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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:
GabsAlot · 24/09/2020 11:36

court would still prob say every other xmas-i dont know why he hasnt even tried court though even if she didnt comply he could say he tried to sort

how old is the dc

LeroyJenkinssss · 24/09/2020 11:40

Why on Earth are your children so devastated by their dad not being there? Are you perhaps slightly egging them on? Your D.C. managed eow without their dad so why is Christmas resulting in wailing and gnashing of teeth?

He is trying to maintain a relationship with his DD. While court orders do work for some, for others it just a never ending merry go round with access being withheld. It is not the panacea for all.

OoohTheStatsDontLie · 24/09/2020 11:40

If you cant blend the families it does seem fair to me that he spends one xmas with his other child and one xmas with you. It's not fair of you to say his child will not miss out if they spend xmas with their dad.

If your kids are still young I'd just move xmas to a couple of days before or after xmas day and celebrate then, the important thing is you're all together as a family and surely you can do that on boxing day

Hormonecrazyhell · 24/09/2020 11:41

Your dh needs to sort this out, so you and your dc him and his dc can be together, otherwise it will always be them and us, not nice situation for anyone, least of all the children, half siblings who don’t even spend time with each other. If there’s nothing untoward then dhs ex can’t dictate child arrangements when it’s your Dh’s time.

LeroyJenkinssss · 24/09/2020 11:41

What would be your ideal contact arrangement? That the child is allowed to come to yours? Or increase contact days?

Angelina82 · 24/09/2020 11:43

What does your DH want to do? Or does he not get a say in this?

SleepingStandingUp · 24/09/2020 11:45

So what would happen if he took duaghter axmas Eve and brought her home to you guys for a Christmas?

marmite79 · 24/09/2020 11:46

You cannot get on like this forever. He may have other children too but the mother needs to stop being a t**t and letting them come to your house. They could come to you for Christmas. What you are planning to do right now is damn right ridiculous and not fair on the children you have. Or they spend it with their mum.

Sally872 · 24/09/2020 11:47

At that age you can move Christmas eve. My brother's family have done that for dc when wife had to take her turn working Christmas at hospital.

The bigger issue is sibling contact. I can understand why dh is scared to rock the boat in cass ex blocks contact, but i think he should try.

Cheeseandwin5 · 24/09/2020 11:47

The issue is that your DH is too wet to do anything about this absurd situation
Ultimately your husband needs to grow a pair and get this sorted properly
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.

My work used to involve custody disputes and I can tell you, even thought things have become more fairer, if the parent with primary residence wants cause problems they will. Court order may be in place but it will be years down the line till they are actually enforced and by that time the relationship between the child and non custodial parent can have broken down.
Its a sad fact that between warring parents the non custodial may have accept unfair decisons to see their child.

Itsabeautifuldayheyhey · 24/09/2020 11:48

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.
This.

Cloudfrost · 24/09/2020 11:51

So I'd ur marriage broke down and ur husband had yet another new family would u also think that any new kids would be devastated to not see their dad, whiles yours wouldn't miss out cause they have you???

I really fucking doubt that!

AdoreTheBeach · 24/09/2020 11:53

You do realise it’s not an all or nothing situation. Why can’t you go to your in laws too?

Or stay in a hotel nearby?

It’s been years, there are your children involved now. Why is it that there can’t be a blending of the children for the day? You DH still having his child and not travelling to your home location by still being where he’s permitted by his ex to have his visitation?

Marmitecrackers · 24/09/2020 11:58

This is so sad as someone (a child) always loses out.

You will have to just always rotate year on year and the kids will have to get used to daddy having two families so they only get him every other year.

crosspelican · 24/09/2020 12:03

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.

This needs to be unpicked a little before people can really answer you properly. You have seen for yourself that the current arrangement is unsustainable, so it has to be fixed, so why not?

Where your husband and his ex still together when you met? How old is his child with her? Why does the mother effectively not acknowledge his second marriage and family?

3 years is a long time to have let this fester, but it obviously can't go on indefinitely.

Also, to echo what @Cloudfrost says, if your relationship with him breaks down, and he marries again and has MORE children, would you say that those children would need him more on Christmas day, because YOUR children with him have you? Obv. that makes no sense at all!

RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime · 24/09/2020 12:04

I'm not clear whose decision is it that your DH's eldest child can't be in your house. Is her mother refusing to let her? She can't do that. Or will you not have her in the house?

RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime · 24/09/2020 12:06

It looks like you're saying your DH should spend every Christmas with his younger two children and never be with his elder child, is that right?

Rollingdragon · 24/09/2020 12:10

All 3 DC have equal rights to their Dad's time. If you really can't have all three together, which seems a very sad situation, then the only fair way is to alternate.

MsEllany · 24/09/2020 12:14

Sorry but them’s the breaks when you marry a man with a child. I know, I did also. You can’t ‘expect’ him to put your children first every Christmas when he and his ex can’t be civil and work things out.

Also, i think you’re being a bit silly about not wanting to attempt a reconciliation because of your kids.

RoseTintedAtuin · 24/09/2020 12:15

It’s unreasonable to expect his other child never to see their father at Christmas as well as unfair on him. Even if a blended family is not a possibility in the longer term and you have a strained relationship with child and mother, one 30hr period every two years should surely be achievable for the benefit of everyone? I agree you DH needs to step up but IMO it would be with you and his ex that he is having his child to his family Christmas so he can actually enjoy it and the kids can spend some time with their siblings.

Cbeebiesismyworld · 24/09/2020 12:16

If it’s your husbands turn to have his eldest for Christmas then all spend it together. Then all 3 kids get daddy.

Florencex · 24/09/2020 12:17

Am I being unreasonable for expecting him to spend Christmas with us instead of his other child.

Yes hugely unreasonable that you say instead. Why is sad that your children cannot spend Christmas with their dad but it doesn’t matter for the other one?

If you had asked why the other child could not spend Christmas with the rest of you when it is his year, then no you would not be unreasonable. Your DH should stop being a pushover, he is entitled to spend time with his child as he sees fit and should say so.

AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken · 24/09/2020 12:18

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

Why will your children be more upset by not/ more deserving of seeing their dad on Christmas Day? I’m getting evil step mum vines

jessstan2 · 24/09/2020 12:20

If he spends Christmas eve and day with his 'other' child, where will it be? I presume, not at your house with all of you. Does he go to his parents?

If it is that child's turn this year and you won't have her, he is duty bound to see her as previously agreed.

You can 'do' Christmas on Boxing Day, plenty do and it doesn't hurt them. Your children are still very young and will accept that Christmas is two days, not just one, unless you wind them up about 25th December being particularly important. They are hardly going to be deprived, they have their dad most of their lives and they are little.

Start talking about it now and make it special. Don't grudge the other little girl some special time with her dad for goodness sake - you and your children could have been in the same position. You knew he already had a kid when you got together with him. If you were a bit nicer, you might have been able to build a friendly relationship with her.

Redcups64 · 24/09/2020 12:20

Why women have children with men who already have children with someone else is beyond me.

You can’t complain now, you knew he had a child before you decided to have children together and went ahead anyway. Wasn’t it obvious this was going to be the case seeing as how you all don’t get on?

I Couldn’t accept me and my children being second best, but then I wouldn’t get with someone who already has a child

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