My ex-husband and I divorced two years ago.
We share two kids—one is 13, the other just 8.
When he remarried, I was nervous, but his new wife seemed genuinely eager to build a healthy relationship with our children. I appreciated that. Co-parenting is hard enough without hostility.
At first, everything seemed fine.
She helped with homework. Asked about their day. Smiled a lot.
But then I started noticing things that didn’t sit right with me.
She would make “playful” comments about their bodies, their eating habits, or how emotional they were. Nothing obvious enough to confront—just enough to make my stomach twist.
The final straw came when my oldest mentioned that his stepmom asked him not to tell me about certain conversations they had.
That’s when alarm bells went off.
I started paying closer attention—and what I discovered terrified me.
She was regularly undermining me as their mother, planting doubts, and encouraging secrecy.
I confronted my ex immediately.
He brushed it off at first, calling me paranoid—until our kids confirmed everything.
That day, I made it clear:
No more unsupervised time. No more secrets.
Protecting my children matters more than keeping the peace.
And if something feels wrong… it usually is.
