what should i do about my stepson acting up all the time?
535933
step children are always complicated if there a little older when you start a relationship,however if you have been with his father for a while and he was only quite young when the two of you got together then you can speak to him more freely,sit down talk to him about things he might like to do take an intrest in what he likes to do and try to do some if any just one of those things with him regulary so that he can see you do like him and what to be a part of him because you do have his daddy and he would feel threateneed by that at the moment,
207026
Honestly explain to him first that you feel like you're not trusted with the child and let him know how that makes you feel. If you two are in agreement then you can approach the mother in a non-threatening way and let her know that you'd like to be more involved. you are a step-parent here and should be.
677821
Are you disciplining him?  You have every right to even if he's not your blood son - he is with you the majority of time and his real mother is barely in the picture.  Part of it is also his age.  His bedwetting is a nuisance, but could be triggered by stress in his life (confused, mom isn't around, etc) and 4 years old isn't THAT old to have bed wetting accidents.  However, if he is cursing and disrespecting you, you need to put your foot down.  Having dad do it when he happens to be home won't do anything because the kid needs to be punished right after his actions, not days later.  I don't mean beat him, but give his butt a whack so he feels it, that will surprise him and he might straighten up (worked for me and my siblings growing up!)....and don't be disrespectful back to him because you are only fueling the fire.  Good luck!
110745
You might need some kind of training to deal with the behavioral problem but other than that I would say patience and love .. just let them know that you care. \n\nI have a friend and her brother has downs. When I go with her to her parents home, he has to give me a hug and tell me that he loves me ... real sweetheart he is.
194502
different phycologies work against different kinds of bullies. Perhaps he acts that way because at home, he doesn't get the attention that he needs, in which case you may try to counter-act his aggressiveness by showing an interest somehow, without giving him the wrong idaea. try asking him if he saw a movie you think is cool, or ask him if he's heard the new thing on the radio, or whatever. perhaps he acts this way because he hasn't run into anyone who'll stand up to him. try telling him-look, bozo-I'm not amused by the five-year-old baby routine, why don't you try something new like acting your age? or some other thing like that. remember, confronting people's negative behavior does not mean you are looking for a fight, only that you want them to get a firm message-back off. try a few different things, but try to be tactful.
80370
If all that you said was true, why would you and your stepdad be arguing? Give us an idea what the last argument was about and we may be able to help.\n\nI saw your addition. From what you said, it looks like he just doesn't trust you. There is no quick fix. He's new to the family and you are an unknown. As to why your mom sides with him, that makes sense. Too often teenagers try to play the parents against each other, especially if one of the parents is a step parent. You may not have done that, but they have to show a unified front.\n\nIf your stepdad is reading your diary and such, he probably believes what is written in there. Why not write your feelings in it? You can write how you are trying to be the best you can be but are still being mistrusted by your stepdad. Don't be overly negative. Just say how much you want a chance. It might work.
945765
I have a stepson in addition to my own two and, therefore, a blended family.  Unfortunately, abandonment at the hands of his biological mother has left him emotionally stunted, and he has had some trouble making appropriate attachments to the other members of the family.  However, through regular one-on-one and family interaction (slow and steady wins the race) he has really come around.  I won't lie; it can be difficult beyond belief to raise someone else's child.  But if you can learn to identify your kids' individual and collective needs and deal with them accordingly, you'll come to understand that having a blended family is really not all that different from having a regular nuclear family.  Extra parents (his mom, her dad) can pose extra trouble and can seem like they are running interference a lot of the time, but remember - this is YOUR family.  Love and patience, hon.  THAT'S the name of the game...ANY game.  G-d speed.
481931
His parents sound pretty immature and pointlessly mean, if they weren't kidding around. It also sounds like he's picking up on their behavior and imitating it. But his parents' behavior is not as important as his, since he is the one who is your friend. You can confront him about it, if you choose, or you can decide whether his friendship is still valuable to you. Everyone has little things that will annoy us, whether it's friends or family, and you just have to decide whether hanging out with them is worth putting up with them. If his only bad trait is that he occasionally teases your brothers, you might just simply want to ask him to stop.
63136
Your experience isn't everyone's experience, unfortunately. Many kids have great step-parents, sometimes better than the life they had before. Not knowing your particular situation, is it possible that you haven't given your "step" a real chance? Have you really tried to let them in? Have you tried talking to them about stuff that's important to you? Have you tried asking them about what's important to them? In other words, have you really tried to make the relationship work? Maybe they're mean to you because you give them your "attitude" when they try to be a parent. Everyone knows that no one can take the place of your parent. But, obviously, your other parent saw something in them that they fell in love with. Now you have to make the best of it. Movies like The Parent Trap and others of that sort are just movies. If you think that shutting your "step" out will make your other parent think twice about their marriage, think again. Think about really trying, no matter how "suckie" they are. Remember, if you act like you think they are, what does that make you? My attitude is, give people what they DON'T deserve. Who knows? They just might start acting like the way you treat them. <*)))><
441325
Postive reinforcement. Proven to work. Takes time to get used to. Whenever he exhibits calm behavior, praise him. Give him a reward, attention, whatever works for your situation. When he displays aggresive behavior, ignore. No attention, no reward. (He may be doing this for attention?)\n\nConsistency is key and all family members should participate.
757743
Your child is not the only one with problems like this.  Professional help is in order when the child's behavior is dangerous to them or others.  Do not take it lightly.  Your child needs a complete psychiatric evaluation to determine what the problem is, and what you can do for your child, and to protect your family.\n\nWhile I'm sure you love your child dearly, you may have make some serious decisions to ensure everyone's safety.  God be with you.  I pray He will guide you to the right specialists who will have positive, loving answers for you.  Amen.\n\nBest Wishes,\n\nSue
84560
Clearly the `always` interfere part is a problem.\nyou must find a way to prevent them from interfering\nwhether it is just through \ndirect communication <avoidance> \nor through changing what they think of you <mitigation>\nWhat sway do they have over your grown son?
280028
First off *HUGS*!\n\nSecond off, unfortunately there is nothing youc an do to make them stop.  Be it your mom, dad, step mom or sibling, that choice has to come from them.  And remember, its not your fault.\n\nHow old are you?  It really sounds like you are in an abusive situation.  I would talk to a councelor at school and let them know whats going on.  Are you living with this family member?  Is there anyone else you could stay with?  As far as your step mom goes, can you talk to your dad?  If you can't talk to him or her, you need to let her comments go.  Realize you are none of the horrible things being said to you.  Sometimes, its unfortunate but you have to take a mental break from the people in your life.  Your step-mom or dad if they are the ones that you have the issue with.  You are a strong young person and this is a very short yet impressionable time in your life.  \n\nTell youself you are your own person and you will not let the rest of you're life be the summation of this small time frame.  And that you will not end up like them in your future.  I know this is hard though and you don't always have to believe it in certain moments, but when always remind yourself and eventually it wont be so hard to remember. \n\nAre there other activities you can do?  Maybe take up volunteer work or a sports activity to get you out of the house as much as possible?  Its always good to have someone to talk to.  Like I said, go see a councelor at school.  If you feel you can't do this, there are Alateen meetings all over.  They are connected to Alcoholics Anonymous in the fact they are for family members of alcoholics.  You can meet other people in your situation and it can be a great support.\n\nBe strong love, you are your own person and can get through this, and there is NEVER anything wrong with yourself or asking for help.  You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
963115
Talk to your parents, if he is really a bother they should do something about it.  If he's younger than you and just a "normal little brother" kind of annoying, try spending some time with him when you are free.  Play a game, take him somewhere fun.  Then maybe he'll respect you when you tell him to leave you alone.  If he's older than you and just won't leave you alone, try embarrassing him when his friends are around.  He'll learn to leave you alone.
982401
Tell him to get a life.  Have you asked him why he does this?  You have obviously spoken to him about this and concerned about his actions, so it must be very serious.  I agree I think the next step is professional counselling of some kind.  There should be local assistance that can help you with your cousin's problem.  Good luck.
677063
Make an arrangement with him, that he does the dishes certain days, (and to never assume that you did them. He's jsut being a lazy unreliable kid) and on certain days you will do them. Do that with all the chores, if you want. And if it doesn't do them, its supposed to, no naps or movie watching.
911145
I personally find stepdads creepy because although they are a father figure there is something about them that doesn't jive well with me.  At any rate, I've personally seen this as a problem from my friend's situation and I don't know if there is something you could really do.  Just give it time and don't impose yourself on him all the time.  Just a few moments when you see him and let it go.  What's important is you and her, not him.  Eventually when things get much more serious, make more effort, but four months seems still to be a short time. good luck!