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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Three year old calling my child uncle’s stepchild

112 replies

JaneBingleyNetherfield · 20/12/2023 13:43

I have been stewing on this for four days. My husband, three year old and I were invited to his brother and sister-in-law’s house. No mention of my 7 year old daughter from a previous relationship. My husband said they knew that she was going to be away with my former mother-in-law.
Two days before Ex MiL said they had tested positive for Covid.
I immediately rang SiL to say daughter would be there as well. She hummed and haad saying they wouldn’t have chairs etc.
Anyway I said I would bring my three year old’s chair. In the end couldn’t get it in car.
Arrived, all went well but daughter had to share my dessert.
After, two beautifully wrapped presents came out and I and more importantly my daughter thought one was for her but they were for my youngest and their own child,
They went into other room to play, I kept getting up to check but they both said the other room was safe.
SiL in kitchen when nephew who is three and a half came in and said Uncle S’s stepdaughter wasn’t invited and now she was ruining their game. All BiL said was maybe my daughter didn’t like noise and they were making a lot of it.
He’s three, he must have picked this up from husband’s family. While factual why couldn’t they use her name?
I want to have it out with them, husband is close to his brother and thinks it will cause a row.
First time on mumsnet. Totally up for being told that I am being too sensitive .

OP posts:
SapphireOpal · 20/12/2023 14:02

SapphireOpal · 20/12/2023 14:01

Well the parents, yes.

But I can imagine my 3yo referring to someone he didn't know very well by their relationship to the person he knew better. In fact I'd say this is pretty normal. He knows what his best friend's mum's name is but he still calls her "Sam's mummy" not "Wendy".

And I can also imagine him questioning the relationship. "Uncle X is A's Daddy but he's not B's Daddy is he?" Etc.

But I agree this isn't the actual issue. The parents are twats, but I don't think their DC calling your DD "Uncle X's stepdaughter" is symptomatic of that.

SapphireOpal · 20/12/2023 14:01

GenXisthebest · 20/12/2023 13:55

But wouldn't you expect them to use her name @Poppy128xx?

Well the parents, yes.

But I can imagine my 3yo referring to someone he didn't know very well by their relationship to the person he knew better. In fact I'd say this is pretty normal. He knows what his best friend's mum's name is but he still calls her "Sam's mummy" not "Wendy".

And I can also imagine him questioning the relationship. "Uncle X is A's Daddy but he's not B's Daddy is he?" Etc.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 20/12/2023 13:59

It is a fact that she is his uncle's stepchild but it's weird that he didn't use her name. More concerning to me is the fact that he had clearly been told that she hadn't been invited. Pretty shit from their side, I would say.

nancy75 · 20/12/2023 13:58

They sound like a pair of arseholes (the Bil & Sil) not enough chairs, didn't do her a dessert and couldn't even get a book or something to wrap up for her to open?

Silverbirchtwo · 20/12/2023 13:58

I had a one cousin who was a step child and one a full cousin, but I had no idea, only as an adult I found out (not that it was a secret, there was just no difference made between them). They were both just cousins so and so. It does seem a bit odd that a 3.5 year old knows to differentiate between cousins by blood relationship.

Beamur · 20/12/2023 13:58

If you're upset about a child not using your child's name, YABU. If you're upset about your child being not very subtly sidelined by your DH's family YANBU...

Poppy128xx · 20/12/2023 13:57

GenXisthebest · 20/12/2023 13:55

But wouldn't you expect them to use her name @Poppy128xx?

I mean, it was the 3 year old that said that not the parents, so we are now presuming that the family never use her daughter's name? lol

I mean, I refer to my step-dad as just that as otherwise I'm just saying a person's name and nobody knows his relation to me! I think OP is reading too much into this...

JaneBingleyNetherfield · 20/12/2023 13:56

I am not embarrassed about my daughter not being his but why can’t they use her name? I was so upset.

OP posts:
SapphireOpal · 20/12/2023 13:55

He's three. He's being factual.

Shoppingfiend · 20/12/2023 13:55

And you woudln't expect them not to bother getting a little present for her.

GenXisthebest · 20/12/2023 13:55

But wouldn't you expect them to use her name @Poppy128xx?

Poppy128xx · 20/12/2023 13:52

But...she is his step-child? I'm not sure why that wording has to be seen as such a negative thing.