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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To hate my father in law?

9 replies

Mynameispaige · 31/01/2025 22:31

I dont even know how to start this one the man is insufferable.
id like to preface by saying he has a learning difficulty and epilepsy caused by lead poisioning he had as a baby, plus he has shortterm memory lose, but i feel that this doesnt excuse his actions.
me and my partner have been together for almost 4 years but he was my best friend before we were a couple and we often say we were a couple without the sex before we actually became a couple we were that close. Our relationship moved pretty quickly we got engaged practically as soon as we became a couple like i said we were best friends so its not like we didnt know eachother and I also got pregnant pretty fast because i wanted a child so bad. DS is almost 3 now just for scale.
For context my mother died when i was very young and my DH's mum died about 9 months before me and him became a couple.

my FIL has never liked me, is a rude, self centred ahole that only thinks of himself, no one else in my DH (i know we arent married but easier to say than partner) family have ever liked me or bothered to get to know me as a person except his younger brother who i genuinely adore.
when i was pregnant my SIL got pregnant aswell and her daughter was born 6 months or so after my DS. The first 6 months of my DS's life my FIL was all over him and would not leave me alone.

my DS was in NICU for 2 1/2 weeks even though he was born full term because he was born with epilepsy had a seizure in the birth canal and got stuck, almost died whilst being born, needed resus and didnt actually breathe until about two minutes after, it was very traumatic. Seeing him in NICU was traumatic, my FIL kept insisting on seeing him in NICU and would not leave us alone so i allowed it, he did nothing but take pictures he forced us to be in when i was a mess and just be obnoxious. When my son finally came out of nicu i requested that everyone including my own family leave us alone for two weeks so that me and DH can ajust to being at home with a baby which was completely new. i was accused of being a bitch and keeping his granson away from him and all sorts.

i forgot to mention whilst my son was in NICU and i was still a patient at the hospital my FIL offered to help DH clean our flat for when we both came home so DH agreed and they did it, later that day my DH came to see me and he cried, you know why? Because FIL had cleaned my relatively spotless bathroom and found that my unopened packet of sanitary pads had fallen off the shelf (obviously i didnt need them i was pregnant) and inbetween the cleaning products on the floor between the wall and the toilet. Apparently that was unhygenic and i'm a dirty tramp and disgusting and what if my (newborn) son had got a hold of them?. He also told me DH to leave me because of this, i'll repeat he told my DH to LEAVE ME over an unopened pack of sanitary pads that fell on the floor. When i had just given birth to our son two days prior. I was fuming and DH forced him to apologise to me.

anyway fast foward to now. FIL doesnt want anything to do with my son. Ever since SIL had her baby, my son has been second favourite, he refuses to see him, treats him like he isnt even a member of the family, ignores him, refuses to play with him when he sees him and treats us all like shit. He refuses to take my son for even one night but has his other granchild there multiple times a week, or goes to see her at her house 3 miles away (we're literally around the corner).

he ruined our christmas because he refused to come and spend it with us when he said he would (and spent the whole day on facetime to SIL and her daughter and wouldnt even speak to me about it. made my DH cry because he felt unwanted.
then didnt even speak to us for weeks since christmas.
then last week my DH finally called him to ask what his game is and if he wants to be a part of our son's life. He said one sentance and FIL lost it, blamed me for the way he treats our son and said he never wants to see us again because he cant handle the truth. he also dragged my dad into it (he's only met him twice) saying that im bias toward him and that he bets DS sees him more which isnt true i havent seen my dad since boxing day and if my dad even thought about acting the way FIL does i would cut him off straight away until he fixes himself.
DH reckons he wants nothing to do with our son because cant talk/ is epileptic/ half deaf/ possibly ASD, whereas his other grandaughter is completely normal.
DH has also been emotionally abused most of his life by FIL but has only now agreed with me about going no contact, which im happy about.

i missed out alot of stuff because its alot of reading but long story short i hate the man. He never acceptd me into the family, he treats us all like shit and i never want to see him again.
i believe he is a horrible man that uses his illness as an excuse to be nasty to us as he treats his other granchild and children fine but not us.

any questions on stuff i missed out welcome

OP posts:
Mynameispaige · 31/01/2025 22:37

Just want to add, by saying my DS's cousin is completely normal i dont mean it like my son isnt because whats normal anyway i just meant she can speak and has nothing wrong with her.

OP posts:
Hopelesscase32 · 31/01/2025 22:48

If he is as bad as he says he is why do you want him around anyway? Why would you want him to have your son overnight?
You say he ruined Christmas because he didn't show up but surely that was better for you if he's so mean and nasty.
Just cut contact and live your life. Im not really understanding why your trying to force a relationship that isn't there

ExtraOnions · 31/01/2025 22:50

…he has a Learning Difficulty, epilepsy and memory loss, so I wouldn’t imagine he reacts to situation the same way as a majority of people.

Maybe his daughter is better at managing his disabilty, so he feels more comfortable with her.

Taking photos .. maybe because he is worried he won’t remember things ?

Your husband crying about stuff seems a bit much.

He ruined Christmas by not turning up, but you don’t sound like you want him around much anyway. Maybe he picks up on it .. maybe he forgot what he promised.

You have already decided you are going No-Contact, so not sure what your AIBU is

It all sounds like a load of drama .. and you can either be part of it .. or not.

Zippidydoodah · 31/01/2025 22:54

You hate him, but you’re angry you didn’t see him at Christmas?

I think it’s your partner who is sad about the dad he SHOULD have, not sad that he’s missing the dad he does have.

Go low contact and don’t give him another thought!

Herbalteahippie · 31/01/2025 22:59

I can relate to your situation. I have a similar situation and after a while I just literally kill with kindness. Im autistic that my fil does not believe in; it’s exhausting for my Dh too. I have every sympathy for you xxx

Endofyear · 31/01/2025 23:19

You seem to have wanted him in your lives despite his awful behaviour, which I find odd. Why would you want him to have your child overnight if FIL has epilepsy, learning disability and memory loss? He doesn't sound like a safe person to leave a child with.

It sounds like you are all better off with no contact. Concentrate on your own little family and don't waste time or headspace thinking about FIL.

Gymnopedie · 01/02/2025 00:09

He is absolutely no loss to you. He's said he wants nothing to do with you, the logical reaction is to shout hurrah.

Don't get caught up in the falsehood that all children should have a relationship with their grandparents. It depends on the GPs. Leave him to stew in his own juice and cut him out forever. Before your DS is old enough to see the disparity between the way he's treated and how his cousin is treated.

StupidBitchy · 01/02/2025 00:17

Doesn't matter what's happened in his past, you and your family owe him nothing at this point. You don't want that nasty and erratic behaviour around your kid. Also I get why your husband would have been upset at that, must be tough to feel so let down. Yous two need to stick together and support each other and your baby, away from this guy.

Mynameispaige · 01/02/2025 13:31

ExtraOnions · 31/01/2025 22:50

…he has a Learning Difficulty, epilepsy and memory loss, so I wouldn’t imagine he reacts to situation the same way as a majority of people.

Maybe his daughter is better at managing his disabilty, so he feels more comfortable with her.

Taking photos .. maybe because he is worried he won’t remember things ?

Your husband crying about stuff seems a bit much.

He ruined Christmas by not turning up, but you don’t sound like you want him around much anyway. Maybe he picks up on it .. maybe he forgot what he promised.

You have already decided you are going No-Contact, so not sure what your AIBU is

It all sounds like a load of drama .. and you can either be part of it .. or not.

No my SIL is just using him for his money and couldnt give a toss about him in any way shape or form, i didnt mention what she is like on here because it wasnt relevant but she's just as awful.

i dont have a problem with him taking pictures, infact i encouraged it but enough is enough when he constantly has his phone in my sons face and has given him a complex because of it, i cannot take a picture of my son even now because he just screams. He also did not interact with my son in anyway just keep his phone in his face constantly.

it was DH idea to have him at christmas not me, i said he can, it was also DH who was trying to force the relationship not me. But also its bad enough he has no grandmother on either side, i wanted him to at least have his grandads.
we took his disability into account and tried looking past it to get him to have anything of a relationship with DS which just wouldnt happen.
DH was crying because he had enough of the way he's been treating all of us and finally snapped.

OP posts:
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