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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have more children in these circumstances?

325 replies

LightningAndLove · 22/07/2018 22:01

In Aibu as I have no idea what category it should go in.
This might be quite long so sorry in advance.

I already have two DD's (8 and 10) who live with my ex as my work means I am away most week days. It's also very unpredictable and I usually find out how many nights I will be away for the week and where to the Friday before or even when I go in on the Monday.

We live very close to each ( literally around the corner) and ex and it was all very amicable and ex and I still get on brilliantly so we have no official arrangements but the girls stay with me most weekends and are free to come and go between both houses whenever I'm home.

Dh and I got married in March. We'd talked before about having children together and both agreed that it's something we'd like at some point in the future.
Since the wedding we've been talking about it more seriously.
I do really want children with dh and we're in a secure enough place financially and career wise that it's definitely practical

However, I feel really guilty at the thought of having more children when I've already got two that I feel I dont see enough of.
I'm scared that they'll feel like they're pushed out or replaced

OP posts:
PickAChew · 23/07/2018 00:29

How the fuck would you suddenly have time for a new baby?

TheClaws · 23/07/2018 00:30

Oops wrong thread!

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 23/07/2018 00:30

theclaws wrong post lol

AdelesBeard · 23/07/2018 00:32

Gobsmacked at the sexism on this thread. OP - you know what works for your family, and if you can make it work for another baby, then fire on.

There are hundreds of thousands of families in this country that have a parent who works away during the week. Why does it matter whether that parent is male or female, as long as the parent who is at home is willing to take on the lion's share of the childcare.

OP - is your DH happy to organise the bulk of the house/childcare? If so then have the child you both want. From your original post it seems you have handled your previous arrangements with maturity and sensitivity and will do so again.

Thatssomebadhatharry · 23/07/2018 00:33

A father is a perfectly capable sole parent, this doesn’t need to be said. However I couldn’t imagine leaving my baby as a woman. Can’t say the same for men as I am not one I don’t know how it feels to them I never will. My only reference point is being a mother and woman. Why is this sexist?

Freshfeelings · 23/07/2018 00:33

Sort their care out first

She has.

No she hasn't - she openly says in her post 'I've already got two that I don't feel I see enough of'.

You've got a choice, OP. Give the time and attention you'd devote to a new baby to the children you feel you're neglecting or ignore that and have another one.

WanderingWavelet · 23/07/2018 00:36

I'm scared that they'll feel like they're pushed out or replaced

Well, yes. So you'd have time for a baby to live with you & your DH full-time, but not your DDs? It's odd.

And while, as an adult, it's clear that your DH would do the bulk of the childcare & weekday parenting for the baby you want to have with him, but that your DH shouldn't have to look after your other 2 children as they're not his, it may not be so clear to your other children.

They will see this emotionally, not pragmatically. And it's highly likely they will feel replaced ...

LightningAndLove · 23/07/2018 00:42

Thatssome - deciding that they should stay with their dad was a heart breaking and incredibly difficult decision for me. It has taken me years to come to terms with it. However, as a parent I had to put my own pride and feelings aside to give my children the best situation that I could.

Tomorrow - due to the nature of my work if i were to fall pregnant I would be on light duties for a large part of the pregnancy anyway and so would be home more often

OP posts:
KokoandAllBall · 23/07/2018 00:48

If not for the part about the older two dc's, posters would be cheering her on to have more dc's and her DH be the SAHP. I've noticed that's usually very positively received.

And I don't see how her situation is any different to men who are weekend parents and have new families - actually the difference is that many of them would actually be able to have their dc's 50% of the time, it just suits them not to.

KokoandAllBall · 23/07/2018 00:50

So you'd have time for a baby to live with you & your DH full-time, but not your DDs? It's odd.

Because her dc's have another parent in their lives. They aren't being flung into an orphanage 5 days a week, they're with their parent. How do you think their father would receive it if she said "Good news, my DH has agreed to be your children's SAHP from now on!"

AdelesBeard · 23/07/2018 00:54

"I'm scared that they'll feel like they're pushed out or replaced."
"Well, yes. So you'd have time for a baby to live with you & your DH full-time, but not your DDs? It's odd."

It's not remotely odd - it is an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SITUATION. OP would have the baby to live with her and her DH full time because they are a couple who live together in the same house. The reason her older children with their father is because she and their father have split up. Both sets of children would be getting the majority of weekday care from their respective fathers. OP will spend time with all her children when she is not working. It is exactly what the majority of divorced fathers do without even questioning the situation.

Timeisslippingaway · 23/07/2018 00:55

From the OP original post, I'm sure she said her girls come back to stay with her while she is at home, so apart from maternity leave, when she will be home for a while (and will probably see a lot more of her girls as they are free to come and go when they please) then all the children will see the OP equally as she will not be at home, she will be away working and will see them when she gets back. The children's fathers will look after them and yes op may feel guilty about not seeing all 3 of her children as she will be away, but a lot of working mothers feel like this. I'm not sure why so many people are getting their knickers in a twist.

"no, but it would be nice if a mother stayed with her child for 18months"

I don't know a single person who had 18 months maternity leave and I'm a childminder so am in contact with loads of working mothers.

Freshfeelings · 23/07/2018 00:57

Given your update I do wonder if you feel this is your second chance? I don't mean to be insensitive but I wonder if you want an opportunity to raise children in a family to help you 'fix' how you felt about leaving your little ones with their dad last time? If this is at all true I'd say that's even more reason to devote any spare time and energy back into the children you already have. There's a lot of their childhood still left and a lot that they still need from you. Be realistic - a baby will not give you MORE time with them, will it? Or more attention? And you already feel you don't give them enough of your time. So logically this is really a no brainer.

Summersup · 23/07/2018 01:00

OP will spend time with all her children when she is not working. It is exactly what the majority of divorced fathers do without even questioning the situation

I kind of agree, except...it's well-known children often feel pushed out and unwanted by precisely this type of set up. The old family isn't the main one any more and unless everyone is very careful, the new family become the main event.

Of course you can make it not like that, but it would require a lot of energy and focus on the existing girls. I've found two girls much more needy and requiring more attention since the age of about 11, and now we are in the middle of the teen years, it's quite exhausting. There's no point pretending that a baby wouldn't take their mother away from that, it would. The question is is the existing relationship strong enough and solid enough to cope with the little intruder into the situation (and I don't think it's unique to divorced parents, anyone having a baby when they have older children might at least think it through).

I wouldn't say no, but I think it's realistic to think the existing children may feel pushed out, even if these things aren't rational- their mum has time for a new baby and a new family unit, but didn't have time or space to take them. It's all very rational and I'm sure the logical choice given the options, but children don't always feel rational about such issues. Only the OP knows how the girls feel about this situation already.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 23/07/2018 01:05

If you got pregnant now wouldn’t the newborn synchronise with your eldest starting senior school?

roboticmom · 23/07/2018 01:26

Aww. The OP's DP wants a baby too and people think he should be deprived of a family because she needs to work away? If he's happy to step up and parent, what's the problem? She'll be treating the new baby and her other children the same so surely they will have nothing to feel sad about?

If I got married, and we'd talked about kids being an option, and then was told after the fact that we couldn't, I'd be pretty peeved.

confusedmomm · 23/07/2018 01:33

If you didn't work the same job, fine. Otherwise no. Not fair on new kid, other kids etc

Pressuredrip · 23/07/2018 01:48

I think the only way to do this would be to have your new husband to pick up some of the care of your daughters while you are working away so the parenting is more 50-50 between you and your ex. They may not want that but if you have tried for it then jar is good enough imo.

Graphista · 23/07/2018 01:59

Regardless of OP'S sex any parent who prioritises career and materialism over parenting is getting it wrong imo.

OP'S posts are coming across to me as if they like the IDEA of being a parent but not the reality and we see PLENTY of posts by women on here struggling due to being married to men like this and those men ARE judged wanting.

Dads who are rarely at home, have a barely there relationship with their kids, don't do the day to day grind of parenting (feeding, nappy changes, bath time, caring for sick DC) are definitely judged as poor fathers.

Nothing wrong with wanting a demanding career but a demanding career and parenting don't imo mix.

I've seen plenty of children of divorce feel hurt, rejected & resentful when the nrp goes on to have a new family.

I've also seen the scenario when it was the mother who was the nrp and honestly those feelings are even deeper, those mothers were the ones rejected when they got to a point where they could ease up career wise and thought (as it suited them) that this was the point at which they could spend quality time with their DC, the DC weren't interested. They had/have close relationships with their father & sometimes step mothers too, closer than the one with their nrp mothers and the nrp mothers are bewildered and don't understand why. Yet to everyone else it's obvious, and just as with nrp fathers it's because the DC are now old enough to realise the one who did the real parenting, made the sacrifices was the RP. The mothers I know who were nrps though expect - because they're mothers - for there to be an automatic better bond, more closeness than to the RP fathers, even trying to demand it.

No, it's not automatic it's earned. By broken nights sleep, early mornings, doing the graft.

It IS just like what many separated/divorced dads do and there are consequences to that. For the children and the nrp.

The difference is, right or wrong, we live in a world where mothers are usually the child carers, who live with children post-divorce and her dds will see that more & more as they grow older and question why their mother chose otherwise. I've also read several threads on here by dds who's mothers were nrps who when they become mothers themselves find it even more difficult to understand why their mother didn't keep them as an RP.

I too find it very hard to understand any mother who, unless basically have no choice, allows their one year old, to live elsewhere, but see them regularly. I just know I couldn't have done that, it would've been too hard.

I think it's asking for trouble.

WanderingWavelet · 23/07/2018 02:05

And I don't see how her situation is any different to men who are weekend parents and have new families

The OP was asking about how her children might respond:

I'm scared that they'll feel like they're pushed out or replaced

And my sense is that, yes, they could very well feel replaced. Just as the children of men who have second families often feel "pushed out or replaced."

The OP's arrangements are fine from any kind of prgamatic point of view. BUt her existing children may not see it that way, or understand.

whatwouldyoubelikeat28 · 23/07/2018 02:05

There's a lot of projection going on in the answers on here. Only you know if your kids are happy and stable, If they jump in and out of your two houses, who knows, they might be super excited by a new sibling. I think all those saying you have 'devastated' and 'totally rejected' your daughters are putting their own feelings or projected feelings into play. It doesn't sound like your kids have a bad life. In fact, it sounds like they have the best of both worlds, both parents nearby, and a strong supportive extended network of family. I'd say go for it, and check with them, not AIBU!

billsbillsbillsbills · 23/07/2018 02:38

I wouldn't

KokoandAllBall · 23/07/2018 02:41

I think the only way to do this would be to have your new husband to pick up some of the care of your daughters while you are working away so the parenting is more 50-50 between you and your ex.

But it wouldn't be if she's away. It would be 50-50 between her ex and her husband. That seems like it would be an arrangement to make society in general feel more comfortable about the set up.

The questions there are a) Would their father be happy to give up majority care so his ex wife's husband can take care of them half the week? And b) Would her DH be happy to be SAHP to three DCs? Can you imagine planning starting a family with your DH and then he says and while you're home taking care of your baby you may as well take over 50% of the care of my older kids too?

Ilady · 23/07/2018 02:42

No, my advice to you is that you don't have a another child with your new husband. Why, well let's see - you work away during the week so you can only see your 8 & 10 year old at the weekends. They have lived with their father since they were 1 & 3. Ok that may have been the best option back then but what about now?

The reality is that you want a baby and plan to go back to work as soon as possible after this baby is born. You expect you husband to take a year off to mind the child. Soon what happens when this baby is a year old?
Your husband might say I will mind the baby but has he experience of minding a new born, dealing with the crying, lack of sleep ect?

Meanwhile you said - I don't spend enough time with the 2 children I all ready have. How do you think your children will deal with things when you have another baby and can spend even less time with them?
They might not say anything now but the reality is that they will be unhappy and wonder why mammy has time for a new baby but does not have time for them. You could end up dealing with 2 unhappy older kids and in the future any realationship you have with them could be poor or non existant.
I have seen mother's treating their kids poorly and then wondering why they have no realationship with their adult children.

At this stage you need to decide what is important to you. In regards to your work I would consider looking for another job. The reality is you have 2 children and as they get older that will bring other challenges. You need to get more involved with their lives, get to know their friends, what's happening in school, dealing with the move from primary to secondary school, exams ect.

flumpybear · 23/07/2018 02:54

I honestly think that if as a family you're able to cope with a baby, and your new DH would cope with a baby whilst you're away then why not?
Your girls I'd say bring them in very early and discuss constantly and discuss how they'd feel - this would be a major factor for me, but the role you have sounds very familiar to my dads job as a regional manager as a kid so he'd often work 200 miles away staying away or being home seriously late so it was all about mum doing the active day to day childcare but that was fine

Talk loads get your ex on board too if he's supportive - good luck

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