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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:
Outwards · 30/12/2018 08:49

He's emotionally abusive. I don't say that lightly.

I'm an adult now, but my DF was like this and I have lasting issues. It's not fair for your DD.

She should have loving stability, not a volitile and unsafe environment.

You need to do something, OP.

WhoKnewBeefStew · 30/12/2018 08:49

I don’t think the apology is the issue here, your dp behaviour is appalling!

Jackshouse · 30/12/2018 08:51

You can’t help him change his behaviour. It’s not something you can control. You can ask him to go to individual counselling and do a parenting course. His reaction to this will tell you if he is adult enough to accept responsibility and if he is willing to change. By reaction and mean what he says and if he follows through with it.

OliviaStabler · 30/12/2018 08:51

YANBU. He needs to address his temper and learn how to control it. There was no need to kick off at your dd's birthday lunch. He could have reined it in and sorted it later but he just went off on one and acted like a spoilt brat with no thought for his child.

EvenLess · 30/12/2018 08:52

He's not a fantastic dad Sad please leave this man so you and your children don't have to walk on eggshells anymore. He ruined your DD's birthday with his selfishness and shitty temper. She'll remember this forever, especially with her MH issues. It's far more damaging to in effect condone this behaviour by staying Flowers

Duchessgummybuns · 30/12/2018 08:54

My dad used to act like your DH. Shocker - I have huge problems with anxiety that started in childhood and have continued into adulthood, mostly centred around fear of confrontation arguments and abandonment. Your DH is a dick and needs to sort his behaviour out for the sake of your daughter. I hope it didn’t completely spoil her birthday poor love.

NationalShiteDay · 30/12/2018 08:55

He's a shit dad and you need to leave him for your daughters sake

findurfavouritesorhaveabrowse · 30/12/2018 08:57

He's a cunt. He should leave and not come back. Your poor daughter would be much happier.

RedDeadRoach · 30/12/2018 08:57

At his best he's a fantastic dad

Read what you wrote about him. What part of any of that sounds like a fantastic dad? Open your eyes. He's fucking up your daughters mental health. She's being emotionally abused by her dad, as are you. She's afraid of people leaving. She's probably heard her dad threaten you with that over and over again and watched you let him stay around. She's learnt that's what you do when people try and emotionally blackmail you. You give in and squash down what you want in favour of placating them.

He's a shite dad and a pathetic man. What specifically does he do that makes you think he's a fantastic dad? Play with them occasionally? Being a fantastic dad isn't just one or two things. It's everything he does as a whole. Whatever good he does cannot possibly balance against all the harm he is doing.

MotherofDinosaurs · 30/12/2018 08:59

At his best he's a fantastic dad

He really, really isn't. Please don't put up with being treated like this.

Bringbackthestrioes · 30/12/2018 09:00

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.

Poor girl. Her dad ruin her birthday yet she’s left feeling like she did something wrong.

Mickeysminnie2 · 30/12/2018 09:00

Is he their dad?

supersop60 · 30/12/2018 09:02

LTB
He's toxic. Do not let this be your (or your DC's) story.

Nanny0gg · 30/12/2018 09:02

I agree the OP shoyld LTB. If she does her DD will need full-bliwn counselling as she'll probably think it's her fault.

However, what can be done about his behaviour during contact? Equally damaging.

magoria · 30/12/2018 09:02

Your DD has been having help with anxiety and panic attacks because her D is an abusive prick who has reduced her to this.

You are now numb to it. That is the damage he has done to you.

Your DD is 8. Please leave before it is too late and she is completely and utterly fucked up by him.

If you stay don't be surprised when she ends up with a nasty H who treats her the same way.

Topseyt · 30/12/2018 09:04

If you are living like that day by day then he needs to leave.

KatharinaRosalie · 30/12/2018 09:04

Your daughter's main anxiety is people leaving, and 'He does threaten to leave fairly often'

That's just cruel and abusive. I have no words. He's the reason behind your daughter's problems.

IdaDown · 30/12/2018 09:04

Home life must be bad if a 6yr old (when the counselling sessions started) needs help with anxiety and panic attacks.

Wodehouse18 · 30/12/2018 09:05

It sounds horrible and you need to find out why he is doing this to you all. It is totally unfair to burden a child with those emotions and she is clearly suffering and trying to mediate.
Is he diabetic at all? My only experience of someone like this had very badly controlled diabetes that would make them totally unreasonable and angry. Not making an excuse for it otherwise, it just doesn't sound like something most parents do on a special day on purpose.

CanuckBC · 30/12/2018 09:06

Agree with the others, he’s an abusive shite dad who needs to go.

finn1020 · 30/12/2018 09:06

He’s beyond words awful. Subjecting your daughter to unpredictable, abusive and manipulate behaviour like this can’t be good for her and I’d seriously be questioning how she could improve without a person like that constantly dominating her home environment. It is family violence.

I would suggest you get professional counselling so you can discuss your situation and come to the best decision for your daughter and yourself, as well as your two other children.

Is this type of life the life you’d want them to have as adults and carry these behaviours into their adult relationships? Is it the relationship you want to be in forever, and are you the person you want to be in it?

Nanna50 · 30/12/2018 09:07

You might be numb to his threats but your DD clearly is not. Poor child, he is not a fantastic father, he is causing your DD great anxiety and distress.

I’m sorry but if your 8 year old DD is pleading with him and asking how to resolve his tantrum he needs to fuck off. Don’t you see the connection, don’t think it won’t be affecting your other DCs either, or you for that matter.

ThePollutedShadesOfPemberley · 30/12/2018 09:07

It's not that his behaviour 'doesn't help' your DD. His behaviour is the CAUSE. Can you really not see that if you separated from him and his BS her MH would improve by a country mile. You have to put her first now after this OP surely?

Move2WY · 30/12/2018 09:08

I would show your daughter that him leaving wouldn’t change her life in any way. Maybe take her away for a week, without her dad and see how she can get on with things without him there. So if he continues to threaten to leave she has coping strategies.

Nuggetsandwich · 30/12/2018 09:09

My first ever LTB. Focus on you and your children and recovering from this abusive relationship. Your daughter is relying on you to act protectively.