What It Takes To Be A Stepparent & A Parent

What do I do any advice ?

I have a 16 year old step daughter. Me and her father have been together for 3 years and now have a 8 month old baby. She calls me mom and of course I love her as my own. He birth mother is not in the picture. But she has been going through a wild phase. She sneaks out and sneaks her boyfriend in the house at night. We have tried every disciplinary action we know and just plain out doesn’t care what do we do. We just want her to be safe.

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Maybe have a heart to heart with her and tell her about how dangerous the world is and how hard teen pregnancy is.
I had my daughter at 14 years old so if you need more info on what being a teen parent is like hmu

During my pregnancy which was my first she was with me through the whole thing the nasty and horrible pain of having a baby I’m very open with her about things and we have had this conversation about teen pregnancy stds and life outside of ur parents. We have done soft parenting and old school parenting but it seems like she just does not care. It’ sucks bc my husband doesn’t know how to deal with her and I don’t know if it’s even my place to try and step in

some teens just need to learn from experience and there’s not much you really can do. I was indeed one of those teens. Don’t blame yourself

see and I wasn’t. I was a bookworm, straight As student. I think that’s part of the reason I feel like can’t understand why she keeps disrespecting our rules, and they aren’t even harsh rules which is focus on school and her only chores are dishes and her room. Idk maybe ur right she just needs to learn on her own

it’s apart of wanting to grow up too fast and be independent and practice being on her own. That’s what it was for me

in our community

Mother

The house is quiet.
Finally, a moment to myself.
I sit on the couch, expressing milk for his next feed.
Time circles my mind.
Do I have enough time to write this?
Should I sleep instead?
It’s getting late.
I should be grateful.
I should be present.
I should… I should.
The guilt.
The intrusive thoughts.
The disconnection from self.
The robotic washing of bottles, clothes, and dishes.
Then the question returns.
Do I have enough time for me?
What me?
Who am I?
Where am I?
I miss her.
I miss me.
Who have I become?
I have become a mother.
I am everything to this little human who will one day call me mum.
His life depends on me with every waking moment.
I give.
And I give.
Then he smiles.
And suddenly I see him
the little human I have nourished with tired eyes,
with time,
with love stretched beyond capacity.
Sometimes I leave to rest.
To breathe.
But even then my mind returns home.
I should be there.
I should be caring for my baby.
Is this normal?
Am I normal?
I feel myself unbecoming the woman I once knew so well.
They say this time is sacred.
And it is.
But it goes fast.
Maybe because we are not fully here in these early days.
We are surviving.
Living on autopilot.
Days blur together.
Until suddenly he shows me something new —
a smile,
a look,
a tiny trick he has learned.
And that moment is priceless.
His beautiful smile.
His big, beautiful eyes.
He is beginning his life
as I share mine
to keep him thriving.
A sacred sacrifice.
A whirlwind.
A shift in reality.
Who am I?
I am mother.

Does anyone have a child that’s a bit “different” when it comes to in law’s family? 😅😂

My sister in law is having a conversation with my 4year old and ask what their favorite tv show is and my 4/yo response “stranger things” and absolutely no comment when she said that 😂
She ask what is their favorite food and my 4yo says “spam” their response is “huh? What? “
Then asks what their favorite candy is and my 4y/o responds “no I don’t eat that. It’s not good for you” no response again 😂
I feel like there’s an expectation they have towards my kids
If they ask what their favorite tv show is they’ll expect a “Mickey mouse Minnie Mouse” that type of stuff for ex
Please tell me I’m not the only one and how do yall feel about it?😅😂

Weetabix

How would you serve it to a 6 month old please? Is it boiled water, formula or mix with cows milk?? I don’t trust google and can’t for the life of me remember what I did for my daughter lol

Separating

So my husband has decided he’s done and doesn’t want us to stay together any more. I thought he was depressed and would get over it eventually but instead he’s decided our marriage is finished. We’re in an awkward position where neither of us can afford the house on our own and neither of us can afford to move out and rent, so logistically we’ll be staying in the house, sleeping in the same bed, raising the kids together whilst not being together? What am I supposed to do? I’ve never felt so useless and rejected. What a waste of 13 years of my life. I thought we’d be together forever. Just needed to vent

???

My birthday is on Friday March 20. I’ll be 35 years young.My man wants to wait to celebrate it until April 1st because he’ll be paid. I have no one else except my man and my kids. I haven’t spoken to anyone from my family since 2018. This year hit me and I’m crying just writing this. I am so lonely and sad. I just need to be lifted up. Am I being unreasonable or selfish?

Nursery funding

I’ve given and submitted the code for the 30hrs funded hours to my sons nursery and we are due to start April 1st. Basically I put his start date as the first day he is eligible for it.
I have just received my invoice and they are charging me for the full 50hours a week with no funded hours on there.
I have emailed them to clarify but just wondering about other people’s experiences. Am I right in expecting the funded hours to be applied from my first invoice, or is it possible that because the invoice has to be paid BY April 1st (before the funding kicks in) that I have to pay the full cost despite the hours I’m paying for being after April 1st.

Stressing out over it a little, and how I’m going to afford paying that amount before I’ve even returned to work as I was expecting my bill to be nearly half that 😬