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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My baby and my stepdad.

12 replies

SebThompson · 12/05/2020 03:19

I have never known my real dad as long story short he got locked away before o was born and we moved away for my mum's safety. My step dad met my mum when I was 3 and officially moved in together when I was 5. He has always been the "father figure" since then. I was a naughty child and he had a short temper which ended up in many arguments and we never really got on, he had a brain haemorrhage when I was around 10-12 and he ended up getting angry easier and sometimes came close to physical stuff.

I feel like I was always the one on the recieving end of his anger whilst my older brother (different dad) and my younger brother and sister (stepdads children) were never scolded or disciplined for their actions. I always felt like the target and grew up feeling like the target and was always put down by him, this made me avoid interactions where possible, stay up in my room, go down for dinner when he was out or in bed etc. Which in turn has affected my relationship with my mum also.

I'm expecting a child in October and would love to keep my family involved with its life, however I don't feel as though I want my child to have a relationship with him as a "grandad" because of what I've been through and the bad bond we have. So the difficult part is this will probably affect my family being able to get involved as much.

Am I in the wrong thinking that that's the path I would rather take? Part of me thinks this is how it should be, where as the other half of me says that I should give him a chance and see if he can be a better grandad than he was a stepdad.

OP posts:
BeardieWeirdie · 12/05/2020 03:31

Yanbu - you reap what you sow. Best of luck with your pregnancy.

FoxtrotOscarPoppet · 12/05/2020 05:55

YANBU - your baby, your choice.

SebThompson · 12/05/2020 06:18

I'm surprised at the ratio of votes! The only thing that's making me consider having him involved is purely for the sake of my mum and I don't want any unnecessary drama and tension. After a think over night I've decided I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and see (won't be leaving the baby with him unattended) but if he does anything I think is negative or bad towards the baby, that's when I'll make my decision

OP posts:
Morningstar666 · 12/05/2020 06:26

You being a 'naughty child' does not justify how you were treated even if it's true you were difficult and that isn't an excuse.

Could you have been the family scapegoat? How is your relationship with the rest of the family? If they follow the same reasoning that you somehow deserve to he treated differently then im not sure they add anything to your lives.

If however you sd is the odd one out that others king of brush off as unreasonable then I might have a go.

MrsCl19 · 12/05/2020 06:49

I never had my bio dad in my life either and had a step dad from around age of 10 and we never got on. Never anything physical but if he and my mum argues he use to blame it all on my and I ended up moving out when I was 15.

Move on 10 years and I have a dd our relationship is better mainly for the sake of my mum and my dd does call him grandad and she absolutely adores him tbh and he's really good with her.

I think it's completely up to you what you do but I opted for an easy life as I just can't be doing with arguments and they do have her over night every now and again as I only let her go to my mums for sleep overs.

Oliversmumsarmy · 12/05/2020 06:59

Maybe because I have been up all night. I haven’t voted because I am unsure what you think is unreasonable or not unreasonable

I have 2 dc who have pretty much grown up without extended family.

I don’t think they miss not having them so if you want to cut him out I would.
If that then includes excluding your mum then that can’t be helped.

Do you think that as your father went to prison he thought that as you were the same as your father he was trying to discipline you because that was a way to keep you out of jail.

Pretty f**ked up if it was. I doubt you were a naughty child.

Mummyoflittledragon · 12/05/2020 07:17

As the parent you can lay down the ground rules and withdraw contact. You will be in charge. YANBU to give him a chance. I also think you sound like the family scapegoat unfortunately. Do expect things may from your past come up ask you lo grows. I went through a period of absolute rage over my childhood when my dd reached a certain age.

Puddlejuice · 12/05/2020 07:41

It's up to you, but my experience is that my step dad was shit to me, I moved out at 15 to live with another relative.
He is THE BEST Grandad to my dc, and lives for them.
People change.

monkeymonkey2010 · 12/05/2020 12:17

my younger brother and sister (stepdads children) were never scolded or disciplined for their actions. I always felt like the target
You were a target because your mother allowed it to happen.
She knew yet did nothing - instead she chose a man above her child.

You don't owe them anything.
You are NOT responsible for how they feel about your decision.

VisionQuest · 12/05/2020 13:04

How do you get on as an adult?

Krisskrosskiss · 12/05/2020 13:10

Od consider giving him a chance... but never unsupervised. It's about your child not you really... and having a grandad can be lovely and important to a child. It may be that hes an angry arsehole to your child in which case cut him out completely.... but you wont know until you see him interacting with your child...
It doesnt sound like he was dangerous really so I'd give him a chance under supervision, to redeem himself for the sake of your child.

I absolutely hate my FIL.. I'd consider him to have been abusive to my husband.. altho my husband is less upset about than I am and feels a duty towards him. But I was convinced to give him a chance with my kids (never unsupervised and only a couple of times a year) and actually it's been fine and my kids love him. I still find him utterly insufferable but I must admit he does love my children and they do love him.
It's important to have clear boundaries that you arent going to negotiate on going in though. I always said he will never be taking care of my children alone, and if I ever see him being aggressive with them in any way then that will be the end of any contact he has with them.

billy1966 · 12/05/2020 13:58

OP, doesn't sound as if your mother was much of a parent either.

I think you should do whatever suits YOU best.

Their feelings wouldn't come into the equation for me.

Wishing you the bestFlowers

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