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AIBU?

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I should always be welcome in DP's home, regardless of who's there - AIBU?

663 replies

SecretsAndLies77 · 14/09/2026 09:24

I will try to not make this too long, but also not drip feed. Please help me distinguish reasonable actions from my own emotions because, to put it simply, everything's at stake.

Been with DP for 4 years and, on the whole, it's a very loving relationship. He's good to me and my kids, fun to be around, reliable and helpful, contributes financially to my household. We don't live together but spend much (most) of the week at each other's homes (although more mine than his), as well as every weekend and holidays.

At the same time, it's been a turbulent relationship (I know that sounds odd after what I've just said, but it can be both good and turbulent, as it's about very defined areas of problems, i.e. one problem = his adult daughters). I have a good relationship with his youngest DD (early 20s) who lives with him, but his eldest (30) who lives away doesn't want to have anything to do with me. At times she's been really rude to me and various members of my family. Most recent example is a message she sent where she was incredibly rude and disrespectful (before blocking me, so I couldn't even respond - a coward's move, IMO). My DP did reprimand her, sort of, via text and heavily prompted by me, which I hate as I don't think it's my job to stand up for this relationship and my dignity, but his. I think left to his own devices he would just always avoid all conflict. He is very scared she will cut him out of his life.

I feel I've come to the end with being able to accept that he doesn't stand up for me of his own free will, and that when he sees her he doesn't feel a shred of annoyance, resentment or anger about the awful ways she's behaved. I understand we all love our children, and I understand he's scared of losing her. I'm not even saying that he should necessarily show her that he's upset about her bad behaviour, but simply that he should feel something for me, the way she's treated me (in other words, show ME - show some kind of outrage, empathy, solidarity). If someone mistreated my DP, even if it was my kids, I'd be pretty livid. I know people are different, and I know men and women can be very different in their emotional processing. But still. How can it be true that he loves me, but that he doesn't feel anything when someone repeatedly hurts me?

The other thing is that, when she comes to stay at his, although at all other times I'm (more than) welcome in his house, there's an expectation that I won't come while she's there. Now, I get that it's her former home, she still has a room there. But, at all other times, I have complete access to his house, not just that but he's even repeatedly hosted friends of mine for long weekends (because the house is big and has spare rooms and bathrooms), but when his daughter is there, the quiet understanding is that I'm not welcome. But, just as an example, we're spending Xmas at mine this year and he of course invited her too. I knew she would say no, but that's not the point. So, she's meant to be always welcome in my house, but I'm not only not welcome at family events, but also my own partner's house when she's there? It strikes me as very unfair and unreasonable.

I've been living with this for a while, and this morning I woke up and thought, I don't know if I love him any more. This has seriously eroded my feelings for him. It's a huge shame, as four years is a lot of time together and he's amazing in many ways and I love(d) him possibly more than any other man before him, including my ex husband. But this continued unfairness and indignity has eaten away at the core of our connection.

YABU - this is a reasonable compromise in a complicated family dynamic because parents will always put their children first, even when they're nearly 30, and most women would find a way to live with this, even if it hurts them

YANBU - this is a major breach of love and loyalty towards me on his side, and if he's not prepared to let her know that his home is always open to me, I should walk away even after 4 years together.

Can I just say (if you're read this far), if you're not divorced and in a relationship with a man who's got adult kids, you won't have any kind of realistic perspective on a situation of this kind. I'm looking for some thoughtful and considered responses based in first hand experience of these kinds of dynamics - thank you (and I'll disregard any responses that are rude or unkind, as often I see "pile ons" when it comes to these kinds of questions)

OP posts:
TooMuchRedMaybe · 15/09/2026 13:40

ShiftingSand · 15/09/2026 13:09

Everyone is saying his kids come first, yes they do, but the point here has been missed. The Op has stated that she has been affected by her partner’s reactions/non reactions to his daughter’s rude behaviour towards her. She feels she should be made to feel welcome in his home even if the daughter is there. Basically he doesn’t have his partner’s back. IMO the daughter is behaving in a very immature way. Even if she doesn’t approve of her father’s partner, being civil and polite should be the least that’s expected. My ex husband has had two partners subsequent to our divorce and my adult children have, as far as I know, always been welcoming to them. He would have let me know if they hadn’t. I think the Op might find it difficult to change her feelings on this one.

What do you suggest he does about that? These are two adult women who do not get along. He loves both of them and presumably wants to be able to have nice conflict free time with both. He can try and force them to spend time together, but who would benefit from that? Nobody.

Passaggressfedup · 15/09/2026 13:32

Something just have triggered this specific message, so what was it?
I've asked this earlier on but OP has not been willing to share, which is quite telling. I totally agree that you don't send nasty messages out of the blue.

I would love to hear the daughters interpretation of the situation.

ShiftingSand · 15/09/2026 13:09

Everyone is saying his kids come first, yes they do, but the point here has been missed. The Op has stated that she has been affected by her partner’s reactions/non reactions to his daughter’s rude behaviour towards her. She feels she should be made to feel welcome in his home even if the daughter is there. Basically he doesn’t have his partner’s back. IMO the daughter is behaving in a very immature way. Even if she doesn’t approve of her father’s partner, being civil and polite should be the least that’s expected. My ex husband has had two partners subsequent to our divorce and my adult children have, as far as I know, always been welcoming to them. He would have let me know if they hadn’t. I think the Op might find it difficult to change her feelings on this one.

OldCrohn · 15/09/2026 12:48

WearyAuldWumman · 15/09/2026 12:22

He needs to sit down with his partner and his daughter and clear the air.

That's not within his power. He can't dictate what two grown women should do. And him not being able to control his daughter shouldn't mean he has to forfeit his relationship with her. Especially for a live out girlfriend.

moderate · 15/09/2026 12:46

WearyAuldWumman · 15/09/2026 12:22

He needs to sit down with his partner and his daughter and clear the air.

But if it were a son, mother, and male partner, you would surely balk at the suggestion?

Ponoka7 · 15/09/2026 12:37

SecretsAndLies77 · 14/09/2026 16:15

Genuinely not. It's just a private matter between a man and a woman who're in a relationship.
Also, it seems from a few of the comments about this that people assume she knows about it - I'm pretty sure she doesn't, because, why would he tell her?

Again, it's a private agreement between us. It's not any staggering amount of money (nor is he some rich old dude I want to marry for his money. I'm a successful professional woman myself, so I don't need that). It was a matter of showing commitment to us as a unit, and him being a higher earner, it makes sense (to us). It's really no one else's business. My kids don't know either and they benefit from it, so why would his daughter who lives 100 miles away.

She's worked it out. I have adult children and I agree that every adults money is their own. However what is her financial situation, does he give money to her? Is he generous to his youngest DD? It's strange you think he should be financially propping up your children. You'll no doubt use the same logic as to why they/you should inherit his house.
As long as he is not seeing you at Christmas etc because of her, you might need to put up with it.

WearyAuldWumman · 15/09/2026 12:22

PollyBell · 15/09/2026 11:23

Ok ao what has the man done wrong?

He needs to sit down with his partner and his daughter and clear the air.

WearyAuldWumman · 15/09/2026 12:20

moderate · 15/09/2026 11:17

Huh? They're both women, and OP has specifically called out her DP for being weak. I really don't understand what point you're trying to make.

I worded that poorly. It seems to be the trope of a second female partner being viewed as the villain. (Not exactly a wicked stepmother trope, but in the same vein.)

According to the embedded quotes, the OP had been accused by another poster of trying to keep her partner's daughter out of her father's home. The blame for the situation is being laid a the OP's feet, when it's surely up to the father to deal with his relationship with his daughter.

Tryagain26 · 15/09/2026 11:34

SecretsAndLies77 · 14/09/2026 09:40

but I do - this is the thing - I have a key

I have a key to my daughter's house but it doesn't mean I should just wander in anytime I feel like it.
Eg I wouldn't turn up and let myself in if she had a party I wasn't invited to.
I think you should just stay away if his elder daughter is there. Surely that would make it better for everyone

PollyBell · 15/09/2026 11:23

WearyAuldWumman · 15/09/2026 10:22

It's always a woman's fault.

On another thread (not one I'd started) another poster - ostensibly a woman - asked me what I had done to 'facilitate' my husband's relationship between his daughter and granddaughter.

That was the point when I gave up.

In all honesty, I'd have been here all day if I'd written down the whole tale, but there was no point in subjecting myself to more vitriol. I was daft enough to give a short answer but then just moved on.

Ok ao what has the man done wrong?

Minasama · 15/09/2026 11:23

Why not just accept the situation?

His adult daughter doesn’t like you, comes to stay occasionally and on those occasions you don’t see your partner. There’s no need for you to text or have direct contact.

Why not just simply do that and keep your relationship, rather than throwing your baby out with the bath water. It doesn’t matter what his adult daughter thinks of you, since you are not in a relationship with her.

You seem to have this weird idea that he needs to prefer you or stand up for you. She is his daughter so you won’t win. Just keep out of each others’ way.

bababamama · 15/09/2026 11:20

Having a key doesn’t mean you can’t respect certain boundaries. Yabu

Notsosweetcaroline · 15/09/2026 11:18

And exactly how much money does he give you each month?

moderate · 15/09/2026 11:17

WearyAuldWumman · 15/09/2026 10:22

It's always a woman's fault.

On another thread (not one I'd started) another poster - ostensibly a woman - asked me what I had done to 'facilitate' my husband's relationship between his daughter and granddaughter.

That was the point when I gave up.

In all honesty, I'd have been here all day if I'd written down the whole tale, but there was no point in subjecting myself to more vitriol. I was daft enough to give a short answer but then just moved on.

Huh? They're both women, and OP has specifically called out her DP for being weak. I really don't understand what point you're trying to make.

Notsosweetcaroline · 15/09/2026 11:17

How old are you both op, you’ve given the kids ages, but not yours or your boyfriends,

Notsosweetcaroline · 15/09/2026 11:17

Babyboomtastic · 15/09/2026 10:53

I think this message from the daughter is probably important.

Even if you don't like someone, if you've only met them a handful of times in the last 4 years, what would you have to be angry about on a day to day basis. It's got to be pretty rare that an abusive message comes out of nowhere, with no context, but it's also a one off (or the OP would have surely said).

No one just gets up one morning and completely randomly decides to send a nasty message to someone that hasn't been in their lives for a long time. Did it follow a meeting, an argument, What's the context, because there absolutely is going to be some.

Something just have triggered this specific message, so what was it?

So do I, and find it curious the op hasn’t said what it was, just about their relationship.

I suspect the age difference and the fact the op takes money from him has something to do with this issue and it’s a lot more than it costs to have him there.

TooMuchRedMaybe · 15/09/2026 11:13

ThreadGuardDog · 15/09/2026 09:53

I’m not sure l could feel very loving towards someone who was constantly reinforcing the fact that l’m not his priority. I don’t think he’s so much avoiding conflict as preserving the status quo at OP’s expense. It doesn’t have to be a straight up conflict, but l think by this point he should at least have tried to intervene and explain to DD that her behaviour is upsetting to him as well as OP, and that there is plenty of room for both of them in his life.

I will always have my adult children as my priority, especially over a partner that I have been with for 4 years and don't even live with. If that stops any man from loving me then good riddance. No man will ever be more important to me than my children, it doesn't matter if they are 5, 20 or 40 years old.

Babyboomtastic · 15/09/2026 10:53

I think this message from the daughter is probably important.

Even if you don't like someone, if you've only met them a handful of times in the last 4 years, what would you have to be angry about on a day to day basis. It's got to be pretty rare that an abusive message comes out of nowhere, with no context, but it's also a one off (or the OP would have surely said).

No one just gets up one morning and completely randomly decides to send a nasty message to someone that hasn't been in their lives for a long time. Did it follow a meeting, an argument, What's the context, because there absolutely is going to be some.

Something just have triggered this specific message, so what was it?

Greenmouldycheese · 15/09/2026 10:49

Its sounds like you want to compete for his love with his child. She may be 30 but she is still his daughter. The other daughter likes you so theres obviously something that has got under the older daughters skin. I do think she needs to grow up and act like an adult, but you are also being unreasonable expecting your partner to put you first. Would you really choose your partner over your child if this were the other way around? I dont think anyone can say what they would do unless they have experienced it for themselves, but as you should know, the love for your kid trumps all.

Passaggressfedup · 15/09/2026 10:37

It doesn’t have to be a straight up conflict, but l think by this point he should at least have tried to intervene and explain to DD that her behaviour is upsetting to him as well as OP, and that there is plenty of room for both of them in his life
The most common position in these circumstances is that the person stuck in the middle agree and/or disagree with both parties so they say to both what they want to hear because they are tired of the pettiness of it. Of course, one or both take it that the person stuck in the middle is taking their side, which makes them feel they are winning the battle and then have a tantrum when they don't.

I just can't comprehend any grown up who gets caught into it. It really really isn't hard to just ignore any situations deemed provocative and just get on with ones own life.

In this instance, we are talking about a you ger adults whose been close to her dad all her life Vs a partner who has never lived with him, isn't keen to do so, is not sure she still loves him and ultimately has only been in his life less than 1/10th of his life. It's obvious who the balance falls on!

WearyAuldWumman · 15/09/2026 10:35

Passaggressfedup · 15/09/2026 07:50

Nope. Getting POA is their way of stopping DD from going against her fathers’ wishes, should anything happen to him
Interesting how you are assuming, with no evidence at all, that the daughter would go against her father's wishes.

I would have much more trust in my children having my best interests at heart than a partner of 4 years who doesn't want to live with me, says they are falling out of love with me because I insist my kids come and stay at my house, and is happy to receive financial support from me.

I genuinely thought that my husband's kids would both have their dad's best interests at heart at all times.

Gradually it became clear that that wasn't necessarily the case. When we realised that a POA was needed for him, I was put down as primary POA with his son being the back-up.

Having his daughter down as his POA would have been disastrous, though I do think that she loved him in her own way.

I've mentioned elsewhere on MN that the turning point for me was when - after I'd been caring for DH for some years I hit health issues of my own. I phoned the daughter to let her know and to emphasise that if anything happened to me, her dad would need care.

I didn't want the kids to provide hands on care - just to advocate for DH if I wasn't there. Her immediate response was "You're not thinking of leaving him are you?"

When I got the all clear and let her know, I again emphasised that her dad would need care in the event of anything happening to me. I just wanted reassurance that DH would be taken care of.

Her response this time was "But you're all right, aren't you?" And no, it wasn't a case of her checking that I was okay - that wasn't the tone. She never did tell me that that they'd make sure that DH was looked after.

I do recall letting her know at a later date (during lockdown) that DH would inherit my pension and giving her the emergency number for the local social work department if it were ever needed. I told her that she only needed to phone that number and she then agreed to do that.

Anarchy99 · 15/09/2026 10:33

TunnocksOrDeath · 15/09/2026 07:55

He’s a well off man in a big house, who has raised a 30 year old daughter to be an independent woman with a career. He’s now dating a (younger?) woman with two kids still at school who doesn’t want to move in with him , but is happy accepting financial contributions from him to run her -separate- household. I’m sorry OP, but unless there’s some back story of horrendous woe, if I was the independent career-woman daughter in this situation, I wouldn’t be too impressed by it either.

I missed the bit about the financial contributions! Wow. So despite him doing that, OP you still expect to be able to be present in his home whenever you like

Passaggressfedup · 15/09/2026 10:30

You can’t avoid conflict when one party is continually inviting it - in this case DD by way of her behaviour towards OP. It’s not avoidance of conflict, it’s accepting the status quo at someone elses’ expense
Oh yes you can, you don't engage. OP is doing exactly the opposite. HEAVILY promoting someone to reprimand their adult child is definitely steering thing and putting fuel on fire. OPs posts makes it very clear that she IS provoking conflict. She is calling her partner names because he doesn't want conflict. That says it all!

I’m not sure l could feel very loving towards someone who was constantly reinforcing the fact that l’m not his priority
But it's not constantly here, it's a couple of occasions a year! I couldn't love or even tolerate a partner, especially not living with me or planning to do telling me how to manage my time the very few times they come to visit me.

WearyAuldWumman · 15/09/2026 10:22

moderate · 15/09/2026 07:40

because he is supposedly neglecting her dignity by agreeing to his daughter staying at her childhood home

There is no indication that OP wants to prevent DD30 from spending time at her childhood home. Quite the opposite in fact.

It's always a woman's fault.

On another thread (not one I'd started) another poster - ostensibly a woman - asked me what I had done to 'facilitate' my husband's relationship between his daughter and granddaughter.

That was the point when I gave up.

In all honesty, I'd have been here all day if I'd written down the whole tale, but there was no point in subjecting myself to more vitriol. I was daft enough to give a short answer but then just moved on.

Ohnobackagain · 15/09/2026 10:22

I think I’d want everything clarified rather than ‘unspoken’. For example “ok, I’m going to keep out of the way while she’s around, although who comes to your house really shouldn’t be up to an adult who doesn’t live there, but in that case I won’t be inviting her to my house”.

Double standards are not an option!

I have been in your situation @SecretsAndLies77 and while my DP has struggled sometimes with being manipulated by his ex and his DC, he wouldn’t entertain me being excluded from his house (I have on occasion chosen to keep out of certain situations, but entirely my decision).

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