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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:
RubyFakeNails · 23/07/2012 15:29

I cannot understand this at all. He knows you don't like them, so why can't he have a conversation away from you.

Your relationship with your siblings is irrelevant. Everyone's relationship is different, who does he have to complain about you to, does he have mn to vent to? Do you even know this is what is going on?

Does he have to have all conversations in front of you? Do you know the contents of his conversations while at work or with friends, are you aware if he shares anything 'private' about you to anybody else?

I think it's quite obvious you have an attitude about his sister, saying you don't mind her in his life but not in yours or dcs is still going to mean he feels uncomfortable or awkward about the relationship around you. It's like if you were art of a club your dh couldn't join you would feel a bit off and as if you ere rubbing hisses in it so to speak if you went and on about it infront of him. I would put money on the fact that he feel uncomfortable talking to her around you because of your attitude towards her and he wants to relax and enjoy the conversation.

He may not say this to you but I think that is the crux of the issue.

AThingInYourLife · 23/07/2012 15:29

So his entire family has ostracised you for years and he keeps in touch with them in secret?

Sounds miserable.

Does he have any loyalty to you at all?

He sounds like a spineless twat.

What kind of marriage do you have with so much sneaking around?

annoyedandannoyed · 23/07/2012 15:32

jolly, when we were married my dh told me, infact made me promise that we wouldn't involve our families with our family matters, yet he does exactly that. So theoretically, we should be on the same page about this.

OP posts:
LadySybildeChocolate · 23/07/2012 15:38

Goodness, poor bloke. Imagine if it was the other way around, and he didn't want you contacting your brother because he didn't get on with him. Sad I think you need to cut him some slack, he's trying to keep you happy.

Shullbit · 23/07/2012 15:42

But does he actually have anyone else he is close enough to talk to?

I have 2 really brilliant friends who I turn to when upset/stressed etc, but my DP's best friend died years ago. He isn't close enough to anyone else to be comfortable talking to them about issues, so I suspect he talks to his mum/sister/brother. I don't actually know, or care as it is his outlet and I know from experience that if you allow things to bottle up, it can spell disaster so having someone to talk to is a good thing so long as he isn't lying about you or painting you out to be a big bad wolf.

But, I do think he needs to have a word with his sister about how she is with you, but you also have to accept she is family and is rightly in his life and should be encouraged to be a main part in your childrens life.

ZZZenAgain · 23/07/2012 15:43

maybe he is being secretive about it because she is pressurising him to let her see the dc which she thinks you have prohibited.

Apart from telling him that you want him to feel completely assured that you have no problem at all with him phoning or having contact with his sister and that there is no need at all to go outside when she calls or pretend he doesn't know who it is etc because it is absolutely fine with you, I don't know how you can turn it around. You have said it before but maybe say it again and then try not to focus on the calls and who they are from, just don't ask for a month or so and see if things improve.

Whatever the sister is saying to him on the phone tbh, it can't really be anything seriously threatening to you or your marriage IMO so try and back off a bit is my advice. It is weird but hounding him about it will make him even more secretive.

AThingInYourLife · 23/07/2012 15:43

If I got married and my family excluded and ignored my spouse I would not just collude in their bullying by contacting them in secret.

Why is he allowing his family to be so shit to his wife?

Why are they so horrible to her?

ZZZenAgain · 23/07/2012 15:44

it is odd. Was the sister very close to an ex of your dh or something like that?

samandi · 23/07/2012 15:48

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 probably got tired of being hounded after this!

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.

That's ridiculous. Some people just aren't into babies.

annoyedandannoyed · 23/07/2012 16:07

ZZZ - she may have been. I don't think she wanted DH to marry me. She didn't come to our wedding either.

samandi - surely you would go and see your brother's or sister's baby when it was born? Even if you weren't into babies?

I suppose the majority think I am being unreasonable. I won't "hound" him about this anymore. If he wants to have secret phone calls with family, then so be it. At least he isn't having an affair or anything.

OP posts:
KenLeeeeeee · 23/07/2012 16:13

YABU for putting him in a position where he feels he has to be secretive about talking to his family. I know how tempting it is to play tit for tat & say that you don't want her around because she snubbed you first, but can't you be the bigger person, extend the olive branch & get along so your husband and kids can enjoy their entire family?

elizaregina · 23/07/2012 16:17

"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.

That's ridiculous. Some people just aren't into babies."

No some people arnt into babies - but if they are into the babies parents/ mother or father they are excited for them and come to see the baby!

TheHappyHissy · 23/07/2012 16:46

this is ridiculous!

Stop having a go at the OP! OK so perhaps an olive branch WAS refused, but you know what, the olive branch didn't come from the SIL did it? She hasn't apparently made any direct attempts to bridge any chasm here, for all OP knows it was a load of manoeuvring behind the scenes, effectively setting up OP into thinking it was all tickety boo again.

OP, you can be forgiven for being hormonal, for having refused to say It's OK to a consistent and definite snub to your face for months. You are entitled to be sceptical to the advances of a further third party when they were not involved in the first place.

As I see it, the issues here are with your DH.

Indeed his relaying your words verbatim have buggered it all up, if he had said, "She is understandably raw on this subject, and having just had a baby, is too delicate right now to tackle such an emotive subject, let's see how things go for now and we'll try to get it sorted over time." THAT would have helped. hardly flaming rocket science is it?

IF seeing his family is important to him and he wants to continue contact with them, that is all well and good, but he has to take responsibility for the treatment you have received at their hands and deal with it himself. he ought to have tackled your sister head on about this and told her to stop being so rude/dismissive of him and his family. That her behaviour towards YOU is a direct rejection to HIM too, and that if she has a problem with YOU, she has one with HIM too, and for her to spit it out so it can be resolved. He chose to do sweet FA nothing of the sort.

Following on from this, he has then taken the total coward's way out. By not addressing this situation, he is effectively condoning the treatment of you by his sister and further compounding it by not talking to you about it.

You have every right to be pissed off about it actually. Your DH has indeed a right to have a relationship with his family if it so suits him, he ought to have manned the fuck up and told you that he wanted to see his family, that you are welcome to join him, but that you would stay in contact.

That would have course brought up the subject of how they have treated you and he would have had to have dealt with it IF you wanted to be involved.

If you were happy for him to have contact while you didn't push for it for yourself then at least there would have been some kind of platform for HIM to build a way of resolving this issue.

Bottom line, YANBU to feel slighted and treated like shit by his family.
YANBU to think that your DH had an obligation to be more open and honest with you.

The way I see it, your SIL has insulted your family unit and got away with it, his sneaking about without your knowing is treacherous and looks as though YOU are being sided against.

YANBU to be annoyed.

YABU however to have posted this in AIBU, I post mainly in AIBU and Relationships, I despair of some of the posts here.

LunaticFringe · 23/07/2012 16:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

elizaregina · 23/07/2012 17:07

Happy

"The way I see it, your SIL has insulted your family unit and got away with it, his sneaking about without your knowing is treacherous and looks as though YOU are being sided against."

spot on - totally agree with some silly posts there, feel for op!

annoyedandannoyed · 23/07/2012 17:16

TheHappyHissy - that's what I told him. That when he makes secret phone calls, it feels like I am being talked about and being made out to be a horrible person who has cut him off from his family. But that's not how it is at all.

And after we might chat about the call. I think that is what you want? Not to hear the conversation? Lunatic, this is more or less the exact thing I said to him. That when you have contact with someone, it is natural to chat generally to your OH about the conversation. The fact he never talks about his sister to me, yet he has regular conversations with her is strange.

I may be drip feeding again (sorry), but it doesn't help that when DS was 12 weeks old he basically walked out on us, and went straight to her house and stayed there 2 nights, whilst I was alone at home with an on-going infection. Even after this he still continues secret phone calls.

OP posts:
annoyedandannoyed · 23/07/2012 17:19

She never pushed him to come back to us, and my brother and BIL had to go and talk some sense into him. He walked out because I was ill, and couldn't keep on top of cooking for him. Even when I begged him to take time off work, he never. Yet when he walked out on us, he spent 2 days off work to stay at her house.

OP posts:
mynewpassion · 23/07/2012 17:27

Its better that the SIL say nothing when he walked out. Whatever she does, she will be blamed. The neutral parties, your brother and BIL, were better candidates to deal with him.

ZZZenAgain · 23/07/2012 18:02

he's not sounding like much of a prize atm

So maybe she is uncomfortable around you since she was involved in the whole business of him walking out and leaving you and the baby in the lurch like that and she feels you might also blame her for that. However the not attending your wedding and refusing all the invitations to your home went before that so I really don't know what is going on with her. Doesn't sound pleasant the whole set-up. Hope you can sort things out.

Margerykemp · 23/07/2012 18:04

None of my DP's family phoned to congratulate me when I gave birth- I thought nothing of it. Am I missing something?

I'm with op though that her DH is being childish in his secretiveness.

Adversecamber · 23/07/2012 18:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

elizaregina · 23/07/2012 18:19

None of my DP's family phoned to congratulate me when I gave birth- I thought nothing of it. Am I missing something?

Marg - di you get no recogniton at all that you had brought a new family member into the world! maybe they didnt phone, perhaps they came round or sent cards and well wishes? did they totally ignore you and you didnt mind?

Maybe because I have experience of the flip side - infertilty in family and friends, babys lost etc, sudden death, I think a successful birth is to be treasured? I think people take alot for granted - I dont like my SIL AT ALL,but if she ever has a baby I will certIanly send a card at the very least with congrats in it and a gift.

MigratingCoconuts · 23/07/2012 18:20

why doesn't his sister like you??

Gunznroses · 23/07/2012 18:28

Novack said:

........ Blood is thicker than water or at least it should be.

I have no comment on the actual OP but your assertion here is complete and utter shite! so a wife is less important than a man's sister ? and in your opinion "thats how it should be" ? no wonder why there are so many hurting women on MN posting about dreadful in laws!

TheHappyHissy · 23/07/2012 18:31

Blood IS thicker than water...

It takes far longer to clear up.

;)

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