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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:
Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 22/07/2018 10:00

Your partner had a tantrum over not attending a four year olds party?

A four year old who isn't even related to him?

And you are the baddie for not cancelling a paid for event to look after your sick ds, who is also your partner's responsibility even if he has important kids birthdays to attend!
I couldn't stay with someone who acted like this, he will never grow up if he sulks for two days about not going to a children's party.

TheBlueDot · 22/07/2018 10:00

Is there something else going on? Is this a pattern of his or the first time he has been arsey with you? Is he resentful of having to look after DS whilst you do your own thing?

He is the one out of order. All it would have taken is a call to his DD saying sorry he can’t come as DS is unwell, when could they catch up instead.

frenchknitting · 22/07/2018 10:00

YANBU. A kids birthday party is for the kids - he would have barely had a chance to speak to his daughter anyway.

negomi90 · 22/07/2018 10:01

Your partner wanted to go his grandaughter's birthday party.
Yes it was something your DS would have enjoyed. But it was just as much about your DP grandparenting as it was about your DS.
If it had been a work day, one of you would have stayed home to look after your son.
Why was your course (which could be repeated later) more important than your DPs chance to be at a birthday party (that party won't happen again)?

Waitingonasmiley42 · 22/07/2018 10:01

It is not his granddaughter! It is his daughters partner’s child. The OP had already paid for her class and had it booked in advance of them even knowing aboht the party.

Maelstrop · 22/07/2018 10:01

He’s being childish and ridiculous. It wasn’t even his grandchild involved!

Cakeandcustard123 · 22/07/2018 10:01

Have the posters who have said OP is being unreasonable read the same thread as me? He wasn't missing his granddaughters birthday! Why should OP be the default parent- his plans didn't work out so she has to change hers so as to not inconvenience him. And the childish behaviour afterwards about hating you and not speaking to you like an adult is just ridiculous.

YADNBU OP

mimibunz · 22/07/2018 10:02

You are definitely not being unreasonable. He is being emotionally abusive and extremely unreasonable. Is he normally like this?

GaraMedouar · 22/07/2018 10:02

YANBU - definitely.

Calyx · 22/07/2018 10:02

YANBU. And he's being downright nasty as well, making you out to be 'bad' just because he didn't get what he wanted.

Wasn't there anyone else who could have looked after the wee sick one though?

LoudestRoar · 22/07/2018 10:03

What if the OP had work? Would the posters saying she was BU say she should have called in sick to work?
Regardless of what it was, it was agreed OP would go to her pre arranged paid for activity, DP would go to the party.

OP, you weren't being U.

youmustneverbreakthechain · 22/07/2018 10:03

to clarify for some posters above - it's not his granddaughter. It's his daughter's partner's child. We don't see her often. He had alternatives to go up and see them before the party and this morning. And he did in fact go before to see them and take a present up, so he got to see them and spend time with them. I was never going to the party as I already had my plans.

OP posts:
TotHappy · 22/07/2018 10:04

?! I don't understand posters saying you're being selfish? What's the reasoning, pp?

He's being a prick imo, you already had plans, the birthday party was none of your business in that sense. He was with your son that afternoon, planned to take him to a party, son couldn't go, so dad has to stay home with him instead... If you'd been doing nothing, it would have been nice to offer to stay so he could go and see his daughter but he's basically told you to cancel your plans because he doesn't fancy looking after ds if that involves a boring afternoon at home. Fuck. That.

At least he DID come home in time for you to attend your class. Forcing you to miss it would have been the sort of fuckwittery I'd have been anticipating, sadly.

NoSquirrels · 22/07/2018 10:04

Once more, with feeling. Read the OP - it wasn't his grandchild. No conflict of grandparental duties!

WilburIsSomePig · 22/07/2018 10:04

Well, I can understand him asking if you would be prepared to miss your event, but he should have understood when you said no. It would have been different if this were his grandchild and although it's lovely that everyone gets on, it's not quite the same when it's his daughter's partners child.

You were never going, he was in charge of your DS regardless of circumstances and he is being a baby for not talking to you and a total arsehole for saying he was starting to hate you.

I don't understand why anyone would think it was OK for him to say that, but I'll never understand some opinions on MN.

CocoaGin70 · 22/07/2018 10:04

So it's not his granddaughter, it's the daughters partners daughters party..... he's being very unreasonable to act like this. All he has to do is send an apology that your DS is ill and he needs to look after him as you're not going to be home.

Does he often react like this?? I'd be majorly pissed off with the drama tbh. Go out and let him get on with it.

LyndseyKola · 22/07/2018 10:04

YADNBU. It’s not even your DP’s grandchild’s birthday, it’s a basically unrelated child!

He’s being a cunt, and his ‘I’m starting to hate you’ is extremely worrying. Either he has awful anger issues or he is unhappy with the relationship deep down and doesn’t know how to own up to it and work it out or leave, so it’s stewing under the surface and bubbling up while he’s drunk.

The fact you’re even on here questioning if you’re in the wrong with a man who is saying he hates you is worrying me, you sound a bit of a pushover. Not a good combo with a man like him.

Petalflowers · 22/07/2018 10:05

I think it’s great that do wants to go to step-granddaughters party. Usually people are flamed for not treating ‘steps’ as one of their own.

You both have valid points in the situation. He wants to support his family, and you want to attend your one-off class.

Lucked · 22/07/2018 10:05

It was not his granddaughter but his daughters partners daughter who presumably has a full complement of grandparents. He visited on the day and presumably gave her a gift. He had a sick DS at home and a wife with plans. yAnbu

Shoxfordian · 22/07/2018 10:05

I don't think you're unreaosnable
Does he usually sulk like this?

WilburIsSomePig · 22/07/2018 10:06

FFS so people just not read the OP properly, or deliberately pretend not to understand just so they can have a pop?

It was NOT the DP's grandchild.

strawberrypenguin · 22/07/2018 10:06

YANBU your plans were booked first and you see them regularly anyway!

TokyoSushi · 22/07/2018 10:07

YANBU, at all, you both had separate plans, his was the one that went wrong, he deals with it.

I literally can't understand the posters that are saying YABU, you're really not!

TheBlueDot · 22/07/2018 10:07

Funny how some posters are trying to make OP feel bad for doing something pre-booked when her child was ill. Her child had a PARENT looking after them, no need for OP to miss her one-off course.

When will women ever have equality with men if people think women must be martyrs to their children, while men are able to throw a tantrum and go to a 4-year UNRELATED child’s birthday party.

I bet the partner just wanted a chilled out afternoon drinking a few beers whilst his child was entertained and got stroppy that he had to step up and look after an unwell child instead.

Quartz2208 · 22/07/2018 10:07

Truthfully the problem is here is that you are both being selfish and thinking of yourself - you want to go to your event, he wants to go to his step granddaughters birthday to be there for his daughter. The problem being that your son is sick so someone has to make a sacrifice.

In this instance the compromise you reached (especially as your step daughter understood) seems to be correct - he went in the morning to see them you do your event.

There are some issues here - he assumes that you will give you your event, you see it as your money, your DS is ill and he is drinking a few beers, and he tells you have a bad attitude

Honestly he does not sound v nice

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