I wanted to start this thread to get input from anyone else out there who may be having issues with step children or blended families at a time in your life when you are dealing with peri or menopause symptoms that keep you from feeling 100%. We touched on the subject in another thread that was about our husbands and partners. It's not my intention to start a long "cliquey" thread, but to allow some discussion on how every day issues in our lives can seem overwhelming during this phase. (Thanks Mistyeyez for the suggestion
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Personally, my DH has been very supportive. About this time last year I was going to Dr's sure that I had some horrible disease, I felt soooo ill. A few months later, my SS-18 came for a summer visit and stayed. He is the 4th (and last) of my husband's kids from a previous marriage. All of whom have been kicked out of the house by their mother (usually at age 16-17) because she didn't want to deal with them anymore.
I could write pages about our situation, but will keep it short and to the point (hopefully!) Basically, SS is a good kid with a few faults. Unfortunately for him, because he came to us for his senior year in HS and because he is shy, he hasn't made friends. He has a part time job at the moment, but basically only works about 10 hrs a week. So he is ALWAYS at home. And because we have had problems with other SK's, we don't feel we can leave overnight or vacation. He is very reclusive and not engaged with me at all, and barely with his Dad. Because he just "stayed" this summer, there was no real discussion about "this is how it's going to be when you live here". His Dad just wants things to be happy (since he missed many years raising him) and not to be negative.
I'm a very private person and certainly do not feel comfortable talking about ANYTHING to do with my peri symptoms in front of SS. I just have an unease about having him around so much, like a guest that has stayed too long. I just have this irritability on the surface so much of the time that I never had before. It's irrational. I even told my Mom about my concerns of germs when SS touches food in the fridge or uses utensils without washing properly and she thought I was a little overboard. I spend waaaaaaay too much time thinking about stuff like that (and many other similar type things).
Here's one of my new "coping tools". I think "What would my husband do?" Like if a cereal spoon is left on the counter after he's gone off to school. My husband would pick it up and put it in the dishwasher AND would have forgotten about it before he even left the kitchen. Why can't I be more like that? Oh yeah....could it be my hormones are whacked out??
