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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:
StrangeLookingParasite · 22/07/2018 11:37

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.

Oh yes to this. You have failed to be the perfect self-effacing female, dropping everything and putting yourself last, always.
Sod that. He's being a dick.

youmustneverbreakthechain · 22/07/2018 11:37

Also @slanetylor it's not the first birthday she's organised for her, we went last year to one she organised. We go to all the things she organises

OP posts:
Slanetylor · 22/07/2018 11:38

If he always expects you to drop everything why take a stand now on a little girls birthday? Why not take a stand at any other point.
I’m not throwing a strop. I’ve got little girls. I’ve got a useless MIL. I know how upset they are that she never comes to their parties. Because there’s always something more important happening. Little girls parties are non events but are literally the most important day in my daughters lives.

Quartz2208 · 22/07/2018 11:41

because slanetylor she took a stand when it mattered its easy to let things slide when you are not that bothered

I think you have issues with your partners hobby and the amount of time he spends with this OP who simply wanted to do one event

OP I think this has revealed some issues in your relationship you need to decide how to fix

Overthinker12345 · 22/07/2018 11:43

OP ignore the fucking morons on here who think you're being unreasonable. You're not even related to the kid and she isn't going to give a shit whether your husband is there or not, he probably won't even get to talk to her because she'll be too busy playing with her new toys / friends.

I have three small cousins and I never bother going to any of their birthday parties and nobody cares. The only reason an adult would be there is if they are immediate family members or they are taking a child.

Enjoy the class. Tell him to fucking grow up x

DamsonPie · 22/07/2018 11:43

YANBU. Your DP barely knows the birthday child, she’s a step grandchild who he’s only known for a little over a year. So given that he only sees his daughter every six weeks and this child isn’t always there, he’s probably only met the child about half a dozen times? So she isn’t even a step grandchild because he barely knows her and his daughter isn’t married to the child’s father, they’re just dating and could break up tomorrow so he’d never see the child again. Your DP has absolutely no ties with the birthday child and was only invited so he could bring his own DS.

When his DS got sick, that should have been his priority. Not a virtual stranger’s birthday party. I’d understand if it was the party of his actual grandchild who he’d known their entire life, but it wasn’t.

tempuninspirationalname · 22/07/2018 11:43

I think YABU & selfish. It's his granddaughter, so absolutely trumps your class I'm afraid. Shouldn't have even crossed your mind that he couldn't go.

However - his behaviour since is not on so now he is BU.

Devilishpyjamas · 22/07/2018 11:44

YANBU

Fluffyunicorns · 22/07/2018 11:44

Thought YWBU as I read it thinking it was his grandchilds party. Realised it is his daughter's partner's child's party. YARBU

Devilishpyjamas · 22/07/2018 11:44

Ffs IT’S NOT HIS GRANDDAUGHTER

Fluffyunicorns · 22/07/2018 11:44

sorry YANBU

BewareOfDragons · 22/07/2018 11:45

It's not his granddaughter.

TheBlueDot · 22/07/2018 11:45

Imagine if OP had posted that she wanted to attend her daughters boyfriends child’s birthday party, but DH would have to cancel a non-refundable course to look after their I’ll DC. Her DH was happy to look after ill DC whilst she visited her daughter and birthday child before he headed off for the course.

She’d have been rightly told not to be ridiculous and that DH should go on the course and she should stay home to look after her DC.

Slanetylor · 22/07/2018 11:47

Are step relatives really so much more unimportant than blood relatives? If she adopted the girl would she still be unimportant. What are the rules here?

Hushnownobodycares · 22/07/2018 11:48

YANBU.

It's not beyond the bounds of possibility the adults at the party were to be fed and watered and he's pissed off at missing his chance for a free trough and easy ride while ds was entertained for him. Either way the arrangements had been made and he was the one who needed to re-jig his plans in order to accomodate his child. The one he'd agreed to look after.

AngeloMysterioso · 22/07/2018 11:49

Not rtft but based in the OP, YANBU. You already had your own plans which you’d paid for. Fair enough if the party had been for his own DGD and the kid was desperate for him to be there, but it wasn’t, it was his daughters DPs child, and he went along and saw them all anyway!

He’s completely overreacted and his petulant behaviour is inexcusable.

mydogisthebest · 22/07/2018 11:49

I cannot believe the amount of posters saying you are the one being unfair. Absolutely ridiculous.

It's NOT his granddaughter tempuninspirationalname and if you had bothered to read the thread before posting you would know that.

If I were his daughter I would have been furious that my dad thought it ok to come and visit a young child when he had been in contact with another child with d&v.

He got to see his daughter and her partner's child didn't he so what is his problem? Why the hell would he be going to a 4 year olds party without a child when it is not even a blood relative?

If he had gone to the party on his own I doubt the 4 year old would even have noticed him. She would have been too busy playing, opening presents etc.

I would put my family before just about anything BUT someone who only sees their daughter every 6 weeks does not feel the same way

Shumpalumpa · 22/07/2018 11:51

I’m not sinuating. You said it several times.

You're being ridiculous slanety, OP didn't once money is more important than a child.

I suspect you have/have had a similar DP and think this entitled behaviour from a man is the norm.

AnneLovesGilbert · 22/07/2018 11:51

Oh dear slane, give it a rest. I’m a stepmum and a stepdaughter. We’re not all incredibly precious. You don’t get special treatment because you’re in a blended family.

No one needs “support” at a child’s birthday party Ffs. Even if she did, she had her own partner there. And no one should be more important to the DP than his 5 year old son who’s been chucking up when he was the only parent meant to be taking care of him.

Dontblameitontheboogie · 22/07/2018 11:51

I don’t understand all the fuss about whether or not it’s his grandchild by blood - even if it was, he was the one taking DS to a children’s party because you had a prior engagement, so he stays home to look after DS. His own “grandfather role” was much more appropriately fulfilled by going at a different time, when the children would be more interested in spending time with him.

BUT I also can’t believe that it took until page 5 for someone to point out that it was totally irresponsible of him to go over at alll with vomiting sickness in his own house! At least he only exposed the grandchildren, not the entire party!

He’s a selfish twunt, who doesn’t care for anyone except himself.

sashh · 22/07/2018 11:53

Your Dp is being an arse.

Priority goes to the sick child.

Sick child has two parents with plans, one has to stay to look after him.

Each parent's plans are equally important but one costs money and has been planned for months the other can be rearranged by DP visiting and giving a present which is what he has done.

One parent cares for sick child am and the other pm.

All perfectly reasonable.

Did people miss where the 4 year old was the one actually invited? Really how many parents would go to a 4th birthday party that their child couldn't attend?

Mumto2two · 22/07/2018 11:54

I should have also added that in the scheme of things OP described, I don’t understand why her partner was so hell bent on attending the party...a kids party. Without his kid...
Sounds like there are a number of underlying issues here.

YoYotheclown · 22/07/2018 11:54

you had already made plans so your suggestion for him to go and come back early was the right one.
He needs to chill.
YANBU.

GetOrfMyBin · 22/07/2018 11:55

YANBU

youmustneverbreakthechain · 22/07/2018 11:55

No they are not unimportant @slanetylor.
As I keep saying (and is in my OP), he didn’t have to miss out here on seeing her and making her feel special. He actually got to spend time with them. I always knew he could go up earlier to spend time with, lend a hand with prep, and actually spend time with just them, and them as I think it IS important. If there hadn’t been those options then I would have understood.

OP posts:
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