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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DP told his son to move in without discussion

130 replies

Unknown987 · 31/01/2024 16:53

Hi
I need to know if it's me?
My partner moved in with me and my 2DD - he has 2 ds but live with mum. No talk was ever had about us all living together as that would have affected my decision living together and as DS were 13 and 17 when we met I was told it would be weekend and holiday stays for which we set up a room for them to chill in.
fast forward 3.5 years we have our own DD too in mix (baring in mind we live in a 3 bed).
I have just found out I am unexpectedly pregnant which has thrown me. I cried to my DP how I feel stuck and it is too much and I can't cope - the next day he screen shots a convo with his DS 16 telling him an hour AFTER our convo why does g be move in to ours and how we can help him sort his life out - he has been kicked out of school in year 11 for drugs alcohol and generally shitty behaviour. Any suggestions I made at that time were dismissed (I work in an all boys school teaching GCSE subjects so I know a fair few things in that department) by both his parents.
now 3 months later I am told by screen shot!! That he is moving in and in effect I am to cater for him like I do for our other kids. His parenting is completely different to mine and he has said he expects my parenting to fix him on the straight and narrow which I do not feel is something I am up to doing. For context he does not parent my girls including our DD as I do not agree with his parenting methods.
when I broached it with him he said I'm always angry and it's his son he can decide what he wants.
AIBU to expect he should have at least discussed it with me??
I told him the only way forward is for him to move out and live with his son and we can parent our own individually.
he is saying I am over reacting and having a mental breakdown and I need him.

OP posts:
JFDIYOLO · 01/02/2024 13:42

You're over reacting, having a mental breakdown and you need him.

Ah yes.

Classic coercive controller behaviour.

DARVO - it's all your fault, you're crazy...

You're nothing without me ...

🤔Why do women PUT UP WITH THIS SHIT?

ChubbyMorticia · 01/02/2024 14:01

So, he and his ex have failed his son miserably and now he wants to foist the teenager off on you?

Hell no.

Get him out ASAP

uncomfortablydumb53 · 01/02/2024 14:05

You're entirely sane and reasonable, so don't let him gaslight you about that
It's your house, so I'd get him out asap
What's the point of him!
Regarding the pregnancy, I'm sorry but I wouldn't go ahead

BMW6 · 01/02/2024 14:40

How bloody DARE he announce that his troubled son is moving into YOUR home so YOU get to put him straight!!!!

FFS pack his shit and get him out of your life. Get a termination and don't look back.

Confusednewmum1 · 01/02/2024 14:46

Right out a list of your pain points and what he needs to do to support this;
1 - bigger home - earnings will need to be increased
2- him to have more presence and to fall in line with your parenting
3- for him to be first line for his son, therapy appointments, colleague appointments ect
4- more help at home cleaner ect to be hired
ect
ect

if he can’t make all these things magically happen. How can he expect you to just take them on. The rope is only so long. He has 2 choices change or out.

id email or text him being really clear, talking is too much with all the hormones ect.

Lavender14 · 01/02/2024 14:59

Op I think you're getting some harsh responses on here. Realistically how many of us knew our partners parenting styles before we actually had to co parent? Even with (especially older) step kids you're really only getting a snap shot compared to what it's like parenting together full time with a shared child. So there's always a learning curve there. The question for me is if your partner is willing to learn and from your posts if you're willing to embrace him learning.

I think there's a few things here that are jumping out to me,

Firstly I fully understand why your partner has felt the need to jump to help out his son. He's his parent, it's his responsibility to do that. I do think he should have had a discussion with you about it, but I also think when you get with someone who has children you have to accept that there may come a day where those children need to live with you full time and it may not be at the most convenient moment for you both. But you'd need to accept it as a responsibility that your partner has, just as he'd need to accept it were the roles reversed.

The second thing that jumped out at me was that he expects you to be the one to parent and support his son? That to me suggests he's either very lazy (which doesn't necessarily fit with being happy with his kid coming to live with you all with the issues he's likely to bring with him) or he's actually really not confident in his own parenting abilities. It sounds like something he needs to work on so he can step up and be the parent he needs to be outside of you.

The third thing I wondered about is when you say you regularly have to undermine your partner because you feel he spoils your kids and lacks discipline and you disagree with his parenting methods. I do think that can sometimes be needed- but it can also be really unconstructive as well. If you're regularly undermining him, how is he meant to feel confident in his decisions parenting your shared child (if thats the issue) and could lead to him feeling like he needs to constantly default to you and what you think is correct? That doesn't sound healthy to me at all and I would recommend you both go for joint counselling to try and identify why you aren't able to work as a team and how you communicate and support each other. Either that or you ask him to leave and both continue to parent completely separately. At the very least counselling might help you identify if you've got your walls up after previous trauma and need help letting him in a bit more and loosening the reins, or if he needs to step up and own his responsibilities a bit more around the home and not leave it to you to be bad cop.

In terms of the pregnancy, it might be worth going for a few counselling sessions yourself to determine what you want and what the best option is for you going forwards if it's a baby you think you could come round to, or if perhaps you feel like you need a termination. Obviously there's a lot going on all round so having some clear space to really think that through might be helpful and you deserve to feel supported. Plus the talk of you having a mental breakdown etc would worry me in terms of gaslighting and it would be good to have some support thats just your own to process that.

TheBayLady · 01/02/2024 15:17

What a bloody mess. Why have children with someone whose parenting style is not one you like or ca live with. Cut your loses, kick him out and really consider if you can cope with a fourth child on your own.

pootlin · 01/02/2024 15:21

That he is moving in and in effect I am to cater for him like I do for our other kids. His parenting is completely different to mine and he has said he expects my parenting to fix him on the straight and narrow which I do not feel is something I am up to doing.

He can fuck off! You’re not his nanny.

I told him the only way forward is for him to move out and live with his son and we can parent our own individually.

Good! It’s your house so kick him out this weekend!!

TinyYellow · 01/02/2024 15:21

You chose to start a new family with someone who already had children. There was always a possibility they’d need to live with their father for some reason.

Walking2024now30days · 01/02/2024 15:25

Notimeforaname · 31/01/2024 17:01

told him the only way forward is for him to move out and live with his son and we can parent our own individually.

This is perfect. Stick to your guns.

@Unknown987

as above!!

Do not allow him to gaslight you. There's nothing wrong with YOUR thinking.

He didn't want your help when you offered it, to avoid being right where you are now, so he can go sort himself out.

you don't need a cling on, you have 3 kids & one on the way.

i don't suppose he's been paying his way either.

pootlin · 01/02/2024 15:27

TinyYellow · 01/02/2024 15:21

You chose to start a new family with someone who already had children. There was always a possibility they’d need to live with their father for some reason.

But the reason is that he wants OP to parent HIS children!

OP is totally right to tell him tho fuck off out of her house.

Stop trying to turn into the mother figure.

SecondUsername4me · 01/02/2024 15:27

His parenting style is to give into the child's wants no disciple no routine hence why I override his parenting techniques to avoid having a spoilt brat as a child

Sounds like the perfect man to procreate with

Walking2024now30days · 01/02/2024 15:29

TinyYellow · 01/02/2024 15:21

You chose to start a new family with someone who already had children. There was always a possibility they’d need to live with their father for some reason.

@TinyYellow

that may be so, but when you're living in someone else's over crowded house & have just been told she's not coping & is unexpectedly, you don't send them a screenshot telling them your son is moving in, let alone he's moving in so YOU can straighten them out when you'd refused their earlier advice.

and I'm guessing he doesn't pay his way or isn't offering to contribute to a bigger house for them all.

SpringleDingle · 01/02/2024 15:30

Don't have a baby you don't want.

Don't allow an older child with complex behavioral issues to move into your house and disturb your young child.

Your expectation on him to move out and live with his own child seems very reasonable to me!

toomuchfaff · 01/02/2024 15:32

Notimeforaname · 31/01/2024 17:01

told him the only way forward is for him to move out and live with his son and we can parent our own individually.

This is perfect. Stick to your guns.

This...

SecondUsername4me · 01/02/2024 15:35

For context he does not parent my girls including our DD as I do not agree with his parenting methods

On other threads you say he "fills the emotional needs of dd as you are quite detached from her"

You also say you and he are married? So that means you probably can't just force him to leave as the home is a joint asset.

And he was recently found to be cheating with his ex (mother of his sons)?

Instigate divorce. I see you don't plan on getting an abortion based on religious grounds, so are you planning to continue the pregnancy?

Unknown987 · 01/02/2024 16:34

SecondUsername4me · 01/02/2024 15:35

For context he does not parent my girls including our DD as I do not agree with his parenting methods

On other threads you say he "fills the emotional needs of dd as you are quite detached from her"

You also say you and he are married? So that means you probably can't just force him to leave as the home is a joint asset.

And he was recently found to be cheating with his ex (mother of his sons)?

Instigate divorce. I see you don't plan on getting an abortion based on religious grounds, so are you planning to continue the pregnancy?

He's the fun person who does things with them whereas I am the one who is doing the parenting ie rules routines sanctions etc.
married but not legally so technically not recognised in English law.
Yes he was emotionally cheating on me too.

OP posts:
tara66 · 01/02/2024 16:34

So you told him the only way forward was for him to move out and his reply was that you ''were having a mental breakdown and need him''? As a GCSE teacher how many points out of ten would you give this answer - 0 - zippo -nada - it's a totally unsatisfactory answer. He did not even take in your statement. You need to use very simple repetitive English with this man.

Unknown987 · 01/02/2024 16:35

tara66 · 01/02/2024 16:34

So you told him the only way forward was for him to move out and his reply was that you ''were having a mental breakdown and need him''? As a GCSE teacher how many points out of ten would you give this answer - 0 - zippo -nada - it's a totally unsatisfactory answer. He did not even take in your statement. You need to use very simple repetitive English with this man.

This made me laugh. As he failed all his GCSE's. Including English

OP posts:
tara66 · 01/02/2024 16:37

Ha ha - so he is a charmer!

Shinyandnew1 · 01/02/2024 16:39

He sounds like a right prince among men! Whose house do you live in-this sounds like a bad idea.

married but not legally so technically not recognised in English law.

How can you be non-legally married?

Unknown987 · 01/02/2024 16:40

Shinyandnew1 · 01/02/2024 16:39

He sounds like a right prince among men! Whose house do you live in-this sounds like a bad idea.

married but not legally so technically not recognised in English law.

How can you be non-legally married?

Religious ceremony but not registered legally

OP posts:
Nanny0gg · 01/02/2024 16:44

Unknown987 · 01/02/2024 16:40

Religious ceremony but not registered legally

Is he on your shared child's birth certificate?

You said he'd moved into your house, yes?

Unknown987 · 01/02/2024 16:45

Nanny0gg · 01/02/2024 16:44

Is he on your shared child's birth certificate?

You said he'd moved into your house, yes?

Yes to both.

OP posts:
Beautiful3 · 01/02/2024 16:46

I wouldn't be happy with that either. I wouldn't want a teenage boy who's been taking drugs, in my home.