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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not accept him into our family again!

11 replies

CannotUnderstandItAtAll · 23/07/2023 02:46

DD (24) has been with her boyfriend for 3 years. He’s her first proper relationship. At first he seemed like a nice lad and we got on well.

Within a few months it turned into a shitshow and red flags started appearing. They’ve broken up so many times. Constant arguing, her in tears telling us how horrible he is to her. Dramas on holidays abroad, nights out where’s he’s ditched her. We been constantly telling her to end it for good as relationships are supposed to make you happy!

He cheated on her earlier this year just after she’d supported him through a close family bereavement (which was a lot for her to cope with) but she still got back with him a few weeks later after lying that she hadn’t.

We were gobsmacked as she’s always said she wouldn’t stand for cheating and she’d got angry about it when it had happened to her friends.

We said it was her choice but we didn’t want anything to do with him anymore and wouldn’t have him in the house.

If boyfriend hadn’t run off by the time DH went to get her in the middle of the night (she was hysterical) after she caught him with another woman, DH would have probably ended up in prison.

We’ve talked to her over and over, paid for her to see a therapist. Vainly hoping she’d wise up and end it.

I cannot understand it as mine and DHs relationship (30 years) is nothing like this so it’s not like she’s been brought up with a relationship like this like as a model.

She has loud screaming arguments with him down the phone which you can hear all over the house and she’s constantly in a bad mood causing arguments with us and her siblings.

A week ago, she had a massive meltdown when DH had to tell her repeatedly to get off the phone as we could hear it all and we told her to leave and not come back until she’d ended it with him for good as we’re sick of it.

She was supposedly staying with her friend but she moved in with him.

Since then, we’ve been communicating and she insists she loves him, won’t end it and is moving in with him permanently so she wants us to accept him so they can come round for dinner, attend family events etc. She says she’s forgiven him so should we, he hates it that we hate him etc.

We keep telling her she’s a beautiful, intelligent woman who can do anything. She’s got good career prospects and she could do so much better.

Why stay with a cheating, weed smoking, binge drinking, sexist, emotionally abusive twat??!!

He wants kids, she wanted to travel and live abroad and I’m so worried she’s going to get trapped in a shit relationship, will have DC with him and ruin her life.

On one side accepting him will keep her close and we can pretend we are OK with him (will be really hard to do) but then we’re also colluding in her staying in a relationship like this aren’t we?

Can’t imagine arranging her wedding to him 🤮.

On the other side if we refuse and keep telling her to get rid, we’d be alienating her and potentially forcing her to stay with him as she won’t want to admit we are right!

WWYD?

OP posts:
Groutyonehereagain · 23/07/2023 02:50

We are dealing with a situation with our son. I’ve learned that what you do is keep completely quiet.

Assignedtoworryyourmother · 23/07/2023 02:54

As the saying goes, Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. If you push DD away she'll run to him. You need to maintain your relationship with her unless it becomes totally untenable. I'm with your dh, if it was my DD I'd happily do time, but that's not helpful so play the long game.

Summer2424 · 23/07/2023 03:58

Hi @CannotUnderstandItAtAll
I would say allow him into your family. I know it will be hard, i have a DD and oh god i would find this hard but in the long run it will be better. It's only a matter of time and i'm sure your DD will find the strength to leave him.
All the best and i hope things workout for the better xx

KajsaKavat · 23/07/2023 03:59

I think you have to accept her decision, however wrong it is, or you’ll loose here and she won’t be able to come to you if she one day realised she is wrong and wants tk leave him.

what a horrible situation though, must be so tough

sparkellie · 23/07/2023 06:17

It's crap, but you suck it up and do whatever it takes to have a relationship with her.
When (because it will happen) she is ready to leave you will be there for her. It will be 100x easier for her to make that decision knowing you will be there and already have her back.
If you fight her on this you create a 'us vs the world' mentality which will make her more determined to stay whatever.
I'm sorry she's choosing this relationship at the moment, and truly hope she's out of it soon.

Roselilly36 · 23/07/2023 06:24

Groutyonehereagain · 23/07/2023 02:50

We are dealing with a situation with our son. I’ve learned that what you do is keep completely quiet.

Indeed, we follow that same, absolutely no point in getting involved.

Lacucuracha · 23/07/2023 06:30

she wants us to accept him so they can come round for dinner, attend family events etc.

What does this mean in practise?

Will she they think they can just turn up for dinner, stay for the weekend etc? Or will you be able to limit him coming to dinner to once a month for example?

Does she expect them to come on family holidays?

CurlewKate · 23/07/2023 06:39

It's so hard. I remember when I asked my dd why she had gone back to the man who abused her when there was a court order against him and she promised that she wouldn't, she said "I just wanted to be happy for a little while." It still breaks my heart to remember that.

The Freedom Programme saved my daughter.

TheaBrandt · 23/07/2023 06:41

I did this in my twenties. My ex wasn’t unfaithful but he was unstable coukd be verbally abusive and liked his cocaine. My parents said nothing but I knew their views.

I got back with him in secret and didn’t tell them but think they knew. Came to my senses at 28 I had to move jobs and cities to break the cycle that made me finally end it. Met Dh who is the direct opposite of my ex. My parents absolutely adore him my dad cried with relief at our wedding.

Holly60 · 23/07/2023 06:57

Assignedtoworryyourmother · 23/07/2023 02:54

As the saying goes, Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. If you push DD away she'll run to him. You need to maintain your relationship with her unless it becomes totally untenable. I'm with your dh, if it was my DD I'd happily do time, but that's not helpful so play the long game.

Absolutely this.

I would also try, hard as it may be, to avoid criticising him.

If she comes to you because he has done something shit, rather than agreeing with her and telling her how awful he is, you need to stay neutral- 'oh love that sounds hard'. 'That sounds like a tricky situation' etc. That way she will keep communicating with you and telling you what is going on. If she thinks you hate him she won't tell you stuff to fuel that.

Anything to keep her talking to you, basically.

Babsexxx · 23/07/2023 07:00

fuck this op stick to your word and attitude “I don’t care what goes on now, but leave us all out of it! He won’t be accepted by us and we don’t have to accept him.”

I would be concerned with the having kids scenario though…extremely! Clearly has dog shit in her eyes at the minute, it won’t last.

I wouldn’t have screaming and arguing in my house on the phone either unsettling the entire household you where 100% right to kick her out!

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