I want to check my sanity
Would you want a 13 year old teenager (being diagnosed with autism) living with you full time if he has had numerous outbursts of being violent (in social disagreements as he struggles to regulate emotion or sometimes instigated by himself) and ignoring female boundaries at school (putting his hands on females even though he had been asked not to) his excuse being he didn't think anything would come of it? I do not feel comfortable with this at all, it is repeated behaviour that has been addressed by me, the school and his father many times but it continues. There doesn't seem to be a present threat at home or something obvious but would you want this for you or your bios? I am pregnant and I have a 3 year old girl, he comes across loving and caring at home but has this behaviour at school. His dad believes he struggles with peers around his own age and there is no evidence of it with adults and young children but he understands my fears and strong urge for him not to live here. For me, this just maximises my discomfort with him living here full time, but I just want to check that I'm not over exaggerating. My midwife and family don't think I am but I cannot see anything changing unless he does something really drastic. It's just going to be a matter of living with the discomfort of this Do you think my feelings are unreasonable? There are numerous agencies involved at the moment and I've been honest and open with everyone involved. At this point, even if he improves, I don't think I will recover from the resentment or particularly enjoy living in my home after all this because he's not my biological kid and I don't love him as such, therefore I can't get over everything like biological parents are naturally inclined to.
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Absolutely not. Nope nope
Absolutely not. Nope nope nope.
It's one thing to live with that situation as an adult, but you have a daughter and another on the way and that changes everything. You need to look out for your children first and foremost and ensure their safety. You're their mother and literally there to protect them until they are fully functional independent adults.
where is SS mother? Why does she not have more time with him? It is not your responsibility to make her become the mother that you need to be for your own children. Look out for yourself and your little ones.
Especially after you deliver, your body will go in to full on mother protective zone that absolutely no one should get in the way of. I'm so sorry you have to deal what that.
His mum couldn't cope with
His mum couldn't cope with his behaviour and asked us to have him full time 5 years ago during that time he spent the majority of it in boarding school because we were a military family (not anymore) now he lives with us full time again. She sees him once every 2 months for one weekend out of choice. She actually told my partner yesterday that she doesn't blame me for feeling the way I feel and good on me for standing my ground, which is strange
im 36 weeks pregnant now and after the report last week that he put his hands on a girls waist after being asked not to.. I said that's it I'm telling my midwife and she escalated it.
Yeah that's hard for me to
Yeah that's hard for me to comprehend how a mother just neglects her own child because it's too hard to deal with the reality of parenting. But honestly that's not your problem at all.
Personally, I would give DH an ultimatum- either you and your kids or SS. But at this point there is no such thing as co-existing. If you can't feel that your children are safe in your own home, then something's gotta give. And that means SS mom needs to take him. Just my opinion if I put myself in your shoes with the info provided. But take care of your babies first!
I agree.
I agree.
i would say I was tolerating him living here beforehand but after numerous incidents in a short space of time and the report from last week that he put his hands on a girls waist despite being told not to, it's gone past co existing and it's gone to me escalating to the relevant people and telling my partner I do not feel comfortable, even more than before. He says he is on the same page but his worries aren't as strong as mine are. I'm ready for him to go elsewhere now, but I know it's going to take more incidents at school for his dad to say that's it because he doesn't want to give up on his son. Obviously I get that it must be difficult for him but it makes it hard for us to feel on the same page when I have insane protection over my 2 little ones but he is responsible for all 3 of his. Also, his mum probably wouldn't take him so he would end up in the care system
Can his mother just say "Nah,
Can his mother just say "Nah, i don't feel like it." ?! Why has nobody turned up the heat on her to care for her child?
My partner couldn't fight it,
My partner couldn't fight it as she was struggling so bad mentally she said it's us or the care system. He tried to turn up the heat to get her to see him more but she refused and there are no legal ways to make her see him more
If this BM is the COd NCP,
If this BM is the COd NCP, she cannot be forced to see the SKid or even to take her COd visitation. The CP is on the hook for housing, feeding, care, health, etc... for the kid not only on their own COd time but also on the NCP's COd time of the NCP refuses visitation.
Our 16+ years under a CO as the CP side had several periods of a year or more where the SpermClan refused all visitation. In our case that was just fine with us. SS got to continue his calm real life instead of having to deal with the pestulence in the shallow and polluted end of his gene pool over three visitations per year totaling 7wks. For some reason they seemed to think that they were sticking it to us. Nope, their loss our gain. More importantly, the SKid won when they did that.
I'm not sure if they have COs
I'm not sure if they have COs in the UK like they do here. Some others i've seen post say it's mostly verbal agreements without the courts involved. Not sure what OP is dealing with.
But
is there a way to force his biological mother to take him? I can't see one. And if there isn't, what then?
Generally, at least in the US
Generally, at least in the US, an NCP cannot be forced to see their kid(s). They can be forced to pay CS. This right to withdraw from seeing their kids is about the only advantage that an NCP has in so many Custody/Visitation/Support cases. The CP is legally bound to surrender the kids to the other parent per the schedule. The NCP parent has no legal duty to actually take their visitation.
If the NCP does not take a visitation, the CP has to ensure care and feeding of their kids. There is also no legal requirement for the NCP to even tell the CP that they are not taking a visitation.
Unfortunately this can often be a major manipulation point the NCP can play in the whole picture.
I can see a situation where the CP has a major trip planned over the NCPs time. For work, or for a holiday, etc... and the NCP going radio silent leaving the CP holding the diaper bag. So to speak.
Not that I have any memory of any STalkers that has happened to or that I have otherwise heard of.
How about BM, rather than
How about BM, rather than sympathising which doesn't help you in the least, cough up the money for a private assessment of her son?
You are not over reacting. He is out. Period. Dot.
File an RO/PO keeping him away from you and your young ones. His behavior at school may be enough to get a judge to approve the order. Take it out of your DH's hands and protect your girls. Or your girl and your pending TBD as the case may be. Congratulations on the STB LO.
IMHO of course.
Would you want a 13 year old
HELL Naw!!!!!
He needs to be in an institution or boarding school that specializes in behavioral issues ....
Yeah, drop a teen boy with
Yeah, drop a teen boy with emotional and behavioral problems on the doorstep of a pregnant woman with a toddler. That should go really well. You are sane and also, though, the pregnancy hormones have you feeling extra protective of your baby and toddler. And that's not a bad thing.
His BM "just can't handle him." Well tough shit, neither can you. But you didn't birth him, she did. I would focus my energies on first protecting your health and your little ones, and second getting this Cowbird to woman up and take care if the child she created. Any possible way this can be forced should be pursued. If she's not incarcerated or declared unfit, she needs to take him. Fk "can't handle him." He's not a baby, he's a teen with what sounds like very mild autism. This is my first recommendation and my second is back to boarding school. Your DH needs to find the money. If he can't and BM actually meets the definition of unfit, every second he is in your home he needs to be watched by your DH.
Guffaw! Cowbird.
So true.
I think it's normal,
I think it's normal, particularly during pregnancy, to worry about every possible way your children could be hurt. So I don't think you're insane.
However, I do think it's unreasonable for you to expect your husband to choose you/your children over his son, especially taking into consideration that the BM is completely worthless and won't take responsibility for the child either. Of course he is going to exhaust every avenue possible to keep SS in his home. What, exactly, is the alternative? Is a decent boarding school an option for y'all? One that is equipped and capable of guiding SS to becoming an independent adult and not just a place that will keep him locked away? Surrender him to the care of the state? I'm just not sure what else could be done with regard to your living situation, from your husband's perspective. It would be a different story if he had exhibited violent or maladaptive behaviors at home or towards little kids, but you say that he hasn't.
My nephew has autism (he's 6 and still non-verbal, can be violent, has a tendency to elope, basically ALL the things) and I've cared for him quite a bit since I'm the only one my sister trusts. So I know firsthand how exhausting it is. I also know that it isn't morally right to just send a kid away when what's better for them is to remain in the home, with their family. You have to weigh a ton of factors to determine when/if the needs of the family outweigh the needs of the individual. Or when it might actually be better for everyone to change the living situation. From what you've said, I don't think you're anywhere close to that with your SS. That doesn't mean I don't sympathize with you; I know that I could not care for my nephew full time, personally. And it really sucks that your BM is such a POS, mainly because her son deserves better. But you have to consider the total picture from your husband's perspective, and he's in an impossible situation if you're planning to force him to choose.
I haven't given an ultimatum
I haven't given an ultimatum and I don't plan to but it has been escalated to the correct professionals who work in safeguarding for them to do their investigations and support, which my partner is on board with because he believes there could be a threat, even if it's just little. And it's been escalated that we get no support from his BM which means any respite from this situation is non existent which causes issues for our relationship and the stress of the family. It's also possible he doesn't have Autism and it could be behavioural, he has had thoughts in the past about wanting to throw my daughter out of a window and he has told people to kill themselves in the past and said disturbing things, so it's hard to know if there is a real threat or not or if it's worth it. Do I have to wait until something does happen at home before anything is done? That shouldn't even be an option, that's what makes it an awkward situation. Am I to wait until he potentially does do something or show threatening behaviour to my little ones before something is done, do I have to risk that to feel justified? It's all confusing and starting to make me depressed
This makes my heart break for
This makes my heart break for you, especially with a young daughter and on the verge of being in the throes of postpartum emotions.
Do you have a family member you can stay with for awhile? While you figure out how to move forward? If other providers and family members are concerned then clearly you aren't making this up in your head. You shouldn't have wait for an " incident" to get the safe space you need for you and your babies.
I have an autistic family
I have an autistic family member who was also diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder. He is a joy to be around, but I don't live with him and have never witnessed his outbursts. From what I have heard of them, I would say a hard no to the situation you present. I really feel for these kids, but if they can't regulate their own behavior, that becomes dangerous.
I'm wondering what kind of
I'm wondering what kind of help this child is getting so he CAN learn to regulate his behaviour. What kind of professionals are involved?
I ask because as I have a special needs daughter we frequented a centre that was designed to help children with all sorts of difficulties and I have seen some very extreme behaviour transformed with the right treatment.
One boy in particular comes to mind. He was nearly uncontrollable in the waiting room and I used to dread being there at the same time as him. He scared my daughter badly. His mother clearly couldn't handle him. Well, with the help of a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, and a psychologist, all working as a team they managed to help him be a better version of himself. He will always have issues, no doubt, but he can now sit and read a book calmly whereas before he'd have thrown it across the,room or at someone's head. No, not a miracle, just the results of him getting the appropriate treatment.
He won't be able to get
He won't be able to get specialist help or medication until we have a diagnosis. He has been on a waiting list for a while, everyone is trying to fast track it because of the school behaviour. In the mean time he gets emotional support at school etc
Hopefully, you won't have to
Hopefully, you won't have to wait much longer for the diagnosis and that the specialists don't have too long a waiting list.
They've estimated 1-2 years
They've estimated 1-2 years until he is assessed but we are trying to push him to the top of the list as a priority. People have to remember we have the NHS in the UK and don't have access to private assessments unless we pay between 3k-5k for the one assessment, never mind numerous other ones we may need to have.
OMG, I'm sorry. I hadn't
OMG, I'm sorry. I hadn't realised you had to deal with this NHS. Fingers crossed you're in one of the regions that has decent resources.
Those damned cowbirds!
Comparing the living situation of your stepson, as compared to that of my Aspie (Asperger’s) nephew, I’m filled with pity for the youngster. My nephew was raised by loving parents who did their best to socialize and educate him. They pursued every resource available for children ‘on the spectrum’ and encouraged my nephew in his activities and passions (most ‘Aspies’ have specific interests in which they excel).
Your SS was a loser at the starting gate. His mother has rejected him, his father is unwilling to invest the considerable time and energy required to satisfy his son’s needs and you are overwhelmed with the care of a toddler as well as being heavily pregnant (and hormonal!) with your second child.
It’s not surprising that you have little time to spare for ‘somebody else’s child’, particularly since he is also a difficult and disruptive teen. No doubt, you are also resentful of his birth mother who has, essentially, dumped her problem child on you.
Part of the lad’s difficulties are likely his awareness that he’s unwelcome in the homes of both his parents; how awful that must feel! Are there any relatives on either his mother or father’s side who might be willing to foster the boy? Is boarding school a consideration? Your husband’s reluctance to have his son ‘go into care’ is understandable; what parent (apart from your SS’s heartless mother) would be prepared to take such drastic action against their own child?! Would you be able to cast off your own, biological daughter if she became troublesome?
This is an awful mess! I can only suggest that you and your DH discuss the issue with a therapist who specializes in the concerns of autistic children. He/she might be able to recommend some services available to folks in your situation.
I'm so sorry, Hon, that you're enduring this stress during a time when you should be happily anticipating your new baby. ((((HUGS))))
I agree that it's a horrible
I agree that it's a horrible situation for the boy and his dad. If it's gotten to this point and he is a teen still with no diagnosis, it wasn't just the Cowbird who dropped the ball, though. OP's kids have the chance to have at least one good parent, and that might have to be OP. She can't compromise their safety.
Nobody will blame you on what ever you do.
Your from GB. So I really don't know how the whold institution or boarding school that specializes in behavioral issues ..works there. And if you do leave. How is SO going to work and take care of his DS, And pay CS.. best of luck. But you must protect you bios
A kid abandoned by their
A kid abandoned by their mother, who is a significant risk to young children, who is unable to adjust to behave acceptably socially and a dad who is marginally invested could thrive in a structured managed environment where he is required to integrate into the community, gets the academic and counseling focus he needs, learn to live with a peer room mate or several, could thrive in an appropriate boarding school environment where his successes were celebrated, his failures would be addressed, and he could learn how to be himself and part of something bigger.
A kid I went to boarding school with was a full meal deal student. 7th grade through JC2. He was a few years younger than me. His parents were troubled and passed very young. His GPs were elderly and unable to raise a pre-teen. His family sent him to Military School. Ultimately he thrived, and when he graduated he went on to a Military career. He went the full retirement distance in the Military and is now an internatinal security and safety consultant. He was a piece of work in his early years at school. He was scrawny, sickly, awkward. That formative foundation gave him confidence to make a strong life as an adult. In hind sight he was likely dealing with any number of then not yet created/identified XYZ LMNOP syndromes. Structure, support, +' (accentuate the positive), guidance, mentoring, consistency, and accountability can work amazing results in young people who need something different than to raise themselves in an under structured less than demanding environment that they struggle in and ... could do irreparable harm to himself and others.
There are options to get him what he needs, remove him as a risk to your young ones, to you, and your marriage.
Plan of action
I think from reading all the comments, even though we are not entirely sure what we are dealing with yet, I would rather not live my life in misery and this situation makes me miserable, there is no joy init and makes me hard to enjoy my own toddler and look forward to my baby being born in the next couple of weeks. I think I will work closely with the local authorities and ask for support for understanding autism while we wait for a diagnosis just incase it is, hopefully that will alleviate my fears. All that fails, go separate ways and sell the house. It's not worth me feeling this way until he moves out within the next 5-7 years and my kids will just have to grow up with separate parents. Also, his BM doesn't see him so we get no break from all this, which again is not good for my sanity. I can be accountable and admit this is too much for me and getting worse, really not worth it I'm only 25 years old. But if things got really bad and it started to replicate at home, I know my partner would make his own mind up on things and where his son would live and it wouldn't be driven by me, at the moment we both have our worries, mine more prominent than his
That sounds like a good plan.
That sounds like a good plan. I hope your DH is the one leading the charge to get his son the help he needs while also protecting and providing for your shared kids. If he adequately cares for and supervises his son, hopefully things will work out in everyone's best interests. You are right to put the safety of your kids first. Your DH has to balance the needs of all 3 of his. We all have to do wjat we have to do.
You could easily
have been your SS's babysitter when you were a teenager and now you're supposed to act as a parental figure to a 13 year old when you're only 25? And the 13 year old has some type of very concerning behavioral issues? This is insane!
Does your SO have any family around who could take in your SS for even like a day on the weekend on a regular basis? Overnight would be great but even just having a day alone with your partner and kids every week could give you a much needed break.
My partners step dad said he
My partners step dad said he would have him one weekend a month, but he's recently been diagnosed with health issues so we would have to do a 3 hour round trip on a Friday night and on a Sunday to pick him up. I was under the impression his mum was going to have him 2 weekends a month and the odd weekend with his grandad. But his mum said she will only do 1 weekend every two months. It's the only break I get and feel comfortable in my own home in that period
I refuse to step into the role of a parental figure because I've tried it before and it's more hassle than what it's worth, he continues behaviours that I tried to stop and now I just parent my toddler. I only step in if he's not respecting my home or keeping it clean, that's about it now. I go for the more NACHO method because I'm too young to give so much of myself to someone who's not my responsibility and everything I tell him or teach him goes over his head. If I was in my 30s/40s maybe I could give it a proper shot of filling the mum role, but I'm only 25, I'm not wasting my young years being constantly frustrated, it's a job for his BM and BD to do and I just protect and raise my toddler and will do the same for my baby that is due in the next 3 weeks.
Damn. You are too young to
Damn. You are too young to try to parent a kid you aren't even old enough to be a parent to. With behavior problems and a, well, "absent" BM for whatever reason. Your DH was irresponsible for starting a new family with someone so young and then failing to handle his previous responsibilities, placing you in the position of trying to figure things out. You aren't crazy, but you aren't equipped to handle this for him considering your age, your toddler, and your pregnancy. Even if you were equipped, nobody would blame you for not wanting to devote your life to someone else's kid who has such difficulty.
I wasn’t
able to read your older blogs so I might be mixing you up with someone else, but was your SS in boarding school during the time your DH was in the military?
Dose DH have a plan
Beside dumping the kid on you? Is he taking off from work or hiring someone, or a group of people to care for his DS. It's seems like BM did nothing for 13 years. And ie DH also did nothing for his 13 Years . So now what? DH must have a answer? A care plan. A medical plan. Not just take him. HD must make you feel safe
Children with Autism and Social Disabilities
I can really feel the weight of your situation, especially with a baby on the way and your concerns for your younger child. It’s tough to know how to respond to challenging behaviors, especially when you’re doing all you can to ensure a safe and positive environment for everyone.
As someone familiar with autism spectrum disorders, I can tell you that social boundaries and emotional regulation are especially difficult for many children with autism. Often, these struggles stem less from malice and more from an inability to understand social norms in the way that neurotypical peers do. Many children on the spectrum don’t intuitively pick up on unspoken boundaries or consequences, and they require lots of patient, consistent guidance in learning how to navigate these situations. The fact that he’s acting loving and caring at home suggests that he is likely feeling safe with you all, which is a positive sign that he’s capable of positive relationships and emotions, even if he has trouble in certain social contexts.
It sounds like his school and other agencies are already involved, which is a great start. While I understand your reservations and the fear of potential behaviors at home, it may help to remember that many kids on the spectrum do respond well to the right therapies and strategies, especially with a team approach involving family and school support. This can be a long process, but it’s not hopeless. Perhaps working with these agencies can help you explore therapeutic strategies, social skills training, and boundaries tailored to his needs.
You have every right to feel comfortable and safe in your own home. But maybe there’s a path forward where everyone can feel supported. These behaviors don’t mean he’s a bad kid—just one who’s struggling and needs extra support learning what comes naturally to others. As a stepmom, your role is challenging, and it’s okay to feel conflicted. But stepping back to look at these behaviors through the lens of his autism might bring a bit more understanding to the situation.