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advice needed on DP's daughter and grandkids

(30 Posts)
Elegran Mon 13-Oct-14 10:30:03

There is more than one user in this family, and your DP is the one being used.

It sounds as though a family conference is needed, including those who are nor living in the house, where everyone puts in their two-pennorth and proirities are thrashed out. You may be "just" his girlfriend, but you are involved in a lot of what goes on, so you deserve a say. You also seem to be the most sensible person around.

Could anyone else chair a family meeting? Maybe social services could help here - I don't know whether they intervene when there are not any problems that are directly their concern, to at least get everyone talking about it rationally.

greytemples Mon 13-Oct-14 10:17:57

Also, don't think social services are involved as the family members taking up the slack always try to make sure the kids have clean clothes etc when they leave for school.
Yes, the kids swear and have violent behaviour. I would imagine the school know the history as the police were involved when ex was violent. I assume they would refer to SS.
She split from him 18 months ago. They were visiting their dad every weekend but he now refuses to have them so they are foisted on us.

I don't resent the grandkids at all. Indeed I feel sorry for them, as does my ds. He dug out some of his old toys for them at the weekend and spent an hour showing them how to build brio railways. This takes a lot for him to do due to his social difficulties. I am very proud of him.

greytemples Mon 13-Oct-14 09:55:30

He feels very responsible for his kids.
Their mother poisoned them against him and they wouldn't speak to him for over a year until they found out the truth themselves. In that time he was very depressed, almost suicidal. When they realised he wasn't the bad guy they left their mother and moved back with him and he is trying to rebuild his relationship with them. This is difficult enough.
His son refuses to sign on for benefits. To be honest I doubt he could do it himself. He's not capable of getting organised at all.

My ds has aspergers and attends a special needs school and I can see very similar traits in dp's son. Nothing ever diagnosed though.

Dp is paying for everything and everyone and his health has suffered.

He has asked nicely, cajoled and ranted.
They do the washing up for one day then it's back to nothing.

I cant butt in and tear them off a strip as I am just his girlfriend. No power.

I'd really like to speak my mind but have to hold my tongue
I've tried the pleasant " your dad can't cope" conversation.
It falls on deaf ears

elena Mon 13-Oct-14 09:38:44

Sounds very difficult, and sad for everyone involved.

The grandchildren - are they known to social services? If they appear neglected, the school is probably aware of unmet needs and may have involved welfare services.

The 'lesser' issue is the one of your dp's adult children still living with him. Of course the 26-year-old should contribute to household costs. Why on earth not?

The 22-year-old will have some income, even if it is some form of benefit. Of course he should contribute.

Why is your dp unable to insist on this?

greytemples Mon 13-Oct-14 09:33:22

DP and I don't cohabit due to distance and my son is still at secondary school.
We decided to keep this arrangement until my ds leaves school and will then reevaluate situation.

Dp is late 50's, I'll health but works very physically demanding job, 7 am-7pm.

Dp has 3 adult children. Son 22 and daughter 26 live with him.
His son is very immature as has learning difficulties. more like a young teen and is unreliable. Spends all night playing pc games, no work. Doesn't contribute financially. Daughter 26 works full time, doesn't contribute financially as is saving for a house of her own.
Both do nothing around the house despite being asked.

dp not happy with situation but has given up asking after years of getting nowhere.

Eldest daughter 30, lives locally now after splitting with exh for physical abuse. She has two kids; 3 and 6.

She constantly dumps the kids on anyone for days at a time, who will have them so she can spend time partying and going away with her new boyfriend who is, frankly, a user.

She never picks up the kids from school, leaving that to other family members as well. Often she won't even collect them later, just texts saying "can't come because (insert pathetic excuse here) so you'll have to feed them, sleep them over and take them to school tomorrow"

Her first port of call is my dp. If he's working away or unable she gets stroppy.
She then tries her sister, who also works fulltime. Then her gran who's nearly 80 and can't cope with her boys terrible behaviour. Her uncle has basically told her to stop putting on his mother and get proper child care.
Then she asks her brother who is totally incapable of looking after himself properly.
If he refuses she asks random 'friends' of hers or new boyfriend. Barely knows these people.

The grandkids are always dirty, inadequately clothed and hungry. They seem almost feral at times.

Everyone is hacked off with her but we don't want the grandkids foisted onto strangers or greatgrandmother.

The kids witnessed violence with their father and their behaviour is atrocious. Compounded by their mother neglecting them.

What do we do?
She listens to no-one but the kids suffer so dp ends up taking them but loses pay because of them.
Last week she decided to go on holiday abroad for a week and I had them at my house 40 miles away for the weekend because my dp had to work to make up hours he's lost babysitting!

It's obvious she doesn't want the kids to remind her of her abusive ex and now her new man is taking up her time she has no space for her kids.

My dp has considered taking them to live with him so at least they're looked after and have stability but he can't do that and work. Also the house is too small to have them.

Im too far away to be of any help during the week and now we rarely have the Saturday together because we're babysitting. We only get to see each other on the Saturday.

How can we help this woman to realise her responsibility as a mother.

Wits end really.

Any questions? Ask away. Typing on phone so sorry for errors