Questions tagged [step-parents]

Questions regarding the relationship dynamics between a step-parent and a child.

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My parents are going to split up because of me how do i stop this? [duplicate]

I know I'm not a parent or anything bit I dont know where else would be a good place to ask this I'm a younger than 16 girl (dont want to share my real age) and my parents are going through some ...
Davis's user avatar
  • 1
4 votes
2 answers
387 views

Should i be taking care of my siblings all the time?

I am 13 years old and my dad tells me to take care of my siblings all the time. He makes me watch them, make their food, play with them every time, dress them up and even makes me go check on them ...
JustToAsk's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
475 views

My 11 year old is becoming selfish and emotional - typical preteen behaviour... but it is a bit more

So I have read this post, and it is a great starting point, but there is a bit extra that thickens the plot, and some merging conflicts that we need to deal with in order to hopefully adress this ...
Ben's user avatar
  • 611
1 vote
1 answer
332 views

How to let the new 13 year old sibling of my honorary niece/nephew know I'm willing to be an 'uncle' for them too?

I'm an honorary uncle (amongst other things, see below) to my friend's two children. I visit them once a month and spend the day with the two of them and they seem to really enjoy these visits. My ...
dsollen's user avatar
  • 3,886
11 votes
7 answers
9k views

I don't know if my step-son hates me, is scared of me, or likes me?

My partner and kids have had issues in the past with previous partners/father figures, being abusive, selfish etc., which has left a mental scar on the 3 of them. I have not pried into it yet, as they ...
Ben's user avatar
  • 611
3 votes
3 answers
355 views

what do i do if he says i'm harder on her because she isn't my biological daughter

My boyfriend of 2 and a half years loves my daughter and my daughter loves and looks up to him as a father figure, but he said that “i'm harder on her because she isn't my biological daughter” and ...
user43197's user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
338 views

Giving teenage sons driving lessons when their step-mother isn't comfortable with it

Here in New Zealand, the driver licensing system has three stages: Learner, Restricted, Full. Both of my teenage sons (16yo and 18yo, autistic) have their Learner licenses, and are ready to go to ...
Jim421616's user avatar
  • 133
2 votes
1 answer
149 views

Meeting his other children [closed]

I have been stable with my boyfriend for 4 years now, we have a 2 year old baby girl. He has 2 other children from his previous relationship (6 and 8 year old) I’ve asked him to meet the girls a few ...
Tshepang Seloloane's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
390 views

How do i tell my daughter her dad isnt really her dad?

This is weighing so heavy right now. I had my daughter with my ex when I was 20. She is 8 now. To make things simple, my ex husband and I married at a young age and our relationship was rocky. ...
Kailawithaneye's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
726 views

How to teach my 22 year old stepson to communicate instead of burning inside?

I became stepdad to an adult boy (22) (I am not the biological dad). He didn't have anyone to teach him or a father-like figure since his dad passed away when he was 7. He never went to college or ...
localhost's user avatar
  • 1,925
4 votes
2 answers
506 views

Looking for options to deal with 18-yo who refuses to grow up [closed]

My stepdaughter has recently turned 18. She has severe behavioral problems: she urinates in her bedroom, often in her clothes; she starts fires with a lighter; and she refuses to do anything other ...
Isabella Leonarda's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
189 views

A stepchild learned I am not their biological parent. How to navigate the relationship? [closed]

When I met my wife initially I did not know that she had a child. Over time, I learned of this news and asked her to marry me after 3 years of dating. My wife made the decision to tell him that I was ...
ssgtflo's user avatar
  • 11
3 votes
2 answers
467 views

What should one year old call his step-dad/ bio-dad?

Background: I was in my last relationship for 10 years, and the last 6 he was abusive to me and a drug addict/alcoholic. I was finally able to leave him and moved away, but he found me, and after “...
Shanie's user avatar
  • 31
2 votes
4 answers
2k views

I'm a step father, I don't have any children of my own, how do I deal with a teen boy that acts extremely feminine?

I have been with my fiancee for a little over 4 years. I met her son when he was ten and he is now 14. In the beginning I felt in my personal opinion that he was a little bit of a "Momma's boy" but I ...
Alex's user avatar
  • 29
3 votes
0 answers
201 views

How to get husband to clean his daughter's room? [closed]

my husband's 17 yr old daughter (who is not my daughter nor have I raised her--we have been together 4 yrs) has very crippling mental health issues. One of her issues is compulsive hoarding and ...
MataHari's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

Telling a child you’re not their biological parent

History : my partner has a child with his ex , which is not his biological child but he knew this before birth (as she was already pregnant) . The relationship didn't last long but he stuck by the ...
Lenoel's user avatar
  • 11
3 votes
1 answer
347 views

16-year old step daugher is mentally ill and aggressive to me - how much should I be involved?

My spouse’s 16 year old daughter is mentally ill. She has been diagnosed with Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and is in treatment. Of late, her behavior has worsened to the point where she responds ...
MataHari's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
2k views

What causes a 7 year old to be overly affectionate

My 7 year old daughter has very recently become very affectionate with her soon to be step dad. What could cause this? She doesn't see her dad often, but calls him daily. Could it be as simple as she ...
aud G's user avatar
  • 19
4 votes
3 answers
989 views

Ten year old is lying and seems to believe her own lies

My ten-year-old stepdaughter has recently developed a habit of telling bold-faced lies to avoid getting in trouble/having to do something she does not want to. How do we respond to this? Some ...
questioningReality's user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
1k views

Am I being too hard on my 7-year-old child?

I never thought I would have children. I suddenly walked into a beautiful little 7-year-old's life, with the commitment of becoming the best mother I can be to her. But sometimes, I question whether ...
Stephenie Haltom's user avatar
-1 votes
4 answers
511 views

6 year old doesn't know my husband is not her father

I have a 6 years old daughter that is not the daughter of my husband. My daughter doesn't know. Nobody else knows except my husband. I want to tell my daughter some day that my husband is not her ...
Azzarha8's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

How do I tell my 9-year-old son that my now ex husband is not his biological dad?

I'm in a situation where I became pregnant with the wrong person and decided to raise my child by myself. Since before his 3rd birthday the biological dad disappeared and hasn't had anything to do ...
Yanica's user avatar
  • 61
5 votes
1 answer
948 views

Handling husband’s 15-year-old daughter with Reactive Attachment Disorder

Two years ago, I met my husband. We are both in our 30s. He’s been married before. I have not been. He has a teen daughter from a relationship he had in college. The mother of the girl abandoned the ...
Mata Hari's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

My 11 year old step daughter is making troubling comments about my newborn twin daughters, her half sisters

My husband and I have been married for 5 years. It was my first marriage and I did not have any children. He was married before and has three children with his ex-wife. We had tried for 4 years to get ...
Jaime B's user avatar
  • 29
4 votes
1 answer
738 views

What to do about my future wife's 8-year-old son who does what he wants with no regard for anyone else?

I have a son and getting married with the mother of three children in a few weeks. She has an 8-year-old son, whom this question is about, and an older son and a younger daughter. All is well with ...
MikeH's user avatar
  • 513
4 votes
2 answers
452 views

Impact of moving to Germany with a stepson and a toddler with signs of autism

I live in the midwestern U.S. with my wife, my 8 year old stepson and our 2 year old son who shows signs of and is undergoing therapy for autism. The company I work for just offered to relocate us to ...
TypeIA's user avatar
  • 150
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

My son calls my father in law Grandpa "nonno" (in italian) and his wife (step grandma) is telling my son to call him just Grandpa now not nonno

My son has always called his grandma (my mother-in-law) the Italian word for grandma, "nonna" and his grandpa "nonno", the Italian word for grandpa. Recently my son called his grandpa "nonno" in front ...
mommyof002's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
675 views

What should our kids call grandpa's new wife? [duplicate]

Kids are 17 and 12. Mom/grandma passed away a few year ago, and grandpa immediately married his new wife. There is a long story there. Dad/grandpa wants us to treat her as if she were grandma, but ...
SPG's user avatar
  • 1
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

How to deal with 5 year old stepson's view on me?

I'm glad I found this forum. Maybe you can help me! I'm 31 years old and have for the past 12 months been living with my girlfriend and her five year old son. I have known them for nearly three years....
FreePalestine's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
6k views

How do I introduce my sons biological father to my 4 year old when my fiancé has taken that role and is called daddy?

My sons biological father and I have been separated since my child's birth. He wasn't on the birth certificate and hasn't seen him. My fiancé has been in my sons life since he was 3 yrs old and has ...
C.M.T's user avatar
  • 101
3 votes
4 answers
9k views

What is the appropriate age to tell my daughter that her biological father doesn't want to be a part of her life?

I had a beautiful daughter with my very first boyfriend at the age of 16. He was 18 at the time and he was very careless about the whole situation. He was a high school dropout, selling and using ...
S. Tapia's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
519 views

Step parent, but just the guy who is married to mom

I have been with my wife for 6 years. Her kids all had children of their own while we were married. They are still little with the oldest being 9 and the youngest 3 months, then 3 & 4. The ...
just ur average guy's user avatar
56 votes
12 answers
20k views

My husband, who is my teen daughter's step father feels bad that he can't have a closer relationship with my daughter

Four years ago, I divorced my ex after 26 years of marriage. He was extremely manipulative and abusive. He kept track of every mile I put on our vehicles and had to explain if I was ten minutes ...
Susan B.'s user avatar
  • 509
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

How should we support 16 year old step sister who ran away from home

We're in Canada, if that's relevant. My partner and I live by ourselves (late 20's), and my partner's 16 year old step-sister has recently fled an emotionally abusive home life (no physical abuse so ...
user2152081's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
604 views

Topics for kids for moving in with girlfriend and kids [closed]

I'm somewhat of a shy guy, more precisely though I just don't know what to talk about. My problem is that I've moved in with my girlfriend, and she has two kids, a girl aged 12 and a boy aged 14, and ...
Jack Maddington's user avatar
9 votes
5 answers
3k views

Should I babysit my step granddaughter?

I have been married for over 20 years and have been a stepparent for all of these years since my stepdaughter was just 3 years old. My husband's ex-wife despises my husband and myself and has always ...
Jean's user avatar
  • 91
11 votes
5 answers
50k views

How to stop a (seven-year-old) child from constantly making silly, nonsensical noises and actions?

I am step father to a seven-year-old boy (let's call him H). H's father is very much involved in his life. He sees him every night for a couple of hours and they (Mother and Father) alternate weekends....
Bugs's user avatar
  • 2,080
138 votes
10 answers
48k views

My girlfriend has mentioned disowning her 14 y/o transgender daughter

My girlfriend's 14 year old daughter came out to me as a girl on a bike ride when her mother wasn't there. I fully accept her and gladly refer to her by her chosen name ('Emily' for the purposes of ...
Charlie's user avatar
  • 1,196
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

My step son cries every time he is dropped off

My partner has a 5yo who was 2 when we got together. In this time he has cried uncontrollably every single time he is dropped off or picked up from our house. These tears usually subside if he is ...
Steps's user avatar
  • 41
6 votes
2 answers
620 views

How to improve the relationship between my misbehaving 8-year-old stepchild and me?

I've been with my other half for nearly 4 years and have been known to his now 8-year-old daughterfor a little longer than that. She has been aware of our relationship for around 3.5 years. When we ...
Just Me's user avatar
  • 61
5 votes
2 answers
811 views

What advice can I give to a teen who wants to tell his dad uncomfortable truths?

My girlfriend's Teenage Boy (TB), 14, wants to talk to his dad about things he doesn't like about him, like smoking in the living room. He came to me for advice. Knowing his dad, who is a very ...
Andy K's user avatar
  • 866
4 votes
3 answers
880 views

How can I help children in a blended family get along?

My two teenage daughters get along really well. My new husband has four children. My daughters have been the ones to suffer, as we have moved school and house. They get along well with their step-...
Amy.F's user avatar
  • 271
14 votes
4 answers
3k views

When is the right time to tell my daughter she's not my biological child?

To try to keep the story short... I got divorced almost 4 yrs ago and I have a 11, 12 & 15 yr old. Now I had my suspicions, but I guess I wanted to look the other way and not find out whether it ...
I Woodland's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
374 views

What to do about step children who don't listen to us, don't do their chores but are being spoiled by their grand mother?

My husband has two lovely boys, age 8 and 9. Boys are staying over in in-laws' house to finish their school. Boys are coming over for weekends and I take them to school on Mondays. We are having ...
Maggie's user avatar
  • 11
10 votes
2 answers
3k views

What to do when a 12-year-old boy has defeated behavior management program (Kazdin method)?

I am in a six year relationship with a woman who has two kids, a 15-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy. We have moved a lot. The child's father has been incarcerated for most of the child's life. ...
Benjamin M.'s user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
689 views

Want to be Fair / Equal but Still Realistic with Bedwetting Pre-Teens and Social Issues

I have two step-kids. Boy age 11, girl age 10. They both have bladder issues where they still wet their beds almost every night. The boy is a fairly gregarious outgoing personality who doesn't really ...
randomblink's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
2k views

8-year-old stepchild pulling away from his father

I'm the stepfather of an 8-year-old child. He spends every other weekend at his biological father. Ever since they moved in with me, he's been increasingly reluctant to spend weekends at his father. ...
Reaces's user avatar
  • 646
11 votes
2 answers
2k views

As a step parent, what should be my role in dealing with a volatile five year old?

About a year and a half ago I met a woman who was going to school full-time and raising a 5 year old little girl. I really just fell in love with both of them and we all bonded relatively quickly. We ...
SeekingIntegration's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

What to do about my constantly crying 4-year-old step-daughter?

I have a just turned 4-year-old step daughter whose life I have been in for almost two years. In July, we went on vacation (myself, my 16-year-old son, one of his friends, my 12-year-old daughter, one ...
Samantha's user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
1k views

Should I be expected to love my new step-granddaughter instantly?

My son has been living with his girlfriend for 4 years. He has an 11-year-old daughter and his girlfriend also has an 11-year-old daughter. They live in another state and do not come to see me. My ...
Judy's user avatar
  • 71