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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be upset by DH's ex taking his name

205 replies

user1491407396 · 30/06/2017 18:16

Recently married DH who has been divorced 5 years and has 1 daughter from that marriage (6 yo). Their marriage broke down shortly after she was born (nothing to do with me). They were successfully co-parenting until I came along (keys to each others' houses, 50/50 split in childcare, lived nearby, had child-related outings together). However, since I came on the scene and we moved in together to another town with my two DSs things have become increasingly strained as DH is no longer on tap for her every need. She has been bombarding DH with emotional letters grieving their loss of friendship, wanting him to take her to dinner to discuss DSD, constantly phoning/emailing him at work to discuss haircuts and underwear. She completely blames my existence for the change in her status quo: in her words "there's room for other people but we three are the real family and will be together for the big milestones". I have met and she is perfectly civil to me but refuses to discuss any child issues with me. She does not receive alimony but we pay for all her costs (school, sports). When we moved house DSD came home one the first weekend with some new duvet covers plus an invoice to be reimbursed ffs. Anyway rant over as there are many incidents I could cite. Try to take them all in our stride but the latest discover is that she has suddenly started using DH's name - having never changed it when they married or during her marriage. We found out by accident and she first denied it although quickly afterwards admitted it saying it was purely a work name. Now I think there is more to it than that and am livid. DH says (and is right) that he can't stop her as she has the right to do so but I feel she is asserting some warped type of possession of Should I take the high road again?

OP posts:
MaisyPops · 02/07/2017 13:51

The thing is, the ex wife is more concerned with being awkward than she is the child.

The stepmother is (like it or not) one of the primary carers. She IS doing a lot of the parental things during the week. It is in the best interests of the CHILD that ALL parental figures discuss the child's needs. What's the point in saying "I'm not going to answer the question you've asked. I'm going to wait and call the child's dad and then he can tell you my answer"? Just answer the question like a grown woman who cares about her child and is lucky that their child had a loving step parent who cares for them.

MistressDeeCee · 02/07/2017 13:55

Oh please

Whenever replies dont agree with something en masse, 20 posts later comes along a massive revelation to completely change perspective and replies.

If DSD really lived with OP 5 days of each week why not mention it in the story? Irs way too big a thing to have forgotten to include.

"DH moved to another town to be with me & my boys"

"Childcare was 50/50"

  • But strangely, no mention of its not 50/50 now due to DSD now living with OP & DH and not her mother, & only visiting mother at weekends?

Makes for a convenient massive u-turn of commenters dissing the ex + doing the stupidly pointless birth mother vs stepmother thing.

OP then gets to sit back enjoy watching a threadful of disparaging comments about her hated person.

That in itself is more than satisfying enough for some people to feel better.

& its why on gullible MN, threads resurface weeks later and someone says "hang on you had a previous thread and your story about situation wasnt the same"

happypoobum · 02/07/2017 14:08

I really wouldn't get too het up about this OP.

I ever changed my name when I split from XH because I didn't like my previous name and really liked his surname so I have kept it Grin

I know his new fiance is unhappy about it but I couldn't give a shiny shit. I wouldn't touch him with a bargepole

It does seem odd that she has done this so long after they split, but just tell yourself "she has her reasons" and don't dwell on it.

WeyHay · 02/07/2017 15:01

Yes MistressDeeCee the OP did a mahoosive drip feed, after sounding really bitchy about her DSD's mother in her 1st post. Which is why I think the OP isn't a particularly unbitchy person.

LunaMay · 02/07/2017 15:47

Can you point out the bitchiness in the first post cause i'm honestly not seeing it, are you projecting?

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