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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To expect my husband to stay at home this Christmas

320 replies

Cloudsandrainbows · 24/09/2020 10:55

Sorry this is complicated and long winded, will try to get to the point. I have two children and my husband has another from a previous relationship....which for many reasons I have not seen in 3 years(the mother is very nasty, and always calling the shots, court would make no difference, she's not the sort to listen to a court order, and it's been so long and the relationship between me and this child has been too severely damaged to repair, not to mention the impact on my children to attempt a reconsilliation again), however my husband has still had regular contact every other weekend, and until the pandemic was staying overnight at his parents on those weekends.
With christmas looming I am anticipating the next hurdle. It is his turn to have his other child on Xmas Eve and day. They have for the past 4 years been taking turns rather than having half the day each as previously, which was unfair as my husband had to do all the running around in the middle of our Christmas dinner. 2 years ago, when it was last his turn, I was left heavily pregnant with a 3 year old over Xmas, and decided to go to my mums, which didn't actually help as my then 3 year old still spent hours upon hours crying for her daddy on Christmas Eve, and the whole experience was very upsetting all round. Our youngest will be almost 2 by Christmas and I'm upset for him as well as my 5 year old that they will not have their dad on Christmas day. I understand he wants to see his other child and have no issue with that, but I feel he should be spending the day with us. His other child wouldn't miss out by having Christmas with her mother instead, but our children will be devastated to not have daddy at home. I cannot imagine him telling her mother he can't have her this Christmas or asking to change the arrangements, or her accepting any changes but I feel he needs to put his foot down and do right by us for a change. Am I being unreasonable to expect him to spend Christmas with us instead of his other child?

OP posts:
2beesornot2beesthatisthehoney · 24/09/2020 10:58

I know you say court wouldn't work but maybe it is the best way here. Current situation seems mad

Rainbowqueeen · 24/09/2020 10:59

He needs to go to court and get this sorted. All the kids involved are young so you have years of this ahead of you. They are all important and all deserve time with their dad

Also Christmas is not just one day. You can do Christmas with your dc on another day. You need to present it in a way that makes it exciting for the kids and they will accept it.

Shoxfordian · 24/09/2020 11:01

Yabu because his other child also deserves to have Christmas with their Dad

He needs to start having you around your stepchild and being a blended family. Court if necessary. This can't carry on as it is

2beesornot2beesthatisthehoney · 24/09/2020 11:02

You have 2 plata at the moment so it needs to be reported and gave it all on one

DanielRicciardosSmile · 24/09/2020 11:05

It's a very difficult situation, but YABU in saying your children would be devastated but his other child wouldn't be affected by spending Christmas without their father. I get the feeling you dislike this child.

LastGoldenDaysOfSummer · 24/09/2020 11:06

YANBU.

Your DCs are every bit as important as your DSD and deserve to have their dad on Christmas Day. If DSD doesn't want to be with you all that's up to her.

For once he should put his second family first. So many people on MN think the first family is golden and has to have priority. It doesn't.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 24/09/2020 11:09

Yabu for thinking Christmas is the issue here.

The issue is that your DH is too wet to do anything about this absurd situation. On his contact days he can take his child wherever he chooses. That is his right, saving any court ordered restrictions.

He has three children yet seems content to keep his children permanently apart.

He needs to demonstrate his commitment to his current family (you, and his three biological children) by going to court to establish a backing for this.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 24/09/2020 11:13

Your DH and his EX need to give their heads a wobble, They are actively coming between siblings and it is so wrong.

If they can not agree on reasonable contact then you need to get a court order in place.

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 24/09/2020 11:14

Agree that this needs sorting in court.

You may not have a relationship with his ex, but fir the sake of all the children, surely working things out with his child would make sense.

This child is your children's half-sibling.

YABU to expect your two children to trump his one.

As your kids are so little, can't you fo Christmas day on the 24th or 26th?

VeraPink · 24/09/2020 11:14

YABU to say that your husband’s other daughter wouldn’t miss out by not seeing her dad at Christmas but your kids would. All of the kids benefit from seeing their dad on special days.

Alternative Christmases sounds like the fairest solution, and if there is no way your husband’s other daughter can spend the day with you he will have to go to her. This is what you signed up for when you married a man with a child from a previous relationship. It’s not what you would choose, but it’s the reality of the situation.

Something you could try is having Christmas with your husband on a different day this year - Christmas is a season, not just one day.

Blackdog19 · 24/09/2020 11:16

This seems mad. How can your dc build a relationship with their half sibling?

WunWun · 24/09/2020 11:17

Why on earth do you think his other child wouldn't be missing out?

Anordinarymum · 24/09/2020 11:18

It's only one day. Children want presents for Christmas. They would not care if they ate Maccy Dees for their lunch on Christmas day - hey they would probably prefer it ha ha..
Stop making an issue out of nothing and relax.

It's not about us anyway it's about something far far bigger.. just had to say that as it sprang into my silly head

Redglitter · 24/09/2020 11:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Redred2429 · 24/09/2020 11:18

Yabu to say his other child should miss out on Christmas with her dad you had your turn with him last year and court could resolve this

Minnie888 · 24/09/2020 11:19

YABU I'm afraid for all of the reasons above.

Darkestseasonofall · 24/09/2020 11:20

I don't know whether you meant to sound spiteful but you absolutely do.
Your children are obviously more important to you, but all of his children are important to him.
Have your Christmas on 23rd December, I'm a nurse and we have ours whenever we can.

Redglitter · 24/09/2020 11:23

His other child wouldn't miss out by having Christmas with her mother instead, but our children will be devastated to not have daddy at home

This doesn't even make sense. So his other child won't lose out by just seeing their Mum on Christmas Day - so same surely applies to your children. Your children will be upset not spending Christmas Day with their Dad - same will apply to the other child.

The other child is just as entitled to see him. Why should your children's feelings trump theirs.

Ultimately your husband needs to grow a pair and get this sorted properly. That way you won't have this problem. Until he does you need to just accept that hell be away every other Christmas Day.

silverwings · 24/09/2020 11:24

How old is the step child and why haven't you seen her for so long? Your husband needs to start making her part of the family.

Alexandernevermind · 24/09/2020 11:25

Another one to say this needs sorting. Only seeing Dad for a couple of hour Christmas Day shouldn't make your children spend the day crying - mine worked shifts so we had to wave goodbye just after Christmas lunch every 3rd year.

WeAllHaveWings · 24/09/2020 11:26

Your dh should have sorted this out at court, years ago, well before it got to this stage. He needs to start the ball rolling for court ordered access without fear of reprisal and she will need to comply, he is unlikely at this late stage to get it and any teething problems sorted out via the courts by Christmas, but insist he starts the process to resolve this ridiculous situation he has enabled.

Your say your relationship is already damaged with his child, don't damage his too by insisting he renege on the prearranged every other Christmas arrangement this year when Christmas is just around the corner.

Keep in your head your problem is not his dd, or his ex, it is your dh.

What age is his child and why is the relationship damaged? This needs to be resolved by you and your dh too for your children's sakes too. This is their sibling.

Wingedharpy · 24/09/2020 11:27

I hate to say it but, it seems to me that the real issue here is a power struggle that has developed between you and the ex partner/wife of your DH.
This has resulted in 3 years of your DH leaving home every other weekend to facilitate contact with his eldest child.
Madness.

LeSquigh · 24/09/2020 11:27

@Darkestseasonofall

I don't know whether you meant to sound spiteful but you absolutely do. Your children are obviously more important to you, but all of his children are important to him. Have your Christmas on 23rd December, I'm a nurse and we have ours whenever we can.
This. I also work Christmas Day quite a lot (as does my DP, but only one of us is ever at work) and we just have Christmas on a different day.
Papyrus · 24/09/2020 11:31

When do your children see their half sibling? That seems to be the real issue, that you’re not functioning as a blended family. How old is your stepchild?

RedskyAtnight · 24/09/2020 11:35

Your children will only be devastated not to have their dad there if you make it a big deal. Have your "Christmas" on the 23rd or 26th instead.