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AIBU?

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Cousin's ex wife playing happy families on FB

178 replies

TaterTots · 20/08/2016 14:00

My cousin is long since divorced from his first wife. I hadn't seen her since until two years ago when it was their daughter's 18th. I and most of the family were perfectly civil with her; the day was about her daughter, not old feuds, and my cousin now has a civil, if not friendly, relationship with her after much antipathy in the early years.

The next day I'd put some pics on FB and she popped up saying how lovely they were. (She isn't my friend on there, but can see things her daughter is tagged in). Fair enough - but now she pops up every time there's a family do saying how lovely it all is and what a happy occasion. Then the other week I uploaded some old pics of my (deceased) nan, tagging family members I thought would be interested. There she was again. My nan hated her!

Today my other cousin's daughter (cousin 1's sister) turned 21. Ex-wife has posted long flowery update about 'Where has the time gone, your parents must be so proud'. To give this context, she isn't FB friends with the birthday girl - she's just posted on her timeline of her own accord. This is despite the fact that one of the proud parents - my cousin's sister - utterly, utterly despises her. Why would you actively engage in those circumstances?

I had a nosey at her FB and she has my cousin's surname listed under Other Names - yet not her maiden name. Wouldn't people who wanted to find her be more inclined to search for that than a married name she hasn't used this century (and went by for less than four years)?

She is remarried with two more kids, so unlikely she is looking for a way back in. Is this just for show ('look how civilised I am with my ex's family') or is she really wearing rose-tinted specs about the whole marriage and her relationship with our family? (As background, she was delighted to marry into a big close family at the time, but after the split we were terrible controlling people who never gave her a chance.)

OP posts:
fastdaytears · 20/08/2016 14:36

You can wish a 21 year old whose parents you don't like a happy birthday. What does it have to do with the parent?

She's just trying to be nice. Maybe she feels like she has something to make up for? Maybe it's for her DD's sake. Who knows.

WorraLiberty · 20/08/2016 14:37

You do come across as a bit 'how dare she' though OP.

She's being nice to her DD's family and that actually has nothing at all to do with you.

Nothing whatsoever.

TaterTots · 20/08/2016 14:37

Tea and Cake - as I've said time and again, it's not that I'm bothered, just bemused. As for 'stop looking at her FB page', the point is she was looking at mine and those of other family members.

OP posts:
TaterTots · 20/08/2016 14:38

WorraLiberty - I never said it was. People do occasionally have opinions on things that don't directly affect them.

OP posts:
ElsaAintAsColdAsMe · 20/08/2016 14:40

How do you know that she looked at your page Confused

WorraLiberty · 20/08/2016 14:40

Well you think it's enough to do with you to have nosed her FB profile and written a rather large opening post, inviting comments about it on a public forum.

That tells me you're a tad over invested.

She's just your cousin's ex.

BertPuttocks · 20/08/2016 14:41

It's her daughter's family.

Surely it's a good thing for her daughter to see that her mother is friendly and civil with your cousin's side of the family? Confused

AyeAmarok · 20/08/2016 14:41

You sound a bit obsessed with her. Why does everything she does bother you so much? What's your beef?

It just sounds like she's being nice.

TaterTots · 20/08/2016 14:41

Isn't speculating on an anonymous forum a lot less 'invested' than making an issue of it in real life?

OP posts:
TaterTots · 20/08/2016 14:42

Amarok - 'Obsessed'? Getting a bit GCSE Drama aren't we?

OP posts:
AyeAmarok · 20/08/2016 14:45

But if you made an issue out of it in real life, then all the people who actually know you would also think you were a bit overinvested Grin

It is a bit obsessive to be checking all the Facebook activity of a cousin's long-ago ex, yes.

TaterTots · 20/08/2016 14:46

Where the hell did you get that I was checking all her activity?!

OP posts:
WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es · 20/08/2016 14:46

If the split was 15+ years ago and relations with her ex are now reasonably amicable why does his sister "utterly, utterly despise her"? Sounds as though she's just trying to make peace with your family but some of them still bear a grudge.

BabyGanoush · 20/08/2016 14:46

Just leave her be and back-off

WorraLiberty · 20/08/2016 14:46

I don't think it would even enter most people's heads to make an issue of this in RL, or even on the internet tbh.

She's probably hit a 'water under the bridge' stage in her life.

TaterTots · 20/08/2016 14:48

WhoKnows - I don't know why she still hates her to be honest; I think it's a bit pointless, especially as her ex is now civil with her.

OP posts:
TaterTots · 20/08/2016 14:49

Ganoush - 'Back off' from what?

OP posts:
OhGoshDarnIt · 20/08/2016 14:50

Just sounds like she is being nice, I'm not sensing any ulterior motive to be honest

i8sum314 · 20/08/2016 15:04

From her perspective they're her children's family. I have some interest in my children's cousins on their other side because they are relatives of my children. I even looked at a huge BOX of my children's ancestors on their other side recently!

Skittlesss · 20/08/2016 15:05

You can't ask AIBU and not like the answers...

mouldycheesefan · 20/08/2016 15:05

Why don't you put your FB profile to private that way she can't view your page.
Apart from that, who cares? It's an innocuous comment now and again no harm done.

ThylacineHuntress · 20/08/2016 15:05

Sometimes its ok to bear a grudge OP. We have an ex similar to this. Nothing for years and suddenly nice as pie . In our case there's a wealthy relative she's suddenly concerned aboutHmm

TaterTots · 20/08/2016 15:13

Skittles - of course I can! It's called a discussion.

Some people have said, perfectly politely, that they don't see anything in it. That's fine. Others have said I'm obsessed and my family must have been horrible to her. That's both ridiculous and just plain old mean.

OP posts:
TaterTots · 20/08/2016 15:15

Mouldy - I could, but I've found old friends in the past because they've commented on pics of me with mutual friends. I'm not bothered enough about the cousin's ex to make changes that mean my friends can't share photos they like.

OP posts:
i8sum314 · 20/08/2016 15:18

I don't think you're a bad person but I think it does show a lack of understanding!

Some members of my x's family are ok and have always behaved in a classy way towards me despite what I suspect they've been told by my x. I respect that ability to see me as the mother of their niece and nephew. And an tacit acknowledement of the fact that however doomed the relationship with my x, it happened, we merged genes, we're all linked now.

My x was dreadful to me and we don't communicate now which is fine but in a way Confused he's sort of like family.