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Struggling with partners guilty dad syndrome with his daughter

58 replies

Aegeanblu · 10/07/2025 16:09

Firstly I am new to step parenting. I have been with my partner for over a year now and he has a 10 year old daughter. I met her just before she turned 9. I don’t have kids of my own but have a quite younger sister and have been brought up with young cousins so I’ve always been the helper when it came to helping with family kids. I have also been from a broken family and have experienced a step father and a step mother and was the left out child initially as both parents went on to have another child that became the princess so to speak. It was hard during my teenage years when I would be told off for the littlest of things by my step dad but his little princess could do not wrong. I’m only explaining this because I totally understand how it feels to be a stepchild and I promised myself if I was ever a step mum I would be nothing but loving to the step child.
Anyways I’m in my 30s now and was still unsure about if I wanted my own kids. I’ve met this guy and I said from the start I didn’t mind that he had a kid already (I was pleased she was older so to speak and not a toddler) we seemed to get on well straight away and she loved that she had another adult to give her attention. I did notice early on she absolutely loves attention but it didn’t bother me to start with. She is an only child and also has grandparents that absolutely obsess over her and she is their princess as well as to her dad.

All is fine and well but slowly over time small things start to develop that start to annoy me a bit.
Firstly-
She is an absolutely terrible eater. She only eats what she wants to eat which is basically either chicken nuggets or noodles for an actual meal. Then she fills up on sweets, biscuits, Lolly’s, bowls of sugary cereal. I brought this up early in a nice way about her being at a very important age for nutrients as she will be growing soon. OH agreed and decided we try get her to eat more stuff. For some reason this came down to me and I try to introduce more of what we were eating such as actual meat and vegetables. Tried a couple times and did not go well. She put no effort in trying but I felt it wasn’t my place so to speak. So I left it. It frustrated me but I felt was starting to cause tension between me and OH so left it. She pretty much went back to old habits and was left eating nuggets or ramen noodles.
However things took a turn when she ended up at the dentist and they said she needed 3 fillings at 9 years old. I mean I get this can be normal ish at this age but still isn’t great especially as this is her adult teeth now so they have decayed very fast. Tried to encourage healthier eating to OH again but he wouldn’t pursue it without me doing the dirty work which I didn’t want to do so left again. Few months go by and his daughter ends up needed another filling and a tooth taken out. When the tooth was removed the dentist apparently said it was really decayed. So at this stage I point out that she eats way too much sugar and doesn’t brush her teeth well I noticed. I said to him you allow her the worst kind of cereal which is just full or rubbish and allow her to eat rubbish. So after this talk she is with her dad for her time with us. Things have escalated where she doesn’t even eat her usual rubbish food saying she is not hungry but then minutes later raiding the cupboard for massive bowls of sugary cereal and biscuits. I was annoyed at this point and pointed it out to him. He continued to allow her to have it but said things would change after her tooth was getting taken out. After she went home I talked with him and I said I thing I know your problem. You’ve got this guilty dad syndrome where you’re scared to discipline her incase she doesn’t want to come stay at his. He agreed to certain extent and I do understand his issue but it’s allowing her to rule basically. I’ve noticed he babies her a lot which I’ve kindly tried to point out and say he’s not doing her any favours as she will be going to big school soon and if she’s like this she will get bullied.
To point out what I mean firstly-
-when I first got with him. he had all her toys all over the living room. A lot of them baby toys for literal toddlers. I threw them away with his permission as he admitted she didn’t play with them. Including Barbie dolls around the bath that were full of mould? (I felt like this was like a psychological thing where he didn’t want to accept she was getting older?)

  • She doesn’t do anything while she’s here not even make her own breakfast. I get she doesn’t have to do chores since she’s here every week but just 3 days. But I did point out she’s fully capable of getting her snack cereal by herself but not breakfast cereal? He didn’t answer but said he likes to do it for her
  • She can’t cut up her own food at 10 years old. Or pretends she can’t and still gets it done for her.
  • My biggest thing is she constantly does not wash her hands after going to the toilet and we’re lucky if she flushes. This really annoys me and I’ve told her to do it a couple of times but why do i have to keep telling her. Her dad acts like he doesn’t notice this and I doubt this bothers him but it really really bothers me as I find it dirty and then she’s in the fridge and cupboards touching food. She’s coming from school that is a hub with germs. I find it lazy of her and could be easily resolved.
  • Her bedroom is a bombsite. It was updated at Xmas but she’s had no consideration into the work that went into this and was trashed within a week. The problem is her grandparents molly coddle her and constantly buy her clothes and toys so her room is an explosion of clothes and toys. There is no discipline for her to look after anything of hers. She’s makes a mess and doesn’t tidy it.
  • She expects me to do her hair for school. I did do it and would get up just for her even tho I work shift work and therefore most of my days off I have with her therefore waking up early on my days off even tho I’m not a morning person. I started to stop doing it tho when I started feeling the expectation for it and the demand to do her hair and then I started feeling like a maid rather than a family member. I started not waking up and then she would start waking me up to do her hair which really grated on me. I told my OH and put my foot down on it and from then on it kinda stopped happening. Apparently there were a few times where she had a huff and wanted to wake me up and got told no. Then a couple times she possibly lied saying I would do her hair and wake me up when I didn’t. This made me not want to do her hair even more. I got over it tho as I reminded myself she is a kid end of the day. However at 10 years old I’m sure she should be able to start doing her own hair. I think she can and I know she can do ponytails I think she just likes it being done for her. Also her dad can do it but she wants me to do it.
  • She comes into our bedroom whenever she wants including when myself or OH are getting changed. I shut the door when I’m getting changed or shut it if we’re both getting changed but miraculously she suddenly needs one or us and wants to talk about summit so she’s knocking on the door two seconds later. Every time I’m getting ready she knocks on the door and it really annoys me. I tell her I’m getting ready and she just says oh. I now tell her I’ll be ready when I come out. This isn’t my house so I feel I have no private space and I’m someone that likes space sometimes and I’ve told my partner this. And I don’t mean disappear for hours. Even just a few minutes feels impossible. I’ve sacrificed my own home to suit my partner. I still have my own home which is now just sitting there not being used as it suites my partners needs better being at his as it’s closer to his daughter and her school. I tried to say at the beginning I want to be at mine sometimes even if it meant on my own but that still seems to not happen coz he takes it the wrong way like I don’t want to be in his house or his daughters company if I try do this so I give up so still paying for a house I don’t use now but I don’t want to sell it just yet.
  • To help with his daughter’s teeth I bought a timer to help brush her teeth for the right time. She loves it initially but I noticed she’s stopped using it probably because she doesnt want to brush her teeth that long and being lazy. I told my partner who encouraged her once but then left it after. I just left it also coz at end of the day it’s not my teeth and she’s not my daughter. Just another episode of molly coddling her.
  • She has a mobile phone which is a nightmare sometimes as she’s used it in the past to text lies to her mum and then her mum comes and gets her and this upsets my partner then he gets grief over things that aren’t true. She’s constantly on it or her iPad like sometimes I don’t see the point in her being here coz she’s just on devices. Unless she’s doing something fun which does happen every time she’s will us on a non school day, she’s always treated to days out at fun places. As soon as back him it’s back on devices. She’s even on them when she’s eating which I think is a massive no no and adds to why she doesn’t eat properly coz in her head the quicker she can finish the quicker she can go back to concentrating on silly YouTube videos and is not paying attention to what she’s eating. I’ve told this to my partner but he’s just brushed it off.
  • I’ve just let it all be apart from one time where I felt crossed the line. which is where I was asleep one morning and SD was getting ready and dad was helping her, a normal morning. For some reason she decided she wanted my back pack for school. This bag pack had my important uni stuff in and important sensitive work documents as well as just a bunch of stuff. For some reason he let her have it without anyone asking me and I was non the wiser and woke up to the entire contents of the bag on the floor. I was really hurt and upset. He came home and didn’t understand why until I explained how rubbish it made me feel and I said I know your daughter will always come first and I understand that but you have put her before me over something very trivial and made her feel she can have anything she wants even if it’s something of mine which he had no right to do because it’s not his either. Once I explained it this way he understood and felt bad but didn’t really discipline is daughter and in the end she just thought she had to say sorry coz she made a mess on the floor. Which wasn’t the case but I just left it at that even tho I probably should have told her off.
I know I don’t have a specific question but I just needed to rant a bit because a year down the line I’m not sure if it’s normal to feel annoyed over such stuff or am I being unreasonable and expecting too much from a 10 year old? Also just to add as I feel I’ve just been negative. I do lots for her and play with her and generally do get on with her and love her and she loves me. I just think she is a bit spoiled but I just want her to not have this impact her later in life when she can do nothing for herself that’s all. I’m not expecting her to add like an adult right away. Just a few small niggly things. Even if she would wash her hands and flush the toilet I would be delighted. Thank you for reading
OP posts:
Blueblell · 10/07/2025 18:52

I think you are getting too involved considering you have only been together a year. Also it is very easy to see all the things parents do wrong when you can see it without all the emotion. You are probably correct by the way, about the mistakes that are being made. However for your own sanity you should take a step back and let her parents deal with these issues.

It probably will impact your relationship though if you get annoyed about the things you see going on
that are not great. One thing you were probably doing right was doing her hair - a small thing that could be good for your relationship, but obviously not if it means getting up 6 hours early for your shift.

You need some boundaries such as your bag being emptied which was not on. If I were you I would spend a few nights a week in my own house and let things develop.

LittlleMy · 10/07/2025 18:20

Agree with PP saying the intro was way too early so from Day 1 not responsible parenting from him and @Aegeanblu you shouldn’t make excuses for him saying you had a lot of trust on each other as that’s neither here nor there.

Of course a bad father would introduce someone he knew to be kind and helpful asap to his child for them to pick up the (growing) slack. You sound like you could do so much better than stay with a man obviously taking advantage of you.

Endofyear · 10/07/2025 18:16

You are far too involved - you are not her parent, you are not her stepmother, you are her dad's girlfriend who lives in his house! Stop trying to interfere in how your partner is parenting, it won't change. If I were you I'd move back to your own place and date him until the child is much older!

outerspacepotato · 10/07/2025 18:04

Your partner is a shitty parent.

He introduced you guys way too soon. You are way out of your lane. She has 2 parents and you are not a stepparent.

He won't let you have physical privacy from his daughter.

He thinks your stuff is for his daughter's use. You could lose your job if he's messing with confidential files.

He can't be bothered with doing her physical care to the point of her teeth rotting. Her room is a bomb site.

Run. You're the bangmaidnanny because your lazy BF can't be bothered to parent his daughter in the most basic and necessary ways.

Jinglejanglenamechanged25 · 10/07/2025 18:03

Old McDonald had a farm AI-AI-O

Pallisers · 10/07/2025 17:57

He is a lazy father. It would turn me right off him.

Createausername1970 · 10/07/2025 17:53

Move back to your own home and do a reset.

Let him parent his own child on his own on the days she is with him so he can take responsibility for it. You are not a step-parent as such, you are dad's girlfriend.

You can still see him and stay over at his on the days she is not there - or he can come and stay at yours.

She isn't your responsibility and your efforts to try to bring some good changes are falling on deaf ears, his and hers. So reclaim your life.

MeridianB · 10/07/2025 17:48

Honestly, OP, why on earth would you want to be looking after someone's child so much, especially at such an early stage in the relationship?

She has two parents but neither of them care enough to support her with the most basic things such as brushing her teeth and eating healthily. Fillings in adult teeth at age nine is totally avoidable. This should be a HUGE wake up call for them if they don't want her to start losing adult teeth.

It's not rocket science - she needs routine and boundaries.

The fact that your BF is happy to abdicate so much responsibility to you speaks volumes about his attitude to parenting. But then the long list of issues shows him to be such a lazy parent that he is setting her up for all sorts of problems. I agree with others that it's neglect. I would have zero respect, let alone attraction, with someone like this. Walk away.

Daisyvodka · 10/07/2025 17:44

So he doesn't:
Make sure his child's home is clean
Make sure his child's health is looked after Make sure his child is fed properly
Make sure his child is learning social skills or boundaries
Make sure his child isnt having unrestricted screen time or Internet access
How could you even be attracted to a man who doesn't do any basic parenting?? He's failing his child and he knows it and isnt doing anything about it. So he's just openly neglecting his child and expecting you to be fine with it.

ArtTheClownIsNotAMime · 10/07/2025 17:40

Aegeanblu · 10/07/2025 16:45

Thank you for the comment. I met her a few months into the relationship. We have a lot of trust in each other. Maybe I am too involved and I have already started stepping back. I think I just need some guidance on what my place is in his daughter life as I do want to be there for her

Your place is as her dad's short term girlfriend. She shouldn't be having to live with you or have you dictating anything about her diet and behaviour. Poor kid.

Therealjudgejudy · 10/07/2025 17:38

You need to step back. Start staying at your own place for half the week for now.

Oh, and he's a crap parent.

5128gap · 10/07/2025 17:37

You are way too involved here. It's not appropriate because your relationship is too new, and it's not healthy because you seem preoccupied with the child and your role as step parent, when at this stage you should really be no more than a friendly adult in this childs life. Your partner doesn't sound very good at parenting but it's so not your place to fill the gap. Instead think hatd whether you want a future with a man who is doing sonething so important so badly and outsourcing it to you. You've done a good job understanding the psychology behind your partners behaviour, so now reflect a little on what's driving yours. Then if I were you, I'd take several steps back.

FilthyforFirth · 10/07/2025 17:26

You can just tell this is one of the posters who will be here in a year moaning her partner doesn't help with her newborn whilst simultaneously claiming her DSD is always around and 'I want sometime with my own little family unit' AIBU??

DuskyPink1984 · 10/07/2025 17:18

Too much, too soon.

SixteenClovesOfGarlic · 10/07/2025 17:18

whistlesandbells · 10/07/2025 17:15

How old are you may I ask? You mention Uni work and a job. Do you really think you’re serving yourself well to take on a Dad and his child, who seem to have a long way to go together before this parenting thing clicks? Seems a strange choice.

It says in the OP she's in her thirties. Regardless, he doesn't sound like an excellent parent or boyfriend.

whistlesandbells · 10/07/2025 17:15

How old are you may I ask? You mention Uni work and a job. Do you really think you’re serving yourself well to take on a Dad and his child, who seem to have a long way to go together before this parenting thing clicks? Seems a strange choice.

Swiftie1878 · 10/07/2025 17:14

He is a truly terrible father.
In your shoes I’d step right back, move back to your own place and just ‘date’ him again while he establishes his own normality with his child, without you in the mix.
Then you need to consider if someone who is so lax in his parenting is the person you want to move forward with. Certainly, this isn’t someone you want to have a child with, so if that’s important to you…

LightDrizzle · 10/07/2025 17:02

I would be making/ putting out breakfast for a 10 year old. It’s very normal and just part of caring. I’d be a martinet about handwashing and flushing the toilet.

Pollqueen · 10/07/2025 17:00

Sorry, this is v long but one thing stood out. The mouldy barbies in the bath. He's not nostalgic, he's a lazy fucker and the parts of you OP up to this plainly pointed to this too.

He's a crap dad so think v hard before you decide to have a baby with him

ZippyPeer · 10/07/2025 16:59

Strongly advise you not to have a child with this man without this being resolved. He is being a poor father to his daughter and is letting her down badly.

You can't be the parent for this little girl, it has to be her dad.

If your partner won't change are you prepared to watch a lifetime of this?

Stilllifes · 10/07/2025 16:58

He's a crap lazy father.
Run.

LightDrizzle · 10/07/2025 16:57

He’s a shit dad. He’s lazy and his daughter is losing teeth as a result.

Could you not only have healthy food in the house?

You don’t need biscuits and sugary cereals in the cupboards. It if isn’t available then she can’t eat it.

Please think hard about staying in a relationship with this man and don’t have children with him.

Ponderingwindow · 10/07/2025 16:57

You are far too involved in his relationship with his child. You met her too early. You moved in too fast. You are overstepping your bounds by trying to change her diet.

you get a say in things like cleanliness of the home and privacy while you are changing. You don’t get to decide what his child eats.

Ultimately, this is his parenting style. You need to accept it or move on. You shouldn’t try to change it.

Anotherhotone · 10/07/2025 16:56

Some of the things you say are completely normal for her age and I would be backing off if I were you.

I had hell over teeth with my two dc and I had to force them to clean them because I didn’t want them to have fillings etc but I couldn’t force someone else’s child.

My 18 year old dc hates washing their hands after school and I always tell them to but they probably don’t and neither do most teenagers.

I think it would be nice if you did her hair for her when you can.

Just don’t get so involved! Eg the toys. I agree with you on the devices but if your partner is not bothered you will have to put up with it. Or if it bugs you too much call it a day.

Kitkatcatflap · 10/07/2025 16:56

I don't think your boyfriend has Dad guilt, I think your boyfriend is a lazy bastard who needs to step up his parenting roll. Why is it up to you to encourage better eating habits, cutting down her sugar intake. Why isn't he insisting she washes her hands after using the toilet?

Of course his daughter needs to come first in his priorities but he is doing the bare minimum.

I would move back to your house for a bit if the situation doesn't improve - call it quits.