Okay, so, “I hate my stepson” is a pretty loaded phrase, and I definitely needed to unpack that. I’m not a therapist, but I am a stepmom, and I know that blended families can be… challenging. So I started by just writing down everything I was feeling. No filter, just raw emotion.
Getting It All Out
I grabbed my journal and a pen, and I just let it all out. I wrote about the annoying habits, the disrespect, the way he seems to push all my buttons. I didn’t hold back. I used some pretty strong language, and honestly, it felt good to just vent.
- He leaves his dirty clothes everywhere.
- He never says “please” or “thank you.”
- He rolls his eyes at everything I say.
- It is so hard.
Trying to Understand
After I got all the anger and frustration out, I tried to look at things from his perspective. I mean, he didn’t ask for his parents to split up. He didn’t ask for me to come into his life. I wrote down some of the things he might be going through:
- He’s probably feeling insecure and confused.
- He might be missing his old family life.
- He could be acting out because he’s hurting.
Finding Small Victories
I tried to focus on any, and every small good part.
- That time he helped me carry in the groceries without being asked.
- The way he makes his little sister laugh.
- That one time we had a decent conversation about his favorite video game.
Talking It Out
Finally, I talked to my partner. I didn’t want to just complain, but I needed him to understand what I was going through. We talked about ways we could work together to improve the situation. Maybe some family counseling, maybe some one-on-one time with his son, maybe just setting some clearer boundaries at home.
It’s a process, and it’s not going to be fixed overnight. But writing it all down, trying to understand his side, and talking to my partner definitely helped me feel a little less overwhelmed. I hope so.
