Well here we go

[MeganW]

Just this week we were informed that 2 of DH's children from a previous relationship will be coming to dinner on Xmas eve at FIL's house. I said I'm not buying gifts. DH is upset. How do I handle this? their mother has full custody dh pays her cs I think it's more than enough I feel that the kids are just being sent so they can get gifts. No one see's them any other time during the year or hears from her unless she wants something.

Last time we went for xmas the kids took one look at me and said mom said she isn't supposed to be here.

What do I say if the kids repeat this sentiment this year? Last xmas we weren't married, this year we are.

BTW dh is a sahd. I've already budgeted for xmas and they weren't in it. I can't afford to add them now unless I take away from other people who I love and know and see throughout the year.

[KentuckyDoulaMama]

Originally Posted by MeganW

Just this week we were informed that 2 of DH's children from a previous relationship will be coming to dinner on Xmas eve at FIL's house. I said I'm not buying gifts. DH is upset. How do I handle this? their mother has full custody dh pays her cs I think it's more than enough I feel that the kids are just being sent so they can get gifts. No one see's them any other time during the year or hears from her unless she wants something.

Last time we went for xmas the kids took one look at me and said mom said she isn't supposed to be here.

What do I say if the kids repeat this sentiment this year? Last xmas we weren't married, this year we are.

BTW dh is a sahd. I've already budgeted for xmas and they weren't in it. I can't afford to add them now unless I take away from other people who I love and know and see throughout the year.

Does he not have a relationship with his children other than sending them child support?

[wanderlost]

how annoying for you. :
I would say maybe try to really put yourself in the spirit of the holiday and try to stay positive. perhaps maybe just a small token - a $5 gift card or a stocking with some trinkets? and try not to blame them for the choices their mom makes.

[TinkerBelle]

I've already budgeted for xmas and they weren't in it.

That just seems so cold.

Why aren't HIS children in the budget for Christmas? Child support is for their daily needs. Christmas is extra.

It doesn't matter what the kids say. It doesn't matter how their mother is. It doesn't matter how often you see those kids. They are still your husband's children. He cannot go see them? If I were your husband, I would be livid that no money could be spent on MY children.

What does him being a SAHD have to do with anything? Does that mean you control the purse strings and he has no say?

I don't mean to be nasty. Maybe I misunderstand your intention. But, it seems you are taking out your frustration on innocent kids.

[MeganW]

no he has NO relationship For awhile he did and then she stopped it when he and I got serious (except when she needed a babysitter) He has not seen or spoken to them for a YEAR. Since last xmas. We were unable to have custody changed we tried we figured she'd keep the kids away since she didn't continue to even allow him to speak to them on the phone.
I'm sorry I feel if their mother doesn't want him around them and doesn't want him to have any say in their upbringing she has chosen to support them.

I don't see it as taken out my frustration on the kids. I think it's selfish of her to send them to a family function when she clearly does not want them to be a part of the family any other time.

Wanderlost
I have thought about doing a small gift 10-15 the same as I'd give his neices and nephews. I'm sorry I didn't mean to imply that I'd give them NOTHING. Usually in the past their father would bring hundreds of dollars in gifts that they would open aside from the family gift opening. That is not in our budget. I mean I guess if I put my dd in daycare full time and had my husband work construction 18 hrs a day we might be able to swing it.

[TinkerBelle]

I just think you should do the same as you do for your child. No more, no less.

[MeganW]

The same as I do for my one and only DD? I've spent close to 500 on her.

[starlight82]

We haven't communicated w/ dh's ex-wife in over a year, haven't seen dsd in almost 3 years, and yet we still spent $200 on gifts (American girl Bitty Baby & starter kit, outfit & hats for dsd, carebear from my ds, and a holiday outfit for the Build-a-bear we gave her last year) AND $50 to ship it all.

We spent $500 on my ds, who is 4, and $100 on our ds, who is 7 mo. While not fair on paper, both of my kids will be happy, and hopefully dsd will be as well.

I would never dream of telling dh that he couldn't buy a gift for his daughter, no matter how tight our budget is.

[Jster]

Wow. I'm pretty shocked that someone let ANY excuse come in the way of a relationship with his kids. I would move heaven and earth, take on a million extra jobs, and do anything in my power to keep a relationship with my kids.

If your husband has let his children go...he's already shown them how little he values them.

And either not letting them come to Christmas (which it sounds like you'd prefer) or not getting them presents is just horrid.


I had a stepmother like you. She would always buy extremely excessive amounts of presents for her biokid, like the room would be full of junk. And my sister and I would get a little corner of a couple of presents. It HURT. In fact, going home and crying to my mom about it at age four or five is when she had to tell me Santa wasn't real, because I couldn't understand why Santa didn't love me, or what I'd done wrong.

You've missed the point entirely. These are CHILDREN. They have a CHILD'S perspective on the world. Imagine how sad they are to have lost their father already. Imagine how sad they are to see him have a relationship with his new child and not with them (and they be denied a chance to know their sibling). And on top of all of that, you RESENT that your dh has an obligation to support them?

That's just shameful, and it is exactly what gives stepmoms a bad name. It's even more shameful that your h will put up with it. And if he puts up with it, you know what? You could be the next discarded wife one day. And then it will be your child who is resented. Think it can't happen to you? Think he'd fight more to see your child? Think he'd move heaven and earth for your child and not is other children? You're imagining things.


You should change your perspective. Be grateful you get this chance to spend Christmas eve with your step children. Be happy that you get to share such a special moment with them. Instead of thinking of it as a loss, see it as a positive. Show them the love you can have for them. Start to build a relationship. And I would urge your h to go back to court and get visitation, he has a right to it, and there's no legitimate reason not to have it. Don't be a scrooge this holiday season, be the bigger person.

[zipworth]

Originally Posted by Jster

Wow. I'm pretty shocked that someone let ANY excuse come in the way of a relationship with his kids. I would move heaven and earth, take on a million extra jobs, and do anything in my power to keep a relationship with my kids.

If your husband has let his children go...he's already shown them how little he values them.

And either not letting them come to Christmas (which it sounds like you'd prefer) or not getting them presents is just horrid.


I had a stepmother like you. She would always buy extremely excessive amounts of presents for her biokid, like the room would be full of junk. And my sister and I would get a little corner of a couple of presents. It HURT. In fact, going home and crying to my mom about it at age four or five is when she had to tell me Santa wasn't real, because I couldn't understand why Santa didn't love me, or what I'd done wrong.

You've missed the point entirely. These are CHILDREN. They have a CHILD'S perspective on the world. Imagine how sad they are to have lost their father already. Imagine how sad they are to see him have a relationship with his new child and not with them (and they be denied a chance to know their sibling). And on top of all of that, you RESENT that your dh has an obligation to support them?

That's just shameful, and it is exactly what gives stepmoms a bad name. It's even more shameful that your h will put up with it. And if he puts up with it, you know what? You could be the next discarded wife one day. And then it will be your child who is resented. Think it can't happen to you? Think he'd fight more to see your child? Think he'd move heaven and earth for your child and not is other children? You're imagining things.


You should change your perspective. Be grateful you get this chance to spend Christmas eve with your step children. Be happy that you get to share such a special moment with them. Instead of thinking of it as a loss, see it as a positive. Show them the love you can have for them. Start to build a relationship. And I would urge your h to go back to court and get visitation, he has a right to it, and there's no legitimate reason not to have it. Don't be a scrooge this holiday season, be the bigger person.

:

I felt really sad for your husband's children, reading the OP .

[mamatojade]

Originally Posted by MeganW

The same as I do for my one and only DD? I've spent close to 500 on her.

And you are not going to spend anything (or next to nothing) on his other two children. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[BrooklynDoula]

Wow, $500 is a HUGE amount of $$$ to spend one one young child (one child period) so clearly you are not struggling for money. We spent that on all gifts for everyone total this year (ds, his cousins, our parents, my siblings, grandparents, holiday cards, etc).

I have a step mom like you. She sucks. I am not saying you suck, but think about what it is like to be those kids. They did not ask for parents who fought, divorced, used them as pawns in a marriage game. They did not ask to be kept from their father nor to have dad remarry and make more babies. They did not ask to be sent to you FILs house for x-mas either I bet. My dad had money and his wife liked to spent it on her kids. She felt like they were her dds and therefore deserved more. You know what, it suck for ALL of us. Her dds got to be the hated step kids who got too much and we were the other side of that equations. Not good for anyone, even you daughter.

If you can afford $500 for one kid, those kids should get at least a $100 present each from their dad. Return some of the things you already bought and rethink you budget. To do less is cruel and inappropriate IMO.

[insahmniak]

In case you really have spent it all, here's the math:
500/3 = 166.66

Most places accept returns on unused items. So you could do some exchanges to make things more appropriate for them.

FWIW

[cheer mom]

hey Megan W., I think that you should return your dd's gifts and buy yourself a clue. Wow. You really need to think about the situation being reversed.

[Shenjall]

You should change your perspective. Be grateful you get this chance to spend Christmas eve with your step children. Be happy that you get to share such a special moment with them. Instead of thinking of it as a loss, see it as a positive. Show them the love you can have for them. Start to build a relationship. And I would urge your h to go back to court and get visitation, he has a right to it, and there's no legitimate reason not to have it. Don't be a scrooge this holiday season, be the bigger person

Very excellent advice! Excellent!

[TinkerBelle]

Originally Posted by MeganW

The same as I do for my one and only DD? I've spent close to 500 on her.

You know, I thought maybe I misunderstood you. Now I know I didn't. You ought to be ashamed.

$500 on one child? And nothing for his.:

No matter what the ex does or doesn't do, you married a man with children. How dare you act like those kids are some kind of scum on the street. Your husband ought to be doubly ashamed to allow you to treat his babies like that.

[cheer mom]

Shame on the husband too because he is allowing her to treat his children this way! I can't believe that this poster is serious.

[mama2toomany]

He is your husband right? Those are your children too!

You should want every child to be happy on Christmas! I can't tell you how much this post upsets me. These children have the opportunity to be with you for a holiday, they should be excepting and loved and cherished.. its not like these kids plotted to get gifts... so what if there mom wants them to get a gift.. they are kids for heaven sake and they deserve to be excepted by everyone!

:

[lilacwildfire]

I can understand your frustration with the child support being paid and your budget already being made out and spent. However- as a person who has lived it and went through all of those frustrations and now being in a family who hasn't seen my husbands bio daughters in over 4 years- I have to tell you now- the pain that your DH will go through, the pain his kids will go through, the pain you will go through, AND you own bio children will go through from not knowing their siblings is not worth ANY dollar amount that you could save from only buying them small things or nothing. Those are your husbands children, HIS blood, as much as your own child(ren) are with him. Some of the previous posters have excellent ideas about returning a portion of the gifts already bought so you can purchase gifts for the other children as well. It isn't about the gifts it is about cherishing EVERY SINGLE SECOND that you can get with those kids. EVERY SINGLE ONE!!! Regardless of what you think the ex's motives are- be THANKFUL that you and DH can see those kids and take that small amount of time to get to know them, take photographs, love on them, and BE a positive influence. If their mom truly is such a bad person, those kids will need their daddy someday. Let their memories reflect a happy time when it is spent with you and him and their siblings.

I would give heaven and earth for my DH to have one more minute with his girls. Please- cherish those kids!!!

[Flor]

Originally Posted by MeganW

no he has NO relationship For awhile he did and then she stopped it when he and I got serious (except when she needed a babysitter) He has not seen or spoken to them for a YEAR. Since last xmas. We were unable to have custody changed we tried we figured she'd keep the kids away since she didn't continue to even allow him to speak to them on the phone.
I'm sorry I feel if their mother doesn't want him around them and doesn't want him to have any say in their upbringing she has chosen to support them.


.

I just don't get why she gets to decide this? Isn't there a custody order that she's breaking?

In anycase, take the high road. Smile, buy them a gift. Maybe they will appricaite next time they don't like their mom (just kidding -- maybe they will look back in a few years and relize how gracious your are).