i should have given more background - my gf is staying here as she was in a very abusive relationship with her child's father - both verbal and physical. my gf also has a bipolar disorder. i feel really bad for her ds that this has been his first couple of years of life - i'm not a monster - but atm i'm also dealing with my own child who isn't sleeping as she's cutting a few teeth, so to deal with someone else's, who is a horror, is very hard.

i have spoken to her about his behaviour, and she's drawing blanks as to what to do. i started putting him in time out after he repeatedly attacked my old dog, after being chastised. he looked at me and growled at me when i told him to stop squeezing my dog's gammy ear - so i put him in the bedroom for 2 minutes. i hate to say it, but it was so gratifying to hear him scream. god i'm horrible.

i just don't know what to do, i love my gf, and i don't want this to create a wedge between us, but i'm worried that i'm going to lose the plot at her ds, which will cause a fight anyway.