if someone is still protected or not. Repeat infection with the same strain is rare, but not getting sick yourself doesn't mean you can't carry it to others. The same applies with the vaccine, which the primary function of the vaccine is to cause an immune response faster so you don't get sick OR you don't get sick as quickly. That doesn't mean you don't carry virus around with you, though. Don't take antibodies and vaccines as carte blanche permission to interact with folks like you're protected. They might be, but that doesn't mean you are.

Kes's picture

I don't have any advice for you but a lot of empathy.  I have two SDs aged 26 and 24 who sound similar to yours.  SD26 is in process of being diagnosed as bipolar, their mother is NPD and I suspect both SDs are too.   I have never really had a relationship with them, because of her, despite the fact I came into their lives when they were 5 and 7. They have both always been jealous of my bios (both in 30s) and my grandchildren.   Like you, I am early 60s, by which age one might be hoping for a bit of peace - no chance!  Issues with the SDs have come close to splitting me and my DH up numerous times in the last few years - they are the ONLY thing we ever argue about.  

StepmomLI's picture

Thanks Kes. I'm so sorry you are going through similar pain as I. It's so excruciating. And I feel fit you. I'm very grateful to you for your reply as I suppose it does help to know there's somebody out there in the universe who understands. I am at the breaking point..there's so much good in the marriage... but my DH cannot/will not tell his daughter she's not entitled to her expectations of equality because she Angel has done nothing to earn my love and  has never invested in the relationship by showing me any sort of love.  Respect and civility yes. And I show her that too. But she is never going to have absolute parity as my biologics. She is not going to be invited with the frequency that my biologics are. She is going to need to ask before just dropping into my home. Yes She cannot expect a "yes" every time she does ask (though I DO try to accommodate). Her expectations are out of whack with reality.. Her father won't face this issue head on and simply tries to placate her . I think he should sit her down for a reality check but he won't. He absolutely won't because he is scared of losing her love. And I am suffering.. suffering.. suffering.. 

Winterglow's picture

I'll admit that I don't really understand why your 2nd SD is jealous of your relationship with your own kids and grandkids. It seems to me that she's directing her discontent at the wrong person. If she wants to be invited more often to your place, shouldn't her father be the one doing the inviting? About staying at your place for weekends  - how far away do your children live and how far away does she live?

StepmomLI's picture

It's pretty complex. Its partially a cultural and traditional thing..in our culture, families spend frequent weekends together and holidays. (My SD and her husband live about 40 minute car drive away.).. it doesn't matter whose doing the inviting.. and truthfully it's not just about the house visits.. she wants to be treated like my biologics in all ways... (Omg.. she once had an all-out tantrum because she was not informed about a DILs pregnancy news the same time that my daughter found out!!!!!) This perfect tit for tat is never going to happen. And I cannot live under the constant measuring stick scrutiny  that she applies. It's backbreaking.. the complaints, the crying, the feeling "less than" .... in a perfect world, I need my husband to explain reality to her. But he won't . Or he can't. Same result. I'm so sad in my marriage. 

Winterglow's picture

Tell me, does she ever invite you to her home? Do your kids ever invite you to their homes?

I quite understand how you feel, though. How can someone who is so stand-offish expect to be treated as if she were the long lost child? Her expectations are completely unrealistic. 

For the record, I have a SIL who bean counts about my relationship with my other SIL. The second one has been welcoming and caring and will always be there when I need her. The first one expects to be treated with deference and get all the first choices/invites/options/etc. and has repeatedly stabbed me in the back, including trying to turn her brother (my dh) against me. 

tog redux's picture

Another "good man" who lets his kids mistreat his wife because they are "damaged" by BM, instead of setting limits.  BM is not the only one who has damaged them with poor parenting.  7 years he allowed his daughter to treat you poorly and it would still be going on now if you hadn't done something about it. 

I too am a bit more confused about the younger one. She doesn't sound too bad. 

StepmomLI's picture

Thanks you so much for your very insightful comments about SD1. You hit the nail on the head and you are correct. If I had not detached from her entirely, her viciousness would have ended the ended.. clear and simple. Very sad that DH did not intervene in early days.

Honestly, SD2 is not as much of a problem. It's her unreasonable demands for parity, equality, etc that are eating me/driving me crazy. She keeps a score card of how I treat my kids and complains to daddy (not me.. she's too scared to antagonize me).. and tells him she feels like a 2nd class citizen. I so wish he would sit her down fir a reality check. But he never will because he is afraid of losing her love. He explains her neediness to me and the pressing expectations that result in my mind (don't know how this will play out in reality) are causing my untold suffering. Hard to live when you know somebody is judging you with a measuring stick .. tho I try to hide as much as I can from her. 

tog redux's picture

I don't really get why she would expect that. If she isn't directly difficult with you, probably best to ignore it. If she is, set her straight like you did SD1. 

ndc's picture

Is your husband pressuring you to treat her differently? If not, I'd ignore, and also tell him you don't want to hear about it anymore. If he's pressuring you, he's a problem.

StepmomLI's picture

Really insightful and terrific advice. I will try. Sometimes you just need to hear it straight and clear from an outside source. Thank you!!! Thank you!!

lieutenant_dad's picture

Is she expecting YOU to treat her like you treat your bios or expecting HER DAD to treat her like either you treat your bios or he treats them?

I'm a SD in addition to being a SM. I have stepsiblings, one that I love dearly and one I wouldn't piss on if she were on fire. I admit that I have gotten jealous of my mom's attention toward my SBro, especially now that he has kids and I'm struggling with infertility. It hurts to hear that my mom can't come out with me, but she and my SF have invited over my SBro and his family for a family dinner. I have it better than my sister does, though, and likely ever will.

That's not my SBro's fault though. Nor is it my SF's. It's my mom's, but I know it likely would hurt my SF's feelings if he heard me complaining about the time he and my mom spend with my SBro. He'd also likely be annoyed, and as a SP, I can totally see why he would be. It's not his responsibility to change his relationships with his kids because I'm upset.

What you have is a DH issue. Either your SD has misplaced blame (which, if she isn't a SP, would be easy to do) or your DH is purposefully letting you think that you're the problem. SD is allowed to feel badly for being excluded (because she is being excluded), but that anger needs to be directed at the source: your DH. If he isn't going to tell her that he's too lazy to involve her in family gatherings, then perhaps you should.

Stepdrama2020's picture

Yet another example with shitty SD's. They will look for anything to have fault in you, even the "nicer" younger SD. If it isnt you favor your family, it will be Christmas gifts, birthdays, any occassion to find fault with you.

It is her right to feel anyway about you, as it is YOUR right to respond how she treats you. Its your home and you can decide what perameters you set regarding Covid and invites. The mere fact that she mingles with others on a regular basis to not allow her in your home is your choice.

Does the younger SD treat you the same as her mother? NFW she does, so why in the hell should you treat her the same as the bios. These SD feel "uncomfortable" because the witch bitch SM do not treat them like their own YET it is Ok for her to treat you poorly. The permanent victim arent they? Double standards and stephole seems to be the way these skids want it to play out.

Your DH doesnt back you up. Well F that, then you go rogue on these bitches. If your DH gets mad you tell him that since you cannot rely on him to keep them in check you resorted to taking care of yourself.

Dang it, I hate how these SD's are life suckers, taking joy out of our lives because THEY are miserable.

Survivingstephell's picture

I'm glad you replied and explained more about your situation.  Sounds to me that DH is the one making you miserable.  If all of this is coming directly from him, then you need to shut him down.  He's the one talking to you , not her.  
 

When there are small kids involved, the stepparent is often recommended to put it to the lazy parent this way: either you take care of it or I will and you won't like the way I do it.  I think the same philosophy needs to be applied here.  Either he sets her straight about things or you will do it.  It sounds like she is blindly jealous of a parental relationship she does not have with either of her parents.   She is in a way projecting that on to you instead of on her father.  A triangle of drama.   Take yourself out of the triangle and let the two of them figure it out or not.  Do shut your husband down.  You don't deserve his badgering about HIS problem.    IMO 
 

 

shellpell's picture

Exactly. I would tell him to keep her complaints to him to himself. If he persists, tell him you will treat her like your own daughter when she treats you like her own mother.

ItsGrowingOld's picture

Even if your adult children have the antibodies they can still carry COVID, I think.

Merry's picture

My SD is also terribly jealous of anyone her father pays attention to. That includes me, my bios and even her own brother.

I made it VERY clear to my DH that he is responsible for the relationship with his kids. I'll be responsible for my kids. SD and I are polite, cordial, sometimes even friendly. But I have nothing to do with planning activities with his kids -- that's all on him. We live far enough away that visits are infrequent and require overnights (none since COVID), and I am happy for his kids and mine to come. But HE is responsible for activities, meals, groceries, etc. for his kids. 

If SD ever complained about me and what I provide for my kids, I wouldn't want to hear it. None of her business, and DH can just deal with it or listen to her gripe. I don't think she does much of that, but I would ignore it and it certainly wouldn't be my problem to solve or burden to carry.