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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Fucking ex-wife and PIL

481 replies

FedUpBird · 31/12/2016 08:03

So DH and his EW (ex-wife) split 10 years ago and his family still host her at Christmas and new year.

My SIL has made it very clear she hates me and keeps a photo of DH and EW so I don't go to her house as I feel I'm made un-welcome. They have 2 kids and while I understand they see the kids which is fine but why the hell do they host her!

DH is fucked off with it and has had it out with his sister and has also blocked her on social media as they have photos on there playing happy bloody families.

We've been together about 7 years and married 2, the kids and I get on and they love coming to ours and are made very welcome.

AIBU to feel annoyed that they still treat the EW like they should treat me...gah

OP posts:
RacoonBandit · 31/12/2016 15:25

Sorry Fedup but if there are issues with contact then your DH needs to sort it out. That way the in laws would not need to maintain contact with the ex to see the DC.

You appear to have a feckless father problem.

Olympiathequeen · 31/12/2016 15:26

Oh great. Deprive DHs parents of their other grandchildren because they refuse to be bullied and threatened by their new DIL into choosing their own friendships. Confused

Brilliant diplomatic move because the Disney princess isn't getting her own way.

How on earth can it be right that the PILS can't have a good relationship with their former DIL and their gc because their new DIL is a spoiled brat.

Think it through OP. The fallout. The side taking etc. Just grow up and act your age. Believe it or not you can just accept their choices and avoid your SIL and her photo!

Aeroflotgirl · 31/12/2016 15:28

Yes that's why PIL keep her sweet, to see the GC. Is his contact court ordered, if she is messing about contact he could take her to court.

Aeroflotgirl · 31/12/2016 15:29

Op should still have a relationship with dh parents and the GC, but not Sil, who treats her badly.

DailyFail1 · 31/12/2016 15:31

They seem to like her more than they like you or your dh. Not great but fair enough as she's their grandkids' mum. Don't take it personally & make your own plans. As others have said you can't tell people who they can't have round in their own homes.

Oddbins · 31/12/2016 15:32

Somehow that doesn't ring true to be honest. If she's so awful and it's duty they would hardly have pics of her up now would they?

The contact thing is always fraught and full of misunderstanding. Her making contact difficult could be working around commitments and wanting continuity but for non resident parents it's hard to see that when they are offered one day and that's the only day available

RacoonBandit · 31/12/2016 15:33

Seems the PIL will lose out on seeing 2 of their 4 GC either way.

First 2 because their dad cannot be bothered to go through the right channels to see them.

Second 2 because the OP cannot see why the PIL need to maintain contact with the ex so will throw a strop and take her DC away from them.

Tbh I think your DH sounds like a twat who could have prevented all this years ago.

Olympiathequeen · 31/12/2016 15:35

Oh for fucks sake! Drip feed why don't you?

Note to self. Don't comment on anything unless the op comes straight back and clarifies all sides of the Aibu

Olympiathequeen · 31/12/2016 15:36

Unless of course it's all self serving tales?

Oddbins · 31/12/2016 15:37

just read back you are going to cut contact because of this? Fine do it but FFS leave the kids out of it. Let them see their family anything else is just not on.

1horatio · 31/12/2016 15:38

Uhm... dripfeed much?

Sometimes I wonder.

AIBU? -Yes!

Some more info? -Yes. Still unreasonable. Probably...

Info that changes pretty much everything. -Ok... YANBU.

FedUpBird · 31/12/2016 15:39

All contact was supposedly sorted via solicitor when they split...what was he meant to do wrestle the kids off her and into his car when she didn't allow him to see them? He pays maintenance every month (more than CSA) and has the kids whenever he can (awkward job in which he's away a lot)

Kids are old enough now to know what's going on and the only people affected by this is the kids.

I know I can't make them like me but surely taking her side over their sons is wrong? She has told them a complete pack of lies to keep them onside I think

OP posts:
FedUpBird · 31/12/2016 15:39

Sorry didn't mean to drip feed but am at a place with limited internet

OP posts:
RacoonBandit · 31/12/2016 15:49

Supposedly sorted?

Nobody said wrestle his kids but there is such a thing called court Hmm

Also his job means he can't see the kids and he can't be arsed to fight to see them so yeah you are right the kids are affected.

I can see even more reason why the in laws want to maintain contact with her as if left to their feckless father they would not see their grandchildren.

I thought YWBU at the start and I still think that but would like to add your DH does not sound like father of the year Hmm

SheldonCRules · 31/12/2016 15:51

It doesn't make a man a great father as he pays more CM than the minimum, it's called providing for his children. If he works away a lot and has to split his his free time between his new family and old family then it's likely he sees them very little. Little wonder she makes an effort with his family.

Of course she's allowed to feel bitter about the divorce, he left her with two children! Then had two more so less money and time for the existing ones.

Yet somehow it's all her fault ....

Evilwickedmeanandnasty · 31/12/2016 15:52

I started reading this and thought someone had written about my life!

Same situation - ex-w was best friends with SIL, once divorced and I came along, hated me and wouldn't entertain me at all. OH has tried over the years but at this stage, we've given up!

His eldest two get cards and presents from SIL but our two are not acknowledged, we weren't invited to OH's uncle's 70th and even stopped from going to his Mother's 70th. Once we found out about the surprise party, we decided it would be better for MIL to stay away.

Thought things would change when his ex unfortunately died but no, still no contact and to be honest, life is easier that way.

Best advice I can offer is to stick with your OH, your kids and whatever relationship you have with your PILs but sod the rest of them. Life is too short... Flowers

NewNNfor2017 · 31/12/2016 15:56

Somehow that doesn't ring true to be honest. If she's so awful and it's duty they would hardly have pics of her up now would they?

You'd be amazed what happens, oddbins - my parents supported my ex despite him being issued with harassment warnings due to his conduct towards me.

Anyway, it's not the PIL that have pics up, it's the SIL, who has made her allegiances clear.

OP does your SIL have a DP?

RacoonBandit · 31/12/2016 15:57

True Sheldon I love the crys of oh but he's a good dad and pays CM yeah because paying for his children's upbringing is his gift to them and something he does out of the kindness of his heart. Hmm

NewNNfor2017 · 31/12/2016 15:57

Of course she's allowed to feel bitter about the divorce, he left her with two children

Where does the OP say that her DH ended the marriage ?

1horatio · 31/12/2016 15:57

This. So much this...

It doesn't make a man a great father as he pays more CM than the minimum, it's called providing for his children. If he works away a lot and has to split his his free time between his new family and old family then it's likely he sees them very little. Little wonder she makes an effort with his family.

Of course she's allowed to feel bitter about the divorce, he left her with two children! Then had two more so less money and time for the existing ones.

Yet somehow it's all her fault ....

Well, maybe not bitter about the divorce part. But about the fact that he has a job where he's away (or something) has to divide the time between the time consuming job and the new children he chose to have...
Sigh. I feel bad for the kids.

needsahalo · 31/12/2016 16:25

He pays maintenance every month (more than CSA) and has the kids whenever he can (awkward job in which he's away a lot)

So that's the issue, isn't it? His work is 'awkward'. He presumably can't commit to regular contact (and by regular, I mean every Tuesday, every other Friday, every 5th Wednesday, that kind of thing) so the ex has got pissed off and refused contact. This is a difficult thing to overcome - the expectation that one half of a severed partnership takes on the lion's share of caring and falls into line with the other's work patterns, regardless of the fact that they too need to work and have a social life as well.

The family have therefore built their own relationship with the ex so that their relationship with their grandchildren is maintained. It's really not rocket science.

It is pretty logical and is nothing at all about YOU, OP. If your DH wants to improve things, rather than subscribing to 'the fucking ex' theory, he perhaps needs to look inwardly, even just a little bit, to see what part he might have played in this.

It might be easy to unravel if he takes some responsibility. What changes can he make to his working pattern? If he takes a pay cut and works 0.8 so he can commit to very regular contact, could you manage? If he downgrades his job to one without travel, could you manage? Can he discuss with his ex the possibility to downgrading his job and thus reducing maintenance but picking up more childcare help and see how she reacts?

I don't get maintenance and never have 'cos my ex is self employed. In the early stages of our separation, not having the children was awful and I fought tooth and nail to be majority carer. Today - some 10 years later - I would jump at the chance of shared care because I want to progress my career and I'd like a social life. He is no longer interested. Things change. Sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns and look at alternative ways of doing stuff - for the sake of the children but also for the sake of all the adults involved. Calling her the 'fucking ex wife' won't help anyone, will it?

SomethingLikeFlying · 31/12/2016 16:31

What are they like with your children op? Their grandchildren/niece/nephew just as much as the others. Do they not really bother with them?

JustWoman · 31/12/2016 16:32

The extra info you added changes things a bit.
But, whenever a current partner mentions that her dp or dh pays child support (and then always seems to add it's more than CSA minimum) it feels like they kind of think that because he does what he actually should be anyway it means the ex owes him something be it more contact or just more respect etc.

I dunno if I'm wording it right, but him paying more than the basic minimum CSA say he should isn't noteworthy and I find it odd when people mention it, esp when talking about contact. Paying for their own children is a minimum requirment and shouldn't be an option, so when it's pointed out that they do, in a way of defending them or painting the ex in a bad way, I wonder what other normal things they do that they feel they should praise or the ex should be greatful for.

His job that takes him away a lot, was it one he took after the split? If afterwards then maybe the soliciter agreement needs rearranging anyway, especially as there's also extra children since it was made, there's ways he can do that without wrestling the DC away, he'd know that if he'd looked into it, but he needs to compromise too, if he's taken a job that means he sees his DC less and then gone on to have more children knowing that would reduce contact a bit more too he has to understand that it's a bit reasonable for her to be unhappy as it means she has to pick up his reduction is caring responsibilities and financial contribution. If she has to be thankful to him for contributing financially then maybe he can be thankful to her for providing the majority of care for his children for him for the majority of the time.

If he can't see them much due to work, then it's all the more reason for her to have a relationship with the DCs grandparents so that they still get to see them.

I'm not saying she's not unreasonable, but there's things your dh can do to sort out contact, and a bit of her bitterness and anger may come from some of the choices you making in your household having an impact on her and the kids, like having more DC meaning she has to make up the financial reduction, him working away limiting what jobs she can work as she has sole caring responsibilty. Not saying he needs her permission to have more DC but I can see why she'd be a bit cheesed off and usually the man can go on and make choices the mum can't, like working away, because he doesn't have the worries of having to physically look after his children and sort the childcare and school pickups and homework and PE kits etc etc. She's doing that for him.

And the way you describe your Inkawsinlwas relationship with her in the first post doesn't match how you describe it in the second. Perhaps they are not standing up to her for similar reasons your dh hasn't?

needsahalo · 31/12/2016 16:45

I dunno if I'm wording it right, but him paying more than the basic minimum CSA say he should isn't noteworthy and I find it odd when people mention it, esp when talking about contact

To be fair, someone would have eventually said 'does he pay maintenance' so I'm not sure OP could win with that one. And so, so many don't pay that it is some kind of achievement if you do!

ticklingafoot · 31/12/2016 17:02

I imagine that they're more bothered about seeing the kids than her. She's just part of the package. Sad thing is i your sil might think she's more important than she actually is.

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