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I know I'm a Dad in the Mom's section here, but I'm desperately grasping for some help here, and really think that of those who've been through it would help out a lot more, I don't know all the little abbreviations, so please bear with me. Our story began this winter, in the start of Feb., I've been wanting a daughter for quite some time to add to our two birth sons, who are 8 and 10. Driving home one day, it was clear as day, as if God was sitting next to me telling me what to do, saying, "how about adoption?" I brought this up with my wife, who has been totally against having a third child, mostly becuase she didn't want to have another baby, going through all that, diapers etc, and the freedoms we are finding having older kids. Anyway, she agreed that sounded like a good idea, I was ecstatic! I got us signed up for PRIDE classe, we wanted to adopt a child out of Foster care. She was so willing to talk about it all, and so eager with everything as I was, and excited the whole way through. Well in the middle of April, our foster license was all completed, and we were officially in the USKIDS program with WACAP, within two to three weeks, we were matched with a girl that was about 400 miles from us. I feel I need to back up a little here now, in talking with our boys, they didn't want a younger sister, oh by the way, it's a daughter I've been wanting for so long too, but they thought the idea of an older sister was a great idea. So anyway, we were matched with a 13 Y.O. girl and began talking on the phone with her a few times a week. We immediately hit it off with her. This is a girl that is so eager for her forever family, wanting it more than anything, and has come so far with dealing with any issues to get to this point. Within a couple weeks, we all drove down for a long weekend visit, and being foster licensed, meant she could stay with us, so we took her camping, in an RV. We all immediately had such a great connection, she truly was meant to be in our family, such a perfect fit! We've really gotten lucky with God's hands on this. So this was the middle of May at this point, she was placed in our home on June 6, really quick, I know, but everyone was so excited to have her come home! She really doesn't have any issues, other than being a teenage girl! No lets fast forward a couple weeks, my wife is going crazy, suffering from some pretty serious anxiety attacks. The first start to her excuses for it were with what she felt as inappropriate touching by the daughter towards me. This included, tickling when the kids were all playing, and just wanting to be close. This is a girl that hasn't had a strong male figure in her life, and was craving a dad. I saw no issues with what she was doing, but knowing that some of this really needs to be limited with girls and adoptive dads. So I would just kindly have her stop, or step away, whatever it took to do it nicely. My wife didn't agree, and has started in with an attitude towards her! As of now, my wife says she never wanted any of this and just wants to send her back, the daughter has been here three weeks, that's it. My wife has issues, at first thinking of the girl as "another woman in the house", and now just doesn't want to share her house or family with another girl, even though she is a daughter. She has no attachment to our daughter at all, which I would say is fairly common, I however, love this girl to death, she is a great kid, very helpful, and even her looks look like she could have been our birth daughter. My wife says she'll never have the attachment to her like a bio kid, she just want's her to leave. She doesn't want to deal with the issue, she'd rather tuck tail and run. I should explain our boys too, our 8 year old, is a very outgoing, active "normal" boy, our 10 year old, suffered to very major grand mal seizures at 2 and 2 1/2, each lasting 15-20 minutes, never found a reason for it, though we went through all sorts of testing. Since then, he has been very develomentally delayed, he's ten going on 7 I'd say. Not a strong older sibling child, the new daughter is a very good role model and older sibling and loves having the younger brothers, that's part of the reason we were matched with her by the state and her social workers. Anyways...any of you moms out there that have had the same feeling towards the new child in the house, especially a teenage daughter...I beg you to please, please share your experiences, my wife needs someone to talk to help her through this, she's been seeing a therapist, but it's not really helping. She doesn't want to listen to me, she resents me for "pushing her into this." I'm really desperate here...I love my wife, I love my kids, all three of them, it's only been three weeks but I have the daughter I've wanted for so long, to have that father daughter relationship with, my wife doesn't understand this at all, thinks I felt that her and the boys just aren't enough for me, which is not the case, I love them all, my whole life is devoted to my family! Never, anywhere along the lines did she ever say she didn't want this, or we need to think more about this, we are very open with each other, and know the importance of communication, she never spoke anything negative towards her mother about it either. She really needs some encouragement to get through this point, I can't send our daughter back now, it would tear me, her and the boys up for life, but wife just wants to go back to the way it was...and at this point, I don't know if that's possible now! Thank you in advance for letting me get this out...and hopefully to the response I can get from all you Moms out there!!!
Desperately seeking help...
Shep
I don`t know if there is an easy response to this. My first thoughts are that she should be in contact with a specialist in attachment issues. A therapist of course is a great start, but I suspect that you will need to bring in the kind of therapist who deals with attachment issues. There are many individuals who suffer from attachment disorder and it`s not just the kids that go through it. Mothers and fathers too. It`s a little discussed topic. It will be a lot of work I won`t kid you. when a person has attachment issues for a baby it can be hard going, but bring in a young hormonal girl who is usurping the feminine order ... I really think it`s going to take a great deal of professional help and willingness on your wife`s part.
I am wishing you all peace and healing.
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Hi there.. I am the MOTHER in a situation like yours. short history... We adopted her at age 11 , she is now 16. We had two bio boys (twins) age 23 now. My hubby and i have been married for 20 years and i felt like we have and could survive any storm.
When we first got her, i took her clothes shopping, and tried to show her how to be a little lady. But she always referred back to being a boy or dressing like a boy etc.. She even wanted to do pageants and we did them which is strange. I thought we had a pretty decent relationship even though she was way too boyish for me and I am a girly girl..
My hubby was an over the road driver at the beginning of this roller coaster. We had her in foster care for 3 + years but all the while with us. It all started when my hunny came off the road and was home every night.. When he did come home I would see little gestures toward him or a not so lady like sitting position that I would bring up to her and my hubby and they would just shun me off as it shouldnt bother me. He sees her as a little girl but she is 13 and 14 year old wanting to lay in his lap. Oh yeah and she was sexually molested at age 11 is the reason she came into care.
Now at age 16, she wants nothing to do with me, which is ok. But she has a seductive action about her and then if she sees me and my husband show affection towards one another she looks at me like i am taking her MAN.. We even had company over that witnessed the LOOK and i brought it out right then and there and the company confirmed it and he didnt even ask her why do you do that.. He just was like whatever..
My hubby doesnt see anything wrong with any of this and he sees her as a little girl. This has affected my marriage and my relationship with him, i have also made the comment to him about her acting like his wife/comcubine. If i say something then he gets defensive like I am the one that is wrong.. just like last night she rode in the truck with him and she sat in the middle by him and one leg on each side of the shifter and he saw nothing wrong with that, of course i said what is she doing and he said .. oh lord just sit in the back seat. wow really?????????
As christians we have to put things in divine order and it should be
God first, marriage 2nd, children 3rd.
so please share what you did to help your wife.
I love my husband with all my heart and soul , he is a great father but I am not willing to share my role as his wife with a child.
Hi there.. I am the MOTHER in a situation like yours. short history... We adopted her at age 11 , she is now 16. We had two bio boys (twins) age 23 now. My hubby and i have been married for 20 years and i felt like we have and could survive any storm.
When we first got her, i took her clothes shopping, and tried to show her how to be a little lady. But she always referred back to being a boy or dressing like a boy etc.. She even wanted to do pageants and we did them which is strange. I thought we had a pretty decent relationship even though she was way too boyish for me and I am a girly girl..
My hubby was an over the road driver at the beginning of this roller coaster. We had her in foster care for 3 + years but all the while with us. It all started when my hunny came off the road and was home every night.. When he did come home I would see little gestures toward him or a not so lady like sitting position that I would bring up to her and my hubby and they would just shun me off as it shouldnt bother me. He sees her as a little girl but she is 13 and 14 year old wanting to lay in his lap. Oh yeah and she was sexually molested at age 11 is the reason she came into care.
Now at age 16, she wants nothing to do with me, which is ok. But she has a seductive action about her and then if she sees me and my husband show affection towards one another she looks at me like i am taking her MAN.. We even had company over that witnessed the LOOK and i brought it out right then and there and the company confirmed it and he didnt even ask her why do you do that.. He just was like whatever..
My hubby doesnt see anything wrong with any of this and he sees her as a little girl. This has affected my marriage and my relationship with him, i have also made the comment to him about her acting like his wife/comcubine. If i say something then he gets defensive like I am the one that is wrong.. just like last night she rode in the truck with him and she sat in the middle by him and one leg on each side of the shifter and he saw nothing wrong with that, of course i said what is she doing and he said .. oh lord just sit in the back seat. wow really?????????
As christians we have to put things in divine order and it should be
God first, marriage 2nd, children 3rd.
so please share what you did to help your wife.
Hi there.. I am the MOTHER in a situation like yours. short history... We adopted her at age 11 , she is now 16. We had two bio boys (twins) age 23 now. My hubby and i have been married for 20 years and i felt like we have and could survive any storm.
When we first got her, i took her clothes shopping, and tried to show her how to be a little lady. But she always referred back to being a boy or dressing like a boy etc.. She even wanted to do pageants and we did them which is strange. I thought we had a pretty decent relationship even though she was way too boyish for me and I am a girly girl..
My hubby was an over the road driver at the beginning of this roller coaster. We had her in foster care for 3 + years but all the while with us. It all started when my hunny came off the road and was home every night.. When he did come home I would see little gestures toward him or a not so lady like sitting position that I would bring up to her and my hubby and they would just shun me off as it shouldnt bother me. He sees her as a little girl but she is 13 and 14 year old wanting to lay in his lap. Oh yeah and she was sexually molested at age 11 is the reason she came into care.
Now at age 16, she wants nothing to do with me, which is ok. But she has a seductive action about her and then if she sees me and my husband show affection towards one another she looks at me like i am taking her MAN.. We even had company over that witnessed the LOOK and i brought it out right then and there and the company confirmed it and he didnt even ask her why do you do that.. He just was like whatever..
My hubby doesnt see anything wrong with any of this and he sees her as a little girl. This has affected my marriage and my relationship with him, i have also made the comment to him about her acting like his wife/comcubine. If i say something then he gets defensive like I am the one that is wrong.. just like last night she rode in the truck with him and she sat in the middle by him and one leg on each side of the shifter and he saw nothing wrong with that, of course i said what is she doing and he said .. oh lord just sit in the back seat. wow really?????????
As christians we have to put things in divine order and it should be
God first, marriage 2nd, children 3rd.
so please share what you did to help your wife.
Hi there.. I am the MOTHER in a situation like yours. short history... We adopted her at age 11 , she is now 16. We had two bio boys (twins) age 23 now. My hubby and i have been married for 20 years and i felt like we have and could survive any storm.
When we first got her, i took her clothes shopping, and tried to show her how to be a little lady. But she always referred back to being a boy or dressing like a boy etc.. She even wanted to do pageants and we did them which is strange. I thought we had a pretty decent relationship even though she was way too boyish for me and I am a girly girl..
My hubby was an over the road driver at the beginning of this roller coaster. We had her in foster care for 3 + years but all the while with us. It all started when my hunny came off the road and was home every night.. When he did come home I would see little gestures toward him or a not so lady like sitting position that I would bring up to her and my hubby and they would just shun me off as it shouldnt bother me. He sees her as a little girl but she is 13 and 14 year old wanting to lay in his lap. Oh yeah and she was sexually molested at age 11 is the reason she came into care.
Now at age 16, she wants nothing to do with me, which is ok. But she has a seductive action about her and then if she sees me and my husband show affection towards one another she looks at me like i am taking her MAN.. We even had company over that witnessed the LOOK and i brought it out right then and there and the company confirmed it and he didnt even ask her why do you do that.. He just was like whatever..
My hubby doesnt see anything wrong with any of this and he sees her as a little girl. This has affected my marriage and my relationship with him, i have also made the comment to him about her acting like his wife/comcubine. If i say something then he gets defensive like I am the one that is wrong.. just like last night she rode in the truck with him and she sat in the middle by him and one leg on each side of the shifter and he saw nothing wrong with that, of course i said what is she doing and he said .. oh lord just sit in the back seat. wow really?????????
As christians we have to put things in divine order and it should be
God first, marriage 2nd, children 3rd.
so please share what you did to help your wife.
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My wife, at least at first felt the same things. She felt there was some physical boundaries the daughter was crossing with me, this stemming though from a jealousy thing, and also knowing the men in the family really need to limit there touch time for some time, at least at first. We all sat down and set some physical boundaries with me, as well as the boys, which there hasn't been any issue with. I limit, for my safety and my wife's request, limit my physical contact with her to mostly simple hugs, most being "side hugs". This helps keep the safety margin, as well as my wife happy. You husband really needs to understand the importance of how quickly an accusation could be made on you daughters part, if she were to get upset, for any reason, this could, and has before, destroyed many families. I really understand your husbands want to sit with her, and have some great father/daughter time, but he needs to protect himself and his family first, and most importantly be willing to work through things that concern you, marriage is about give and take, he really needs to give some up right now it sounds like. I'm really surprised that a girl with sexual aggressions was placed with you also. Our daughter never has acted out in any such way in previous foster homes or here. That's why she was placed with us, our agency weeded out MANY teenage girls that had these tendencies for this reason! Your husband really needs to make his marriage and family work still, and this may mean sidelining some of his wants and desires for daughter time, no matter how innocent they are, to keep everyone safe and happy. I truly believe, especially in yours and our instances, it is the dad/husbands job to really keep an open mind, keep everyone happy, and try to coach and help through all the difficult situations. I am being accused of being googly eyed because I do have my daughter and don't understand my wife's feelings, I totally understand her feelings, and also know that her feelings are very common among mothers, she has just let PADS take physical control over her body, and needs my help in getting this back. My position on our situation is, I feel my wife's feeling are somewhat temporary, being a strong case of PADS, right now, she is not willing to do, what I know she knows is right, and that is to find a way to make it work, you can't quit after just four weeks! I wish you well with your family and situation, and know too, that, communications is vital, with you family, your husband and God! Take Care...
I am in the midst of adopting a 12 yr old that I have had since age 6. I can tell you that she has a healthy relationship with my husband but nothing that ever sets off any alarm bells. I however feel that if you and your wife are not on the same page, there will be divorce attorneys involved. In order to adopt a child everyone has to be on the same page. I speak from experience because I started fostering with my husband and he left us after 5 years of fostering. He decided one day he just didn't want to anymore. Thankfully I met someone new that was willing to come along for the ride and he has been wonderful. If your wife is not eager to do this... your marriage won't survive. I think you may be put in a place where you will have to chose whether or not you want your wife and boys or whether you want to be a single dad to an adopted girl. Good Luck!
I'm not sure what I have to say will help....and I want to preface that it may not be AT ALL applicable to this situation....so get out your salt shaker...
When I was in my 20's, I dated an older man with a young daughter. I read a lot of books on step-parenting, co-parenting, etc. because I wanted to do right by his kid. One thing that really stuck out to me was the idea of teenage girls (and even pre-teens) tend to "test out" flirting on their fathers...and a mother who has raised the girl since she was a child (in this case, typically a birth mom since it was a step parenting book) looks on, smiles, and thinks "How Cute" but the stepmother often looks on with jealousy and sees competition....mainly because they don't have the same attachment with the girl. The point of the chapter was to try and step back and gauge if what you are seeing would look different if you had raised this child since infancy...and to try to be very objective when deciding this.
Of course, a lot of kids in care have issues and experiences that impact their actions, which is why I'm not sure this is applicable.
Disclaimer: I am not trying to stereotype step-parents, birth parents, dads, or teenage girls (or anyone else). When I read the post, this example came to mind because I could see myself at risk of reacting in a judgmental way....