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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Daddy daughter time

212 replies

Tryingtostayyoung · 25/11/2016 18:49

Hi all. So me and DH have been arguing quite a lot recently abit a few different things so apologies for my continuous threads. There now seems to be another thing to now add to the list.
DH is angry with me because he feels like I never give him time to go out or spend at home on his own with DD on a regular basis. I go out with my friends probably once/twice a month but I don't go out till around 7 and then DD goes to bed at 7:30. I haven't sort of done it on purpose but I will admit that in the past if DH has said maybe I'll take DD out for breakfast or something like that I've said I want to come. He's just gotten really upset with me, practically in tears, he just wants to have a good relationship with her and be the dad that he never had. I now feel quite stupidly and pathetically unwanted as I don't really see DH in the week at all apart from maybe an hour in the evenings and family time the three of us feels precious.
He made me not feel that sorry for him when he then became angry and said, "if I could go back 4years I think I would have insisted on being a SAHD and let you stay in your job and treat you exactly how you have me just so you could really understand how I feel". Have I really been that unreasonable? I said to him that if he loved me he wouldn't say something like that bevause I would never wish for him to be upset like that and he said if you really loved me then you would realise what I give up so you can be at home and would have said to me on more than two occasions in 4years, "take DD out and have some time alone together"

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 26/11/2016 08:57

Schoopy, you have noticed that everyone on this thread, despite some sympathy for her, has said the OP is wrong here, haven't you?

No need to despair of Mumsnet over this one!

ShoopyShoopyDoopDoop · 26/11/2016 09:13

Maybe not despair, but there have been a couple, and it's really fucking annoying!

Scooby20 · 26/11/2016 09:13

Actually bert Not everyone has at all. He has been called controlling, odd for getting upset and an abuser profile linked.

ShoopyShoopyDoopDoop · 26/11/2016 09:13
Grin
mfwannabe · 26/11/2016 09:15

And women are never held up to double standards...

Icequeen01 · 26/11/2016 09:16

Sorry but have to disagree with the poster who said its because the Op only has one child. We only have one child and when he was little my DH would often take our DS out for the day on his own. When he was 4 he took him to London to a Star Wars exhibition, he used to take him to see steam trains (which he loved), swimming, crazy golf, the seaside. the list is endless. It was great my DH enjoyed spending time with our DS and didn't always need me there. I never felt I needed another child so I didn't feel left out.

Both DH and I worked full time so didn't have a lot of free time together but didn't resent the other one having one on one time with our DS. However, we also arranged whole family days (often including his nanna) which was also great.

I do think this is more about the Op's deep rooted anxieties rather than it being a problem that there is only one child!

Take heart Op - our DS is now 17 and doesn't really want to go out with either of us now Smile

BertrandRussell · 26/11/2016 09:29

"Actually bert Not everyone has at all. He has been called controlling, odd for getting upset and an abuser profile linked."

Blimey.

You must have really hunted for that post! But hey. Well done you for finding such overwhelming evidence of the vileness of women. Why don't you pop back and tell all your friends about it?

ShoopyShoopyDoopDoop · 26/11/2016 09:38

Actually, there have been a few posts criticising the dad.

Scooby20 · 26/11/2016 09:38

Are you always so nasty bert? Or just embarrassed that you didn't read the thread properly?

You must have really hunted for that post! But hey. Well done you for finding such overwhelming evidence of the vileness of women. Why don't you pop back and tell all your friends about it?

I didn't hunt. They were separate posts. I simply read the thread. What's this 'go tell you friends about it' about? It's very childish behaviour on your part.

Tryingtostayyoung · 26/11/2016 09:42

After a really good chat last night it seems to have exploded again this morning. Huge upsetting conversations and I just feel like utter shit, he clearly has a lot of built up resentment. He said to me that he's grateful that I stay home and raise our daughter and that he shows that by going to work everyday but that I show him no compassion for what he feels he has missed out on in my actions. I literally don't know what to do.

OP posts:
cheminotte · 26/11/2016 09:49

I think you have to stop talking and start acting. Tell him you are going Christmas shopping this afternoon and just go.
Up to him if he stays at home, takes her to the park or swimming. Their choice.

Introvertedbuthappy · 26/11/2016 09:49

Can you try and get him to talk about the resentment? If he's bottled it up for so long for fear of upsetting you he probably needs to say it now and you need to listen and get across your viewpoint. Give him the chance to take DD out for lunch or whatever to calm down.
It sounds like you've had a difficult time Flowers.

ShoopyShoopyDoopDoop · 26/11/2016 09:53

I think you need to let him talk and listen to him.

Don't react or respond or explain or talk about yourself.

Just let him talk.

From what you've said, I think he probably has a point.

And also, just tell him you're going out for a bit, and let him spend some time with her.

Scooby20 · 26/11/2016 09:56

Tell him to take her out. Or you go out and leave him to spend a few hours with his child.

Is he right? In what he says that you don't think about what he misses out on.

Lots of people talk about how working outside the house is the easy option. But there are huge downsides to it. Such have as getting very little time with your kids.

Hissy · 26/11/2016 10:02

Do yourself a favour (and your h for what it's worth)

Banish these hideous words from your vocabulary:

"If you loved me...."

It's manipulative and emotional blackmail.

You heard what he said, a legitimate desire to spend quality time with his dd and you turned it around to make it about you and also to try to make him feel bad about it.

I agree you need counselling, or you'll end up resenting your dd and damaging her self esteem in the process.

Until you've got this sorted, I'd also suspend ttc.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 26/11/2016 10:13

OP, I really think that you're only reading the posts that are openly supportive of what you're doing because you don't like what the other posters are saying.

This is getting to crisis point now and, if you don't stop this needy and unreasonable behaviour regarding your daughter spending time with her dad then the next thing you could be facing is her spending WEEKENDS with him and NOT YOU because you would be separated - with or without another child (which I think you should put off ttc at the moment).

For your own sake, get counselling, see your GP, do something - but this, this is going to lead nowhere but misery and perhaps single parenthood and if it does, your fears of being left out will be amplified.

slenderisthenight · 26/11/2016 10:15

hiss she wasn't the one who used those words.

op I really think you should say you're going shopping for a few hours and leave the house. It will show that you're responding to the problem now, whatever may have happened. Then the onus is on him to get a bit of a grip.

Creatureofthenight · 26/11/2016 10:17

Actions speak louder than words. Start today. Ask if he'd like to go out with DD, or offer to go out so they can hang out at home.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 26/11/2016 10:17

OP was the one who used those words, in her first post actually.

ShoopyShoopyDoopDoop · 26/11/2016 10:17

I said to him that if he loved me he wouldn't say something like that bevause I would never wish for him to be upset like that and he said if you really loved me then you would realise what I give up so you can be at home

They both said it. But he only said it in response to her saying to him first.

spidey66 · 26/11/2016 10:27

Your husband sounds like a great dad. The only time my dad spent time alone with us it was to take us to Travis Perkins (he was a builder.) He was a lovely, lovely man but I'm 50 and times were different then.

Merd · 26/11/2016 10:41

Flowers Oh dear OP, I'm another one who had a mum like you amongst other things.

If you don't tackle it, and not just with words, this will fuck your relationship up with your daughter, not just your husband.

Please get help. Get counselling as soon as possible and try to start resolving your own issues (you could also offer to have couples counselling but I think you need your own first). If you're anxious and depressed, especially after your miscarriage, please talk to your GP about medications.

All these things are long-term solutions and won't happen overnight, but you can work on this, honestly.

The problem is, you might not have seen it this way, but I think it's a form of abuse to act like this. Being jealous of their relationship and passive-aggressively driving a wedge between them for four years is long-term behaviour, not just caused or excused by recent events, and it's not healthy for any of you.

You don't need to become a martyr, or step back with overly grand gestures - passive-aggressive "woe is me" stuff won't help here. Try to look at this logically: there's a broken thing and it needs fixing.

If you were able to ignore his many subtle hints on this, you've possibly been overriding him in other little ways without noticing it too. So start listening, actively listening. If you're finding this too difficult, maybe couples counselling would be a good first step?

I really hope it works out well for you - this might be a really good wake up call if you listen. I wish my dad had made a bigger deal of stuff, it bodes well for your daughter (and you) that he's speaking up.

RhiWrites · 26/11/2016 10:50

When I was little I had daddy daughter time doing the weekly shop. It doesn't have to be a fun filled fiesta. OP would you feel less left out if they were doing the shopping? I promise they'll love it.

Tryingtostayyoung · 26/11/2016 10:52

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe I disagree with you I think I have listened to everyone, I have said a few times now that I am going to move my Friday morning work to Saturday every other week which I have already spoken to my manager about this morning and agreed.
I don't think we'll be separating any time soon, just because people have a period of time where you disagree over things as long as both people are willing to repair, make changes and move on that builds a solid worthwhile marriage. I know that my husband would never ever leave me or something like this especially as I am now very apologetic and have already made a change. He is just (quite rightly as I see now) extremely hurt.

OP posts:
ShoopyShoopyDoopDoop · 26/11/2016 10:56

I know that my husband would never ever leave me

Actually, you don't know that. You can hope for it and you can believe it. But you can't know it.