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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be really upset with my husband after my 7 yr old said she wanted to die

84 replies

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/06/2016 10:35

Last night at bed time DD said she wanted to die. I got a big piece of paper and pens to draw her feelings and she decided she wanted to section the day and draw faces and she assigned emotions. We established these wanting to die feelings were when DH and I fight and when he shouts at her. DD and I were up till 10.30 pm so this was all guided by her. DH and I had a fight yesterday over not respecting my boundaries. I have chronic fatigue syndrome (ME) and am not the easiest to live with because of my illness and I have been very ill recently and emotional and more shouty than normal. A week and a half ago it got so bad after 3 months of feeling so lousy, I wanted everything to end myself and told DH so he knows I'm feeling wobbly. DH has a Mediterranean temperament and and nationality and isn't good on the touchy feely.

DH tried to get involved yesterday in the drawing process and at dd asked me to send him away. My expectation was that he would want to get up to discuss this. He's not a morning person and wouldn't get up, which is not uncommon. At 9.30 DD went and explained her feelings to him whilst he was still in bed. The feedback she gave me was that DH wasn't happy at what he said and his answer was that mummy shouts as well. And she told me she was going to change her stuff basically to appease him. I explained that this wasn't the correct approach. I tried to talk about it to him and his reaction was: "well there was nothing to talk about and it was only to be expected if he was blamed seeing as it all came from me so of course there's nothing wrong with mummy". He was sarcastic, dismissive and nasty. And I tried to explain - cue more of the same from him and ended up raising my voice then back in bed in tears.

OP posts:
SisterMoonshine · 05/06/2016 11:17

She must be exhausted and emotional today.
10.30?!
Poor thing.

foodiefil · 05/06/2016 11:17

I agree with Durham but also if you stop your husband from shouting at your daughter then you're totally undermining him. No wonder he feels the way he does. You need to tell him AWAY from her that you don't want him to shout at her but if you both shout at each other you've created a habit and they're really hard to break.

Shouting is ok sometimes - people in families do shout, explain to your daughter it's how some people express their anger or address both your issues and make a concerted effort to not shout.

Also agree with other posters that you've made a big deal out of it. That was a cry for help from her or a dramatic thing to say to make you see that she was not liking how you and your OH go on with each other. Don't make it about her if you're the problem. Promise her you'll try and change. Maybe get her to feel in control by having a chart with both your names on and if you shout or upset her she can put a mark there? But ultimately - both of your behaviours is upsetting your daughter. You're supposed to be the team raising your child - you need to work together and show her you're a united front

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/06/2016 11:17

I never said I wasn't equally responsible. I cannot get through to my husband. That is my responsibility. I haven't learnt the skill. I get very upset at being demeaned and ridiculed Or not listened to.

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ThroughThickAndThin01 · 05/06/2016 11:18

Agree with lots of pp.

You are the parents, that's your job, you're trying to involve her in parenting decisions.

Gazelda · 05/06/2016 11:22

Poor kid. I bet she'll struggle to confide her feelings in anyone again.

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/06/2016 11:22

I agree I overreacted to what she said. It brought back some stinging feelings - I don't mean about my present ones. I panicked and sorted it out.

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Mummyoflittledragon · 05/06/2016 11:23

Gazelda that's massive projection. I've taken everything else on board.

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WuTangFlan · 05/06/2016 11:23

"She didn't want to show it to him. So I hid it." - which is again making you two complicit in keeping things from your DH and making it "us against him".

You should have said she doesn't have to show your DH but you - as her mother - would talk to DH about it for her because her happiness and wellbeing is important to both of you, and you both love and care about her.

A 7 year old shouldn't be given the responsibility for fixing these things: you should have talked to your DH about the issue, agreed a way forward and then talked to your DD about it. Not let her go in and talk to him while he was in bed. You seem to be setting him up to fail, and the fights come across as point-scoring - though to your DD of course, your fights are about her and it's all her fault. Which is probably where her feelings are coming from.

AnyFucker · 05/06/2016 11:24

Both you and your husband need to use the services of a counsellor to mediate between you if you are unable to do it yourself, not a 7yo kid

If this incident is indicative of the general state of play in your house, she is getting fucked up

Originalfoogirl · 05/06/2016 11:24

I can be shouty mummy. I hate shouty mummy. As does our girl. Daddy can be shouty too. And he is loud shouty. We've realised it achieves nothing other than making ourselves feel better for venting. It does nothing to address the behaviour of whomever is the target of the shouting.

Because of this, I am trying to be less shouty, we've discussed it between Mr Foo and I and have come up with a strategy. If our girl is shouty and loses her temper, she goes to her room and gets it out of her system. Mr Foo goes to the garage, I generally go wherever others aren't. It is slowly working, however Mr Foo is less able to sit and listen to our girl venting. It makes him angry when she just won't stop and a few times, as she is coming to the end of it, he loses it and goes in and shouts at her. If I catch him before he gets there, I remind him just to go to the garage or something. If I miss the moment and he's gone in to her and is ranting, I never, ever go in and tell him to stop. That would send entirely the wrong message. Instead I will hover, try to catch his attention out of her eyeline and try to let him know to leave her to it. He doesn't like that much - if he's lost his temper the last thing he wants is me questioning his parenting, but at least it's me who deals with his ire.

We don't generally argue in front of her. But I'd be a liar if I said we never do it. I think it's unrealistic and unhelpful to say you should never do it. But definitely consider the effect if it is a regular thing.

Once everyone is calm, we will sit and talk about what's happened and come up with a plan to avoid it happening again. Part of our girls rant is always "I just want you to listen to me". But she is the most listened to child I know! What we won't listen to is the same thing she has said a dozen times, and we have already responded to, In a very clear way. What I find is, a 7 year old's version of things isn't always a true reflection of what's happened. And much of what they say can be very over dramatic. Just as you didn't mean you wanted to end it all, she didn't really mean she wants to die when you have a row with your husband. Take it on board that she doesn't like it, but let's not elevate a 7 year old "I just want to die" to the status of anything more serious than "jeez, I wish daddy and mummy wouldn't shout so much"

Oh, and, my seven year old will come up with the most dramatic conversations (usually around her disability) at bedtime if she thinks it will keep me in there chatting til well past her bedtime. Common rouse, don't fall for it. Tell her you love her and we can speak about it in the morning when we are fresh and have all the time in the world. I find our girl rarely does, even when I open it for her.

Gazelda · 05/06/2016 11:25

Yes, you sorted it out last night. But in her mind I wouldn't mind betting she feels as though she's caused you and DH to row. She won't be opening up to you again.

I'm sorry to kick you when you aren't strong, but the reality is that your DD is being burdened with far more than she should be.

You and your DH need to work this out.

WeAllHaveWings · 05/06/2016 11:30

I think you should be very careful of consciously or subconsciously guiding your daughter to blame your dh with amateur counselling techniques. It is highly probable you doing this with her purposely excluding your dh in front of her determined the results of your exercise.

Forget about blaming your dh. Your daughter has told you she is upset by you and your dh arguing and generally being nasty to each other and this is down to you both.

As adults you and your dh need to sort yourselves out and keep your daughter out, and protected from, it while you do so. She's only 7 ffs!

WorraLiberty · 05/06/2016 11:33

I agree your DD shouldn't be involved in this.

Also, it does sound as though all the 'blame' is being leveled towards your DH.

I wonder if the drawings and conversation would have been different, if she had done it with him?

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/06/2016 11:35

As I said I overreacted. I was depressed and felt worthless from the age of 5. This was an oh fuck moment for me because I thought she felt the same when in fact she's heard it a couple of times from skid st school. But once we figured it out I realised I was wrong. Which is why I didn't mind her going to talk to daddy. Because it was a bunch of mainly smiley faces. I realise I made the wrong call. I'm very emotional at the moment. I think this is far more of a drama for me than her.

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AgentProvocateur · 05/06/2016 11:37

At seven, she should be playing with Lego or out on her bike with her friends, not getting caught up in adult drama. You're blowing this way out of proportion, and exacerbating the situation. FFS, you parents need to start behaving like adults and not trying to score points off each other by using your daughter as a go-between.

simonettavespucci · 05/06/2016 11:40

I agree with what people are saying about your DD getting caught in the middle. But respect to you for taking it on board and Flowers for having to deal with a debilitating illness.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 05/06/2016 11:45

If you are having counselling yourself, dealing with emotions from your own childhood and generally feeling crap and emotional then I understand why your first reaction was to just generally overdo things.

But you are not a counsellor, your DD is not you, your DH is not your common enemy. Just pull back a bit - and stop with the amateur psychology. If you haven't been up to dealing with DD for a couple of weeks she will have revelled in your 121 attention last night. I'm sure she would have been happier in her bed though.

thisisnotausername · 05/06/2016 11:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/06/2016 11:53

I agree I'm not a counsellor. I see she is getting sim. This dynamic only happens when I'm really ill and can't cope. As otherwise I'm emotionally stable. And I've been steadily improving until 3 months ago. It's been a really hard half term and its come to a head. When I'm ill then DH can't cope with me being emotional as in crying and everything falls apart. That doesn't mean blaming him. It's the situation and I get angry when he can't take the emotional bit from me just until I get better. But I can't take his job from him either. As I say I do see the dynamic is poor.

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PaulAnkaTheDog · 05/06/2016 11:53

But you are not a counsellor, your DD is not you, your DH is not your common enemy. Just pull back a bit - and stop with the amateur psychology. If you haven't been up to dealing with DD for a couple of weeks she will have revelled in your 121 attention last night. I'm sure she would have been happier in her bed though.

This is very true.

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/06/2016 11:56

Not. I didn't say it was all his fault. I can see why he interpreted it as such.

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wheresthel1ght · 05/06/2016 12:05

Littledragon I admit my understanding of ME is only through my best friend suffering it but from that I would say that the emotional outbursts and the anger are more depression related than just the ME. Are you on antidepressants? If not I would strongly advise you seeking medical attention and looking at them as an option.

Clearly you are unable to contain it and your DH is finding it too much to take. This is seemingly no longer something than you as a family can tackle and more than talking therapy with a counsellor can help. You may need to consider a more medical approach.

Your DD is suffering and you are losing all rationality over dealing with things in an appropriate manner.

Please consider that intervention is now required

yorkshapudding · 05/06/2016 12:07

Would your DH be willing to consider couples therapy to address the issues in your relationship but also to think about how those issues impact on the way you parent DD?

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/06/2016 12:08

Username. I didn't say no to protect me but to protect her integrity. She doesn't hold back with me. She's no people pleaser. I don't punish for her telling me she hates me and such like. I listen. She's been through some stuff not relevant here so I know she's got good boundaries. It's more her parents whose boundaries get knocked down when I'm really ill because we are both struggling. That's when she's overly involved. I just hadn't seen to what extent. Not being able to stand up for long and think clearly isn't helpful on this front.

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Mummyoflittledragon · 05/06/2016 12:16

Light - I'm premenstrual which does t help and getting better now finally - I think. I'm giving it another week to make a decision as to whether to go back on the anti depressants. I used to be on them but came off when my health improved a couple of years ago. I agree the emotions are shit and I need to do something if they don't stabilise.

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