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Partner too close to teen daughter?

343 replies

VivienneBMama · 14/08/2024 22:19

This is complicated so I’ll try and make it brief and please no hate I’m genuinely confused and trying to do the best by everyone.

DP lives with me and my two boys 12 & 15 and he has a DD age 19 at university, she comes home to us in holidays etc . I honestly feel love towards her as do the boys, known her since 14 etc we do nice things together as a blended family , she’s fully integrated into my huge family etc.

DP and DSD ( call her that for now) are incredibly close, they speak daily , and had a few years living together when her parents split before they moved in with us ( her mum is a doctor and works mad hours)

She gets on well with her mum but she’s not around much , has new partner and new child . I’m very aware of this and make sure she has plenty of time with her Dad and always feels completely welcome here. I actually love her being here.

BUT I feel sometimes that their relationship is a bit much emotionally and sometimes physically too (NOT sexually obviously) but sometimes very cuddly - she sits on his lap - they are both tall - she is 5.9 and he is 6.4 so sometimes it looks a bit strange . They hold hands sometimes whilst we’re out. She is very emotional and calls him sometimes 5/6 times a day . She fills him in on every thing happening at uni and runs all decisions by him. She sometimes gets a bit upset if we are alone and kind of plays him off against me wants to be alone with him a lot and says things like ‘ I need some time alone with my Dad ‘ quite regularity for dinners out etc but in quite a dramatic way rather than just them hanging out . Ira hard to explain but my sisters ( all have kids) have also noticed it they love her but feel likes it a bit much.

Its hard but we have a lovely relationship , she seems to love being here but I feel like she’s more confident and even happier when he’s not around, or when she is making decisions without him - he works away sometimes and she’s here with me and the boys so it makes me feel like the boundaries with them are a bit blurred. The physical really bothers me - once someone thought she was his girlfriend when we were out and it mortified me - maybe I’m just jealous but I’m also just a bit creeped out to be honest . I don’t want it to cause a wedge between us so I haven’t said anything I have to be really delicate. Don’t know what to do!

OP posts:
Abigail47 · 15/08/2024 00:56

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XChrome · 15/08/2024 00:55

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VivienneBMama · 15/08/2024 00:53

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You are just trolling though. You say I’m spiteful how?

Actually don’t bother answering , some of the posters have thought I am wrong but have been helpful and offered advice .

Sorry you clearly have lots of trauma but taking it out on someone asking for advice is just mean.

OP posts:
Abigail47 · 15/08/2024 00:52

XChrome · 15/08/2024 00:51

Oh that's what you think that poster was doing? Smh.

She definitely makes more sense than you do. That's for sure

Hankunamatata · 15/08/2024 00:52

What did your dh say when someone mistook his dd for his gf

Abigail47 · 15/08/2024 00:52

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No it's not.

You completely show your own ignorance.

Incel means "someone who is involuntarily celibate".

That is exactly where that word came from . It's to do with sex. You should know it before you use it.

And how can I be misogynistic when I'm a woman. Fuck sake. There are the most idiotic posts on here

XChrome · 15/08/2024 00:51

mrsdineen2 · 15/08/2024 00:46

Incels of course famously post online to defend the right of young woman to have a loving relationship with her parents, isn't that right?

Oh that's what you think that poster was doing? Smh.

Abigail47 · 15/08/2024 00:50

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VivienneBMama · 15/08/2024 00:50

MoosakaWithFries · 15/08/2024 00:48

This is definitely odd behaviour and a lack of boundaries. I'd struggle to watch this behaviour.

Head over to the step parenting board OP where you will find a more understanding crowd providing you with support and realistic perspectives.

Thank you. I hadn’t realised there was such a thing, I will do . The post has descended into chaos which is a shame as there’s some useful stuff too. Its so hard , this is my family and I love them all and want to protect everyone .

OP posts:
LiterallyOnFire · 15/08/2024 00:49

Good luck OP.

XChrome · 15/08/2024 00:49

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MoosakaWithFries · 15/08/2024 00:48

This is definitely odd behaviour and a lack of boundaries. I'd struggle to watch this behaviour.

Head over to the step parenting board OP where you will find a more understanding crowd providing you with support and realistic perspectives.

Bellsandthistle · 15/08/2024 00:47

@Abigail47 you are 40 and still behave this way? 😬

mrsdineen2 · 15/08/2024 00:46

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Incels of course famously post online to defend the right of young woman to have a loving relationship with her parents, isn't that right?

Abigail47 · 15/08/2024 00:46

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VivienneBMama · 15/08/2024 00:45

LiterallyOnFire · 15/08/2024 00:39

This is what I keep thinking and why I haven’t approached it so far

It's true.

Honestly, it might be irritating but you can cope with irritating. Don't escalate everything tenfold by calling it any kind of "incest" or "inappropriate" (and definitely not the vomit worthy "mini-wives".)

If you say things like that out loud you'll explode your marriage (how would you react if someone suggested there was something inappropriate about your relationship with one of your sons?), and if you just think to yourself, you'll hype yourself up excessively.

It's a developmental stage. It's the final wobble before adulthood. It's your DH's last bit of really hands-on parenthood. Even if it grates on you just smile and nod. If he's amenable you could talk to him generally about how to encourage increasing independence in all the teens as they grow. But don't poison the well.

Thank you , this is really useful and exactly why I came on here but not all posts are very helpful . This is real family love and dynamics and I want to do the right thing for all five of us. I will give it more time and if anything subtly try and suggest her being more confident in her decision making as she’s super bright and capable.

OP posts:
XChrome · 15/08/2024 00:45

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Atsocta · 15/08/2024 00:44

She needs a boyfriend… all that would drive me nuts
you must be very patient

Abigail47 · 15/08/2024 00:44

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An incel now! That's a new one. If you're going to use insults use the right term.

Use the term correctly love. Intel means involuntarily celibate.

I'm 40 and I first had sex over twenty years ago.

Bog off.

Idiotic posts on here

XChrome · 15/08/2024 00:43

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You see yourself. You're probably just projecting, considering how bizarre and misplaced that comment is.

Thedogscollar · 15/08/2024 00:43

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Now this is an ugly ugly post.
Shame on you.

Incakewetrust · 15/08/2024 00:43

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memoriesofamiga · 15/08/2024 00:43

Honestly, if the OP is still here (and I hope for her sake she isnt reading some of these posts), she needs to take herself elsewhere for some actual helpful advice and gentle guidance. There's plenty of places where people actually know what they're talking about.

All the best to you @VivienneBMama

ImustLearn2Cook · 15/08/2024 00:43

Putting the Freudian weird crap aside, my concern would be that she is behaving a bit young for her age. Perhaps she is feeling insecure at the moment. I agree with a pp about focusing on her building the confidence to make her own decisions and trust her own judgment and exercise autonomy. It might make her feel more secure and less reliant on her childhood attachment to dad.

mrsdineen2 · 15/08/2024 00:43

VivienneBMama · 15/08/2024 00:41

I didn’t want to be crude but I’m pretty well of myself thanks.
This take on it says more about you than it does about the genuine problem I have posted about .
This is what you take from my whole post? Bizarre

What's more bizarre is talking yourself in to believing the man you share a bed with is incestuous, becuse of your petty little jealousy

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