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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to not want exP in my house or at the birth of our DC?

46 replies

LydiaBinn · 28/08/2017 23:00

DP and I had been together for seven years and had two DC under 5, when I left him ten weeks ago at 26 weeks pregnant. The reasons were pages long; he literally had nothing to do with the DC (besides in front of others), they didn't listen to a word he said - if he even spoke to them, they hit him, he expected me to do all discipline, bedtimes, night wakings and parenting and to just play with them occasionally. He'd be glued to his phone constantly and was a complete spectator in our lives. The DC would follow me everywhere if he was around and barely acknowledged him besides to moan at him. He couldn't keep them safe and both DC almost had serious accidents as a result of his lack of parenting.

Since the DC and I have moved, DP has rented out his house and moved into a bedsit to save money so he cannot have the DC there - it's part of his tenancy so he knew moving would mean he could never have the DC there and moved anyway on the basis that they wouldn't want to see him alone Hmm Every day he sends lots of messages asking what we're doing and when he can come round or out with us. If I don't reply, he sometimes just turns up. The DC don't ask about him and have been much happier since moving. On the occasions he has come round or out with us, he still spectates with regard to parenting and mainly spends his time asking how he can win me back.

He's still undermining my parenting but using the excuse that he doesn't see the DC much now so he only wants them to think nice things of him...! Yesterday the youngest ran into the road because he was refusing to listen to exP to hold hands and he wasn't even reprimanded by him.

I know if I say I don't want him in my house or for us to all go out together then he probably won't see them anymore, or if he does then I absolutely cannot trust him with their safety. As for the birth, I'd been hoping for a home birth but now it's been refused. I want him to have the DC while I go to hospital but he's saying no because they won't accept him and I'd be better off getting my friend (who's never looked after them) to have them while he comes to the birth. But to be honest, I don't want him there and would just be pissed off that he's not helping with the other DC like I've asked.

Do you think it's unreasonable to make my own plans regarding the birth and to ask him not to turn up unannounced at my house? I wanted to move to be separate but I still feel responsible for him and resentful that he still can't/won't parent. I feel ten weeks of trying it his way is long enough but also worry I may be being unreasonable because effectively by removing myself from the equation I could be removing the DCs dad from their lives.

OP posts:
Pengggwn · 29/08/2017 09:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MoosicalDaisy · 29/08/2017 09:43

What a lazy ass. It sounds like he doesn't even want to try with them, he just wants a relationship with you and expects you to do everything else, you made the right choice in leaving him. But now you need to get to the stage where it's safe for him to look after his own children, this demands education since he's not listening to you and can't work out basic parenting on his own.

The council should have on offer free parenting classes, or ask your midwife. If this doesn't improve things he's a lost cause.

NoSquirrels · 29/08/2017 09:50

I think you need help to formalise arrangements. If he is as incapable as you describe, and you have genuine concerns about him keeping the DC safe, then you need to go through courts etc and contact through a family centre or whatever.

Do you have supportive family, OP?

Is he otherwise a "normal" functioning adult? Works, has friends, financially independent etc? To be SO bloody useless is either abusive and a firm of control or he needs additional support to function in aspects of his life.

You are not & should not be the solution to either.

I think Women's Aid might be helpful to you, for a chat at the very least.

LagunaBubbles · 29/08/2017 09:58

There's always one asking why the OP 'chose' to become pregnant. Honestly, how does that help?

Because it might actually make people stop and think about their behaviour to stop it happening over and over again, so many women repeatedly have children with useless men and its always the poor children that suffer. And you see it in real life, not just here.

TheMaddHugger · 29/08/2017 10:23

OP has clearly been in an abusive controlling relationship.

For those questioning her repeatedly having children to him. Look up
abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/domestic-abuse-abusive-men-sabotage-birth-control/story?id=9639340

((((((((((((Hugs)))))))))) OP

MehMehAndMeh · 29/08/2017 11:00

Tbh. He doesn't want to be a father. You can't trust him with them and they don't listen to him or want to be around him.
Make them available for contact at a contact centre. If he gives up he's doing you a favour tbh. Do not let him attend the birth. If you are labouring when severely stressed (which you will be if he is there) it can lead to complications.
As pp have said, he doesn't want them, he wants you.

Mrscropley · 29/08/2017 11:05

I would stop all contact until a judge deems him fit enough to be a df. .
Concentrate on starting your lives over and welcoming the new baby.

You don't owe him anything but you do owe your dc some stability - take control at last and tell him to fuck off.

Mrscropley · 29/08/2017 11:05

I would stop all contact until a judge deems him fit enough to be a df. .
Concentrate on starting your lives over and welcoming the new baby.

You don't owe him anything but you do owe your dc some stability - take control at last and tell him to fuck off.

HackneyedCuldscopy · 29/08/2017 11:06

Of course you don't have to have him at the birth but;

Where is the sexual harassment?

Why did you not try to stop your two children hitting him when he spoke to them?

They only acknowledged him to moan at him?

They were both under 5?

This is them mimicking your behaviour. Did they witness you hitting him? Did you support him in his parenting? I suggest that it's all down hill from here and I feel sorry for the children.

Anecdoche · 29/08/2017 11:22

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HackneyedCuldscopy · 29/08/2017 11:37

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Anecdoche · 29/08/2017 11:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ReanimatedSGB · 29/08/2017 17:29

Given that he has no interest in the DC and is only interested in harassing you, it shouldn't be too difficult to get rid of him (though you should pursue him for maintenance - this can be done via the CSA.) Supervised contact in a contact centre is probably a good idea, because he will probably stop showing up fairly quickly, and in the meantime you can just block him from your phone and refuse to answer the door if he turns up at your home (if he makes a fuss, the police can be called to remove him.)

LydiaBinn · 29/08/2017 22:57

Hackneyed I can't quite believe I just read that Shock Of course they haven't seen me hitting him, a bit of a leap to label me as domestically abusive because he cannot parent.

mrscropley I love your style. I don't think he'd pursue contact through the courts, to be honest.

OP posts:
LydiaBinn · 29/08/2017 23:03

The children haven't heard me badmouthing him; I haven't even told anyone I've left him. I've always tried to support him and encourage the children towards him but when they return from the park and one's been hit by a swing because they were running away from daddy and the other is hysterical because they don't want to be with him then yes - they do see that one another is hurt and show concern for one another.

This baby wasn't planned and I was pregnant with number 2 when DC1 was only 9 months old. I didn't have a chance to see how useless he was by that point.

OP posts:
PoorYorick · 29/08/2017 23:31

Not this again. I can't believe in our postfeminist world, people still think men should have the right to force their company on birthing women against their wishes. Christ on a bike, fuck all that. There are no other circumstances where anyone even considers violating patient confidentiality so abhorrently.

You do not have to have anyone at the birth if you don't want to. You are not obliged to let some hateful prick observe you with legs akimbo, in pain, shitting yourself and all the rest of it. The only people with any right to be at a birth are doctors, midwives and anyone the mother chooses. Mother gets final say over who and who does not see her giving birth and that's the end of it.

HackneyedCuldscopy · 30/08/2017 03:39

LydiaBinn

I didn't label you, I asked some questions (most of which you ignored).

Children pick up more than you think. Your obvious disdain for him will have come across.

LydiaBinn · 30/08/2017 22:20

As will his obvious disdain for them, so I think absolving him of blame and shifting it to me is a tad unfair.

OP posts:
ReanimatedSGB · 31/08/2017 17:30

Abusive men often mistreat the children in order to punish and further control their mother. This one sounds like a classic case - it's not love for his children that motivates him. He actually sounds potentially dangerous, OP. Have you got any evidence (nasty texts or emails from him, any times when you had to call the police because of his abuse?) As it sounds like there is no court order at the moment, I suggest you get on to Women's Aid for advice and support and basically communicate to him (via email: get a seperate gmail address for dealing with him) that he can fuck right off, he will not be admitted to your house ever again, and contact will be in a contact centre: arrangements to be made via this email address only as no other communications from him will be answered.
There is NO benefit to DC in having a shit like him in their lives. They are genuinely better off without him.

TheMaddHugger · 01/09/2017 10:40

@LydiaBinn

((((((((Hugs))))) How are things ?

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