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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want to pick up 14 year old DD from XH's holiday

261 replies

AbbottLeguarda · 24/08/2016 20:02

Name changed as this is very identifying.

On Sunday, XH took DD (14) and DS's (16 year old twins) to Wales, along with his wife and her 2 daughters (13 and 11) It's the first time they've all gone away together, DD was really excited, it was the boys who were dragging their feet and now 3 days into the trip and the boys are loving it and DD is crying down the phone, asking me to come pick her up.

Her complaints:

No one talks to her, which I'm sure is an exaggeration, their are 6 other people there, but she said that they've all paired off, step siblings go off without inviting her, DSs' tell her to get lost whenever she's near, XH only spent 10 mins playing cards with her when she'd waited half an hour for him to finish up a game with DSs.

The cottage they're staying in has 4 bedrooms, DS's are sharing, step daughters are sharing, DD gets her own room and I think that's just made her feel more lonely. She says everyone stays up really late in their rooms, playing games, talking and she has no one.

I spoke to XH this morning about how she felt and asked if he could spend more time with her but I've just got off the phone with her begging me to come pick her up.

XH spent an hour watching a show with her and then went fishing for the rest of the day, step siblings were playing some hide and seek game with the other kids around and when she asked to play, one of the kids, not either of her step siblings who were I presume hiding at the time, told her that she wouldn't understand the rules, so she went back inside.

DS's are wrapped up in their own lives, I feel awful for her but their's only 3 more days left.

OP posts:
tupperwareAARGGH · 25/08/2016 18:29

It sounds like she can't be arsed to join in and is wallowing in self pity which is stopping the others wanting to spend time with her.

I knew plenty of teenagers like that, I was one!

You've done the right thing in not picking her up.

Hulababy · 25/08/2016 22:13

I have a 14yo dd, her favorite thing in the world is being miserable, that is when she is at her Happiest!

Not my experience of my own 14y either.
However, if she was in a house full of people where no ne really wanted to spend time with her - dad out, brothers together doing their thing, step sisters together doing their thing too - then yes, she may well resort to feeling sad and lonely. TBH - as an adult woman I think I might too!

Hulababy · 25/08/2016 22:14

It sounds like she can't be arsed to join in

She was told she couldn't join in! She wouldn't understand the rules apparently - aka we don;t want you to join in!

Mycraneisfixed · 25/08/2016 22:26

Wow some of you must've been amazingly confident at 14! I certainly wouldn't have been confident enough to tell my dad and my stepmum that I felt excluded and was miserable. I'd have done exactly what OP's DD has done and told my mother how miserable I was and asked her to come and take me home. My
Mother would have said 'no you stick it out' which is why I moved 150 miles away and didn't have much contact with her for 40 years until she died. She just wasn't worth it.

2rebecca · 25/08/2016 22:29

When the girls told her that though she should have told them they were being mean and excluding her and told her dad or stepmother, not saved it up to tell her mum who isn't there. I'm surprised the 13 year old stepsister isn't wanting to hang out with her rather than her little sister. Usually kids gravitate towards older kids. Is she lacking in confidence and hobbies? What sort of stuff does she do at home?
The dad and stepmum are being mean on not insisting the other girls include her.
Odd numbers are always difficult though. The reason I had 2 kids was because I was one of 3 and on holidays we always split 2 v 1 so it's not a stepkid thing or blended family thing, it's a having an odd number of kids thing.

DontMindMe1 · 25/08/2016 23:06

his need to go fishing factored before his child

it was four hours out of a whole week! FOUR HOURS! facepalm

headinhands · 25/08/2016 23:43

How you doing op? (Your dd will not hate you forever because of this). Flowers

Leggytadpole · 30/08/2016 10:57

Matthew wright has just had a field day with this story on the wright stuff.

AbbottLeguarda · 30/08/2016 11:01

Leggy, WHAT ?? Shock Shock

OP posts:
champagnefromapapercup · 30/08/2016 11:02

I wouldn't pick her up. She sounds like she needs a good book to read or to find something she wants to do. Just because she's not having a blast doesn't mean she should stay... It's character building Grin when I was her age id have been told to put up. How would she feel if she'd had to share the room. At that age you often can't win. She'll be home soon Smile

AbbottLeguarda · 30/08/2016 11:03

Update: Sorry guys, been busy with bank holiday weekend. DD survived the 3 days, they had one family outing on Friday which she enjoyed and DTwins took her out Saturday morning. But she swears she'll never go on another holiday like that again.

OP posts:
penguinplease · 30/08/2016 11:05

Yeah I saw this on the Wright Stuff this morning too.. Seriously makes me wonder about posting on here these days!

AbbottLeguarda · 30/08/2016 11:07

I've never had a post shown outside the mumsnet sphere, slightly terrified people I know will see now Confused

OP posts:
AbbottLeguarda · 30/08/2016 11:09

So out of curiosity, did Matthew agree with me? Blush

OP posts:
babba2014 · 30/08/2016 11:10

She's still a kid. My first reaction was go get her. That would be me in her shoes at that age. I went on a holiday once but not with family. I somehow got through the week. But then I started thinking... If she has a good relationship with her dad then he needs to leave his own hobbies to the side and go out with her. Soon she will be so independent and this time is a good time to make the best memories, not ruin them. I would tell him to step up as she's clearly left out and to make it a memorable time for her.

AlaskanSnow · 30/08/2016 11:56

It's on the facebook page too.
OP, I'd ask to get this thread deleted

Leggytadpole · 30/08/2016 12:15

Sorry Abbott I didn't watch it properly, it was just on in the background. I thought about you though as it is quite identifying, I'd ask to get it deleted if I were you. It really irks me when they nab stories from here!

I'm glad your DD stuck it out, I think you did the right thing :)

Debinaround · 30/08/2016 12:19

He did agree with you Op but he was a bit of a cunt about your DD. Doing an impression of her crying and stuff. He was full of glee that your ex had left her to go fishing. He really is a vile dickhead. Angry

Oh and the only reason I watched it was because he was on straight after Milkshake and I heard him say what the topic was and knew straight away it was your thread. Bellend.

Debinaround · 30/08/2016 12:22

The kids were watching Milkshake obviously, not me. WinkGrin

Italiangreyhound · 30/08/2016 12:23

Glad she is how. Think in the long run your ex will be the loser. He cocked up big time maybe. Who knows. definitely ask for this to be deleted. How sad for a tv programme to nab something from here. Totally wrong.

Italiangreyhound · 30/08/2016 12:23

Home not how!

AbbottLeguarda · 30/08/2016 12:27

Debin Shock that sounds fucking awful, she's a kid and he's mocking her on national tv, where she could easily be identified Sad

I think it's best to get this thread deleted, thanks for all the advice guy.

OP posts:
Merrymumoftwo · 30/08/2016 12:29

Happy it worked out in the end agree with some others here that her dad messed up hope he can fix it xx

Debinaround · 30/08/2016 12:41

I don't blame you Abbott. He is an absolute idiot. He made himself look stupid doing it. I wanted to chuck something at the telly.