I'm going to try and keep this clear and concise.
I'm not confident in my parenting. I don't feel like I've been a good parent, but I have done the best that I can with the tools and resources that I have.
My 18 y/o has lived with us since she was 4. My partner has been in my 18y/o's life since they were 13 months old.
18y/o is copy->paste of their deadbeat mother and I don't know what to do about it. I don't know what I can do about it at this point.
I have tried to instill structure, while allowing wiggle room at times. I recognize that it's my job as the parent to draw hard lines and it's my kids job to push the boundaries and cross those lines.
18y/o is almost mute around us. Doesn't communicate much of anything beyond surface level 'pleasantries'. And it's more often than not, anything but pleasant. They (biological female) are diagnosed with ADHD, 'change disorder', anxiety and depression. I've done so much reading trying to figure out this person and how I can help, but nothing seems to help. Kid has never really be honest with therapists. Lies for no reason, and doubles down even when presented with irrefutable evidence that they've been caught. If I had to 'self-diagnose', they have ODD and are a sociopath, but I've seen how they behave around friends and peers. They only have disregard for us. Outside the home, they are a people pleaser. But if we suggest something, or ask for something to be done, it's a fight, every time.
They are a senior in high school, is a good student when there's nothing rocking their boat, but had steadily declining grades as the school year presses on. I have no idea what's going on in their life, everything is responded to with a random selection of the following list:
I don't know
I don't remember
I don't know how you want me to answer that
Do you want me to respond?
I don't see what the problem is.
I don't see how this is a big deal.
The current argument is regarding whether we should be expected to wake them up for school in the morning. I've already put my foot down about it, and since December 1st, they've already walked themselves to school twice because they overslept.
They are impossible to motivate. When things finally come to a head and an argument breaks out, which typically boils over because there can be no constructive conversation with someone who is either unable or unwilling to have a conversation. And only when the argument breaks out do we get any action on anything, and then it's an overcorrection. For example, we've been pushing for them to fill out scholarship applications for 8 months. We've had friends provide spreadsheets with links to what we collectively think are viable scholarships, for no action responses. Then when we finally get a break in the wall, they fill out scholarship applications for tens of thousands of dollars for enrollment in a school states away with misleading GPA information. We are not in a financial position to accommodate that kind of enrollment, even if we wanted to support the decision. It comes off as an "I'll show them" move.
Nevermind the drivers license thing. Can't get them to get off their ass and get their license. It's been a battle for 2 years. Something always goes wrong. Last time I pressed on it hard, we ended up in intensive outpatient therapy.
They're unmanageable and I don't know what to do for or with them. Our home is small, 800 sqft and it's a hell hole. My partner has almost left me twice over this kid's behavior over the years. Partner and kid do not get along at all at this point, and has lead to a false CPS report so my kid could try and move in with their crush's family.
There so much context missing but there's no time or room for 18 years of back story.
I don't know if there's a question here, but I need help or support, or something. Any stories or advice anyone cares to relay would be appreciated. I'm terrified that once this kid leaves, I'm never going to hear from them again. But I can't control that, and I recognize it.
Thanks for reading.
These two statements would seem to contradict each other, so I hope you can forgive people here for being confused on this point.
Are you going to therapy? Everything you've written points to an extremely dysfunctional relationship with your child. It might help.
Good luck, but TBH I don't really see this improving. It's not an easy dynamic to untangle/defuse.
We have been in family therapy on and off over the years. We're currently in an off period. When in therapy they make little sense and resort to whst I can only describe as incoherent babbling fabricating things that never happened. We've had several therapists stop them and tell them that they're not making sense or questioning something they said only for our teen (I should stop saying kid) to respond with "Nevermind I can't get the words out" or "well it made sense to me".
Part of this is just emotional speaking, so forgive me if there's some contradiction. Just because I say they ware copy paste, in my eyes that's not a comparison, as much as it's context. But I understand your point.
Ah, I think I understand. You're seeing parallels without meaning it in the sense of comparing them? But the context is lost on me; I don't know any of the sins of your ex.
Re: therapy, I meant individual therapy, for yourself, to unpack your relationship with your kid. If things are as bad as you describe, I do think it would help.
Beyond that, well, I don't know. The list of responses from your post smacks of your kid thinking "This is a trap question, no matter what I answer, I'm going to get in trouble" (especially the "I don’t know how you want me to answer that" one). Are they into stuff that you'd flip your lid if you knew about? Are they just afraid that you'll be unsupportive if you know what they're actually thinking? All this is hard for a random internet stranger to know.
I'll say it again, good luck. I wish I had something more helpful to tell you :(