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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To book tickets to see same show as husband and step-daughter

246 replies

Tinogirl · 06/11/2024 02:07

Every year husband’s niece is in a pantomime and SiL buys tickets for DH and stepdaughter and the rest of the family but not me and my daughter. They then go to a Greek restaurant.

I am fed up of the exclusion so this year I am going to book tickets and a table at the restaurant for me and DD.

When I confront SiL she says that her kids don’t get to see step-daughter that often, and I said that my daughter won’t get in the way of them seeing her just by being there.

DH can’t see what the fuss is about and why I want to go.

DH thinks if I go ahead with my plan it will be embarrassing for me. I don’t think so.

OP posts:
CrowleyKitten · 08/11/2024 00:57

it's weird that they're excluding you, but they have no reason to be bothered if you attend separately. it's sad if they know you'd like to be part of it, but they're not extending the invitation to you. I probably wouldn't bother eating at the same place afterwards though. it might feel awkward. although maybe doing it this once will make them see that they're being unfair and you feel excluded.
if it embarasses them, it's their problem. they have no say in what you do with that day

HomeTheatreSystem · 08/11/2024 03:51

OP, a couple of posters mentioned a previous post of yours about the 2 girls not getting on so I had a look.

Since Christmas last year you've made 4 posts, all on the same theme of why you / your DD weren't invited to DH's family events and there are details in these previous posts which are relevant to what's going on between you all and why you initially came up with this idea of how to manage the latest exclusion from an invitation to the panto/Greek restaurant.

Your daughter has a mum and a dad already. She already has her own bio family. The lack of contact with her bio dad/paternal grandparents is for the pair of you to remedy for the sake of your daughter. It is insanity to think that just by dint of you and your DH marrying, you have the right to co-opt his bio family into treating you and yours like their own and including you in invitations. They don't. Their loyalty, first and foremost, is to their actual relative, your husband's daughter who deeply resents her step sister. If your marriage fails, neither you nor your daughter will see them ever again. Same for if your DH happened to pass away.

Have you tried putting yourself in his daughter's shoes at all? She was born of a liaison between your DH and a woman so not into a family situation where the parents are very much together. Fortunately, her dad very much wants her in his life and up until he moved in with you and his step daughter, it sounds like she stayed overnight with him a lot. Now its down to one night a month and the other 29 days she knows her much loved dad is playing happy families in a proper family home with another little girl and a woman who is not her mother. That is a deep source of pain for his daughter. Why would she want to rub her own nose in it by staying the night in YOUR house with you all. It's too much for her to handle emotionally.

While I accept the relationship with her dad isn’t the same as if they lived under the same roof I would argue that they are incredibly close given the unusual circumstances.

In your thread about the lack of wedding invitation for your daughter to the cousin's wedding at which DH's bio daughter would be bridesmaid, you even leveraged the fact your daughter sees him more than his own!!

Money and space isn’t an issue. DH is good to my daughter but doesn’t see why his cousin would see her as a niece but he sees my child more than the one who is a bridesmaid.

She has DH's large extended family which doubtless provides her with love, comfort and support as and when she sees them which sounds like it's not all that often (the panto in question) but you and your daughter want in on that too, despite knowing the pair of girls don't get on. The family know that and will not want to add in more upset for her than has already been the case, hence them not wanting to always include you/DH's DSD. You've said the girls don't have to interact with each other at these events which is laughable.

You really need to back off and to accept that the damage between you and DH's family has been done. You've been married 5? years now and it is evident from your posts that, quite aside from the above, you will have come across to the family as pushy and for that alone you have probably and irretrievably alienated them to the point where you are both tolerated under sufferance. They are very polite to you of course but they will be as you are their relative's wife. Whilst I'm sure they are an attractive family to be a part of you don't get to opt in because you like what they appear to offer. (I'm sure if they were a bunch of low life reprobates you'd be giving your DH every excuse under the sun not to see them, family or not). You really need to reframe their relevance to your daughter so that she understands that she has her own family, your DH's family are not her family, but more like friends, and there may be invitations from them that do or do not include her/you which is all quite normal. You need to work on this now because once the teenage hormones kick in for both girls, this situation is going to become intractable and I would not be surprised if with that pressure and your constant FOMO your DH gets monumentally pissed off and calls time on the relationship.

Maybe post a thread about how to go about building a relationship with your daughter's paternal side of the family instead of your misplaced fussing about not being invited to pantos or private school carol services or birthday parties or the lunches held by cousins you've never met returned from years abroad.

I totally agree that my daughter’s lack of relationship with her actual father has the potential to be more heartbreaking for her than her lack of relationship with her step-sister.

Step families are with very few exceptions an absolute minefield for everyone, but it's the children who are almost completely without agency in their creation, who suffer the most from the casually cruel way adults drag their offspring into their new set ups and abjectly fail to understand the impact it's had on them. Why do you think many parents opt to remain single or at least do not join households until their kids are moving on to their own independent lives? Marry if you wish but no one else has to like it.

Lyraloo · 08/11/2024 06:14

What on earth is your DH thinking? He’s the problem here. You’re a family, why on earth would he do this at Christmas to his other child?

Lyraloo · 08/11/2024 06:22

Thanks to HomeTheatreSystem I now realise the full story of what’s going on here! Yes you are being totally unreasonable and you sound jealous and petty about his DD. It can’t always be “me first” for you and your DD. Grow up and let his DC have some time with her dad. It sounds as if he’s trying his best in a difficult situation.

Eventmrs · 08/11/2024 09:33

I'd do it but book a different restaurant. You can then have quality time together instead of with toxic SIL

Whoowhoopitstbesoundofthedapolice · 08/11/2024 09:39

I've said yanbu because that is very hurtful behaviour, but for the love of fuck stop what you are doing.

Do not continue to try and get these people to like you. Stay away and keep your kid away as well. Your husband is being deliberately obtuse...bigger conversation needed.

TheBigFatMermaid · 08/11/2024 13:04

My own children have been involved in various stage shows and no way would I presume that anyone not directly close to them would WANT to endure sitting in the audience. It might be more along the lines of that than spite against you and your DD.

I'm glad you have listened and aren't going to put your DD through the mortification of going to this event uninvited! You may have made your point (what point?) but at a terrible cost to both your DD and your relationship with your DH.

I would suggest a chat with him about loyalty etc but that's a separate issue.

MsDitsy · 08/11/2024 13:19

Why dont you take your daughter to one of the fabulous Christmas markets abroad instead? You can book hotels and flights or go on a coach trip. If it can be at the same time as your husband is going to the panto, it won't cross her mind to wonder why she isn't invited. Make it your own tradition, one you can include your grandchildren in, if and when they appear.

ThisQuickLeader · 09/11/2024 07:11

Your poor step-daughter. Not only does she have to deal with her Dad playing full-time Daddy to your daughter, she doesn't even like your daughter (her step-sister) and you constantly throw your toys out of the pram because HER family want to see her and not always include your child.

Poor girl.

You shouldn't have married someone with a child.

Dogsbreath7 · 09/11/2024 07:57

Very icky.

Di book something much more fabulous than an amateur pantomime they. Splash the cash - spa day? Followed by theatre.

do reciprocate through the year. sIL has planted her flag.

Shinyandnew1 · 09/11/2024 08:00

Sounds like a huge backstory here! Don’t do it.

isthesolution · 09/11/2024 08:11

I'd get in touch with sil and say

'My daughter and I would really like to come to the pantomime this year. Will you be able to book the tickets with your or shall I organise my own? Also please could you add us to the restaurant booking. Thanks'

If she says 'no we don't want you to come' then your husband needs to step in and tell her not to book for him and his daughter either as they will be going with you!

Bellyblueboy · 09/11/2024 16:00

I honestly couldn’t force my way in. Knowing I wasn’t wanted at a family event would mean I would never attend.

I think it is important to teach your daughter the lesson here - she is worth more than these people. She doesn’t have to beg to be included. If you’re not asked don’t go.

Seaweed42 · 09/11/2024 17:18

What age is DSD? And how long was your DH split up from his ex before he had DD with you?
It would seem that they are favouring the ex wife and her daughter as the 'family' while you and your DD with DH are the later additions, so to speak.
Is that what goes on? Does MIL include the ex wife in celebrations?

GingerDoris · 10/11/2024 08:16

I get why you are annoyed but this would be cringe worthy to go through with. Not fair on your daughter or any of the kids involved either. If your husband won't ask for you to be invited then I would take my girl to go and see another pantomime/cinema trip and go for a lovely lunch together elsewhere. Make the most of the time just the two of you and start your own little tradition. Tits to the others.

anareen · 10/11/2024 08:21

Don't embarrass yourself and daughter like that. I would have said nothing after your SIL response when you confronted her. It almost comes off as desperate/begging like.

Your husband shouldn't not be partaking in this. He is embarrassing you and your daughter. He should be standing up for you two.

CosyLemur · 10/11/2024 08:51

THisbackwithavengeance · 06/11/2024 05:36

I can't believe people are defending the SIL.

It's clearly a big family tradition and I bet other family members are invited.

The OP is part of their family. She's married and her DD is her DH's SD and lives under his roof. It's a legal familial relationship; I'm sick of people on MN acting like stepchildren are just some random kids getting in the way.

To exclude the OP and her DD is a terrible thing to do and fucking spiteful.

I can't believe your DH stands for it.

Possibly because the OP has made a lot of threads about the relationship between DD and DSC stating that although DSC wants a relationship with DD; DD is horrible to them and doesn't like them.

Would you invite someone who is horrible to your niece or nephew?

Thirstysue · 10/11/2024 08:53

Your problem is with your husband. And if you go ahead with your plan you're going to embarrass yourself and make your daughter feel awkward.

ColaCar · 10/11/2024 09:04

Instead of wasting your money on watching a show you are only seeing to make a point.

Spend it on taking your daughter somewhere the same night and treat her.

Girlmum2203 · 10/11/2024 09:09

Why don't you make a new tradition with your DD for this night every year? It's obvious your SIL won't be inviting you so make memories with your DD and let them get on with it. I'm excluded from my SDs school plays/performances so my DH takes our DD and my DD with him and I enjoy the evening to myself for a change. It's one night, there's 365 nights in a year. I think it's time to accept things and move on.

Enterthedragonqueen · 10/11/2024 09:10

I wouldn't waste my money on the ticket tbh, there is no warmth from the sd to your dd. Why would you pay to put yourself through this and then be humiliated if the sd doesn't come out to say hello?

Spend your money on a lovely outing with just you and your daughter, don't pay to have yourself humiliated. That's just stupid, have some dignity and self worth.

Removed niece and added sd

anareen · 10/11/2024 09:21

@CosyLemur

Oh that is interesting! OP should have some idea then of why they are not invited I would think.

Rachybabez · 10/11/2024 09:42

Yikes, no don't do that! You will look like a right phycho. Just leave it be

CrayonCritic5 · 10/11/2024 10:46

MumChp · 06/11/2024 02:18

My husband would tell her to buy 4 tickets and if not he wouldn't join. We are a family not pick and choose.
You have a husband issue.

I wouldn't go sitting next to them but not together. No way. If I'm not wanted or included.
I would buy tickets for a nice Christmas show for dd and myself and enjoy that.

Edited

This. For the love of god don’t go ahead with your plan! Husband should include you going forward.

Scandie · 10/11/2024 11:13

Do you WANT to see said niece in panto? Because that's your answer. If that's the objective, book at ticket (any day - not nec. the same one). Anything else is spiteful and odd.
I DO feel sorry for your DD though - SHE's being more excluded than you are I would venture, and that's quite shitty. So perhaps make it about going on a different day, so that niece gets family support on 2 different dates? Take her out for pizza w. niece after. Make your own tradition and make it positive?