After doing some reading, it's nice to know that I am not alone in the step battle, as I originally thought I was. DH has always been over protective of me and super suportive, that is, unless darling ss is involved. I have heard everything from you hate the kid (ss is 23) because he's just like me (he's nothing like his father. DH is a combat veteran with 14 years in the military, has never called in sick to work a day in his life, helps with chores and at one point worked 3 jobs to pay off the debt his ex stuck us with...darling ss wouldn't know work if it slapped him in the face and is a lazy bastard) to you can't stand him because he's not blood. It doesn't matter how much I tell him it's not darling ss I hate, it's his actions and behaviour, laziness, childishness or the fact he's just like his worthless bm. I even told dh to his face that his son is living proof that it takes more than a few generations to rid the gene pool of inbreeding. (Yeah I know I shouldn't have gone there, but you haven't met his ex) Today after having enough I looked at darling ss and told him that the only difference between the human species and others is that humans don't eat other mother's young. SS didn't get it. *Sigh* I often wonder if anyone else has taken the approach of walking away cause they are tired of "dying on this hill"........