[DiZ]

We have been married for a few years. We both have grown kids from our first marriages. His wife left him for another woman when his kids were just babies. He brought both kids up himself and they have both turned out great.

My ex left me when our kids were a bit older. My kids are good people but aren't as successful as his which he never lets me forget.

I feel like he thinks his family is better than mine and I hate that kind of arrogance. His daughter is sweet but his son is arrogant and was a bit rude to me when we visited there a few months ago. His son lives far away and his daughter lives close by.

I just hate when he puts my family down in a round about way that allows him to back peddle then and tell me o I did not mean it that way but it's already out there and hurts me.

I also get fed up sometimes with his daughter and her husband. They are constantly calling him to do things for them and sometimes it interrupts our time together. He is very generous and will do anything for his family and I feel they are starting to take advantage of that.

I don't want to sound like a spoiled brat but I am his wife and deserve to be the center or his attention, not his grown married daughter and son.

Thanks for any advice.

Another problem we have is when we do visit any of his family his personality changes. He becomes this person I hate. He totally ignores me, acts like a clown in front of his little nieces and nephews, embarrasses everyone with his off color jokes and when he decided to talk to me it's some mean command or remark and it really hurts me. I don't know why he does this. Consequently I have not desire to go to family functions with him and we usually do that separate.

The conclusion I have come to is that he needs to be the center of attention and has this desperate need for everyone to like him. Example: We cannot have a nice quiet romantic dinner at a restaurant where he is focused on only me. He has to constantly clown around with the cashier, waiter, waitress, on and on until I just get exhausted and want to go home. So consequently we don't go out to eat or go out a lot as I know this will happen right away. He will walk up to a stranger and start talking and leave me standing there and just walk away talking to this person. It is infuriating.