Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Can't cope with my mothers obsession anymore

99 replies

elliem12368 · 24/07/2024 22:26

Sorry in advance for the longish post here but hear me out Confused I'm 24 have a son who's 3. I'm separated from his father . We parted on awful terms but are coming ok again for the sake of our son. Will never be together again btw. But anyway. When my son was born for a year or so I couldn't face him after what had happened so I got my mother to do contact with him until i came to terms with everything my head was a mess but thankfully things are good now so it was handier for my mother to have the communication with my child's father. For this year or so anyway they got along well talked and communitcated well for the sake of my son . But within this time my mother has gotten "obsessed" or something by him🫤 my mother is 52 and my son's father is 23... when I got my own health and well being sorted me and my child's father back in December started communication instead of my mother doing it. We get along well now which is better than what we did.. so when I took over the contact my mother couldn't cope with this and started getting nasty... my child's father told me in January he had a new girlfriend and was expecting another child. As it's not my business I was ok with this and as long as it's not affecting my child i don't care. The time he has with my child stays the same and the arrangements so I said that's fine I'm not bothered. On the other hand my mother couldn't cope with this for some reason threatened to send anonymous letters to the my child's fathers girlfriend saying about the wrong he had done in the past (4 years ago nearly) I said that is completely not your business , when I told her NO it's not our business she fell out with me and said I depise him he doesn't deserve to have a life at all... he takes my son every second week so on the weekends he doesn't have him obviously being a young lad at 23 he goes out and has a few drinks with his friends (again his own business ) on the weekends he doesn't have my son the next morning my mother without fail says to me was he out last night where was he what was he doing. On Sunday I said to her why are you soo bothered like seriously! She said it's not that I'm bothered he just doesn't deserve to have a life. She said she wants him to suffer because he's out enjoying himself. All this has started since I took over contact and since my child's father has started going out and enjoying himself and has got a girlfriend. Why on earth would my mother be acting like this? It's dragging me down big time I'm starting to think am I the one being unreasonable!! It's almost as if she's a woman scorned as people would say for no apparent reason. How would I even address this whole situation . Sorry again for long post!

OP posts:
5128gap · 29/07/2024 11:52

You know your mum OP. Would this 52 year old woman have developed the hots for some 23 year old 'charmer' with two children by two different women who has hurt her daughter so badly she couldn't face contact with him? Or do you think she has you and her GC in mind when she is asking about his behaviour?

OvertiredFarAway · 29/07/2024 11:54

YABU. You relied on her heavily, to the point you made her have contact with him for a year. His behaviour has had a huge impact on her and her life and you used her when you couldn't cope. She is angry and can't let it go. She most definitely doesn't "fancy" him.

notbestintest · 29/07/2024 11:56

You haven’t had any contact with him for 4 years OP. Your mum had to do the dirty work for you. So she has basically known him longer than you. She has seen how nasty he is and she had to deal with it for years and years. Not you. So perhaps give her some credit. I hope you have thanked her.

Boutonnière · 29/07/2024 12:12

The suggestion that she has a crush on him is utterly bizarre. She is, understandably, protective of you and can see him for the disaster of a person that he is. It would be better for her own peace of mind if she didn’t try to track his ongoing irresponsible behaviour so she should step down from that and stop asking you - in her mind she is just trying to reinforce to you that he’s a wastrel but she’s going to have to accept that you will come to that conclusion yourself,whilst standing by for helping you out when disappointment occurs re his parenting obligations.

5128gap · 29/07/2024 12:22

This reply has been withdrawn

Message withdrawn - formatting issues

notbestintest · 29/07/2024 12:26

Your username is appropriate @5128gap 🤣 That was a huge gap!

Marchingonagain · 29/07/2024 12:26

Rather than wondering if they had a fling, it made me wonder whether it pressed any buttons about her own past. Was she dumped badly by a man, maybe your father?

5128gap · 29/07/2024 12:29

notbestintest · 29/07/2024 12:26

Your username is appropriate @5128gap 🤣 That was a huge gap!

I know! It crashed and I can't edit it out. Apologies.

notbestintest · 29/07/2024 12:35

5128gap · 29/07/2024 12:29

I know! It crashed and I can't edit it out. Apologies.

I'd also add OP, that if you were my daughter I'd be a bit irritated as well tbh. Considering how badly he must have behaved towards you, you are remarkably considerate of this 'young lad' and his rights to do exactly as he pleases after only being on speaking terms a matter of months. He is not a typical 23 year old. He is a father of two, and as such what might be 'understandable' for him to want to do, and what he should be doing (while two women mind his children!) are two different things. If I were your mum I'd be hoping living the life of a 23 year old wasn't impacting on his financial and practical support for his two children at the very least. I think I'd be a little frustrated to hear you defending his rights and prefer to see you looking to your own.

Every word is very spot on though.

5128gap · 29/07/2024 12:36

notbestintest · 29/07/2024 12:35

I'd also add OP, that if you were my daughter I'd be a bit irritated as well tbh. Considering how badly he must have behaved towards you, you are remarkably considerate of this 'young lad' and his rights to do exactly as he pleases after only being on speaking terms a matter of months. He is not a typical 23 year old. He is a father of two, and as such what might be 'understandable' for him to want to do, and what he should be doing (while two women mind his children!) are two different things. If I were your mum I'd be hoping living the life of a 23 year old wasn't impacting on his financial and practical support for his two children at the very least. I think I'd be a little frustrated to hear you defending his rights and prefer to see you looking to your own.

Every word is very spot on though.

Thank you! I've reported it to try and get it reformatted!

elliem12368 · 29/07/2024 12:37

I didn't say she had a crush on him. But I do think to a degree she has become a little obsessed with him in the time she had contact with him. When they were doing contact she used to say I was stopping them from having contact when I took it over and even said my child's father was her "friend" I understand she's angry with as am I. I personally don't like him myself. I hate him in fact. But I do not go on the way she does. She was stalking his TikTok and seen he was reposting girls videos and she said are them girls local he's reposting do you think he talks to them . There is no excuse for her to be so badly invested with his private life and asking constantly about his Snapchat score and what photos and what girls he talks to on his phone. Every girl she found out he was with in the past she messaged them until I found out and had to put a stop to it. And asking constantly if he's on a night out and going clean buck mad when she finds out he's out. Or going mad if he's on a girls Snapchat story. This is where I have the problem I told her to stop it's super annoying and dragging me down she needs to let him go and move on.

OP posts:
CitizenKewl · 29/07/2024 12:43

Definitely better for the kid to see good communication between his parents so that is good. Any mother who resorts to tactics like she threatened seems a bit odd.

PrueRamsay · 29/07/2024 13:03

So she was annoyed when you took back control of the contact and regarded him as “her friend “

Yeah this sounds really quite odd OP. Her obsession with him is very strange. How does she contact you about him? Can you just ignore the stupid questions about which women he is dating etc? I think she needs to be put on a very strict information diet until she gets herself right again.

Marosanne · 29/07/2024 13:28

Sounds like she's jealous of his new girlfriend and is upset that he doesn't need her in his life anymore. Even if she didn't have a crush on him, she was probably flattered by having a "relationship" with him and having an important role as go between. She maybe even kidded herself that it was more than it was (52 isn't old). Now she feels rejected and scorned because she is no longer in his life.

stichguru · 29/07/2024 13:32

Is your mum mentally ok? Could she be depressed or have some other kind of mental illness/dementia? You know this situation is a sliding scale outcome from

  • Your kid gets a lovely step sibiling who he adores and dad spends weekends with them both, supports both woman and the blended family get on well.
  • To dad tries to get out of support payments using the other kid as an excuse. Tries to get out of seeing your child - other child is sick or needs to do something that your child can't join in with.
It sounds like your mum is convinced it will definately be the second one.
FuzzyStripes · 29/07/2024 13:32

elliem12368 · 29/07/2024 12:37

I didn't say she had a crush on him. But I do think to a degree she has become a little obsessed with him in the time she had contact with him. When they were doing contact she used to say I was stopping them from having contact when I took it over and even said my child's father was her "friend" I understand she's angry with as am I. I personally don't like him myself. I hate him in fact. But I do not go on the way she does. She was stalking his TikTok and seen he was reposting girls videos and she said are them girls local he's reposting do you think he talks to them . There is no excuse for her to be so badly invested with his private life and asking constantly about his Snapchat score and what photos and what girls he talks to on his phone. Every girl she found out he was with in the past she messaged them until I found out and had to put a stop to it. And asking constantly if he's on a night out and going clean buck mad when she finds out he's out. Or going mad if he's on a girls Snapchat story. This is where I have the problem I told her to stop it's super annoying and dragging me down she needs to let him go and move on.

But you stepped back and left her to do all the contact and effectively be your voice at the time the breakup happened so that’s what’s she’s done, albeit she is projecting the emotion she saw in you onto this rather than dealing with you both objectively.

You can’t have it both ways and not have contact with him so get her to have it all and now dictate how she does it because you find it annoying. One of the difficult things with being an adult is to actually adult and get yourself through situations that are difficult or unpleasant without expecting your parents to do it for you.

betterangels · 29/07/2024 13:33

I'd also add OP, that if you were my daughter I'd be a bit irritated as well tbh. Considering how badly he must have behaved towards you, you are remarkably considerate of this 'young lad' and his rights to do exactly as he pleases after only being on speaking terms a matter of months. He is not a typical 23 year old. He is a father of two, and as such what might be 'understandable' for him to want to do, and what he should be doing (while two women mind his children!) are two different things. If I were your mum I'd be hoping living the life of a 23 year old wasn't impacting on his financial and practical support for his two children at the very least. I think I'd be a little frustrated to hear you defending his rights and prefer to see you looking to your own.

Absolutely all of this. Every word.

Mama2many73 · 29/07/2024 13:44

I agree with pp saying that she is angry on your behalf whether or not you want or need her to be.
My view is that while he was single he was stepping up to be a good dad to your son. Instead of concentrating on that relationship he's got a new girl friend who is now pregnant, that seems to have happened very quickly ie she's a NEW girlfriend who is ALREADY pregnant. Now i fully get it is his life but his actions will affect your son and I think thinks where your DM is coming from.
You are living the day to day with everything being a single parent brings. He has moved on and is already on to playing happy families with family number 2, she has watched her DD have massive issues regarding this bloke (in the past but not that long ago )and because she loves her DD and her GS so much she now struggling and worrying how this 'mans' actions will affect them.

Have a decent conversation with her, talk about why she is so angry, explain why you are not. I don't know this bloke but I'm not thinking very highly of him either!

Lisachooky · 29/07/2024 13:58

Not healthy,your Mum clearly is obsessed with your ex's life,you need to get her to back off before things get totally out of control, put all your joint energy into your child,focus on your immediate family that does not include your ex moving on and having another relationship with someone else and them having a child,

TeaGinandFags · 29/07/2024 14:24

MNHQ I banged on the wrong conversation. Pls delete.

Thank you.

Dubuem · 29/07/2024 14:41

Op, have you always had a good relationship with your mum? If so, don't belittle her attitude. You are still her baby and she is seriously hacked off on your behalf. Rightly so. This will affect your son as he has a step sibling in the mix now. Hopefully all will blend OK. When your mum becomes animated with your ex again, just say 'dont know, don't care, we got through OK thanks mum', then make here a cuppa and talk about other things.

Marwoodsbigbreak · 29/07/2024 16:12

Many posters seem to be fixated on a notion that the mother is angry with her daughter’s ex.

In fact, OP says she regarded herself as his friend, and is pissed off that OP has taken back the reins with regards to child contact. It doesn’t sound like she’s remotely angry with him.

I have seen this kind of fixation before, with my best friends mum getting obsessed with my boyfriend/ex. My friend actually found photos of him in her mums bedside drawers, including one she had cut me out of 😂😂😂

You know your mother best OP. You really need to help her refocus, as if she keeps contacting his current squeezes, it could cause problems for you down the line…

BMW6 · 29/07/2024 16:51

I'm in the 'Your mum's developed a crush on him' camp

She doesn't sound angry over his treatment of you in the past, just what's he's up to now.

Willmafrockfit · 29/07/2024 19:03

is she always obsessed about things.
perhaps she needs another obsession.?

talk to her op

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread