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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be annoyed about DH's secret phone calls to family members?

86 replies

annoyedandannoyed · 23/07/2012 13:27

Okay, I'm not annoyed, but pretty pissed off about it now and don't know if this is normal behaviour. Pretty sure it's not.

Don't want to drip feed, so a bit of background: DH's sister has never come to our house. Once I repeatedly asked DH to invite her around when we were newly married and she declined over and over again, and then came around after about 8 weeks of inviting. She never came again or invited me around to hers (although I'm pretty sure DH gets invitations and goes to hers). She never came to visit when DD was born nearly 5 years ago. I have no idea what her problem is with me, but I've let it go now, and don't really care if she is not in our life.

When DS was born, DH's brother phoned and asked if he could bring her and her family along to see the new baby, and that they were sorry for how they have acted over the few years. I had a 1 week old, was tired, hormonal with chest infection. I admit, I wasn't the bigger person and I told DH she could come and see the baby by all means, but I didn't want her in our lives because she didn't come to see our first born, and I can't just forget that. Unbeknown to me, DH relayed this back to his brother, and they never came. This is just one of the things that have pissed me off about DH - the constant relaying of information about OUR house and affairs to his family, without me knowing.

The other day we were about to go out for the day, and at 9am, DH took his mobile and went out to the garden for a phone call. (He often takes the phone and talks in the garden or out earshot). He does this alot since we've been married. That particular day, I got annoyed and took the phone when he was in the bathroom to see who he had been calling. There was a landline number, that was his sister's. When I asked him who he had been talking to, he replied it was "no one". I told him straight out, that he was lying to me, and why he felt he had to hide the fact he was talking to his sister? That I was his wife, and I don't believe in keeping trivial secrets like this. I explained to him that his sister and I don't see eye to eye, so when he makes secret phonecalls to her, wth am I supposed to think? I feel like she is backchatting me to him, and to stop all this bad feeling, he should be able to talk to her openly infront of me without this big secrecy. If he talks about normal everyday things, then why hide it from me?

This morning I took our baby upstairs to change his nappy, and his mobile rang. He picked it up, looked at the number and put it down. I asked him why he wasn't answering, and he said "I don't know who's number it is". He never saves numbers in his mobile, so I said to him "You never save numbers, so just answer it". He answered it reluctantly, and it was his nephew (sister's son). So again, he wasn't going to talk to his family infront of me. He knows I got pissed off because he was trying to hide it from me.

I don't understand why he does this. I have never stopped him from talking to his family. I was never this snooping type of person because I trust him. This habit of his has become worse and worse since being married. If your husband is talking to someone who dislikes you, in secret, then doesn't it just create bad feeling? I don't know if I'm being unreasonable or whether I shouldn't get pissed off with his secret phone calls. I only get pissed off because he hides everything. I don't care if he talks to his sister, but just doing it in secrecy - what could be the reason behind it?

Ready to be flamed or whatever for being a hen pecker or something. Thanks.

OP posts:
scuzy · 23/07/2012 13:30

poor man!!!

annoyedandannoyed · 23/07/2012 13:31

Am I being a hen pecker?! I will stop this behaviour if people tell me I'm being stupid!!

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 23/07/2012 13:32

have you ever tried to talk to her yourself?

annoyedandannoyed · 23/07/2012 13:32

Just about to go out for a bit, but will read and reply later. Please be gentle!

OP posts:
annoyedandannoyed · 23/07/2012 13:33

Quickly: Yes squeaky, I have. She never reciprocated and then I gave up, when I told my own family she doesn't like to talk to me. They told me to just let her be.

OP posts:
Condensedmilk · 23/07/2012 13:36

Yanbu.

He is being pretty cowardly. I too would be suspicious if DH repeatedly talked to someone/anyone out of earshot and tried to deny it.

It all seems so weird. Why is he trying to keep you and his family separate? I think you need to sit down with your H and talk it out.
Ask him if he wants to have his family over. If so, encourage him to include you in this, rather than be secretive about it.

letseatgrandma · 23/07/2012 13:38

I wouldn't particularly have assumed that just because someone didn't come round, that they hated me. You sound a bit of a nightmare about this though, OP! You're cross that your DH relayed what you'd said to his brother-but what did you want him to say?!

SquidgyBiscuits · 23/07/2012 13:41

He's doing it because even though you don't like his family, he does!

I can't imagine how awful it must feel for your DH to have to live like that. Presumably, you've never spoke a word to anybody else about anything to do with your DH, in order for you to be so upset about him telling his brother THE TRUTH!!!

Condensedmilk · 23/07/2012 13:42

Letseatgrandma I say plenty of stuff to DH that I wouldn't expect him to repeat verbatim.

He could easily have said "Oh sorry Annoyed isn't feeling very well today" (not a lie - she had just given birth and had an infection).

FredFredGeorge · 23/07/2012 13:51

So you detest his Sister and don't want her in your families life - fair enough perhaps - so your DH fulfils this request by keeping her out of the families life by only talking to her in private. So the actual reality is you're demanding that he removes his Sister from his own life, regardless of his own wishes - which are clearly to have a relationship with her.

YABVVU trying to control who your DH has relationships with, particularly his own sister, he's doing it in secrecy because you asked him to, and you get "pissed" by your own admission when he does.

BlueBirdsNest · 23/07/2012 13:57

It's his sister, from what I can glean from your op you don't like her

But it's still his sister, it sounds like he's caliing her 'behind your back' to keep the peace

So because you don't like her he should stop speaking to his own family?

Condensedmilk · 23/07/2012 14:00

WHERE in the OP does it say she doesn't like the sister? She initially invited the sister who refused to come. And didn't have anything to do with the OP's children... that'd piss me off too.

DinahMoHum · 23/07/2012 14:01

let it go. Stop questioning him about it and maybe he will stop being secretive. Its only his sister.

MamaMumra · 23/07/2012 14:01

How old is DS? How long ago was SIL apology?

Could you try and sort things out with DHs family so that your DCs and DH can see their family and your nephew can see his cousins / uncle?

I do feel sorry for your DH if he wants a relationship with his family and isn't able to have one.

Viviennemary · 23/07/2012 14:01

I agree with FredFredGeorge Seems as if your DH's sister was kind of making an effort to build bridges when she asked if she could come and see your new baby. You said yes but you didn't want her in your life. Now she is your DH's sister and you might not like her but he has every right to see his relatives. YABVU.

Cheekychops84 · 23/07/2012 14:03

I don't think the OP dislikes his family sounds like the sister disliked her in the first place? Which would make the OP dislike her ? If you don't have a problem with him talking to them y would he keep doing it secretly? Do u moan everytime he has been on the phone to them ?

BlueBirdsNest · 23/07/2012 14:05

wll the op might not like her DH's sister but he obviously does and is now having to sneak about to keep in touch.

That's awfully sad

NovackNGood · 23/07/2012 14:08

Feel sorry for your husband. Your behavior is controlling. Jealousy is only hurting yourself and will drive your husband away in the long run. Blood is thicker than water or at least it should be.

Condensedmilk · 23/07/2012 14:09

Bluebirdsnest Sad? I'd say it's deceitful.
He should TALK to the OP instead of sneaking around like he has something to hide.

mynewpassion · 23/07/2012 14:10

If she's going to get angry every time and won't allow him privacy to talk to his sister, then yes, its sad.

BlueBirdsNest · 23/07/2012 14:11

well perhaps but if she (the OP) pulls a wobbly everytime he is in touch with his family condensedmilk I can see why he might be calling secretly , keeping the peace etc ?

redskyatnight · 23/07/2012 14:11

You've told DH you don't want his sister in your lives. perhaps it would have been better if DH had challenged this earlier, but for whatever reason he hasn't.

So he sneaks about seeing her and phoning her behind your back - presumably so as not to upset you.

Either you accept that he is in touch with his sister and let him see/speak to her freely.
Or he sneaks about.
Getting pissed off about it doesn't really help.

strawberrypenguin · 23/07/2012 14:15

But isn't the OP saying she doesn't want her DP to have to sneak about? She would be happy for her DP to talk to his sis it's the doing it in a secretive way she doesn't like.

Btw OP I completely get where your coming from re SIL mine displayed similar behaviour with my DS and only started to take an interest in him once she got pg when he was 4mo I'm struggling to forgive and forget too. I never even a congratulations from her Sad I've found that writing her a letter (but not sending it) detailing exactly how I feel has helped me start to let go of the massive resentment I had because like it or not she is my DHs sister and I have to be able to be civil to her for DH and DS if nothing else

Ormiriathomimus · 23/07/2012 14:17

Let him be. He wants to talk to his sister and her family. You don't want any contact with them. What should he do? It sounds as if he was trying to keep the peace by keeping it secret - talking to his family shouldn't cause WWIII.

mynewpassion · 23/07/2012 14:18

Will the OP let his DH talk to his sister in private if he takes the call in front of her? Seems to me, the OP wants to listen on the conversation, too, and maybe he doesn't want that