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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To go NC with mum

12 replies

Margerinedreams6872 · 20/12/2023 20:22

First time poster here.
Long one - apologies and sorry for the crap grammar / syntax 😊
I recently cut contact with my mum. I grew up with a stepdad from the age of 1, who had always been emotionally cold and jealous of mine and my mum’s relationship. Whilst I didn’t have the worst childhood, my household felt very different to other households. My mum allowed him to be this way with me, and whilst she was protective in other situations, she would allow him to be controlling and a bully to me. Examples: no affection ever, he never called me by my name just ‘oi’, he would make me go out the hours for a few hours after school even if my mates were busy, I wasn’t allowed back home until a certain time, I was never allowed to eat with them, I ate in a separate room on my own. When I was little he would get jealous if I sat on my mums lap or played with her hair and tell me to leave her alone. I once forgot to wash the pots so he poured the cold water all over my bed. When I went to uni, I wasn’t allowed to come home for Xmas as we didn’t see eye to eye. My mum was happy for me to stay at uni over Xmas on my own. A few years back we all had a Xmas drink together and ‘tried it on’ when my mum went to bed. I was immediately disgusted, devastated and told my mum. We both left the house to stay at my nans. She later got back with him l after a few days and flew out on a holiday with him. She told me ‘one day you will have your own family you’ll understand’ I still don’t understand. I only saw her a handful of times a year over the next years. When I got with my partner and we got pregnant she became more involved in our lives and she became a great grandparent to our child. Can’t fault her on that. When I was pregnant with my second child she said she had saved some annual leave for when the baby was born so she could help out in any way she could. I asked if she could look after DS once labour had started until we returned home from the hospital. She was very happy to do this (she had previously also insisted she wanted to be at both of my births but I declined and she was v upset). In the run up to my due date, I had all signs of imminent labour and mum and I agreed that the next few days she would defo need to be on standby as my body was showing signs of baby coming. The next day she text me and said ‘i can’t be on standby tomorrow cause we’re going out for a meal’, I asked her if this was a joke. She said no and asked if I was upset. There were a few exchanges before I lost my shit and told her I was sick of her putting her partner before me. She was fuming at this and called me ‘fucking selfish’. If she had said she was going for a meal but would be on standby for labour or even have asked if there was anyone else at all to cover (there wasn’t) I would have been okay. I did in fact go in to labour on due date. My partner text her when I was in labour to let her know I was having the baby. She replied ‘ok’. And we didn’t hear from her for 6 weeks. She knew nothing of the birth or if myself and baby had made it safely through delivery. She wouldn’t have known, there was absolutely no one else she could have asked to find this info out. She contacted me 6 weeks later asking to see the children.
AIBU to say enough is enough?

OP posts:
LeonieSN93 · 20/12/2023 20:29

By the time I'd read the first half of this post I was already thinking that NC would be the best thing for you and your children and after reading the whole thing I feel even stronger about that.

The way your stepdad treated you all those years was so horribly abusive and vile and the fact that she allowed this is sickening.

I can only imagine getting her out of your life would be a huge improvement for you.

Definitely not being unreasonable for saying enough is enough OP Flowers

Margerinedreams6872 · 20/12/2023 20:35

Thank you for your reply 😊

OP posts:
SisterMichaelsHabit · 20/12/2023 20:36

Yes just cut this toxic woman from your life. She has not been like a mother to you so stop treating her like one. She doesn't deserve the time of day from you and she definitely doesn't deserve a "second chance" at playing house with your kids after how she treated you as a child. Cut her now to spare temptation of ever using her as a babysitter when she would be just as awful to your kids behind closed doors as she was and is to you.

Purplecatshopaholic · 20/12/2023 20:37

Jeezo, she’s appalling! Go NC, do it now. How some people can treat their children so badly never ceases to amaze me - I’m sorry op

SisterMichaelsHabit · 20/12/2023 20:38

Also I find as my children get older I get even angrier at how my DM treated me because I cannot understand how anyone can behave that way towards wonderful, lovely, innocent children (even when they're not perfect).

Margerinedreams6872 · 20/12/2023 20:40

I have found that since having my own children, I understand her behaviour less and less.

OP posts:
StasisMom · 20/12/2023 20:45

Bloody hell NC now!

Badgerandfox227 · 20/12/2023 20:46

Her behaviour to you as a child was really awful, as you say, especially when you become a parent yourself you can’t understand how anyone could treat their children that way.
The problem is that as an adult when she does something equally awful it brings back all of the memories from your childhood. I think you need to consider what’s best for you, and if that’s NC then that’s completely ok

StasisMom · 20/12/2023 20:46

And yep, I cannot understand hitting a child, I can't think how that ever seemed acceptable. Oh hang on, everyone did it then... 😶

NorthernSpirit · 20/12/2023 20:53

I am so sorry you have had to endure this behaviour. It’s absolutely not acceptable.

As I read your post I was aghast at how cruel two people can be. Two people who should be caring for you.

Your SF is toxic and your mother is his enabler. They have both abused you and their actions are unforgivable.

IMO you should go NC with both of them.

Flow the ‘Stately Homes’ thread on MN. You are not alone and there will be lots of support and advice on there.

You do not deserve to treated like this and my worry is they are so disordered in their thinking that they will start to treat your children the same way as they have treated you.

Good luck 🤞

Rainbow821 · 20/12/2023 21:04

Hi OP, I’m in kind of a similar situation my DM was supposed to be on standby for the birth of DC2 but started a silly argument just before the birth so I had to ask a neighbour to look after DC1 whilst I gave birth. My DH had to rush back to collect our child so minimal support at the hospital for me.

Fast forward I forgave her but every few months she started more silly arguments which were endless. I’ve decided to go NC after lots of emotional abuse and now she’s requested to see DC - I’ve simply said no as I feel that I only want positive influences in my children’s lives and if DM can’t respect her own kids, then I can’t see how they can respect their grandkids. It sounds like you’re doing the right thing with NC!

Margerinedreams6872 · 20/12/2023 21:17

I feel for you. I’m glad you are putting you and your DC first. It’s a tough decision to make, but I guess prioritising ourselves can be healing. I grieve the idea of better parents. I find my kids have helped the healing too x

OP posts:
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