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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Am I in the wrong here? Trying to put children first!

105 replies

Vespa3142 · 07/03/2025 09:22

A bit of background… Partner and I have been together 6/7 years, but known each other for 14. After the first year he moved to my home town (around an hour from his) and we bought our first house. Since then we have had 3DC.

Partner has a very social job and works late (in a social setting) usually at least once per week, as well as at least a couple of nights away overnight stays per month, leaving me with the children, the youngest 3MO. We have no external childcare support from family much to help out either. Partner also has social hobbies, one meaning he travels to another country on average once per month, although in January this year when DD was 1 MO he went away three times. In his defence, he doesn’t have many friends locally and this is his way of socialising with friends, mine whom I see more often and do things with the children etc.

This week DS, (4YO) has been unwell. Partner told me he was going out socially last night, I asked him not to as he is away majority of next week and was also away one night last week (with friends). He said he’d come home after work as usual. At 5pm he tells me no he isn’t coming home he is going out, he’d been drinking since lunch time and got tunnel vision, obviously forgetting he’d said he’d come home, I told him DS is getting worse and poorly.

By 6pm DS temperature has risen to 41.3 and I call 111 to which I’m told to take him to hospital within two hours. I call upon my mum who came to watch the baby so I could take him. Partners phone straight to VM, no messages delivering at all so he has no signal in the pub. I keep him updated with messages that remain undelivered. At this point I’m really quite angry.

Eventually at 9pm he calls, clearly incredibly drunk and not making much sense. We all get home at a similar time, at which point we argue and he is effing and blinding saying it’s the end of the relationship, I’m always on a witch hunt etc etc.

My issue is that ultimately he is wasn’t there when we needed him and I feel like we are always second best to his own plans. He has no empathy or understand how it feels to be relied upon alone by the children. His issue is that he doesn’t get to do enough and feels like I always have a problem with his plans. This whole situation has been somehow made out that I am now in the wrong for being mad at him - every time something happens he manipulates the situation and turns it into my fault.

Am I being totally unreasonable here? I don’t want to potentially lose this relationship and man who is actually a great father if I’m the one in the wrong!

OP posts:
Nettleteaser101 · 07/03/2025 09:28

Well your DP is very selfish and I really think you should think about leaving or getting him to leave. You say he is a good Father but he doesn't really see much of your children. Why do women always put up with these selfish men then think it is themselves as fault. Get rid ASAP.

Mnetcurious · 07/03/2025 09:31

Yanbu. He’s being totally unreasonable. When you have young children you have responsibilities at home and can’t just go out drinking when you want to, especially when one of your children is ill and your partner has asked you to be around because of this.

I do wonder why you went on to have subsequent children with him knowing his lifestyle/selfish attitude.

EliflurtleAndTheInfiniteMadness · 07/03/2025 09:32

A great father doesn't go out get really drunk and be uncontactable when his child is ill and his partner is home alone dealing with a baby and another little kid on top of that. A great father is actually there sharing the parenting load. You have 3 little kids including a baby, he's away next week and was last week and he can't to put his family first for one lousy night. Then he manipulates and twists everything because he'd rather make you feel horrible then admit his mistake and step up and be a half decent father. He's a shitty dad and an even worse partner.

Dolambslikemintsauce · 07/03/2025 09:33

Not quite sure how he was home enough to even conceive 3 x dc....

BMW6 · 07/03/2025 09:36

He's a selfish cunt and a lousy father. He also has a drink problem.

The question really is - why are you putting up with it?

EliflurtleAndTheInfiniteMadness · 07/03/2025 09:38

What actually makes him a great father? I expect the answer is nothing. It's the lie we tell ourselves when we realise we've had kids with a selfish, immature jerk who doesn't truly love us because we hope at least he can be a decent father. A good father would have been apologetic and making sure his kids were ok, he went to the opposite extreme putting it all on you.

coconutpie · 07/03/2025 09:38

BMW6 · 07/03/2025 09:36

He's a selfish cunt and a lousy father. He also has a drink problem.

The question really is - why are you putting up with it?

This.

Beamur · 07/03/2025 09:39

He's angry because he's knows he's in the wrong. Getting pissed when your child is ill enough to go to the hospital is shit parenting.

Vespa3142 · 07/03/2025 09:40

BMW6 · 07/03/2025 09:36

He's a selfish cunt and a lousy father. He also has a drink problem.

The question really is - why are you putting up with it?

I’m worried I’ve painted him in a really bad light here and tried to write the post as factually as possible.

We spend majority of weekends as a family and he is really hands on and fantastic with the children when he’s here.

The issue I believe it when he wants to do something, it’s never a conversation about if it’s suitable for everyone, I’m told what he is doing and there is no room for discussion. He often says I can also do what I want and he can look after the children, but going out all the time is the opposite of what I want.

OP posts:
Vespa3142 · 07/03/2025 09:42

EliflurtleAndTheInfiniteMadness · 07/03/2025 09:38

What actually makes him a great father? I expect the answer is nothing. It's the lie we tell ourselves when we realise we've had kids with a selfish, immature jerk who doesn't truly love us because we hope at least he can be a decent father. A good father would have been apologetic and making sure his kids were ok, he went to the opposite extreme putting it all on you.

He is brilliant with the kids at home, we spend majority of weekends together as a family. The kids love him and always have fun. He does his fair share around the house, with the baby and DS, drop offs, share of some night feeds, playing, cooking etc.

OP posts:
myplace · 07/03/2025 09:43

By ‘great father’ do you mean he is fun and plays well with the dc on the occasions he is around?
Because that sounds like a great babysitter.

A great father makes sure the mother of his DC is happy and does his fair share of supervising the children, looking after the household, and all the corollary stuff like knowing who their friends are and what their health needs are. He can be trusted to supervise them even if they are ill, and to respond to their needs. Not many men manage all this, but that’s what a great dad is.

Chasingaces · 07/03/2025 09:43

When you make the decision to have children, you also are deciding that your needs come second, especially when they are little and that you have to cut down on what you used to do socially.

Garlicgarlicgarlic · 07/03/2025 09:43

He's not a 'partner' in any sense of the word, just some drunk man who calls by. Certainly not a great father.
Zero loss to you if you ended the relationship.
Are you financially independent/own your own home?

Vespa3142 · 07/03/2025 09:44

Garlicgarlicgarlic · 07/03/2025 09:43

He's not a 'partner' in any sense of the word, just some drunk man who calls by. Certainly not a great father.
Zero loss to you if you ended the relationship.
Are you financially independent/own your own home?

Not currently financially independant. I’m on maternity leave with no salary.
We jointly own two properties.

OP posts:
Maitri108 · 07/03/2025 09:45

A great father?

He's spending family money on booze and couldn't give a toss his child is sick. I'm sure he'll win a prize.

Sassybooklover · 07/03/2025 09:52

No, you are not being unreasonable. Your partner has a lot of free time to socialise, regardless if that's locally or abroad. He's also away with work several times per month, on top. To complain that you are on a 'witch hunt' and essentially want to scupper his plans, is ludicrous. He's putting his social life/hobbies before his family. There's nothing wrong in having hobbies and socialising, but there equally needs to be a balance with family life. Just being there at weekends, is not good enough! He's just leaving the day-to-day family life during the week to you, so he can socialise. Announcing he's going out, regardless of what may be going on at home (for example your child being ill), is disrespectful towards you. It's a case of, he wants to do what he wants to do, and he's going to do it, regardless of his families needs. He's being very selfish, disrespectful towards you and honestly a lousy partner and Father.

DevilledEgg · 07/03/2025 09:52

You're a single parent already. Kick him out. He's adding no value

ByGraceAlone · 07/03/2025 09:55

You have pathetically low expectations.

Which he is failing to meet.

Doing the right thing sometimes but then ditching your family and putting yourself first other times isn't a good father.

A good father puts his family first 100% of the time. That doesn't mean he can't ever go out, but he goes out only if and when it's agreed with the mother and works for everyone.
That's a basic tenet of being a good father.

So he's a shit father.

Any father who goes out drinking when he has 3 young children one of whom is ill is a shit father.

Any father who goes away for his 'hobby' 3 times a month when he has 3 young children is a shit father.

Why the hell are you worrying that he's making you feel bad?
Make him feel bad.

Tell him what a shit excuse of a man he is being. Tell him you don't want to live like this and he can either shape up or fuck off.

And when he says your always criticising him tell him he's a waste of space who deserves it and if he doesn't like it and can't act like a real man he can fuck off.

HereintheloveofChristIstand · 07/03/2025 09:55

Vespa3142 · 07/03/2025 09:44

Not currently financially independant. I’m on maternity leave with no salary.
We jointly own two properties.

Edited

Why do you have no salary? No maternity pay at all?

ShadowStriker · 07/03/2025 09:57

He is really abominable and only cares about his own guy. He has no responsibilities as a husband and father.

MissUltraViolet · 07/03/2025 09:58

You asked him not to go out because one of his children were poorly and you also have a baby to take care of and he went anyway. Not only that but he was not contactable and got so drunk (on a random week night) that he had no bloody idea his child was in hospital.

But he’s a fantastic father because he spends weekends with you all, cooks and cleans sometimes and the kids have fun?

He isn’t a great father and he isn’t a great husband. You need to realise this before anything will get better IMO. He has absolutely no right to be angry with you in this situation. Yes both mothers and fathers absolutely should be able to enjoy a social life but sometimes, as parents, things get in the way, shit happens and children (should) come first. He’s currently putting his hobbies and social life above you all.

ByGraceAlone · 07/03/2025 09:59

Vespa3142 · 07/03/2025 09:44

Not currently financially independant. I’m on maternity leave with no salary.
We jointly own two properties.

Edited

Putting yourself in this position with a shit excuse of a man that you are not married to is a huge mistake.

Why are you prepared to accept so little?

Why are you worried that yabu even when he's clearly a absolute twat?

TonerNeedsReplacing · 07/03/2025 10:01

You say partner so I assume not married? That makes you more vulnerable. Take legal advice urgently around the properties.

Vespa3142 · 07/03/2025 10:05

HereintheloveofChristIstand · 07/03/2025 09:55

Why do you have no salary? No maternity pay at all?

Maternity allowance payments - the bare minimum.

OP posts:
Fuuuuuckit · 07/03/2025 10:06

How the fuck is he a good father?