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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:
Annechristmas · 22/07/2018 10:32

YANBU also assuming your ds is ill because of a bug i would have thought he would have kept away rather than risk passing it on to everyone at the party.

CanaryFish · 22/07/2018 10:34

@YouBetterWORK I would nearly put money on that being the case, sadly.
But only the OP can say.

Mouseville65 · 22/07/2018 10:35

Yanbu he was already committed to the childcare, if the child was ill that's unfortunate but as you say he was still able to visit the birthday child, it really wasn't important to be at the birthday party without your ds. His behavior afterwards was pathetic.

spudlet7 · 22/07/2018 10:35

I originally thought you were being a bit U because it sounded like it was his granddaughter's party. But it was actually his DD's partner's kid's party, right? In which case, what a massive overreaction on your DP's part! He is being U.

AntiHop · 22/07/2018 10:35

He's being an idiot. Saying he hates you is ridiculous.

Skittlesandbeer · 22/07/2018 10:36

Ok. I can’t get over that your DP isn’t concerned enough about his own sick child to want to prioritise him. When little ones are sick, their needs trump everyone else’s, don’t they? Poor kid.

In the future, if I were you, I’d get his DD on speaker phone very early in the peace. Explain the situation, make your apologies and let your DP hear for himself that no one could care less that he won’t be coming.

You have to pop this bubble of excuses and invented slights he thinks you’re causing, that apparently justify his rudeness to you. If you can prove that everyone else is absolutely fine with the situation, it’ll highlight his selfishness and lack of ‘team player’ attitude.

As far as today goes, I’d be making a few pointed loud comments about having two little ‘out of sorts’ children on your hands. He’s obviously well on track to becoming the (extended) family joke, so let him know it!

gamerchick · 22/07/2018 10:36

The person doing the child thing is the one who finds childcare or bails an activity. This one was his so he sucks it up.

It takes a while to train the entitledness out of a lot of men for the most part as they assume the default parent is the mother/woman IME.

Fuck that, tell him to get over himself.

Mummy301308 · 22/07/2018 10:37

YANBU.
Your DH expected you to cancel your plans that were made before you even knew about the party. You didn't and now he's showing off. Tbh, I applaud you. I let my ex-DH literally control me with things like that to the point that, even now, I feel guilty about wanting to do things without my children. It made sense for you to still go to your class while he looked after DS and saw DD another time. You didn't lose money on something that was booked weeks ago & he still got to spend time with them, just not at the party. Put it into context, 4 year olds party- YANBU Family wedding- YABU. He's having a tantrum!

Cismyass · 22/07/2018 10:38

WTAF OP? What a completely repulsive weirdo you have for a 'D' partner. I can't honestly fathom what he was thinking. Is he usually a complete arsehole? Does he normally prioritise spending his time with unrelated toddlers over caring for his own DC?

Groovee · 22/07/2018 10:39

I think you were not unreasonable. Your event was booked first and you had already explained this.

Your ds has 2 parents, and his dad I'm sure is perfectly capable of caring for his child while ill.

Your DP needs to give his head a wobble! He's throwing a strop over something which can't be helped!

lolaflores · 22/07/2018 10:40

Oh the default setting that it is women's work to care for the ill child no matter what else is going on in their life.. All must be dropped to accomodate everyone else and the unpheaval must be absorbed financially and physically by you.
Not anymore.
21st century. Shared parenting means just that.
What else did you DP have planned that meant he wouldn't be availalbe to care for his child?
OI am guessing noting earth shattering.
Too bad

SoyDora · 22/07/2018 10:40

It was his daughters partners child, seems perfectly reasonable that he wanted to attend this party

It’s also perfectly reasonable that the OP wanted to attend her pre booked (booked before the party invitation) and pre paid for, one off event, is it not?
I cannot see how you are being unreasonable on any planet. The only people who think you are must generally assume that women are the default parent and men get to do as they wish.

User467 · 22/07/2018 10:40

Have you asked him why it was so important to him?

I think his reaction is over the top and immature if he is still stropping but I wonder why it had annoyed him so much. Perhaps it means a lot to him to be there for his daughter and her family. Perhaps he wants to make it clear to his daughter that her stepdaughter is important to him (which I think is pretty decent) and to him, doing so genuinely trumps your class. Maybe he feels his older daughter takes a back seat when other priorities come up?

Maybe it's none of these and he just wanted a few beers but I'd have a conversation about it rather than asking if he's still going to be arsey, that just belittles his opinion

FrogFairy · 22/07/2018 10:41

YANBU but he is bang out of order for kicking off like this, hating you fgs. If this is a pattern in your relationship I would be having good hard think about the future.

jarhead123 · 22/07/2018 10:42

YANBU

Slanetylor · 22/07/2018 10:42

It was a big deal to his daughter who is obviously working to bring her new family together.
The main thing about the course was that you had paid for it so it seems to be about money only.
So I think YABU.

PipeTheFuckDown · 22/07/2018 10:43

Yanbu

SoyDora · 22/07/2018 10:44

The main thing about the course was that you had paid for it so it seems to be about money only

Or that she wanted to go on it, it was booked before any party invitation was received and she’ll never have the opportunity to do it again?

NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking · 22/07/2018 10:44

Even if it was his actual granddaughters party... unlucky! He was the carer of his DS that day, shit happens.

We’ve all been disappointed when plans have had to change due to kids illness, it’s part of parenting. He’ll have to suck it up 🤷🏻‍♀️

Hope you enjoyed your class 😊

Slanetylor · 22/07/2018 10:44

I don’t think things booked first always get priority. Lots of crap non events need to be booked months ahead. It doesn’t make them automatically important.

AnneLovesGilbert · 22/07/2018 10:44

The DP has two DC. When it comes to their conflicting needs or wishes, one is an adult woman with a partner, a child of her own and a step child, the other is poorly 5 year old he’d already agreed to be in sole charge of for a few hours.

Snowysky20009 · 22/07/2018 10:45

Your do is being a twat sorry! If it was his granddaughter I could understand. A child he's only seen a handful of times, not a big deal.
Hope your ds is feeling better this morning.

bluebeck · 22/07/2018 10:45

YANBU - tbh why on earth would he still be going to his DDs boyfriends, DDs party if he wasn't taking your child? Confused

Did he think he had his own invitation and it wasn't for your DS??? Really weird.

I think you need to talk to him and try to find out what is behind all this odd reaction. If he really hates you though then off he fucks.

Dreamscomingtrue · 22/07/2018 10:45

You were not being unreasonable, he needs to grow up.

Bibesia · 22/07/2018 10:45

User467, surely he showed his daughter that her stepdaughter is important to him by seeing her on the day? Why does going to the party do that any more effectively? And isn't looking after his own sick son more important?