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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:
LyndseyKola · 22/07/2018 10:07

The thread will be derailed now by posters who can’t be arsed to actually read the OP giving advice as if it was his grandchild, thus rendering it irrelevant

Shumpalumpa · 22/07/2018 10:08

The default should not be that the woman stays behind whilst the man goes off - how presumptuous of him to assume it would be that way in the first place.

Agreed DoinIt I suspect the posters telling OP she is being selfish would have been singing another tune if the DH had a class booked, because we know men have important, manly things to do.

DailyMailDontStealMyThread · 22/07/2018 10:08

YUNBU. The plan was for him to look after his son, he saw his daughter anyway so no need to sulk like a 4yr old.

I hope you managed to enjoy your class.

PurpleFlower1983 · 22/07/2018 10:09

I think YAB a bit U. Blended families can be hard to establish and it sounds like your DP really wanted to make the effort for his daughter. For me, that would have trumped your class.

Mindchilder · 22/07/2018 10:10

Yanbu

He thinks ultimately you are the default parent and DS is your responsibility.
He was doing you a favour in looking after your child, but once it wasn't convenient for him he expected you to cancel your event.

Bibesia · 22/07/2018 10:10

Of course you aren't being unreasonable. If it's so important to him to see his daughter, why doesn't he go more frequently than once a month? I strongly doubt that his daughter was desperate to him to come to the party, it's not as if it was her child's party - in fact I suspect they'd have thought it really quite strange if he turned up on his own without your son.

ItWentInMyEye · 22/07/2018 10:10

Yanbu.

youmustneverbreakthechain · 22/07/2018 10:11

Apologies I don't know how to tag people but in response to some people: negomi90 it was a one off, bespoke class, not going to be repeated. And it's not his granddaughter.

Calyx unfortunately there was no-one else to care for him. My parents would always do this but they are away.

OP posts:
bluemoonchances · 22/07/2018 10:11

YANBU and I really don't understand why some posters are saying you are.
He saw his daughter anyway and your son has two parents so there was no reason why you needed to be the one to cancel your (already booked and paid for) plans.

He's behaving like a dickhead. You've done nothing wrong.

Bibesia · 22/07/2018 10:11

Quartz, it's not even his step granddaughter. Frankly, pre-booked class trumps the birthday party of an unrelated child every time.

seriouslynonames · 22/07/2018 10:12

YANBU. It sounds like his reasoning was that he still wanted to see his daughter (not the 4 year old unrelated child who is not his grandchild) - his daughter is an adult, with children, so would surely understand that children get sick and plans have to change. He got to see her earlier in the day anyway so everyone's needs were accommodated in the end - including not missing a one-off already paid for activity for OP. So the DP's attitude sounds like childish sour grapes - perhaps because he didn't want to be the one who looked after sick DS? He got to see his daughter and the birthday child anyway so no real reason to be annoyed.
He needs to get over it and apologise to you OP.

Mindchilder · 22/07/2018 10:13

Even if it was his granddaughter's party, visiting in the morning instead of going childless to the kids party bit would have been fine.

youmustneverbreakthechain · 22/07/2018 10:13

Purpleflower I understand that, but he had alternatives to go up and see them (which he did, he went up for a few hours before hand to spend time with them and take a gift)

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 22/07/2018 10:13

he wants to go to his step granddaughters birthday to be there for his daughter

How much support does someone need at a 4 year old’s birthday party?!

rainbowstardrops · 22/07/2018 10:13

YADNBU! He's acting like a four year old having a tantrum so maybe that's why he's so cross at missing a child's birthday party that isn't even related to him.

guccihandbag · 22/07/2018 10:13

HE is the one being V U! In the end everyone got to do what they wanted, apart from your poorly DS. Your OH still went to see his granddaughter and give her a present and you still got to go to your planned class. I really don't see why he's making something out of nothing.

TorviBrightspear · 22/07/2018 10:14

OP, YADNBU.

It wasn't his grandchild, and he'd already been to see them and taken a gift.

You had a paid for class, which you saay is a one-off never to be repeated sort of class.

Nope, his wishes don't trump your class.

And I'd be giving the relationship a real good look, too. His comments about starting to hate you are worrying.

Jghijjjoo · 22/07/2018 10:14

Yanbu.
You were out of the party loop anyway so anything to do with the party isn't your concern.

Soubriquet · 22/07/2018 10:14

Yanbu!

You had plans first and his was to care for your Ds.

He should have cancelled when Ds got sick

LilyMarie · 22/07/2018 10:15

Family come before classes (refundable or not) for me. Yabu

AnneLovesGilbert · 22/07/2018 10:15

He’s being completely unreasonable. You’re equal parents to your child, you had established plans, he was looking after DS. It doesn’t matter what your plans were, they didn’t need to change as someone was already with DS.

The sulking is pathetic and I’d be having serious thoughts about being with a man who stropped over missing a child’s party and said he hated me. What the fuck is that all about?!

Hope DS is better today. Sorry your DP is a giant angry man baby who throws his toys out of the pram when things don’t go his way.

Jghijjjoo · 22/07/2018 10:16

It's concerning he said he's beginning to hate you. That's too personal. We all have disagreements where you temporarily dislike your partner but it's not on to say, or think, that.

TorviBrightspear · 22/07/2018 10:16

He thinks ultimately you are the default parent and DS is your responsibility.
He was doing you a favour in looking after your child, but once it wasn't convenient for him he expected you to cancel your event.

Yep, totally agree with this.

Bibesia · 22/07/2018 10:16

LilyMarie, if family came before classes for OP's husband, maybe he would visit them more than once a month?

TheBlueDot · 22/07/2018 10:17

I have a blended family. I really don’t think a step grandfather has to turn up to a child’s birthday party, minus the actual invited child, to show solidarity to the blended family.

I think it’s odd he even wanted to attend. There’s more to this, seems to be he’s having a strop about OP not being the default parent and changing her plans because the new situation didn’t suit him.

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