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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Partner only interested in being a family when his other daughter is around.

95 replies

Baileybobby · 19/01/2025 09:36

I have been with my partner for nearly 4 years, he has a 10year old daughter from a previous relationship. When I first met him everything was great, we had a relationship in its own right and I joined in on their family unit as/when it was suitable. Within a couple of months he was desperate to move closer to his daughter, I agreed to move in with them and move to the same town as his daughter and her mum, even though my work and family was elsewhere. It seemed suitable at the time as I didn’t have kids and I could be flexible with my commitments. Once we moved to the area he fully embraced himself in his daughter’s life, activities etc. that wasn’t suitable for me to join in, again this was fine, as it allowed me to spend time on my hobbies and keeping up with my lifestyle pre-moving in. I noticed I was starting to spend a lot of time on my own and felt isolated from my friends and family but also the relationship. But I focused on what I can do with that time. Then things shifted dramatically when we had our own child, she is now 16months. Should mention his daughter lives with us 50% of the time. In the last 16months he’s been totally absent from me and my daughter lives, he only seems to want a relationship or family when his other daughter is there. Weekends when she isn’t there we don’t see him or only for a couple of hours. He’s admitted he has to prioritise his first daughter when she is in the house, he’s said that he was at his most happiest when it was just him and his first daughter when I ask him to help me and the baby. After our daughter was born and I went back to work full time, the distance between childcare and my work become challenging (commuting 15hrs a week), when I asked for a compromise or help with the weekly drop offs, he said he already does enough with his first daughter and if I don’t like where we live, I don’t care about his daughters future. He has a good job and works a way also but only goes away on the days when he doesn’t have his first daughter. Luckily I’ve taken on all the responsibility of our child that this has minimal impact but when he doesn’t come back it’s straight to get his first daughter and spend the weekend with her. When his daughter is not in the house, we sit separately and he just wants to watch sport and drink. I will go and do the bedtime with our daughter and sit on my own. If I ask him to spend time with me and our daughter to try and salvage a relationship or parental relationship he just says horrible things to me about not liking his daughter. To make matters worse I am 6 months pregnant and it’s seems to have made him react worse, last 6 months he’s been out drinking with work and going to ‘house parties’! We are both nearly 40yrs old! I deal with the pregnancy on my own, bought all the baby items and don’t engage with him on the topic. I’ve tried for the last year to voice my concerns and what’s not working but he’s just thinking about him and his first child. After all the fighting, I’ve just shut down to it all and the only way to make this right for me and my children is to leave the ‘relationship’ a term I use loosely. Can anyone offer any advice if I’ve missed trying something? I’ve taken the lead to spend/ book things in just me, him and our child and I find I have to pay for it all, holidays etc. and he doesn’t see that time as us being a family without his child.

OP posts:
jeaux90 · 19/01/2025 12:55

Move back to your family and friends OP this is only going to get harder.

littlespoonlifer · 19/01/2025 12:58

He's a part time dad that's why he puts effort into his first daughter. That's all it is. He's one of those who can keep the doting dad act up for short periods

LTB. Genuinely

beAsensible1 · 19/01/2025 13:00

Cannot believe this man has been so awful to you and your baby daughter and you’ve gotten pregnant again.

you obviously have to leave, maybe he can only be an active parent if no one else is around. But more than likely he won’t be bothered about your two and you get live in peace away from this horrid bastard.

SemperIdem · 19/01/2025 13:03

Was it your financial contribution which tipped the balance in enabling him to move closer to his older daughter?

He sounds like a user, to be honest.

Crazyworldmum · 19/01/2025 13:05

If this was me I would leave . Your child is too young to notice the difference he is making between them but she will start noticing very soon . You need to protect her from that .

WearyAuldWumman · 19/01/2025 13:10

You’ve been used, OP. Time to prepare to leave.

Better to be an actual single parent in an environment suited to your needs than to be in a sham marriage where everything is skewed towards the needs of your husband.

He’s leaving you at home while he goes to house parties? He’s a pig.

StormingNorman · 19/01/2025 13:14

Go home to your family and friends OP. He doesn’t care about you or your children. He’s a shockingly poor excuse for a man.

Penguinmouse · 19/01/2025 13:16

This man is adding nothing to your life. He’s not a father to your child - I would leave, you’re effectively a single mum anyway.

honeylulu · 19/01/2025 13:17

What is your housing situation OP? If renting that is easier to get out of than trying to get your name off deeds and recover your equity share.

If you leave have you got somewhere for you and the kids to go, either family or enough money to get your own place?

I think you really need to leave this relationship. The man is a user. He doesn't care about you (and sounds like he never has) or your joint children. He only cares about his first daughter and doesn't care that you know that. It sounds like he needed you to share the cost of the move closer to his daughter, sorry.

MissJoGrant · 19/01/2025 13:20

PheasantPluckers · 19/01/2025 10:20

A refreshing change? So you're justifying this are you? The second child is totally ignored and you think that's okay! Part of the first wives club are you?

To prioritise your existing child, certainly is refreshing - many men don't and tend to prioritise the next girlfriend. This man has been all about his first child from the start. I said it was unwise to get pregnant with another one, given how the other on has gone down.

No, I'm most certainly not, I'm widowed! And sensible. You're the one with the axe to grind, Mrs Blended Family.

Edited

'Mrs Blended Family' isn't the insult you think it is.

JHound · 19/01/2025 13:27

This isn’t a relationship. Sounds like he just wanted a woman around to keep home, have sex with and help look after his priority.

Having kids with this man (a SECOND especially) was a mistake but I am sure you know that. I don’t know what you can do as he has made how he feels about you and the daughter you have together quite clear.

JHound · 19/01/2025 13:28

Theresacatinmykitchenwhatamigonnado · 19/01/2025 09:44

It's not a relationship and doesn't sound like it ever has been. You have made some pretty crap decisions and need to start prioritising your children over trying to hang onto a man who does not appear to want you. Dump the waste of space and move back to your support network if you can.

I said I don’t know what you should do but this ^^ is what you should do OP.

End it. Move back to your support network.

Porkyporkchop · 19/01/2025 13:30

Theresacatinmykitchenwhatamigonnado · 19/01/2025 09:44

It's not a relationship and doesn't sound like it ever has been. You have made some pretty crap decisions and need to start prioritising your children over trying to hang onto a man who does not appear to want you. Dump the waste of space and move back to your support network if you can.

First post nails it.

HollyKnight · 19/01/2025 13:30

Ironically if you leave with your daughter he'll probably decide then that he misses her and wants to be involved.

mindutopia · 19/01/2025 13:41

It sounds like he got very used to being a weekend Disney dad and is not prepared to parent full time. So he treats any time he doesn’t have his older child as child free party time, as he likely has for the previous 10 years. Unfortunately, you now have a child (and another on the way - how did that happen?!) and he has to avoid you all to get the same child free party time. He sounds like a bit of a loser and you’re better off without him.

DaisyChain505 · 19/01/2025 14:06

He’s literally told you in his own words that he was happier when it was just him and his daughter.

He hasn’t made you and your child an equal priority In his life.

And yet you’ve chosen to have a second child with him, why?

This isn’t a normal healthy relationship. Leave.

FoxInTheForest · 19/01/2025 14:09

Give it time. He's a great dad to his older daughter and its not hugely uncommon for men find it easier to bond and parent past the young toddler stage.

Twaddlepip · 19/01/2025 14:14

You need to leave and get your babies, born and unborn, the fuck out of there. He’s no father to them and he’s no partner to you. Unfortunately it’s time to accept that and realise you’re in your own. Move home.

Twaddlepip · 19/01/2025 14:14

FoxInTheForest · 19/01/2025 14:09

Give it time. He's a great dad to his older daughter and its not hugely uncommon for men find it easier to bond and parent past the young toddler stage.

Nope. Absolutely not.

StormingNorman · 19/01/2025 14:26

I hate it when posters start comments with nope or no. You don’t get to veto anyone else’s opinions.

hattie43 · 19/01/2025 14:29

Baileybobby · 19/01/2025 09:56

Both me and partner wanted children, i believed he would be the same dad to our children as he is to his first. Unfortunately his behaviour has been the opposite. A child can be loved and financially supported by one parent!

That's as maybe but a child should at least start off with two engaged loving parents .

Wavescrashingonthebeach · 19/01/2025 14:34

As far as he's concerned he can do all his "family stuff" when his other daughter is there as in his mind that means he's ticked that box and can pursue his other interests ie drinking. He's compartmentalising his life and basically he thinks he's being efficient by doing it all in one go. He's totally wrong of course and sounds like a complete and utter bellend who you would be better off without. If I were you I'd be looking to split up and move closer to family and friends.

Fonz90 · 19/01/2025 14:46

I’m sorry you have ended up in this situation with someone you loved and trusted. There is no point considering why you got pregnant again as you already are. The past is done.

Yes, staying with this man is something you could see as a mistake, with hindsight, but your precious baby certainly isn’t a “‘mistake”, of course it isn’t.

You can be a single mother to two DC and you have got used to doing it most of it alone already.

Write down everything you currently get from your DP, one list of practical support and one emotional. Then, for every item on the list, figure out how to do that thing/meet that need yourself, or if it can be met by others, like friends or family.

You can do this. It’s rubbish, but you need to head home where your support network is and expect nothing more from this man (except child maintenance even if you have to go through the CMA).

Good luck and well done for opening your eyes to this situation and realising that you all deserve better.

Crikeyalmighty · 19/01/2025 15:09

@Ponoka7 I think you've hit the nail on the head on what he actually wanted - but now he's got it he's realised he doesn't want big parts of it-

BonneMaman77 · 19/01/2025 15:17

OP a crap situation.
I don’t think you’re leaving anything here either. It seems your sharing houses with a man who has no interest or involvement in your or the family he has created with you. Move back and get him to pay for the two new kids. He can figure out how he sees your kids as he did with the older one