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Bio Mom Madness

Liv1225's picture

I know it's common for there to be some hostility between parents and step parents. I actually can't complain about that though for the most part we are all civil and respectful to each other during face to face contact. Where my irritation develops with my step children's bio mom is her lack of respect for their father and manipulative roles she plays on social media vs with us, the kids, their school, and doctor visits, etc. 

Again for the most part we all get along and keep it respectful for our children. Yet there are facts/situations that keep on surfacing that make it hard to want to keep the peace. To minimize details because I don't want to be perceived as "bashing" her, I am more looking for reassurance that how I am feeling is relatable and common. It is hard to not have a problem with her when she is inconsistent with her care of the kids yet fights us on any important decisions. My husband has been and plans on being apart of his childrens lives. He is the adovocate for maintaining a respectful and constructive relationship due to the kids. I couldn't agree more, but sometimes I feel like we have every right to voice our opinions/feelings and the petty stuff is unnecessary. 

Should it be okay for bio mom to get to twist situations on social media? I understand to have a different perspective, but if she is putting eveything on social media-on a public setting-is this something worth bringing to someones attention? I've let it go by for so long, trying to take the high road, but after awhile I wonder why it wouldn't be justified to say something. My feelings are if she is willing to say all this online and there is evidence of the truth and anyone can see this, then why wouldn't we have an issue with it? 

I do think sometimes that this is all miniscual compared to other events involving the kids, but I think it is all related to how she is and how the children can be and are effected. Help. 

Comments

Siemprematahari's picture

Is what she's posting on social media impacting you, H and the kids lives? Can you unfollow and block her so not to see her foolishness? If this is causing issues yes your H should address it. If its not I'd block on all avenues and let your H communicate with her when its absolutely necessary. 

Liv1225's picture

Some of the things that are posted on social media relate to mental health issues, using terminology such as suicidal and ailing mentally. Problems such as constantly struggling financially and having to move the kids so often. Child support is provided and even presenting ways to help her for the kids (ex. taking them for a time of her choosing in order for her to get back on her feet) gets shot down in hateful manners and then immediately is skewd online as we are trying to take them away when that's our last intentions, it's worrying about what they are exposed to, but ultimately trying to work together in hopes that it is the best for everyone. That is what I mean as far as bring to her attention that that is not how things are and if she truely feels that way, what are we doing to cause her to think that? And yes I worry if that is how she feels and is telling the public that then we can't imagine what the kids are hearing. I do not wish to control her feelings or actions, but it is getting harder not to say anything when it's about us, kids, and all situations involved. 

CLove's picture

Block her on all social media - both you and your husband. Thats what we do. We maintain a really nice distance from her and her shenanigans.

DH is respectful and strives to keep things nice for child, thats it. They are not friends.

Just keep on ignoring her antics. And realize that she is doing her own image management.

The way things seem to go is that the dysfunction that caused the relationship to blow apart, did not go away - as long as they share children it will always be there...

So - do not say anything and block her on social media.

tog redux's picture

I'm not clear on what you mean by: "should I bring it to someone's attention?" Who?

Unfriend her on social media, stay civil but distant, and let your DH deal with her. They aren't "our" kids, they are BM and DH's kids, and he needs to deal with these issues. 

Liv1225's picture

I apologize for being unclear about bringing it to someones attention. I meant bringing it to her attention that we know she is saying these things. That I simply dont wish to control her feelings or ways of expressiveness. But it is alarming to me and my husband when there are posts with terminology such as suicidal and struggling mentally and other issues that we are worrisome for the kids and what they could be exposed to if she is posting this for the public. Then attempting to help with the kids more so she can get back on her feet and it is immediately twisted as we are trying to take them away. Again where evidence shows that the conversation is due to only benefit everyone involved. Then is it just to confront her so if this is how she is perceiving it, what can we do? Because if she is willing to put this online, what do the kids hear? Agree to disagree on "our" kids because I made a vow to not only love my husband, but his children as my own. And when they are with us 50% of the time, sometimes more, I am raising them with him and I am involved just as much- then to me and my husband, they are our kids. Legally, I know my place and do not blurry the line for the kids that yes they have a mother and that is the woman that gave them life. 

advice.only2's picture

If she's threatening suicide online and she's putting the children in danger, then heck yeah report that sh*t!

If she's just being a big ol whiney baby on social media and creating a narrative that she's a perpetual victim then just block her sorry a$$!

momjeans's picture

You have a lot of power here.

Unfriend/unfollow/block. Pull the vaguebooking & oversharing rug out from underneath her. Let her see she’s crying and complaining into an echo chamber. That you (and DH) are no longer a willing audience, when it comes to her online antics. 

Let her search for your Facebook account and not be able to find you. This will send a crystal clear message you are over it.

If someone happens to bring her online rantings up to you - ask them if someone’s in immediate danger or physically hurt. If the answer is “No,” tell them “Great, because you don’t entertain any of bio mom’s social media As The World Turns, fictional nonsense.”

Mandy45's picture

Is they are always the victim. They are always hard done by. And everything is yours and your husband fault. How dare anyone move on without them in the picture. And they feel they must always make there presents known. By either making things diffcult. Using the kids to course trouble. By complaining they never get enough money. By complaining that there kids been taken away from them. By treating you like your the devil. That whatever problems or shitty circumstances they are living in is your and dh fault. The best revenge is just ingore it and get on with your life. Just make whatever arrangements need to be made every week concerning visits or school or who gonna do what for the kids. Then just get on with it. Get rid of all social media that concerns her. She doesnt need to know what your doing and you with her. Who cares if she having a nice lunch or having a whinge about how you are a bunch of  a**holes. In the end

It doesn't matter. Because I'm sure your opinion not that high of her either. You just choose to keep it to yourself and not put it in social media to get sympathy because that all she looking for In the end.

And most likely hoping to get a rise out of you which seems to be working. 

 

shamds's picture

even went to see her old workmates at hubbys company (they worked in same company but different dept) and went on a vindictive rampage trash talking hubby who was a snr vp at the company. 

She played the poor me i’m a single divorced mum and my exhubby won’t allow me to get employed at my own workplace again.

fact is she never worked well at her job, didn’t have a good work ethic, many errors and no quality or standard of work so hubby had every right to blacklist her along with the fact she had her police dad and brother threaten to shoot and stab hubby to death.

eventually her friends saw her true colours that she was being petty, bitter, over dramatic and had to get over the fact she is divorced.

mind you she had been ho-bagging her ex high school sweetheart a year prior to their separation and married the week divorce was finalized but for sympathy sake played the “i’m so traumatised that my hubby divorced me”

yawn she still plays the same card even now, skids are too dumb, brainwashed and blind to see her crap... just try ignore it as best you can. Smart people will see through her crap anyways

BlueEyez's picture

I'm new to ST. I have read the ettiquitte guide and many blogs in an effort to become familiar with folks. I am learning there are many long-time regulars who share no-nonsense, well thought out, often valuable advice and thoughts. Overall, I am impressed. Having said that, I am going to have to chew on thoughts previously expressed about the word 'our' because I regularly use it too. I am NOT trying to stir the pot, so I'll respectfully leave it there; I'm going to search through previous blogs to gain better perspective.

 

You mentioned your skids are young. Do they have social media accounts? Access to them? 
 

The BM of my skids uses social media multiple times daily to record her life. She re-wrote history in the making. She shaded, distorted, manipulated, and downright lied about situations and events with the kids, and it used to drive me mad. I carried a knot in my stomach and was continually angry with righteous indignation. I wanted to set the record straight!

 

With approximately four years' hindsight, the best thing I did was to first "UNFOLLOW" and then "UNFRIEND" and ultimately "Block" her. The amount of frustration and angst in my life dropped 90%. It did take several months to stop wondering (or checking) what she was up to; it took time to just let go of trying to know and/or wanting to set the record straight. After all, whose record is it? I eventually realized, as silly as it seems, that her postings of events was not some official public record.

You, your H and skids will know and remember the truth. Unplug from the drama BM tries to create. Best wishes ~

 

StepUltimate's picture

Welcome. 

Frequently on this site we hear from Step Parents who get to hear the skids are "Ours" but the bio-parent is really using this line on the step parent as part of a manipulation tactic to get the step to take on EVERYTHING a real-life, nonEffed-Up, bio-parent would. To quit their jobs, stay home, "raise OUR kids," while serving as a free nanny-with-benefits AS WELL AS the on-demand babysitting for the Ex/non-custiodial bio-parent. We have a regular whose hubby cheats on her, spends her $$ as he's under-employed, gaslights her, stalks her, lies to her, and tries to manipulate her into returning home to the " marriage" by using his bio-daughters (who our regular poster LOVES and has been the nurturing, kind, and concerned "mom-figure" to) to manipulate her emotions & soul. It's sickening! 

So while you're new here and saying "ours," understand it's a loaded word around here, with good reason. However, not all situations are the same, and having personally stepped in and "parented" my SS19 trying to love him, give him everything he needed (including the gift of helping my DH get custody & then child support)... I'm mostly Ghosted because I refused to let this kid continue disrespecting our home (= was a full-time stoner with no drivers license, poor hiegene, excellent xbox skills, zero effort to contribute to the house, coming home high & bringing his weed home) and my DH kicking SS out (late August 2018) dealt a mighty blow to our marriage because I was apparently supposed to let "our son" use our house, sleep in, get high, eat food, leave messes, toxic bedroom laundry-not-done /sheets-not-changed for a year, etc., while I work full time? 

Yeah, love SS but that didn't work. When DH had to kick SS out for not meeting our agreed-to, published Launch Plan, he RAGED and CRIED and PLEADED, "I NEED TO HELP MY SON." Notice how the "our" disappeared. Our marriage has never been the same.

Hopefully this is not the case with you. 

BlueEyez's picture

...for illustrating why this is such a trigger for so many. I've been an SM for almost 20 years and am currently feeling gut-punched for DARING to re-claim MY (note: not our) house after letting SD31 and her family live there rent-free for the last five years. She's doing something similar and just as manipulative by starting to call and refer to DH by his first name instead "dad." Her psychological warfare is clinically very interesting, but I don't want to hijack this post. Thanks again!

StepUltimate's picture

I remain grateful to those here who took the time to explain things to me. This online community has really "been there, done that," and you will be able to relate to a LOT of what you read here. I stick with the winners here - TheRealJulieMcCoy, Lieutenent_Dad, Old Red Hen, Gimlet, Aniki, Futurobrilliant99, and others... & just ignore the handful of resident Arbitrary Accusers & Professional NEVER-BEEN-A-STEP but self-proclaimed experts who post "advice" and judge. 

 

BlueEyez's picture

This is my first venture into an online community since the olden days of aol chat rooms! Either life online has changed incredibly for the better, or I truly lucked out when I stumbled into this site. Either way, I'm feeling energized, engaged, and warmly welcomed -- you know, what it "should feel like" when you arrive "home." Super corny sentiment to express as a newbie, but there it is. If I join this community in earnest, I'm willing to expose my underbelly and hope to get to know most while being thick-skinned enough to ignore the handful in every group. I'm thinking this isn't the proper place to post this, and if so, my apologies to the OP.  

SecondGeneration's picture

I've been with my DH for 6 years now, nearly 7. My SD was just shy of 3. DH and BM split when SD was under 6 months (unplanned pregnancy, they were coming to the end of their relationship but decided to move in together and try to make something out of it. Didnt work) so they were already pretty settled in their shared custody arrangement. 

First thing my DH did when he and I were serious was block BM and her closest friends from my social media accounts. He had already done it on his own. In nearly 7 years I've had 2 conversations with BM. One in the early days when she was having a freak out thinking I might want to steal her daughter and one a couple of years later about lost socks. 

That's it. 

Any and all communication goes between DH and BM. If DH wants to discuss ideas with me or theres a visitation change he will double check with me but theres no direct communication between me and BM. It's better for everyone that way. 

I really would block her on social media, you cant censor her, but you can control your own reaction. Dont give her the ability to influence your mood. 

Anyone who knows the circumstances knows the truth and anyone who doesn't is clearly not that close so why does their opinion matter? Humans are incredibly judgemental by nature and you will never have a happy life if you measure yourself by other peoples judgement. 

The hardest thing to do as a step parent is to stay in your lane. Be the supportive partner, talk things through but make sure any and all decisions are made by the actual legal and physical parents. THEY need to figure it out. THEY chose to reproduce so they need to fight their way through their own drama and come out the other side. 

In the early days it would drive me crazy how much pretty point scoring both my DH and BM did with each other. But whilst i would roll my eyes at my DH and tell him so, it went no further. Guess what? 7 years on they have figure it out. They are now at a stage where one can call the other (after a period of all communication having to be written email) they come together to help SD with her school problems, heck they have attending parents evening together to show the school they are a United front when it comes to SDs behaviour and education. None of this would have been possible if I had jumped in the middle and berated them for being petty, childish and point scoring back at the start. 

You mean well, that's great, but truly for your own sanity do not allow yourself to care or to be more active than the childrens own parents. 

Love them, bond with them, build a nice family unit like I had. I get on great with SD9, seeing her and DD1 play together fills me with pride. But I will not do more than her own parents, I'm an extra support, I'm a back up if you like.