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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to suggest (or insist on) NC? Enough is really enough

15 replies

Ruralbliss · 12/09/2021 13:01

(Sorry very long)

My chronically ill (disabled by agony really) beautiful sensitive 18 DD was taken camping with her younger sister by their dad, my XH (married for 20, divorced for 3 due to his continued emotional abuse towards our son, my eldest daughters twin).

18 yr old hasn’t seen her dad for months due to his moving his gf and her kids in and his inability to put her needs first.

She also has PTSD, extreme social anxiety, facial and body dismorphia, self harms, has horrific nightmares etc

XH suggested a camping trip with just him this weekend as he missed her and was conscious he’d never see her as she can’t stand his gf and has panic attacks at his house.

Yet again he’s behaved appallingly towards them I had texts at midnight from the girls saying they were in a situation he’d blown a fuse at something minor and was threatening to leave them there and basically being an aggressive abusive narcissist twunt. Eldest on the verge of having an extreme panic attack. I talked her down.

I’ve had enough of this. I’m doing all I can to help get my girl better (relocating home, lockdown support puppy bought, share my bed, private therapy etc) and feel any contact always ends in misery for them all.
My 13 yr old DD confirmed he’s like this all the time as she’s continued to see him fortnightly.

He moved away from them, dropped frequency of having them to minimum

AIBU to give strong steer they should go NC?
If IANBU to suggest then how best to do it either tell him ‘Your appalling behaviour is damaging & therefore we are going NC byeee’ or just politely turn down invites to see him (eg over Xmas) until he works out they’ve not seen him for yonks.

Ffs. I can’t work out how he sleeps at night or lives with himself.

My mum thinks he’s (and I quote) a ‘dangerous nutter’ and the kids shouldn’t have contact as he’s done quite enough damage already.

Bizarrely my son has a fine relationship with him now but he’s leaving home soon so can leave him to sort his own contact.

I’m moving house in a few weeks for the sake of my girls (nearer hospital and away from a house/village where traumatic events took place with their dad). I’ve got a mind not to tell him my new address.
The girls could tell him of course

Any ideas and opinions on what to do for the best of the girls and their future mental health gratefully received.

Ironically (and helpfully actually) as the texts came in from them last night my best mate and I were comparing notes of our own dysfunctional toxic fathers and how they’d got worse over the years in terms of neglect and woeful behaviour.

Realised right then my DDs dad is already loads more awful than he was with me. He left them stranded in a freezing unknown city a couple of years ago as they weren’t smiling ‘properly’ for a photo. Just stormed off. They were 10 & 15.

Jeesh.

OP posts:
bluejelly · 12/09/2021 13:03

He sounds appalling. I wouldn't tell him your new address and I would discourage the children from seeing him. He clearly can't be a good dad.

Ruralbliss · 12/09/2021 13:54

Thanks @bluejelly I agree

OP posts:
Ruralbliss · 12/09/2021 13:57

They're back now snd apparently acted as if nothing had happened this morning

They think it might be good if I tell them I don't want them seeing him.

I wonder whether meals out rather than sleepovers might be the middle ground. They think he turns sour after a few beers.

OP posts:
LaBellina · 12/09/2021 14:02

He sounds like my narc father.
I would say NC is fine.
Just don’t tell him.
If a narc gets the idea that it was his own or it has naturally grown this way, he accepts the situation easier. If you tell him NC he might see that as you challenging him.

Bythemillpond · 12/09/2021 14:05

Why are you encouraging them to keep the relationship going

They don’t want to see him so why force meals out with him

I think though that they do, with your help need to both email him (I would be making up an email address just for this so it can be closed and never opened again) and tell him themselves that they don’t want see him any more.
If you tell him he will just think that you are stopping him seeing his dds and it will cause more trouble.
This has to come from them.

Cherrysoup · 12/09/2021 14:15

At their age, surely they can decide re contact? At 18, your eldest can definitely say no. Just tell her that that’s ok, she doesn’t need permission to refuse to see him when he’s traumatising her.

WandaVision2 · 12/09/2021 14:19

NC is definitely the way to go. You need to protect your DC, I was in this situation as a teenager, my DM refused to let my DF have contact. I felt very guilty and confused at the time but very glad that my DM made that decision for me.

Ruralbliss · 12/09/2021 14:21

Thanks @LaBellina I think this is true and reckon if they formalise their NC decision his narcissistic injury response could be something like cutting them out of his will

@Bythemillpond I'm discouraging them to see him but if in the future he asks to have them over I will suggest to them that they meet him briefly on neutral territory where he can't drink eg a rural pub
Apparently journeys with him are particularly sour too.

I've told them now I think his behaviour is damaging and it's my job to ensure they are safe and happy therefore my strong opinion is for them not to see him.

Apparently he left them with a 'Bye then. Good luck with the move.' We aren't moving until mid to late Oct so would appear he had no ambitions to see them anytime soon.

We're moving an hour in the opposite direction & he lives an hour from us now so suspect the new distance will help their cause as he won't be inclined to find two 4 hour round trip slots to collect & return them over a weekend so this is an unforeseen fringe benefit of relocating for them.

Poor things. It's very confusing having a horrible parent who says they love you but acts like they hate you.

OP posts:
WandaVision2 · 12/09/2021 14:22

This has to come from them

I disagree with this, when I was a teenager and in a similar situation I didn’t feel strong enough to tell my father I didn’t want to have contact with him. I was and am grateful that my mother took control of the situation and told him I would not be seeing him anymore

Tomnooktoldmeto · 12/09/2021 14:22

Give your lovely kids permission to remove this toxic twunt from their lives for good, they’re probably so used to trying to please him that actually giving them permission may liberate them and absolutely don’t give him your new address FlowersWine

LaBellina · 12/09/2021 14:24

Yes OP prepare yourself for petty vengeful little things that he might do intended to cause further hurt and pain. My narc parents preferred method is sending abusive emails.
If you/they go NC, consider blocking his number and email adress. And bin any letters.

Ruralbliss · 12/09/2021 14:24

@Cherrysoup because it's complicated and not straightforward for a damaged teen to know what to do with an absent parent with a fragile ego and a hot temper. She's a people pleaser and each time hopes the time with him will be as wonderful as the vision he spins then it never is and he's always angry with her for minor things not to his liking.

I think @WandaVision2 has the experience I need to draw on I need to help the kids by telling them they will be going against my wishes if they see him.

Right now they would be fine if they never saw him again. They are traumatised and confused and irritated by his weirdness and glad to be home.

OP posts:
Antinerak · 12/09/2021 15:30

Can you go with them to see him if they request it? To a public place he can't act out perhaps? Either keep him around on your terms or get rid completely- block him on everything, change your number if you have to and don't tell him the new address.

If they do choose to see him again, don't let them be alone with him.

Ruralbliss · 12/09/2021 16:47

@Antinerak I'm already blocked & ignored by him for incurring his wrath when I dared to take my kids away in a week he telepathically communicated to me he would have liked to have them with him (providing free childcare for his gf's youngest) so with that all comms were severed as punishment.

My presence would not be acceptable plus I definitely don't want to waste another moment of my time on this planet on him.

It's bit about me though & can see why you've suggested it.

If it was up to me I'd suggest Low Contact instead of No Contact so they are at liberty to answer his infrequent texts but no agreeing to see him other than after we've moved for a coffee/bite to eat in a midway neutral town perhaps where I give them a collection time an hour or so later.

OP posts:
bluejelly · 12/09/2021 17:52

I think low key contact like you suggest sounds a good approach. Also sounds like the longer distance will work in your favour.

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