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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To expect more than a mumbled apology?

293 replies

Mamapuddlefluff · 30/12/2018 08:34

This is my first post, but I've been here for a long time. This may be rather long.

Yesterday was my daughters 8th birthday. She has been treated under CAMHS for the past year and a bit for anxiety and panic disirders and was discharged just before Christmas, which she is very proud of - it's been a tough year. Her birthday is the only thing she has looked forward to or been excited about in a very long time.

So all going well yesterday we take her out for lunch upon her request; me, my oh, ds and other dd plus my mum. Having a lovely time until my brother drops by as he's lost his key so wants to borrow my mums and drop it back. No problem. He comes back ans makes a snarky remark to my mum and is told to hold his whisht and carry on. My oh, however started a full blown argument in the restaurant with him. They do not get on, never have but there's no real reason except a clash of personality. My daughter starts crying as its her birthday and i tell my oh to stop as he's upsetting the kids.

My brother leaves and my oh is clearly fuming. The manager comes and asks is everything ok as my daughter is now v upset. I tell my oh calmly that whatever his issue is, now is not the time as its our girls birthday just calm down. I'm very quickly given a mouthful and told she is full of attitude she needs telling off not him - meaning our daughter who only told him to stop nothing else. He declares he may aswell go as he's clearly causing a problem.

We all leave and walk home, less than 10 minute walk. On this walk our daughter begs and pleads with her dad to not go anywhere, that she is sorry and she will do anything to resolve the argument. He gives her the front door keys and says I'll be back when I'm back. She literally crumples and is in bits as her main trigger for her anxiety is people leaving/dying. I tell him enough is enough and to stop can he not see what he's doing to her. I'm swiftly told to shut up and she wouldn't be like that but for me anyway and that i can take the kids and f**k off. He stalks off and thats that.

I talk the kids home and try my best to calm our daughter down and reassure her. My mum is aghast but busies herself helping with my other two kids. My oh turns up an hour or so later and goes to bed for a bit. I try to keep things as normal as possible for my daughter so play jigsaws with her until my oh comes down and demands i stop as he wanted to do it with her. My daughter tells him she wanted me to do it but he can help later. He gets all ragey and says that we're excluding him, but we weren't i just wanted my girl to have something to do to occupy her mind and give her something else to focus on. He then sits in a strop for the evening.

The evening carries on we have some party food. We have birthday cake and my mum gets ready to leave and he gives a general applogy for the way he acted. My mum tells him it should be more than that really and she leaves. My oh tells me my mum has no right in saying this its his house etc. He apologises to our daughter and the kids go to bed. He literally mumbles a sorry to me and goes to bed himself.

This isn't the first time he's acted like this. I think he owes us more than a mumbled sorry but more than that he needs to address his temper i think. Or AIBU?

If you've gotten to the end thankyou for reading. Xx

OP posts:
Spaghettijumper · 30/12/2018 08:37

Can you not see the connection between your partner's behaviour and your child's mental illness?

Spaghettijumper · 30/12/2018 08:38

My point being that by focusing on the apology you're focusing on entirely the wrong thing.

ElainaElephant · 30/12/2018 08:39

Yanbu. He sounds like the spoilt child in the house!

Fwiw, I think you did a great job of keeping things as calm as possible and prioritising you daughter on her birthday. You sound like a great mum, and I'm sure you'd do fine on your own if you decided you didn't want to put up with that behaviour.

Sometimes being a single parent removes a lot of stress, believe me, I know!

CripsSandwiches · 30/12/2018 08:39

YADNBU. The apology is neither here nor there I would want absolute assurance that he would never act in such a vile aggressive manner again. It sounds like he does this regularly and it must be terrifying for the kids. I don't think I could live with (or cause my kids o live with) someone with a temper like this.

RayRayBidet · 30/12/2018 08:39

Does he threaten to leave often?
He sounds emotionally abusive from this snapshot.

LovingLola · 30/12/2018 08:40

He’s an utter bastard. Your poor children.

PartridgeJoan · 30/12/2018 08:40

Agree sounds like he's not giving you the support you need and probably has some unresolved issues.

Sounds like you're working really hard for your DD though, well done and sorry you have to go through this Thanks

UhUhUhDennis · 30/12/2018 08:41

Wtf. You keep saying other half etc and at one point you say dad so is he her dad? He's an abusive fuckhole and you need to genuinely LTB. He is causing the issues to your daughter unless there is a massive back story. Hes abusive why can't you see that? Move on for all your happiness and fuck him off.

LovingLola · 30/12/2018 08:41

Is he their father ?

Jackshouse · 30/12/2018 08:41

Can you not see the connection between your partner's behaviour and your child's mental illness?

This!

7yo7yo · 30/12/2018 08:41

Your OH is massively contributing towards your daughters poor mental health and your worried about an apology?? LTB.

Redskyandrainbows67 · 30/12/2018 08:42

He is likely the cause of your daughters mental problems for

Redskyandrainbows67 · 30/12/2018 08:42

Sure

You should leave him for her sakes

Biologifemini · 30/12/2018 08:43

Your husband is a nightmare. CAMHS services won’t be able to sort your daughter out in the future with a father who behaves like this.
Your husband needs to understand the impact of his behaviour on his child. It is unbelievable he is the cause of her anxiety. Is he not ashamed she has to see mental health services over something he is clearly responsible for?

gimmeadoughnut123 · 30/12/2018 08:43

If this is a regular way for him to behave then I would be having a serious conversation with him about the impact on your children and yourself, rather than just focussing on apologies. It can't carry on.

cricketmum84 · 30/12/2018 08:44

Sounds like at least part of your daughters anxiety is coming from having to walk on eggshells and not upset this man.

Can I suggest a family counselling session? It may help her to be able to vocalise these fears of people leaving and the link to his behaviour in a "safe space".

Onemorefireball · 30/12/2018 08:44

As pps have said, the apology isn't the issue. Wouldn't you all be better off without him? He can't even put his daughters feelings above his own on her birthday!

LordPickle · 30/12/2018 08:44

I agree with pp, the apology is the least of your problems. What sort of man intentionally upsets a child and behaves like that? A very petulant and cruel one.

You need to ask yourself why you are with someone so obviously selfish, immature and unkind.

jessstan2 · 30/12/2018 08:44

Your poor daughter and how embarrassing for you all with him carrying on like that in a restaurant. Disgusting behaviour. Is he a child?

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 30/12/2018 08:44

Your poor DD.

Mamapuddlefluff · 30/12/2018 08:45

I know the apology shouldn't be the focus. Anytime i suggest the way he acts doesn't help our daughter he has a go at me. Promises it'll improve and it starts again. He does threaten to leave fairly often, it used to upset me but now I'm almost numb to it now.
I don't know hows best to get out of this situation with or without him. At his best he's a fantastic dad and my kids would be distraught if we weren't together but it's doing them no favours like this.

OP posts:
MsVestibule · 30/12/2018 08:45

YANBU. If I've read correctly, he doesn't believe that your DD has suffered MH issues, it's just your bad parenting that's caused it. He can't control his temper in a restaurant. He pushes her away when she's trying to apologise (for something she hasn't done). Not exactly the behaviour I'd expect from my partner.

NerrSnerr · 30/12/2018 08:48

Anytime i suggest the way he acts doesn't help our daughter he has a go at me. Promises it'll improve and it starts again. He does threaten to leave fairly often

Your poor daughter. If you don't leave she will grow up thinking this is normal and it's ok for men to treat her like shit because you put up with it.

RayRayBidet · 30/12/2018 08:48

Ultimatum time.
Sort himself out or fuck off for the sake of his kids mental health.
If it's as bad as it sounds the kids might be upset to start with but they will realise they prefer not to have him there when they see how peaceful life is without him.

Cel982 · 30/12/2018 08:48

My mum is aghast

I'm sure she was. How awful to see the daughter and grandchildren you adore being treated like dirt by this abusive man.

You need to get out of that relationship, OP. For your daughter, your other kids and yourself.