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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be rethinking my 3 year relationship as he never told me he had kids.

412 replies

PenelopeDelph · 20/05/2019 01:15

New account for this as v v outing but need to rant. I'm 33 and he's 45. We've been together 2 years. I knew he was married in his 20s and got divorced at 35 but he has never mentioned his kids before now. Both of his parents are dead and he doesn't have anything to do with the rest of his family either. We had our DD 6 months ago and recently moved into a new flat and have been talking about getting engaged.

On Friday I was suspicious as he told me he was at work in another city (he is a self employed handyman) but got a text from my friend who works at a hospital in our city saying she'd bumped into him in the car park and he'd told her he'd just given an elderly woman a lift to A and E after she fell over. I phoned him to ask why he was still in our city when he'd left for work hours ago and he told me he'd explain when he got home (which was 2 hours later). The sod had me worrying for hours thinking he was ill and hadn't told me.

So he gets home and tells me to sit down and I was feeling sick with worry expecting him to say he had cancer or something horrible. He ends up blurting out he has 3 sons from his previous marriage who he didn't see for years because of conflict with his ex wife but has been building bridges with them the past few months ever since he discovered his eldest's girlfriend was having a baby. They are 21, 18, and 16. He said he didn't want to tell me as they resented him for a while over having no contact and weren't happy to hear he'd had a new baby with a younger woman. But said that he'd always intended to tell me soon. Not sure I believe that. Anyway so half the time when he's been at "work" he's actually been spending time at the pub with his sons and even helping his eldest do up his baby's nursery. Which would be lovely if only I had known about it! He says they are all a lot closer now.

On Friday eldest's girlfriend had a baby girl and my partner was at the maternity ward paying them a visit. Apparently his ex wife was there as well and while I don't feel threatened by her I find it disheartening that he'd told me he was at work while he was at the hospital with her meeting their lovely new grandchild. All while I was at home with my daughter. I feel exlcuded and an absolute mug. Me and DD went to stay with my mum after he told me as I was fuming. We came back today and it has been tense to say the least. I lost my shit when I saw he'd packed all of DD's old baby clothes up to pop round to his son as I had intended to give them to my friend. Another huge row happened and I haven't seen him since. I reckon he's at his eldest's house.

I just feel like me and my DD have been so excluded and disregared. It's great that he's trying to make it up to his son's for not being part of their lives but he should have told me, surely? It's like he wants to keep them and us in two separate boxes because they resent us after he didn't see them for years and had a baby with me. Which infuriates me because it's his fucking fault, not mine and DD's. I'm very hurt and angry by it all and I'm not sure what to do next.

OP posts:
user1497997754 · 20/05/2019 07:55

I would contact his ex also and see if she will tell you the truth I am sorry this has happened to you but better now than in the future x

MissB83 · 20/05/2019 07:56

*I’m always intrigued by men who say they’ve been “banned” from seeing their kids.

Any fool who can google and fill in a court form would know women do not have the power to ban fathers from seeing their kids. I know complete fuckwits who have court ordered access. I also know a LOT of single mothers and weirdly enough every single one of them has done their utmost to keep their DC in contact with their fathers.

It’s universal code for “I walked away and couldn’t be bothered with them but I’m going to tell you she banned me so I don’t look like a cunt”. Usually followed up with an explanation of how his ex is “crazy and bitter” *

Spot on! I'm a single mum and I keep trying to facilitate contact between my son and his father but it's all a bit too much effort for him. However he tells his family that it's my fault because I don't like him. Diddums.

Inliverpool1 · 20/05/2019 07:56

@ImNotNigel it actually does get to the point where yes I have a child who I no longer feel any attachment to, it’s like she happened to another person. As the years go by with no contact it’s like they never existed. Unless you’ve been in that position you honestly cannot begin to understand

MissB83 · 20/05/2019 07:57

Re OP, there are so many red flags here that I don't know where to start. Sorry OP, it must be very hard to know you have started a family with this man. I just don't think any man who can walk away from his own children is a good person, and I suspect that is what happened here.

cake778 · 20/05/2019 08:01

OP, I'm so sorry this has happened. I would have been distraught seeing my baby's clothes being bagged up. He has been incredibly selfish towards his children and is now doing to same to you. I would leave - are you in a position to?

UnicornDust9 · 20/05/2019 08:01

What he’s done is disgusting.

He didn’t tell you he had kids?! Had a baby with you and is now basically saying tough shit.

I couldn’t put up with the level of disrespect he has shown you.

Leave him.

Youseethethingis · 20/05/2019 08:02

A man who has been “banned” from seeing his children should be treating the mother of his youngest child like a queen in order to preserve that family unit and avoid fucking up so massively all over again. I can’t understand his behaviour at all.
Sorry OP Flowers

Chippychipsforme · 20/05/2019 08:03

Oh OP, what an awful situation. Key thing is to protect you and your daughter, sorry to say I think you should leave him. There's so many lies here.

Was he paying anything towards his older children all this time? How did his marriage really break up? Did he have any other relationships between his marriage and meeting you? I'd brace yourself for there being an 11 year old out there that he's also "banned" from seeing.

MashedSpud · 20/05/2019 08:04

Does it say on his ex’s Facebook that’s her grandchild or her child?

silvercuckoo · 20/05/2019 08:06

@adaline
I am not trying to excuse his behaviour, just trying to find a reason for it. People, even men, are rarely pure evil monsters for hell, usually there is a more rational (even if unpleasant) explanation.
They are not engaged, they are talking about getting engaged and have recently moved in together. This can mean commitment to the OP (well, it would for me too), and "ehhhh I guess I'll see now how it goes" for her DP.
I observed this with my own brother. A girlfriend of six years with a joint mortgage and a dog was still "we'll see how it goes" and "why rush it through, we're happy as we are". I felt very bad for the girlfriend, as she perceived them as a family, while my brother was still keeping his options open. When he met his Mrs Right, they were married within a year and had two children in quick succession immediately after.
I don't mean that marriage is necessarily the answer, but for many men it does at least represent some sort of a barrier where a conscious decision has to be made and important questions answered.
I speak from my own experience only of course, having been burned before.

PenelopeDelph · 20/05/2019 08:06

MashedSpud I don't know as it's only the profile pic. I can't see her profile and posts unless I sent and she accepted a friend request. Am considering it but want to calm down first.

OP posts:
Puffkin · 20/05/2019 08:09

I’d be gone, how dare he fucking treat you like this. He wasn’t even going to tell you, only because he got caught, Id be raging, how can you even trust him again?

Breastfeedingworries · 20/05/2019 08:09

I’m with those thinking this new baby could be his with the ex wife.....and that he led a double life this whole time and visited her and his sons but kept you separate. They might still not know about you!

Are you sure that isn’t wants happened? I had an ex who led a double life, nearly destroyed me.

Outanabout · 20/05/2019 08:10

Whatever he's admitted to will be only the tip of the iceberg. Start looking - there will be lots more

Mix56 · 20/05/2019 08:10

Have you never seen any of his finances?
It is extremely likely that he has payed maintenance all these years, His Ex wife will have seen to that. Just another layer of deceit. So many hidden secrets...
You are right, you know nothing about this man, & he doesn't seem to be trying to smooth things out either does he?
How could he possibly think that giving all your babies grown out of cloths to his Grandchild, he had kept secret, when you were out, was going to go down or anywhere near OK ?
He has been making grand benevolent gestures to his new found family, but at your expense.

Cottonwoolmouth · 20/05/2019 08:12

He is a man of smoke and mirrors and nothing will be the same again. I bet his friends were told not to mention it.

It’s a horrible feeling not knowing who the man your with truly is.

ImNotNigel · 20/05/2019 08:13

@ImNotNigel it actually does get to the point where yes I have a child who I no longer feel any attachment to, it’s like she happened to another person. As the years go by with no contact it’s like they never existed. Unless you’ve been in that position you honestly cannot begin to understand

I have been in exactly that position for 50 years. Both my parents abandoned me because it was so difficult and inconvenient.

And in turn I’ve raised 4 children whose parent/s abanodoned then because it was so difficult and inconvenient.

I’ve seen the heartbreak and life long problems it causes for the child and for the parent who is left.

So please, do tell me what I can’t possibly understand ?

Gazelda · 20/05/2019 08:14

I'm absolutely staggered that he lied when you presumably had the 'getting to know you' convo where you exchanged background info - siblings, education, pets, children ...
He's lied. He's pretended his children don't exist. Unforgivable.

Does he pay child support? Do they live nearby?

SignedUpJust4This · 20/05/2019 08:15

Sorry OP. This is awful and I couldn't forgive. Does he acknowledge the pain he's caused you?

northerngirl2012 · 20/05/2019 08:18

I think I'd want to question him as to why he kept the sons so quiet for years. If you'd known about them then they appeared to want to get in contact now, no doubt you'd do your best to facilitate that happening. It is a weird one. Not sure what the answer is, but don't be too hasty in any decision making as I'd think he's currently delighted he's in contact with them but also running scared too.

Mix56 · 20/05/2019 08:21

Oh, & the "I was going to tell you" , laughably predictable

TheWernethWife · 20/05/2019 08:21

Bloody hell OP, he sounds like "Mr Wilson" in the TV programme. Actor Ruth Wilson's real grandfather who had relationships and children with various women.

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 20/05/2019 08:22

Hi OP

I am so sorry. I can kind of understand not telling someone you are dating casually about kids. But this is completely different -he should have told you as soon as it got serious. 3 kids in the next town was always going to come out

He lied about having kids
He lied about your daughter being his first - not by omission but out and out fabrication of being a first time dad at his age
He lied about where he was and when as he was getting to know them
He's possibly lying about being banned from seeing them
He either paid no maintenance which is awful or was lying to you about his finances
He lied about being a grandparent

I just don't see how you can trust him about anything else ever again

The clothes thing is a bit of a red herring in itself as to some people it's just stuff but others place massive sentimental value on things. But it does show his attitude seems to be 'oh well, now you know, we can all play happy families' and shows he doesn't think it's as serious as it is, which is another red flag

Personally I'd be contacting his ex explaining you have only just found out about them and asking for a word, find out if he was banned from seeing them and if he paid maintenance and that may shed more light on who he really is. I dont think he can complain too much if he finds out as you're not going to get the truth from him

Inliverpool1 · 20/05/2019 08:22

@ImNotNigel you’ve got your side of the beach ball which you understand you’ve not been on the other side so no you can’t “get it” .... which is to take nothing away from how you must feel, not pleasant at all I’m sorry tyat happened to you

PregnantSea · 20/05/2019 08:24

I'm so sorry this has happened, it must be awful Flowers

I wouldn't be able to forgive this. I think I'd have to leave. Of course it's easy for me to say that because I'm not you, and I've not built a life with this man. But I would be so hurt and angry that I'm not sure I could ever forgive him, and I would question whether or not you would ever be able to trust him again after such a huge lie? And also the way he's handled all of this means it's unlikely that you will ever be on good terms with his children, nevermind actually develop a relationship with them.

Pardon my language but he's really fucked this. Fucked it royally.

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