This is probably my third or fourth post about my teenage stepson...now 16 years old. Situation just isn't getting any better. He continues to show no courtesy or respect for the family. He seems to think that he has the right to talk disrespectfully to both me and his mom and thinks he is a peer to us. Yesterday I inquired about an issue regarding an internet site he had accessed. When asked, he immediately went on the defensive and pretty much started raising his voice at me. One thing I can't stand is a child who thinks he has the right to talk to his parents in such a disrespectful manner. Even when I ended the conversation and stated we'd talk later, he just wanted to push my buttons and get into a yelling match right outside of a restaurant. After we got home it didn't get any better. Despite the opportunities I gave him to cool off, he just wanted to get into a confrontation and the drama began in the house. I could go on about the day, but I won't.

Well, this evening we received an email from his teacher about his disruptive behavior in class. My wife and I were discussing it and this child has the audacity to just barge into the room and think he is justified in getting involved in the discussion despite us telling him he needed to excuse himself. This is the on-going behavior with this stepson of mine. I believe my wife is finally seeing I'm tired of constantly dealing with him and so she addressed his behavior with him one on one and my wife was getting irritated. Of course, he sees nothing wrong with is behavior or attitude and I can hear him just talking with out respect to his mom and trying to justify all his actions. He really thinks he was not in the wrong. I was very tempted to walk out and get involved, but it would have made the situation much worse.

Since yesterday I've been trying to just step away and limit communication with my stepson...just to get myself back to a more peaceful level. I'm still very much agitated with this child and just hearing his voice gets me boiling because he just doesn't get it. I have put so much time and energy into this child to help him be a better person and I've now reached a point that...I'm exhausted...out of gas. I no longer want to acknowledge him as even having a connection with me. He's simply the stepson and I'm the stepdad. Being a step-parent is a tough job and I've been in combat zones where I was less stressed than I am right now. I really don't know what else to do right now.