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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Not so much AIBU but advice.

13 replies

Lostandconfusedagain · 17/12/2018 04:40

Nc, obviously. Together 18 years, he took on my toddler from an abusive (drugs and violent) husband. Much more story there, involving me trying to be right in letting EXH see then 2yo daughter, supervised, SS allowed unsupervised, at a halfway house, with EXH openly doing drugs. So I stopped all access.

2 years later, we tried again, same. Only EXH left DD with druggies while he went our to score. I stopped any access, despite SS.

I will add that previous to going, I had been beaten black n blue, and tried to go a few times. I did actually have an emergency fund, with Abbey National a long with a joint account. He found my own account and managed to empty it. I fought for years after but got nowhere with the bank. He also managed to empty my new bank after the split, despite security on it, as he had my passport.

Sorry for the.length, just trying not to drip feed. Fast forward, my eldest is 18, youngest 13, present H child.

Life has been bloody tough for years, kids always first, but finally we are doing ok. After years of working ourselves into the ground, we have our own business. Doing ok. So eldest turns. Physically attacked me. Accused.me.of stopping her from seeing her Dad..

I've NEVER slagged him.off, and actually about 18 months ago, heard a rumour that he had died (He was/is a massive heroin user). I immediately moved heaven and earth to get her back in touch. I had tried when she was about 15 but he either didn't want to know or ignored.

She's been in touch since, and that's fine by me, and H, but we don't want to know any details.

2 months ago, she caused a massive row between me and H, accusing me of shagging a friend we had put up in our caravan. Total bollocks, and I tried to walk away but she then dragged.my 13yo out of bed and into our car at 3am, and told H he drove or she did. (She is a L but ready for test, not that it makes a difference).

Husband started car, BIG MISTAKE, and I walked over, got keys, walked inside and told H to grow the F up.
Not known to me, 18yo had HER keys. Youngest had come inside, eldest dragged her back out, and I was held back by "friend". Eldest drove, husband in passenger seat, pissed, youngest against her will on back, "froend" physically restraining me as I'm going ape.

Left it an hour, calling all phones, called cops. H bought kids home, and i told him to take eldest and gimself away to give me space, which he did. . and since then I do not know how I feel against who, and why. So much to unpack. Since then, eldest has been in my rented house, but is taking 100 quid of my Dad a week to stay there. She will not admit physically attacking me, which went on for almost 20 mins. My H basically stayed there for 10 days and just nodded at her so now she knows she can manipulate.

I am at a total loss. The marriage was hobbling along before but this time H allowed my eldest to abuse me via any means possible, he didn't feel able to say stop. Fair enough, never had this before, he's always been fair. She turned 18 and thinks she knows it all...And she's had loads of leeway. We sent over cash for her credit card last week, she spent it. I pay her rent weekly, all bills, it's actually MY house via tenancy.

She knows I won't throw her out, and she's happy to ask Grandad for cash. I tried to cut her phone off, that I pay for, and I had Dad on the phone at me with grief. I can't win.

She is sitting pretty, and knows it. My H has enabled this, and condoned drink driving , and both were reported. My H and I have a business together . It's in my name but I cannot physically do all the hours, though I did, half killing myself for the 2 weeks he spent away, just to prove I can.

He is begging for forgiveness, I can't forgive drink driving, let alone with 13yo.

I'm trapped. I either give up the business, cos I can't run it alone. Or just piddle along and pretend. Benefits not an option, SE over a year. And although I can get the relevant qualifications quickly, I cannot physically do 16 hrs daily. Alone.

Sorry, so confused on work, family, all of it. Such a mess.

OP posts:
Ethel36 · 17/12/2018 04:58

I would tell your grandad to please stop sending her money. Cut off her mobile phone and credit card. She needs to learn that there are consequences to behaving badly. Explain its time she got a job and moved out. Give her a time limit on living in that house. Im sure you ll be renting it out soon? Book your husband and yourself into relate counselling. Before it starts to affect the youngest child. Can you allow your husband to start working with you again..otherwise you'll make yourself ill and go under.

Lostandconfusedagain · 17/12/2018 05:27

Thanks Ethel..I have cut her phone off. Her response was to contact Grandad. He then rang me going whappy. He would pay for it. So me trying to make lesson learned, meant fa. So all she has learned, is cry to Grandad and he will transfer cash.

Yes, I have tried to deal with this. He wasn't there for me as a teen (OW), and he now sees it as a cash thing. My Mum was mercenary, and I.moved to Dad as soon as I could. Mum is now gone, and despite all the rows I was there at the end. Dad and her were ok right to the end, so.no issues there. He is just throwing cash at grandkids, without morals. Cash machin3 Granddad. 18 yrs of morals and graft...gone. She's a bitch...cash

OP posts:
Lostandconfusedagain · 17/12/2018 05:32

And I can't physically do 16 hrs daily for long. I bloody will, but then I will be half dead anyway. I'm truly trapped, I can't unravel 1 bit of the problem from another.

OP posts:
Lostandconfusedagain · 17/12/2018 05:34

My Dad, her Grandad. Just for clarification

OP posts:
Kikidelivers · 17/12/2018 05:59

It seems strange that your husband and your grandfather are both keen to help and support this girl. Why would they do that? And I’m sure you’re going to say she’s manipulated then or similar. Bit come on OP, be honest with yourself. Something more is going on here

Kikidelivers · 17/12/2018 06:00

Something more in the sense that your husband and grandfather think she is being unfairly treated by you

MerryBear · 17/12/2018 06:06

Think you made a mistake telling her you didn’t want to know the details of her contact with other side of family.

  1. She is bound to be very confused given what happened early in life.
  2. You have no idea what they are saying to her
Lostandconfusedagain · 17/12/2018 06:36

To answer some questions, I have been honest with her from when she was.old.enough to know. From the age of about 6, her father used to promise to pick her up, and rarely did. We, is me.and.now husband, actually had.him live with us for a short period, in order that he could have access, as he lost his flat due to drugs and violence. For approx 8 years we tried our best to Make sure there was access, supervised. It went to court after he had her, SS approved, for 2 hours, and left her in a halfway house, supervised by a known child molester, while he went to score drugs. That is all recorded so no, I wasn't being harsh in refusing access.

As she got older, she was introduced to the rest of the family, and THEY ie his family agreed on.ltd access. Only as she turned 18 has she had unfettered access. Which is where the problems began.

My husband and I had minor problems over the.last year, to be expected after 18 years tbh. The major problems began when eldest turned 18 and started throwing her weight around.

H and I, issues were stupid stuff like socks on the.floor, not in the basket. Him not brushing his teeth, then kissing me. Little bits, exacerbated by 24/7 living and working together. Eldest then started with the you ain't my Dad, and me telling her off for basic disrespect.

For context, she also bought a bf into the household, briefly, that smoked weed, hit her and stole over £1k. I physically threw him out myself .

I am well aware that she has a right to know her Dad, and I've gone out of my way to NOT tell her about his history, and always told her I will, which I do, support her knowing him.

The only other background is that my Dad felt guilty that he couldn't immediately rescue me from abusive H, as he was working abroad, at the time I had 4 broken ribs, fractured skull, 6 bones in foot bust, and wrist. I got out and he vowed then to be there. Unfortunately, eldest knows this and is manipulative for cash. I'll add that my youngest at 13 is disgusted with her.older sister and says she will.work rather than ask Granddad for everything. And yes, we've shielded her from 99% of the row.

So no, apart from guilt on my Dad's part, there really is no other back story. My H has been sworn, spat at, and hit by my eldest, despite initially being on her side.

He has also caught her lying multiple times, and now is wanting to patch things up.

I am willing to leave eldest alone for a bit, my dilemma is that my H believed the crap that my eldest fed him, something I have.now proven without a doubt. I can't believe my H would.doubt me.so much an idk how to move on. I want to, but I am so hurt.

OP posts:
Weihnacht · 17/12/2018 06:48

I think you have to stop thinking of this as people taking sides. She's obviously a very young adult who has experienced things she shouldn't have when visiting her father. Her reactions sound very extreme. Maybe she has MH problems?
Your husband may have gotten in the car to calm things down and reassure 13 year old. If you were having a screaming row then the 13 year old must have been scared.
Why did your friend restrain you if it's all so clearcut? They'd be helping you. I think you should carefully listen to what your DH, friend and DF have to say and you have to accept that taking your side is not a requirement. They may actually all disagree with you.

Lostandconfusedagain · 17/12/2018 07:45

Agree it's not.about taking sides and I Really am.not explaining myself well here. This was 8 weeks ago and I cannot move past anything other than the intiral row, which was that I was accused of shagging the friend. This, despite the fact I'd been out all day and he had been working 15 miles away. That was what caused the blowup. Mutual friend I will add. Husband did NOT get in the car to calm things down, he got in to drive away drunk. Eldest then dragged 13 yo in,to the row as I tried to stop him drink driving. I took keys off him, walked away, and unknown to me at the time, eldest, who is a learner, jumped in her car, with youngest and H, over limit, in passenger seat, supervising. Heading approx 80 miles, which is why I called cops. They, luckily for them, were not caught, and luckily for others didn't cause a crash.

Eldest was under CAMHS, but stopped attending, saying there wasn't a counsellor, another lie we caught her on, as they wrote to her multplie times about.missed spots, something we only found out 2 weeks ago.

"friend" restrained me from stopping daughter driv8ng as he found it funny, as he did the accusation me and him were shagging. Needless to say no longer a friend, and he's been shunned by others since for similar, something I wasn't aware of at that point.

H has fully admitted wrongdoing, and is begging forgiveness. I just cannot get past the drink driving and lack of trust. He is aware of this. Dad also is starting to see the lies from eldest for what they are. This was 2 months ago and it's tortured me 3ver since. I simply can't move on as I don't know how.

OP posts:
Kikidelivers · 17/12/2018 12:26

It sounds a sordid sorry mess OP. I can’t get my head around it all.

The only person I feel sorry for is the poor 13 year old. What an awful childhood.

Ethel36 · 17/12/2018 14:27

I'm sending you hugs. I sincerely hope that you get through this difficult time for your little ones sake. The grandad is making a bad situation, worse. He will wise up eventually and start running out if money. Afraid you're going to have to wait this one out. Is it possible to employ someone on a zero hour contract to help you out?

Lostandconfusedagain · 17/12/2018 14:49

Making an awful lot of assumptions there kiki. She's had a childhood filled with as much as we've been able to give her, both materially and in terms of love and support. It's only the last couple of.months that things have gone awry.

Thankyou Ethel. I do have one casual member of staff but the hours are horrendous and it really does require 2 of us to cover the majority which is what's so limiting.

OP posts:
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