Living arrangements
i have been staying with my step parents. i had thought things were going well, and they are for the most part, except one major detail. my stepfather. he is not home often because he works at a fire station... so many days on, so many off. but when he is home... its hell. i hide. i do my share around the house. i cook, clean, do everyones laundry quite often.. vacuum.. you name it. i try my best. i cant help outside much with the store cause i cant do the heavy lifting right now. i wish he talked to me the way he talked to the 5 year old here. my feelings dont matter. he dont see what i do and thinks i am lazy and non contributing. it doesnt matter really. he wont come talk to me like an adult. this is all second hand from other people that i hear this from. he is pretty unapproachable... and i am trying to get the courage to talk to him today... and not cry if he puts me down or out. I want college, and a career. so i am trying my best to see where i can fit in, with a baby, on a longer term stay to get me started. my step parents live right on county line. i have appts to go to in kitsap county.. but i am in mason... and if i list my address as living in mason.. i have to have my benefits transferred, and go to appointments in mason, which are an hour away. i need the medical more than anything... and i dont want to live in bremerton... but they want me to go to a shelter. they think i would be better off in a shelter, then getting into transitional housing. its a hard decision, and i need to talk to my dad, and get a definate yes, it is ok if i stay here from him for a longer term or not. and i need to tell him, if he is having a bad day, and feels the need to yell at me, then he needs to tell me so i can make plans to stay away. i dont need that. i dont need to be put down and ridiculed. he doesnt understand. he thinks i should be working asap no matter what. he dont understand im doing things slow, and taking steps on purpose, to get what i need in the future, so i can actually have a future. i just dont know.... i understand i am at the bottom of the totem pole here at this house... and that even the 5 year old can tell me what to do pretty much.... but he dont have to rub it in my face by telling me to "watch my mouth" cause my 13 year old sister told him i asked her to take out the garbage and she thought i was too bossy. i was trying to get the house clean before dinner. i had asked her 2 hours prior.... simple thing really. i didnt yelll, i just asked. even said please. i understand im the "fuck up" i understand im not worth much in their eyes. and sometimes it seems like it would be better to go to a shelter. but i just dont knowi want to talk to him first. but i dont know if i can. i get so nervous, cause he says things that hurt me... and if you try to tell him you are hurt at that time he dont care... the last thing i need right now is more rejection. i just dont knw what to do about it all. im scared. why cant they just be family and help me? make me feel like they love me just once? i mean, my sisters get to go off to soccer camps.. my step parents pay thousands of dollars a year. the one that drives drives every car in the house hold. (im still not allowed to drive their cars) im not jealous of them.... its just that.... i would really like it if i were talked to as a human being with feelings!!!! i dont expect everything to be about me... but give me at least a minute! try to understand im going through alot and doing the best i can!!! and that maybe if i ever needed them i need them now. well, im going to go find him... wish me luck.... at least i will know what the next step is from here.
Replies
Sorry you\'re having such a rough time. I wish you luck and also happiness and warmth and love and Dragon hugs....
Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, hon. I don\'t care WHAT the circumstances are....if he did not agree to help you, the time to say so was BEFORE you got there. I think you need to let him know exactly how much you are doing to earn your keep. Can you talk to your stepmother about telling him what you are doing for them all? Or ask HER If you are causing problems by being there.
I wish you lots of luck. Hope you catch him at a good time! Hugs, Deb
well i talked to him, my step mom has told him that i help out.
i dont feel like i got anywhere really. but im welcome here he says he has no problem with me being here, and that this weekend he was just pissy with everyone. he told me that i couldnt take critisism, i said it wasnt that, it was the tone in your voice, the way you talked to me, and it was just demeaning.
but as far as a longer term stay, well, i dont know. there isnt room here, and of course my sisters take precedence. when nina graduates, if she moves in here full time, i wont have anywhere to be.
i just like it here better than the shelter, cause i can walk out back, and be around my horses, my best friend lives right down the road, and i dont have to worry about running into HIM at the store, so i dont suffer from panick attacks. i think its dangerous. everytime i go into town i am screening the road more than watching where i am going looking for his car... its sick... i dont mean to but i keep catching myself do it, i am on edge, i look like a drug addict cause i cant stop fidgeting. i think i will stay out of the shelters, and just go on the normal wait list for possible housing, which gives me more time for circumstances to change.
i dont know if that is a wise decision or not. but i dont know how i would handle a shelter. with other people. i have pretty low tolerance, and im not up for making new friends right now in that circumstance.
or tolerating other people. sounds selfish and petty of me, i know. but that is how i feel right now. so i guess i will have to tolerate my dads awful moods. i have a friend who will say that i live in their house...
though i wont cause its messy, but i can say i live there for now anyway.
i dont know.
thanks everyone for listening.
Funny how communication is such an easy thing and so hard at the same time. Keep reaching out to your Dad and maybe you will really reach him. It sounds like he\'s not happy with himself and life...maybe he just really needs love....just a hunch...Big hugs and luck to you my friend.