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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sick of him dragging my child down

203 replies

gooddayturnedshit · 31/05/2023 13:27

I have three children from my previous marriage, aged 12, 9 and 7. DP and I have an 18 month old together and we all now live together as a family of 6.
So today DP calls me on his way back from golf and says he wants to take us all out for lunch. 12 year old is away with a friend the other side of the country, so it'll be the 5 of us.
He gets in the house and asks me if I've heard from DD. I say yes, she called me earlier to ask me to send some money as she's going to a big shopping centre. He says that he missed a call from her and guessed it was about money so called her back. Apparently she declined his call, so he commented that he then knew she must have been sorted out with some spending money. A reasonable thing to say and I thought the conversation would then move on. But no, as usual he wants to talk about how rude she is. I said 'yes, I know. She is rude sometimes but I'm hoping she'll outgrow it'. Then he just starts ranting on at me as per usual about how he thinks she might be a psychopath! I carry on pottering about half listening to this bollocks, and then at some point I comment that all 12 year old girls seem to be a bit rude and entitled at times and mine is no different. She'll realise that she can't get away with it for much longer when it starts hindering her progress in life, blah blah blah. We just need to keep correcting her.
But he won't shut up about how awful she is. He does this all the time, always taking issue with what he perceives to be my lack of discipline. The underlying message seems to be that he thinks I'm a bad mother.

Anyway. I reiterate that all kids can be knobs at times and point out that his nephew is rude to me. He's only 11 but rarely says please or thank you and is pretty entitled. DP shouts at me 'It's not a competition!' I say that I know this, I'm just pointing out that kids are all thoughtless at times and that his nephew was really rude about the last present we bought for him. 'Well maybe he just doesn't like you' he says.

At this point I leave the room. He's an idiot and I can't argue with someone like that. I get myself a cup of tea and go upstairs to try and snap out of the bad mood he's put me in. Ten minutes later he marches in, says am I coming out for lunch or what. I reply that I'm not really feeling like it now, sorry. Then he tells me I'm being horrible to him and asks me if I'm drunk. 🤷‍♀️ Of course I'm not drunk, ffs.
Before he storms off he slags my daughter off again and says something like 'so that's it then, is it? No intervention needed? Because if our little boy ever behaves like she does you better believe I'd do something about it'

I'm so tired of him sweeping in to the house and ranting at me about things, particularly my children not being good enough.

Did I overreact?

OP posts:
LemonSherbertIce · 01/06/2023 21:43

@MrJollyLivesNextDoor well put. It’s a shame. Unfortunately I think it’s a case of money talks.

RandomMess · 01/06/2023 21:51

@gooddayturnedshit why don't you look for a parenting of teens course to do with your DP so he gets to hear from other parents that her behaviour is pretty normal?

The other thing to consider is seeing a therapist together so you can discuss how is ranting is hurtful and why does he feel the need to exaggerate how her behaviour his? This is about him and his baggage. Perhaps he didn't dare say anything to his parents and doesn't realise that what was fear rather than respect?

NotMyMill · 01/06/2023 21:51

As a parent even if your children love something toxic or harmful to them, I’d have thought it was your job to remove it from them, or in your case remove HIM from them?

when I was a kid I always thought it was horrific when my friends had step dads or stepmoms who found them annoying and treated them less than their own bio kids.

I’m thankful my mum didn’t entertain any relationship while we were young.

Some stepdads can be good but not one who calls his step kids psychopaths.

See how offended he was when you said something minor about his nephew ? It’s because he sees his flesh and blood very differently.

This will become increasingly apparent to the kids as they grow older and less naive.

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