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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU? DP thinks I'm a bad person for doing this

503 replies

youmustneverbreakthechain · 22/07/2018 09:50

Long time lurker, first time poster.

This is long, but please bear with me!

I’m willing to be told IABU but I don’t think I have been. I’d really would like some opinions as my partner is currently not really talking to me, apart from responding to my questions arsely, and thinks I have ‘attitude problems’ with regards to this issue. I wrote this yesterday and he’s still not speaking to me properly:

Background: DP has a lovely grown up daughter from previous relationship (ended over 15 years ago). She has a daughter (6yrs), and is in a relationship with a guy (perhaps for two years now although we’ve known him for around 18 months) who also has a young daughter. My DP and I have a DS, (5yrs). We see my DP’s grown up daughter maybe once every month/6 weeks, either just her with her own daughter, or with her partner and his daughter too (but she has often been at her mums when we meet). We all have a very nice relationship together, we all get on well etc.

My DP’s DD invited our son and us to her partner’s daughter’s fourth birthday party, which is, of course, really lovely. I already had booked and paid for a class/event thing before the invite so said I couldn’t, but no problem, my DP was going to take our DS. I had my plans, he and DS had theirs. All good.

Last night DS is sick. Vomiting etc, and this morning still pretty much high temp, sleepy, unhappy. So he sadly can’t go to the birthday party this afternoon.

However, my DP said ‘you know if he’s not better by this afternoon, I’ll have to still go’ meaning that although he was originally taking DS this afternoon, he now wants me to miss my class (that is non refundable and a one off thing - it’s not something that is planned to be repeated) to look after sick DS, so he could go to his daughter’s partner’s DD’s 4th birthday party.

I said that I already had plans that couldn’t be changed, my class/event was not refundable (materials had to be bought) and was a one off. And that I’d still be going. DP was pissed off and thinks I’m out of order. He thinks it is more important that he go to the party and see his daughter, so I said why didn’t he go up earlier to see them, and come back in time, or go and see them for breakfast tomorrow morning (to which he replied ‘don’t be so ridiculous’ although it’s something absolutely viable).

Anyway, he is pissed off, and leaves the house and says he’ll be home in time for when I have to leave for my event. Transpires he’s going to go up there to see them before the party (which I had suggested anyway).

He gets home, still pissed off with me. I go to my class, come back and he’s still pissed off with me. Not engaging properly when I try and talk to him. I ask him if he’s going to be arsey to me all evening. He thinks my attitude is out of order as I should have cancelled my event (losing my money) as him going to the 4th birthday party trumped my class/event and I should have forgone it and stayed at home to look after DS. Later when he’s had a few beers he says he’s started to hate me (because I’m so out of order).

AIBU to have gone to my class/event? I don’t think I am because my event was 1) booked and paid for before the birthday party invite 2) my son (who was the main reason to go, it being a kids party) was ill and he was meant to be caring for him this afternoon originally and 3) that there were alternatives for him to see his daughter and her family (whilst there weren’t alternatives for re-doing my event and it was not refundable).

I am willing to be told IABU (just be gentle with me!) OR is he BU for saying I’m wrong and thinking I’ve got a bad attitude/I’m out of order (and continuing to be being angry with me)? He's starting to make me question myself, am I a bad person?

The ironic thing being his daughter is lovely and would have completely understood the situation.

OP posts:
pictish · 22/07/2018 19:41

I agree with you Atrocious.
More Flowers for you OP.

AngeloMysterioso · 22/07/2018 19:43

I would be upset if my new partner wouldn’t step in so I could go to my granddaughters birthday party.

Well the OP isn't a new partner and the birthday girl wasn't her DPs granddaughter

EssexMummy123456 · 22/07/2018 19:44

I've been wondering about this bit

However, my DP said ‘you know if he’s not better by this afternoon, I’ll have to still go' - why does he think he has 'to still go'? is there an expectation that he feels he has to be there?

Slanetylor · 22/07/2018 19:50

The op says they take care to treat her as a granddaughter. The op is not new, I meant she wasn’t the daughters mother. But his most recent partner.

Shumpalumpa · 22/07/2018 19:50

Essex, I suspect he said 'I have to go' to make it seem like a done deal to OP. If he said 'I want to go' that leaves a gap for OP to argue that she also wants to go to her class. So he makes it harder for OP to argue by saying 'I have to go'.

Shumpalumpa · 22/07/2018 19:52

Slanetyler, the OP said they have only met the birthday girl a handful of times, which you're conveniently forgetting.

Slanetylor · 22/07/2018 19:57

They don’t meet often. Im award of that. I’m not saying they have the closest relationship. But the girl may be split between 4 sets of grandparents, we don’t know. But he wanted to be there for her birthday. Not because they’re close maybe. But maybe as a gesture to show she is important.

BalthazarImpresario · 22/07/2018 19:59

Holy shit, your kid was sick who in there right mind would want the parents of a vomiting kid at a party?

Massive risk of getting the bug themselves.....

You were right to do the course op. The party was part of his plans, something came up, they had to change.... No one would bat an eye if this was a reverse and he had a course booked and you couldn't go to a child's party.

funinthesun18 · 22/07/2018 20:13

Not because they’re close maybe. But maybe as a gesture to show she is important.

There will be plenty of other opportunities to show it but his son should be his priority 100%.

KickAssAngel · 22/07/2018 20:18

OP - he may have stopped being abusive (physically) but this sulking and saying that he hates you is a ridiculous OTT reaction.

Of course you should have still done your class (does it count as work - who would expect you to give it up?). And he is utterly unreasonable if he thinks you should always be the one to stay home with sick DS.

He sounds pretty controlling just based on the OP, and the history makes it even more so.

Bibesia · 22/07/2018 20:21

But he wanted to be there for her birthday.

And he was there for her birthday. I'd be prepared to bet that his being there in the morning was a lot more valuable to her than him sitting around chatting to others during her party, when she'd barely have noticed him.

GeekyBlinders · 22/07/2018 20:26

I’ve read most of the thread but I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned how the DS might have felt about his dad waltzing off to the party he was too sick to go to. He’s only 5! Old enough to look forward to a party, too young to be phlegmatic about missing one due to illness. I imagine my little boy would be gutted to see his parent leaving him behind to go to the party to which he’d been invited and couldn’t go. It’d be a pretty shitty father who basically said, “Sorry, sonny, tough titty, I’m going to the party with you.”

HermioneGoesBackHome · 22/07/2018 20:27

OP I imagine that it has happened befire that you were invited to a party and HE had other plans already booked.
What did ur DP do then? Did he cancelled his plans, regardless of the cost or if it could be rescheduled or not, because family always comes first?
Or did he go to whatever he had planned to do that Day?

I suspect he chose the second option
If I’m wound and family is that important to him, then neither if you are unreasonable and you need a chat together on how to handle further events.

BakedBeans47 · 22/07/2018 20:30

He merely wanted to support his daughter in what was a big day for her.

Oh for fucks sake. It was a 4 year old’s birthday party!

pictish · 22/07/2018 20:39

Well quite. No hand-wringing required.

Carrotmama · 22/07/2018 21:04

I think YABU if the reason he was so set on going to his DD's partner's child's party is that he is trying to welcome a "step" child to the family and treat her like a grandchild. Also if he was keen on supporting his daughter, maybe she's a nervous host or whatever.

I grew up as part of step families and they only work if the adults ignore the "blood comes first" nonsense and cherish all children equally.

It sounds like he's behaving nastily now he's drunk but I do think you were out of order in the first place.

TigerTown · 22/07/2018 22:22

Carrotmama I agree and also grew up with step families. But is a man with a history of abuse likely to be that sensitive to the needs of a 4 year old he’s met a few times? It’s oretty obvious he just didn’t want to deal with vomiting kid

wagil · 22/07/2018 22:25

Geeky makes a good point, might be nice for a dad to keep his poorly little boy company instead of buggering off to the birthday party without him. He's only five.

nolongersurprised · 22/07/2018 22:26

YANBU.

Be careful, OP. You’re stepping out of role as the default parent and he he’s reacting like this to make sure you don’t do it again.

youmustneverbreakthechain · 22/07/2018 23:03

@Carrotmama I see your point, but it certainly isn’t a case of him wanting to go for her to be ‘welcomed in’ - she already is with no issues, as I’ve mentioned in a previous reply to someone else, and also mentioned that he went to see her anyhow the same day, just earlier on. He actually also had time to stay for the first bit of the party i think, from what his daughter said. We went to her last birthday party so it’s not the first birthday she’s had as part of this relationship.

To DP’s daughter’s credit, and to her partner’s credit, they have managed to completely and wonderfully bring their respective children together in a very natural way, making as easy and natural for the kids. Neither child is left out of anything. And extended family have done the same.

So to update you all, he is now talking to me but we haven’t talked about this. We had people round for early supper, and then it took me yonks to get DS to sleep. Now DP is asleep.

I have also spoken to DP daughter via text to check she was okay. She is a pretty straight and honest person. She said that she wasn’t upset at all and that these things happen. And they all had a great time and party girl had a great time.

Thank you to everyone who replied. I take on board all replies, although some people seem to have invented certain scenarios that simply aren’t true to begin with yet carry on basing opinions on their premise.

To those posters in particular, the fact is there is was a compromise that enabled him to still celebrate with the birthday girl, to see his daughter (who completely understood and wasn’t upset in the slightest), therefore showing family is important and that the little girl is important (which are points you keep ignoring Slane), whilst also sticking to the plan to look after DS that afternoon (also family) who unfortunately was sick, and enable me to do what was planned originally (which was a one off event not a hobby). I do not think she is less important than any other child, nor do I think money is more important than a child. Nor is anyone suggesting he is BU for wanting to go. To suggest these things is frankly silly. I love my DP’s daughter to bits - I would never do anything to intentionally upset her. I said in my original post that she would understand and she did.

To the poster that thought we should both stay home - I’m not skirting my responsibilities in caring for my sick son - I am the main person to care for him if he’s sick during the day because it’s the way things work out with our respective jobs. I also do it completely on my own overnight when he is sick, always, and did so on Friday night when he was up being sick. It didn’t need both of us then. It didn’t need both of us to be there yesterday afternoon.

To everyone else thank you for your honesty, whether you think i was BU or not. Posting this and reading your replies has actually made me feel so sad. I think I’ve got a lot to think about, I think deep down after reading replies that whoever is unreasonable is one thing but the way it played out is not normal in a healthy relationship.

I don’t know what to do to be honest, but truly, thank you for taking time to respond. Forgive me if I don’t come back to post but I’m a bit overwhelmed and struggling to respond to everyone and I want time to digest everyone’s view. I’m also completely shattered, so off to bed xx

OP posts:
Slanetylor · 22/07/2018 23:12

I’m not sure why all your negativity was on me. Lots of other posters were saying she wasn’t important to your DH, that she was a virtual stranger, no relative. It was me who read and understood when you said your granddaughter was important.
I’m sorry for confusing your class with a course.

Bibesia · 22/07/2018 23:17

I think YABU if the reason he was so set on going to his DD's partner's child's party is that he is trying to welcome a "step" child to the family and treat her like a grandchild. Also if he was keen on supporting his daughter, maybe she's a nervous host or whatever.

Surely if he was that keen he would have seen her more often over the last 18 months? And he had had the 3rd birthday party for that purpose.

Bibesia · 22/07/2018 23:24

Slanetylor, it takes some cheek to claim some special understanding of OP's circumstances. Has it occurred to you that that negativity you don't understand might be a result of the elaborate fantasy you built up where OP only cared about money, was stopping her DP supporting his daughter in the first ever birthday party she had organised for this child, that OP was insisting on going on this "course" despite having no intention of taking the relevant activity any further, that both OP and her partner were free to go to the party at the time of the invitation, her partner hadn't arranged to look after his son, etc etc.?

Rainbunny · 22/07/2018 23:26

He's pathetic! Does he often treat your needs and desires as secondary to his? Are you always the one who is expected to sacrifice things for the family?

Stinkyswan · 22/07/2018 23:41

100% YDNBU! I'm at a loss as to how anyone could think are 🤔

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