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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to have let dd speak her mind to dp?

738 replies

MrsHamsterCheeks · 13/03/2014 22:55

Dd is 7, dp has been around since she was one. Recently she's been really off with him - not wanting him to take her to school, hold her hand,read to her and so on. She'd rather miss out on doing something she enjoys than do it with him. He seems to just grate on her. For example, if her breakfast is ready I'd tell her so, if she didn't go to eat it within a minute I'd check she'd heard then leave her to it - her own fault if it goes cold, though 99% of the time she goes within a couple of minutes.

Dp on the other hand would tell her it's ready, then keeping saying 'come on, breakfast is ready' every twenty seconds until she gets annoyed or even try and lead her to the table. She is very headstrong and likes to do things on her own terms but he just doesn't seem to get her anymore. By his method she usually leaves her breakfast then he'll offer her something else, so it isn't that I'm pandering to her - quite the opposite.

Today dp took our dd (14 months) out for a few hours as I had some work to catch up on. He then collected dd from school and took her to the dentist. When they returned I had cooked tea, I washed up, tidied, sorted out school bags, bathed the kids, did homework with dd, read stories with them both etc. He watched football and/or sat on his phone.

When he heard me telling dd2 that it was the last story I heard him creep upstairs and go and sit on dd1s bed as she'd been playing in her room. When dd2 and I entered dd1 glared at dp and said: 'i don't know why you're pretending you've been playing with me, mummy knows you've been downstairs on your phone you know.' He mumbled something about tidying up and she started ranting about how he hadn't tidied up, or washed up, or anything else because I'd done it as well as everything else while he played on his phone Confused

She then proceeded to tell him that all he'd done that evening was upset dd2 by making her have tummy ache because all he'd fed her today was two lots of chips and a packet of crisps and by turning off the iPad quickly when he heard me coming downstairs so I wouldn't know he'd stuck dd2 in front of igglepiggle 'yet again.' I honestly never rant to or about dp so this tirade hasn't come from me.

Dp looked shocked and had a go at her for being a 'completely disrespectful little madame' and turned to me and said 'are you going to let her speak to me like this?' Dd2 was then sick so I had to sort her out but I could hear her and dp still bickering. I put dd1 to bed and said we'll talk in the morning as dd2 is still being sick and dp gone to work.

Aibu to have let her speak her mind? I feel it might do her good to get it off her chest as the resentment has obviously been building but then feel I'm undermining dp. However, everything she said was true so I can't tell her off for that. Maybe just speak to her about voicing her opinions more respectfully?? What do you think?

OP posts:
TheRealAmandaClarke · 15/03/2014 21:55

Oh FFS caruthers. No one is claiming this child is being abused.

Just pointing out that teaching little girls to put up and shut up when they' trying to asset their defences or character is at odds with helping them to protect themselves and with offering them protection of they' trying to tell us there's a problem.

It isnt wise to ignore a child who makes it clear they don't like to be left alone with someone.
Maybe she just wants more time with her mum.
Maybe she thinks the dp is a knobhead
Maybe something else is going on.

So three "potentials" without even trying.

TheHoneyBadger · 15/03/2014 21:57

thank you jane.

do you know the whole man who clearly gets off at swearing at women and trying to shut down women (or little girls) with opinions gets to me even online. i think it's worse on mumsnet because you forget people like that exist.

GreenLandsOfHome · 15/03/2014 21:58

You ARE being hysterical HoneyBadger.

Your are suggesting abuse. You seem determined to damn the s dad for any reason.

It DOES come across that you're a man-hater. It DOES come across that you're being a bit hysterical. And it DOES come across that you're projecting.

It may or may not be the case. But you can't blame people for calling a spade a spade.

GreenLandsOfHome · 15/03/2014 22:00

And sorry, but Jane seriously. 'You need your arse kicking', 'I think you're great'

Seriously, what are you, 12? Have an adult conversation for goodness sake.

daffodildays · 15/03/2014 22:01

It is not hysterical, nor should the OP run away. She is the one who knows the dynamic beyond the examples given here. But put it this way, the OP is accepting the laziness and inequality, she is doing what the DP wants. There is one person who isn't, the DD.

The DD has no idea why, but she knows she is being harrassed and physically manhandled; she knows the man is lying; she knows he does not want to spend time with her, she is reacting.

The OP knows her DD is telling the truth. The DP is physically enforcing his will on a child. The DP is expecting the DD to lie. The DP is harrassing the DD by telling her every 20 seconds to get to the table and then leading her there. Would you accept your partner doing that to you? If not, why accept it being done to your child?

Here's the thing, what happens when the OP stands up for the DD, or unrelated, she stops doing what the DP wants. I imagine the words abuse won't sound so far-fetched then.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 15/03/2014 22:02

I don't think honeybadgeris being hysterical.
Or a man hater.

Definitely off to bed now so please wait a few minutes before slagging me off so i Dont see it as soon as ive posted. I'm too it'd to respond Grin

Night all.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 15/03/2014 22:05

it'd shit. Tired, obviously.
honey and daffodils good posts IMO.

Janethegirl · 15/03/2014 22:05

Sorry green, I've obviously not an adult but I'm not used to people being so rude even in aibu. Go forth and multiply Grin

GreenLandsOfHome · 15/03/2014 22:07

Mmm. Very witty. Well done.

brdgrl · 15/03/2014 22:09

No one is claiming this child is being abused.
No? Besides the clear implications of several posters above, we have this:
She is being abused by this man, it may be subtle now, but it will get worse.

For those so keen to turn this into an issue of poor wee diddums being abused by her vile stepdad...

So what about when it goes the other way, then? When it is the stepmum and a male stepchild?

Run for the hills lad it's just not worth it.
Caruthers, I had the same thought. What a nightmare. Disney mum and (as described by her own mum) "headstrong" child.

Janethegirl · 15/03/2014 22:12

Green, you are really sarcastic, just foyb Grin

TheRealAmandaClarke · 15/03/2014 22:12

Oh ok.
Well I'd not be keen on anyone manhandling my 7 yo.
Maybe some people don't mind their daughters being pushed about.

daffodildays · 15/03/2014 22:21

I have not, and would not, treat my stepdd in the way described here. So, if the genders were reversed, yes, I would say the same thing.

The point about it being subtle is that the abuser sees what he (or if it offends less, she) can get away with, and these are not isolated incidents. If the DP is not abusive, then he should be easily responsive to the suggestion that physically enforcing his will is wrong. If he is abusive, he will blame the dd instead of working together to find strategies that work for everyone. The proof is in the pudding.

It is for the OP to know, really.

brdgrl · 15/03/2014 22:30

Sorry if I wasn't clear.
My point about the genders is not about boys and girls being mistreated. Obviously. Since I don't think that's happening here.

My point is that the child is being encouraged to act abusively towards the stepparent.

And that a 7-year-old child who is encouraged in this way, grows into a teenager capable of more.

brdgrl · 15/03/2014 22:34

The DP is harrassing the DD by telling her every 20 seconds to get to the table and then leading her there.

Oh, for fuck's sake. Harassment? Manhandling? "Physically enforcing his will"?

Hell, I "physically enforced my will" on DD at least three times today. And I regularly manhandle and harass her too. Apparently.

EverythingCounts · 15/03/2014 22:35

So why is OP putting up with this, if she's unhappy and thinks her DD is unhappy? And don't bother telling me I'm victim blaming. If he is behaving that badly, it's not her fault, but it is down to her to make the move away from him before things get worse. No mention of that here. Just a return every so often to feed the fire of DP vs DD. No reference to how the OP really feels, or what she intends to do, other than the 'I will definitely speak to him' line which is obviously working really well.

Janethegirl · 15/03/2014 22:36

Bdrgrl the step parent lied , that is in itself most unreasonable , so what part of unreasonable don't you get ! I'm sorry, this thread is getting more 'stupid' by the day.

brdgrl · 15/03/2014 22:37

Stop posting, then.

Janethegirl · 15/03/2014 22:41

No, bdrgl, I'm not going to stop posting, because you are just not getting the original issue. The OP s dear partner was lying, so how does that be reasonable, unless you believe adults can lie because they are adults and hence have power over children.

GreenLandsOfHome · 15/03/2014 22:43

Christ on a bike.

I lied today.

Dh took the kids up for a bath, I gave it with the 'Oh yes dear, just going to have a sweep up' - then sat on fb for twenty minutes.

Fuck me, didn't realised that made me an abusive parent Hmm

daffodildays · 15/03/2014 22:46

Yes. As I say, I wouldn't accept it for myself, so why accept it for dc?

Teenagers, time will tell.

Anyway, happy to stand by my comments. I need to go to bed too.

NurseyWursey · 15/03/2014 22:47

green you should expect to be pulled up

'mother you LIED. I don't know why you're pretending we know you sat down and played on facebook when you was supposed to be sweeping'

daffodildays · 15/03/2014 22:49

Sorry, am several posts behind here, x post. The yes was to brdgrl after my last post. Giving up now

brdgrl · 15/03/2014 22:50

Jane, I understand that you have decided that his alleged lie is the substantive issue here. It's not.

'How does that be reasonable?' Do you even understand how this works? The OP asked if she was being unreasonable. I said she wasn't. The question was not "Is my DP BU for lying?"

You aren't even making sense anymore, Jane. Perhaps that is why the thread is getting so "stupid".

daffodildays · 15/03/2014 22:51

Green, I think the difference is that you did not expect dc to collude in the lie, then expect them to get in trouble for calling you on it.

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