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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:
cadburyegg · 19/01/2025 15:21

LTB. I'm a single mum of two and you will need to prepare yourself for the same. It's hard work but I felt like I had 3 children instead of 2 and now I am able to focus on my actual children rather than a man child too. You are more than capable of doing it on your own, you already are for the most part anyway.

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 19/01/2025 15:50

Hi there.
Sorry you have such a bad partner. You need to leave but do this strategically.

I think you should go to your parents house (if space - I hope there is) with your daughter either right now, to get set up for baby arriving, or if you're scared he would make this hard, then just before the birth and plan to stay there 'for the first two weeeks' so that they can help with nursery drop offs and night feeds when the baby arrives (I can't see him objecting to this as it means he won't have to do any work).

Keep letting him see your older child on the weekend he has his other daughter (if he's capable of looking after her overnight of course) and then slowly the little baby can start joining in on that weekend.

Then get yourself a flat in your parents town /where suits you for work and nursery.

Get your ducks in a row first. Tell your parents. See what universal credit you're entitled to and how to get out of your current homes contracts.

Good luck.

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 19/01/2025 15:50

PheasantPluckers · 19/01/2025 09:51

Why on earth are you brining another child into this? It sounds like his priority has always been his fist daughter (which is a refreshing change) and other children should never have been brought into the mix.

SO UNHELPFUL AMD JUDGMENTAL GO AWAY

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 19/01/2025 15:50

Francine84 · 19/01/2025 10:02

Oh OP, why would you have another baby with this man when he's such a crap dad to your first child?

It doesn't sound like he's invested in anyone but his first DD and if it were me, I'd be getting my children away from that mess.

So unhelpful and judgmental

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 19/01/2025 15:52

Op pls ignore everyone judging you for having a second. I have a 2 year old I'm late 30s and I wish I'd had another one - I want another child so much and it would have been better to just have one horrid ex to deal with (I mean I have to deal with him anyway) so you'll have your two kids and a lovely fresh start.

Move to where suits you as soon as you can

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 19/01/2025 15:53

Porcuporpoise · 19/01/2025 10:10

I think it's time you put your children and yourself first @Baileybobby. If that means splitting up and moving away back to your family then you should consider it.

I agree. She can even move where suits her and where she has help without splitting up and he can just visit her, but I think she should leave him (but I know how impossible that feels to do when vulnerable and pregnant)

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 19/01/2025 15:53

nfkl · 19/01/2025 10:27

It’s a very sad situation, but i don’t feel too sorry for you OP, I feel very sorry for your kids, especially the one to come.
You say you were fooled, seems you really wanted to be fooled, and you bet innocent lives on it.

This is absolutely horrible

TheDefiant · 19/01/2025 16:04

You've kept working and from your description it seems like you can manage without him.

So leave and then make sure he pays maintenance.

Go home for support and an easier commute.

GrumpyPanda · 19/01/2025 16:05

PheasantPluckers · 19/01/2025 09:51

Why on earth are you brining another child into this? It sounds like his priority has always been his fist daughter (which is a refreshing change) and other children should never have been brought into the mix.

Refreshing change my arse. Disney-dadding the first children while neglecting the younger ones is behaviour that turns up in every other thread on the step-parenting boards.

OP, you're basically a single mother now. You might as well move closer to work/support networks and claiming child maintenance from him.

HipToTheHopDontStop · 19/01/2025 16:20

GrumpyPanda · 19/01/2025 16:05

Refreshing change my arse. Disney-dadding the first children while neglecting the younger ones is behaviour that turns up in every other thread on the step-parenting boards.

OP, you're basically a single mother now. You might as well move closer to work/support networks and claiming child maintenance from him.

Jesus, can noone read? You, like pp, have totally misread/misunderstood that comment!

jollygoose · 19/01/2025 16:20

There has been sn awful lot of judgement here. The poster who said "no sympathy", well was sympathy asked for? Perhaps the poster was looking for advice or just putting it out there, who knows? I do agree that she should take her kids and leave

pompey38 · 19/01/2025 16:30

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.

A bit too late but if he had no interest in your daughter since she was born why did you think it’s a good idea to have a second child? I would start preparing for the single life sooner rather than later

Redcandlescandal · 19/01/2025 16:33

LTB

Twaddlepip · 19/01/2025 16:37

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.

But it’s my opinion in response to…theirs? It’s a short, sharp disagree. I’m not an overlord.

PheasantPluckers · 19/01/2025 19:39

HipToTheHopDontStop · 19/01/2025 16:20

Jesus, can noone read? You, like pp, have totally misread/misunderstood that comment!

I'm not sure whether its wilful misreading to take offence at something or whether comprehension is really that shockingly low on here.

ParsnipPuree · 19/01/2025 21:03

Like you, I got pregnant for the second time when I shouldn't have. After separating after a particularly abusive stretch when the dsc were 3 & 5, ex h wanted nothing to do them.

I had to shield them from the hurt as much as I was able to. It was tough but I was lucky enough to manage financially with help from his parents and emotionally with help from mine.

Five years after that I met dh, their step dad who has nurtured them and shown them what a parent should be like. Now they are adults I look back and wonder if I did the right thing with the pregnancy.. I think a lot of it depends on your resources both financially and emotionally. But one thing's for sure, my kids would have been far more scarred had I stayed in an unhappy marriage. No amount of acting can conceal it.

Just leave now.

Isthisit22 · 19/01/2025 21:14

YABU you’ve only known him 4 years and you’ve got a 16 month old and are pregnant. He has been a terrible dad and partner- why on earth have another?
Leave him and try to be happy apart.

DorothyStorm · 19/01/2025 21:28

Baileybobby · 19/01/2025 10:03

I don’t disagree with you on this point, the relationship seems to have been more to benefit him and his daughter. Initially I thought I was just experiencing challenges around a step family and he even tried to make me believe I was being unreasonable towards his daughter by wanting him to show us the same level of support but it seems his behaviour has become more obvious with the 2nd pregnancy.

Second pregnancy? Fucking hell op! He is a selfish arsehole and a shit dad.

leave him. Go back to where you were.

JustWalkingTheDogs · 19/01/2025 21:44

Move back closer to your job, friends and family, then dump your dp and concentrate on your dd and baby

Bibi12 · 09/02/2025 18:17

Having one older child he doesn't even see everyday is completely different then full on parenting of a baby. It's not about prioritising his first child, it's about missing the easier times without another baby in the mix.

If he was such a good father he would be at good father for ALL his children. He's simply chosing an easier option.
He not only dumped on you all responsibility of parenting a toddler, he now manipulates you to feel guilty by saying he was more happy before. Are you supposed to feel sorry for him and relieve him of all his burdens? Did he ask you about YOUR happiness? He didn't did he? He's only concerned about his feelings and making his life as easy as possible at your expense.

OP this man sounds awful. He will run you to the ground and make you feel like you deserve it! You will end up completely messed up by this relationship and it will have such negative effect on your children too. I don't say it often but I would really consider separating in this case.

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