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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be annoyed when my OH picks up calls from his ex wife during our dare night

159 replies

Belame · 01/08/2015 19:33

Am I being unreasonable to be annoyed when my OH picks up calls from his ex wife during our date night?

I've been seeing my bf for 3 years. He's been married before but his wife left him for another guy, despite the fact they had a 3 yr old boy. Time have passed and my bf being honorable man that he is, aged for her to keep the house for the sake of his ds. She's been nothing but horrible to him, kicking him out of the house, throwing his clothes out etc. Is been quite acrimonious and horrible at the time. In the meantime, the moment he's moved out she moved her new man in.

We've been seeing each other for quite some time, we don't live together but try to see each other 4-5 times a week. Obviously because of our busy work life I don't get to have a lot of date nights but when we do, we always have a nice time.

That's until she finds. And she always rings. She finds during our dinner together, she rings during our trips out. It's always the same thing, some sort of a stupid question or query. Whilst I know they have a child together, it's really annoying for me, because I just want to have our time together. But he ends up picking up, and it ends up annoying me. I end up being frustrated by constant reminders of her.

Am i being unreasonable to ask him to switch phone or not answer when we are having our date night?

OP posts:
Flashbangandgone · 02/08/2015 08:41

How many of us in here have jobs where we simply can't take personal calls at any moment... Do teachers, nurses, check-out staff, Etc etc panic their ways through every day worried they'll miss an emergency?

MythicalKings · 02/08/2015 08:44

It's also rude to other diners who can't help but hear the phone conversation. Bad manners.

StealthPolarBear · 02/08/2015 08:53

Op uou do realise you only have his side of the story about their split don't you? Your op really paints him as the hard done by little Saint and her the scarlet woman.

Coconut what does " OP if the ex moves her new DP into the house she is no longer actually allowed to legally live there as her new DP is now supporting her" mean?

So if she moves someone in she has to leave? And why would her new do be legally supporting her? Some women work you know, and support themselves.
Apologies if I've completely misunderstood that,makes no sense to me

Branleuse · 02/08/2015 09:54

yanbu. are these emergencies every time.
It isnt unreasonable to make the restaurant a no phone event. He needs to tell his ex to only phone in emergencies.

StealthPolarBear · 02/08/2015 09:57

Did no one else read the op like this Hmm at the dhs perfects behaviour and his ex the husky?

StealthPolarBear · 02/08/2015 09:58

HUSSY
if his ex was a husky thay would be a totally different Hmm

bluebell8782 · 02/08/2015 10:02

KUA - Your situation sounds great.. It can only be a good thing if the children can see the adults all getting on..especially still calling each other family.. That's wonderful!
My husband's ex rang him on date night a couple of weeks ago (not that she knew it was date night). He didn't answer but text her saying he couldnt talk but would phone later if ok. If there was something wrong (which there wasn't) I'm sure she would have said. She's one of the most vile people I know but I wouldn't be overly put out if he'd taken the call as I'd rather know what she wanted than having it in the back of our minds during date night.
OP..glad you were able to talk about it and he understands your point.

WhoNickedMyName · 02/08/2015 10:06

How is the ex finding out about your date nights?

Your OH must be telling her. That's the problem here.

flamingoland · 02/08/2015 10:07

Sorry if this has been answered- how does she know about your date nights?

EquinoxEclipse · 02/08/2015 10:26

You will always come second to his dc, that's the way it should be.

However, I totally understand why you're so pissed off at the phone calls - to my mind (and having gone through this myself for the first year of or relationship), if it's important, she will text or leave a vm. The fact that he feels he has to answer whenever she calls, regardless of what he's doing, shows that he's still a bit controlled by her - that's the part that needs to change. Good luck.

NickiFury · 02/08/2015 10:27

I read it like that too stealth but it's so often the same; ex is a manipulative bitch and DP a poor put fellow just trying to do the right thing Hmm

MarkRuffaloCrumble · 02/08/2015 10:27

If my DP receives a work call while we're eating out he will assess whether it can wait (ie if it's the boss or an important client he will answer it, if it's his colleagues it can wait!) then ask if I mind him answering it. He will then walk outside and talk there rather than loudly talking business in front of everyone in the restaurant. It's a bit annoying sitting alone for a bit, but no worse than if he popped to the loo most of the time and far preferable to sitting there twiddling my thumbs with him sat in front of me.

Examples of his ex's calls are wanting money for a holiday, wanting him to sort out some dressing up costume for a theme day at school, which only ever gets picked up at the last minute, telling him some family news from her side of the family, asking for passwords for the DCs to his iTunes etc. None of it is earth shattering, much of it could be sorted out by e.g. Her buying a costume and asking him to reimburse her (which he would) or texting for passwords etc.

She also insists on phone calls whenever we go on holiday (just me and him) to make sure he has landed safely etc. as she panics about him dying in an aeroplane crash (I'm pretty sure it would make the news if she needed to know!) She called him in the cab on our way home to the airport asking about our hol and asking if we'd had dodgy tummies. I really don't need her knowing about the state of my faeces!

Honestly, it's just too much and I agree with coconut about Kua, I'm sure my DP's ex thinks all is hunky dory with us all, as I wouldn't want to rock the boat by being anything other than friendly to her, but I really do wish she would butt out sometimes. There are times when I accept that she needs to be involved, but I don't need a third wheel in my relationship and frankly, it doesn't matter that she used to shag him, I would be aggrieved at anyone who constantly interrupted and inconvenienced my time with DP, whether it was a friend or other family member.

The only people who could rightly be forgiven for such intrusive behaviour are the DCs because a) they have a right to talk to their dad and b) they aren't yet old enough to understand about the niceties of social interaction and when it's appropriate. They will still butt in when he's talking to someone else in person, so obviously have trouble realising that interrupting is rude.

However, just like interrupting in person, kids will only learn that it is unacceptable if they are made to wait until you have finished speaking to be allowed their say. If they are always heard regardless of how rudely they butt in, they will grow up to be rude and to interupt people. Similarly their mum needs to be made to wait until an opportune moment to have her say. If it's an emergency then the opportune moment is right now, otherwise she can wait.

Belame · 02/08/2015 10:59

I think I should come first in a relationship. Always.

He expects me to put him first, and I do. But I feel like I'm not a number one to anyone.

If me and his ds were in fire, he would try to save him before me. If he and his ds were in fire I would try to save him first. He is my number one. He is my priority.

It makes me feel like he doesn't care about me. And if we had a child together, which he wants to, or would be even worse with me never getting any attention due to his child, his ex and my child.

When did our lives become so complicated? My parents, even though not a model marriage by any stretch, have been together all their lives. But nowadays people act like they take no responsibility in having children and just go off work someone else. It's like patchwork families where mothers and fathers all have children from previous relationships, then kids together, it's a norm.

I feel sorry for these children growing up thinking it is normal to have children and then abandon that family.

Sorry it's just my rant for the day.

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 02/08/2015 11:01

Ugh. Sorry to say but his dc probably do come before you. Way it should be imo. But the level of thought you've given this is quite off putting.

NickiFury · 02/08/2015 11:12

Really? You expect to come first always? You would save a fully grown man from a fire before a child? Utterly bizarre.

Tell him all that so he has a chance to know what he's dealing with. If my DP said that to me I would be off like a rocket because those would be beliefs and traits I could not love or find attractive.

MarkRuffaloCrumble · 02/08/2015 11:12

I think the fire thing is unfair. Of course we would all say we would save our DCs before anyone else in a fire. So would you OP. If you have no DCs yet then you can't possibly understand the different kind of love that comes with huge parental responsibility. It's a natural instinct that all animals have, not just a choice that people make.

I crave my DP, I need his phsical presence to feel truly happy and when he's away I miss him more than I think I miss my DCs when they're away for a couple of days. This doesn't mean I love him more, just differently. But in a fire my maternal love would mean that I would die and let DP die to save my DCs.

However, the fire analogy should not translate into every day life. There are times when my DP will choose to spend time with me that he could otherwise spend with his DCs because our relationship is important and he realises that it needs time to grow and thrive, just as his DCs do. It's a constant juggling act and one which will not ever result in more DCs due to the very facts you mention about moving in, starting new families etc. He is very aware that his commitment to his DCs and to me are enough without throwing another joint DC into the mix!

There are different ways to put someone first and it doesn't always need to be physical presence. Sometimes just knowing that he would like to be here even when he's not is enough to make me feel loved. It's the attitude and sentiment behind his actions which say more than his actual actions.

Perhaps if your DP rolled his eyes and said "sorry, do you mind if I get this?" every time the ex rang rather than just cheerfully chatting to her do you think you'd feel better about it?

ShakesBootyFlabWobbles · 02/08/2015 11:14

YANBU

If this is a regular occurrence, then it is clear that these are not emergency calls, as there hasn't been any need for him to leave the date and nobody would be posting on MN moaning if a partner has took a call about a hospital admission. Some boundaries need to be set. I too disagree with the ethos of 'being on call 24/7' for non emergency situations - if the ex wife wanted that level of attention she shouldn't have left him. As you say, he could be in a meeting, on the Tube, lots of reasons for not being immediately available.

Naturally, if the child has high medical needs and at risk of regular hospital admission, that could be a different matter. I suspect not though, as you would have likely mentioned it.

MarkRuffaloCrumble · 02/08/2015 11:17

oh and stop always putting him first, it will make you resentful and he will take you for granted. Sometimes put yourself first. If he won't make you number one sometimes, make yourself number one occasionally.

EquinoxEclipse · 02/08/2015 11:21

If you think you should come first in a relationship with a man with dc, you are barking mad. And unreasonable. And to say you would save him before school makes me think you're not all that nice, frankly.

EquinoxEclipse · 02/08/2015 11:23

Don't know where that random school came from Confused Obvs I meant dc.

I'm assuming you have no children of your own yet...

WhoNickedMyName · 02/08/2015 11:30

Are you deliberately avoiding the question about how the ex knows about your date nights? Grin

MereKaffe · 02/08/2015 11:37

I'm a single parent who's dated a divorced dad whose xw ended the relationship and I felt that his heart was still there. I've never once rung my x because his intervention would never be assistance, in a big crisis or a minor one! So I cope with two DC without ever having to ring their father. Not that that 'proves' anything. But his xw must want his assistance, his presence. I'd rather deal with things alone than have an x around. So really the problem is that she still wants him around. And he has no problem with that.
I dated a man like that. He kept slipping up in his speech too. Like his wife's house was 'home' and his home (where he actually lived) was 'the flat'. I didn't care enough to tell him what I'd observed. I just bailed. He didn't even demand an explanation!

honeyroar · 02/08/2015 11:44

I'm sorry to say I think you're not in the right relationship. You need to be with someone without children.

I know where you're coming from, I met my husband when his son was seven. I've had ten years of coming second. I think that was right. A little boy needs his dad. He didn't have anything to do with his parents separating. It's not his fault. Sometimes I've felt resentful, but mostly I've admired my husband for it. But wierdly it evolves. Now my stepson is 17 he spends much more time with his friends, study and activities so we see a lot less of him. Next year he will be off to university so it will be even less. I now get a lot more time with my husband, we have mini breaks and, you know what, I miss my stepson. I'd rewind and do it again!

honeyroar · 02/08/2015 11:46

Ps, my husband initially trotted after his ex wife and answered the phone because he was scared of losing access to his son. He still is civil and almost friendly to her. But he still detests her and never wanted to get back with her.

WallyBantersJunkBox · 02/08/2015 11:47

Ugh you lost me at the fire example op.

Perhaps find a single older guy who can lavish all his time on you, for the goddess you need to be?