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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to feel very unhappy and unsettled about my dad wanting to take Dd out on Sat?

38 replies

VulvaVoom · 25/06/2014 21:24

feel a bit sick. on phone, will try not to drip feed, excuse typos etc. very long story short, i gateway OK ish relationship with my dad. he's with a woman i don't see after he left my mum for her and she sent my mum abusive texts, made silent calls etc. its been 6 years but i just see dad on his own. he's seen Dd around 5 - 6 times since she was born but always texts to ask how she is. Ive recently moved back to where Im from and where he lives, he popped round last week (after i asked if he could do some paid handy man jobs for us) and he knelt down and said to Dd, would you like to come out with grampy soon? she is six around him and doesn't really know him buckle, so i was a bit Shock. there's also the added complication about his partner - i wasn't invited to their wedding last year and even though Id told my dad i disliked her when it all happened, i was still surprised. mind you i wouldn't have gone. anyway, i digress. forward to today and i get a text asking if he can take her to a Bbq on Sat. to be honest Im a bit astounded. he doesn't know her well at all and wants to take her somewhere around people i don't know. it's all a bit weird. its not happening but now i feel really anxious about telling him and giving my reasons. i want to say over my dead body really but want to be nicer about it! his wife is really not nice, Im worried she's putting the pressure on about his rights to access or something? i know Ive already said this but Dd doesn't know him well at all, so AIBU? thanks for reading.

OP posts:
Amy106 · 26/06/2014 01:13

YANBU. Not at all. She is way too young for all that. It sounds like they just want to show her off at the BBQ. Now if he is really interested in developing a relationship with his granddaughter, maybe he should be willing to go slowly and do things together with you present.

flyingspaghettimonster · 26/06/2014 05:38

Nothing wrong with Just saying "she's only a baby and I wouldn't be comfortable leaving her with anyone yet. If you want to see more of her you are welcome at our house for lunch on..." And leave it there. I am very close with my mother and still wouldn't leave her alone with any of my kids unless an emergency, as we have very different parenting styles and I don't like her way. Would I leave them with a virtual stranger to the child? Hell no. Yanbu.

KnackeredMuchly · 26/06/2014 06:18

I think he has taken the opportunity thatcwhen you moved near him you were mending bridges, that isn't the case for you so it will take time to set your boundaries back up again

UsedtobeFeckless · 26/06/2014 09:13

YANBU

I might get flamed for this but in my experience older chaps are pretty useless at the nitty gritty of caring for small children - nappies / safety / not pottering around BBQs finishing off people's beer etc. So even if you were on great terms with your dad and his wife I'd say you should go along too.

If he wants to know her better he can come to the park or somewhere with the two of you ... It's totally up to you though, he doesn't have any actual rights in this at all.

diddl · 26/06/2014 09:26

No, that doesn't work".

I love this; "she is six around him and doesn't really know him buckle, so i was a bit Shock"

Yes, that would shock me tooGrin

Tanith · 26/06/2014 09:35

You have no need to feel bad; your reasons are perfectly understandable. There's no way I'd let my daughter go either.

I bet he didn't agonise like this over excluding you from his wedding!

Floralnomad · 26/06/2014 09:35

Just tell him no . TBH I don't see how your dad is ever going to have more than a visiting relationship with your dd unless you and his wife are prepared to bury the hatchet and try to move on . If you aren't prepared to do that ( your prerogative) then you may as well tell your dad that now ,as even when your dd is older will you allow her on days out with his wife?

gotnotimeforthat · 26/06/2014 09:38

I don't blame you for not wanting him to take her to a BBQ that's perfectly understandable. But It sounds to me that your dad is just trying to build a relationship with his granddaughter.

Out of curiosity what is the main issue here for you? is it dd's age/ not knowing him too well? or is it because his wife might touch/speak to dd?

Bouttimeforwine · 26/06/2014 09:40

just say they need to spend a lot more time together to get to know each other, before you will feel comfortable not being there, as she is so young. Thats all you need to say.

daphnehoneybutt · 26/06/2014 09:43

He wants too much too soon. YANBU I wouldn't let her go. His wife sounds a like an evil bitch!

Why aren't you invited?

He wants to go to this bbq and look like some lovely granddad type I think.

Bambambini · 26/06/2014 09:45

Just have him visit at yours to get to know your daughter or you go out together (sod his wife) to the park or such. I never leave my kids with my dad - don't trust him.

diddl · 26/06/2014 09:50

It's a bit unthinking though, isn't it?

He hasn't seen her much & now wants to take her out somewhere.

Well it could be that he thinks she'll like it, but surely it's better to build up by seeing her more first?

And even then it's not obligatory that OP hands her daughter over as/when requested!

VulvaVoom · 26/06/2014 12:27

oh god, i just texted him saying this: i think Dd needs to get to know you better first, maybe you could take her to the park a few times, im also not. sure about her meeting cow face i have to be honest. only i didn't say cow face Grin

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