How would you handle this situation with your step daughter?

You need to call your husband back and talk to him. You need to tell him.........

1. That you don't appreciate his comments and that you feel he owes you an apology.

2. Point out how many times you have picked your step-daughter up, and that you have always been willing to pick her up in the past.

3. You need to tell him that unlike him, you are thinking of the safety of your joint children AND your step-daughter and that you are NOT willing to risk any of their lives when there is a tornado watch in effect. You need to also point out that your safety and ALL of his children's safety should be his top priority!

4. You need to tell him that "Yes, you do have a Durango", but Dorothy had a house and it didn't stop the tornado from striking and picking up the house and carrying it away.

5. You need to tell him that since this isn't the Wizard of Oz, that if a tornado does hit your Durango that it will probably kill you and his children and not just carry you off to a fairy tale land where you will be able to just "click" your heels 3 times, and say "There's No Place Like Home" and you and his children will be returned to him.

6. Then you need to tell him to call his ex and let her know that he doesn't feel it would be safe to pick up his daughter during a tornado watch (what Mother would want her child out on the road and away from her during a tornado watch anyway?) and that he could pick her up either after the tornado watch has ended or tomorrow instead.

You need to stand up for yourself and not let him push all HIS responsibilities off onto you. He and his ex are the ones mainly responsible for their child. I think it is wonderful that you have a good relationship with your step-daughter, but don't let your husband and his ex push their responsibilities off on you all of the time. Good Luck!

S.S.

That's so funny. I have to drive an hour to drop off my daughter to her dad, and he drives an hour too. And I have a Durango (mine's red). What a coincidence!! Anyways, your hubby should pick her up regardless of the weather!!! Or I would have a neighbor or someone watch the other kids while I went since there is a tornado watch. Sounds like your husband needs to pick up his own daughter. Talk about selfish!! I would never ask my new husband to pick my daughter up on his own. That is my responsibility.

You have yourself to think of and your kids He should be getting in that Durango and picking up his daughter then, if he thinks its so safe. I think that you already do too much and he may not do enough, now he expects it. Ive been in that situation and tried to help out. The pressure was on me all the time and I found myself being the go girl for both him and her. You cant be that. You should take a stand, doesn't mean that you dont love your step daughter any less, it just means that you cant do something right now and they will all have to respect you for your decision.

I have a Durango myself and know that when the winds blowing I can feel it. With a tornado warning the winds are obviously going to be bad. Why cant he pick her up? I hate driving in storms b/c I get nervous. Can you imagine what would happen if you were driving w/ your little ones in the car and got nervous and had an accident? Tell him you love the girl and have picked her up many times but you feel nervous driving in bad weather. What hard to understand about that?!

I would call the mother, as long as you two have a good realtionship. Explain that you want the daughter to come up and spend time with the family, but that you're afraid to drive all the way down and back with the weather being what it is, and ask her to meet you half way some where.

It says that you are thinking of the childs welfare and safety, along with being concerned about her relationship with her father and half siblings. (and you)

and be sure to tell your husband that its not that you dont want to go get HER, its just the weather is bad and its not like its fair to jeoperdize a child just because anyone WANTS to be one place or the other.

If your husband thinks that a tornado can't toss your durango around like its a ball, he's sadly mistaken. Even if its only a small one. One weekend is just not worth anyone's life. Surely your stepdaughters mom will be willing to reschedule, since there are extenuating circumstances.

Her father should pick her up. Especially in inclement weather. I have a good relationship with my step daughter but am not responsible for pick up or drop off duty. I do not ask or make my husband to drop off or pick up for my son (we'll go together sometimes and have dinner out)and this has been going on for 11 years!

I'd tell him yep I do have a Durango and that Durango will do a wonderful job of getting me away from his *** if he keeps this **** up. And from now on he's on his own to figure out a way of how to get his own kid to her mother's as your Durango no longer goes that way.

you will never win the situation. all you can do is use your best judgement on what is right for the kids. If the roads are really rainy and windy and you can't see than why would you pick them up and put the kids on unsafe roads. Just because someone told you to pick them up?

Sounds like there are more underlying problems here. The only way you're going to find out is by talking and taking the time to listen. I really think that there is a bigger problem.