Tell Me About It: A resentful stepdaughter is moving in

Posted: October 13, 2011

Answer: Sure, but you can't spell it out that way. And you also can't do it without your husband's backing. You and he need to talk about it, and agree that you and the daughter don't have to be friends but you do need to be civil and treat each other with respect. Then he needs to agree that he will gently draw the line any time he witnesses poor treatment, and ask her to move out if she refuses to behave respectfully.

You, too, will have to do your part. First, you need to grant your husband license to tell you when you're doing something to aggravate the situation. He has it regardless, but articulating that is an important goodwill gesture.

You also need to be skeptical of your own defenses, and ask yourself - every time - whether the daughter actually did something cruel or thoughtless, or whether you were just predisposed to perceive it that way.

And you need to prepare yourself to let some small things go and focus on the goal of having everyone treat it as everyone's home. Know that there's room in that goal for all of you to have the occasional bad day and say the occasional wrong thing.


E-mail Carolyn Hax at tellme@washpost.com, or chat with her online at noon Fridays at www.washingtonpost.com.

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