Coping With Back-To-School Blues
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I am having a real problem with my husband’s 7 year old son, Jack. We have been having issues with Jack’s Mom telling him lies about his father and me. For example, when our 10 month old daughter Julia was born, she told him that the baby wasn’t really his sister. Jack also tells me that it’s my fault his Mom and Dad are not together anymore.
When I ask him to do something for me, he usually responds, “My Mom told me I don’t have to do anything you tell me to do. You’re not my mother!” And, now is where the real problem starts. My husband and Jack’s Mom have 50/50 custody; we have Jack for 7 days and then he lives with his Mom for 7 days. Several months ago we noticed that Jack is lying to us. A lot! And he makes up elaborate stories that aren’t true. For example, he told his mother that I threatened to beat the cr*p out of him when he wouldn’t get into bed at bedtime. Of course I would never say this to Jack, but after he told his Mom she called my husband to scream at him about my threatening Jack. The next time he was at our house, my husband and I asked why he would make up such stories. Whenever we ask him why he is lying, he just insists that he is telling the truth and breaks down into tears.
Like I said, this is just the tip of the iceberg. He is lying constantly now. What would cause a 7 year old boy to tell stories to his mom like this? Is he trying to please mommy because mommy has openly expressed her dislike of me to him?
Should I be worried? Should my husband be worried? I’d appreciate any advice you can give me.
Thank you!
Joan
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Dear Joan,
I’m so sorry that you are going through this with your 7 year old step son. I wish I could say that this behavior is unusual for a child when he is in the midst of a cantankerous split between his parents. I agree with you. He may very well be trying to figure things out. In an effort to ensure he is not abandoned by Mom, Jack is trying to align with her against you. Children at this age frequently can’t make sense out of shades of gray and it’s preferable to distance himself from you rather than run the risk of losing his mother’s love all together. In addition, he is testing you. If he is “bad” enough, will you reject him? Jack may also be engaging in a bit of magical thinking. Like other children at this age, he believes his thoughts, feelings, and behavior can influence the course of things. His behavior may be motivated by a wish for his parents to get back together to take care of him. Jack may not be able to comprehend why his parents split and you are the only thing different between “before” and “after”. Being a step-parent is such a challenging job. The rewards of which you may not see for many years to come.