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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Shouldn’t have asked him to change the nappy?

64 replies

Hmewoods · 01/06/2025 14:47

Me and DP were supposed to go on holiday with some family (my dad, sister and nieces) over May half term but due to a disagreement between myself and DP, which my dad got wind of, my dad (who had paid for it all) said he did not want DP there. I was going to not go as I felt bad going without him, but our DD (6) had been counting down the months, then weeks, then days etc until this holiday and so I didn’t want to let her down. So we agreed that I would still go with the children and DP would go on a holiday with his friends, which ultimately ended up to be Ibiza.
Me and the children went May 22nd - May 29th, DP went from the 26th - 30th. When DP got back Friday midday I did what I could to help as he was feeling a bit fragile, and then on the Saturday I took the kids out with my mum so he could have even further time to relax. He was going to come and get our DS (2) in the evening from my mums house whilst I stayed there with DD so I could just have a little break from the craziness of raising a toddler, but when he got there he decided he wanted to stay as well which was fine, and he paid for us all to have a take away.
Once we got home this morning I just asked if he could change DS’s nappy and he just flipped on me telling me I was being unfair and I was doing it to punish him, that I should be grateful that he paid for the take away last night and that he’s (apparently) going to be giving me some money to go away with at the end of the month for my best friends hen do.
I hardly ever ask him to change nappies but I’d felt like from pretty much being a solo parent (he does help more with the cooking side of things) for the last however many days, it wasn’t that big of an ask. Is it the norm that it’s seen as a big ask to get dad to change nappies every now and again or is he being a 🤡?

OP posts:
Hmewoods · 01/06/2025 16:39

susiedaisy1912 · 01/06/2025 16:34

Oh op I’m so sorry you’re going through this, without knowing it you’ve chosen a shitty partner that is probably very similar to your father. I did exactly the same it’s an unconscious thing that a lot of people do . He isn’t going to change so you need to start making a plan, emotionally remove yourself from thinking of him as a partner, expect nothing from him and start to live as if he’s not there. Start putting money aside in an account of your own, get paperwork in order and take advice from citizens advice and a solicitor.

Thank you for your kind response (and for all the other kind replies!) but yes I do agree, and it’s really why I don’t want my daughter (or son) viewing the way he treats me as I don’t want that to set the standard for them.
My situation was different before as I was very financially dependent on him, however a bit of luck is I have just got a job at the local preschool, starting Tuesday! So I’m hoping this will be the start of something to give me more independence again so I can start putting things into place 🤞🏼

OP posts:
Barnbrack · 01/06/2025 16:40

Hmewoods · 01/06/2025 16:29

Sorry for slow reply, it seems the situation has escalated further! Whilst writing my initial post he had gone upstairs to sulk/sleep after the incident. He came down about 20 minutes ago and continued the argument, if I’m honest I think he must have taken stuff over there and this is the after effects of it all because his temper is through the roof. He started saying how I got my break whilst I was on holiday because I had family with me (my dad isn’t much help with the kids and my sister has her own to worry about so definitely wouldn’t have classed it as a break, found it was more relaxing when we got home and back into a toddler proofed environment!) he then started getting really angry when I was telling him that just because he pays for things doesn’t warrant him a free card to leave me to do everything else. He told me that apparently one of the guys he went away with had ended up trashing his house after arguing with their partner and that he would do the same in a minute, then proceeded to boot a football in the kitchen. At this point I asked him to leave calmly over and over again, to which he started hyperventilating saying if I make him leave he’ll kill himself, shouting it in-front of the kids to which DD obviously got upset so I had to retreat, I just went upstairs to remove myself from the situation and try and calm it all down and he followed me giving me more abuse. I’m now upstairs crying on my own whilst he’s turned the music up downstairs singing all happy. Honestly I know the answer to all of this because I have done endless posts regarding similar situations before and the answer is always the same, I have tried to leave so many times and he is so good at manipulating me whether it’s threats to kill himself or uses the kids against me getting DD to beg me to let him stay.
This is all the reasoning for my dad not wanting him there, although I hold my dad at arms length anyway due to him not being the greatest man or father either but is now trying to fix broken bridges in his older years. Probably reasoning for my shitty choice in men - which also makes me realise the damage I will be causing to my children, but I’m also just holding onto the idea that things will change and get better which I’m starting to realise they won’t.

You are very much living your life at the mercy of angry men.

How can You Get yourself out of this? Make an escape plan and leave him. Your daughter will thank you in adulthood. Do not stay under these men's control.

When he's at work go to citizens advice, when oldest is in school work out benefit entitlement and contact a women's aid shelter. He is seriously abusive. Leave. There are no 2 ways with it.

MynameisJune · 01/06/2025 16:41

He will not change

You will never change him.

repeat it over and over until you believe it because it’s your reality. This will carry on and on.

Your DD will think this is how men treat women, and your son will grow up thinking this is how men treat women.

You know what you need to do. Talk to someone in real life, get support and get rid of the huge waste of space.

Petitchat · 01/06/2025 16:43

Please please leave. He sounds dangerous....

gmgnts · 01/06/2025 16:46

Congratulations on your new job! You know you have to leave, but it often takes women several attempts. Maybe this will be the final straw for you. I hope you get away safely Flowers

Crunchymum · 01/06/2025 16:47

I am going to bet there is some massive back story here.

Either your Dad is sick of your DP treating you like shit (which sounds pretty likely given how useless your DP sounds!) or your dad hugely overreacted?

However your DP's response to you going away without him was to go to Ibiza? I mean who does that? It feels like a punishment.

The nappy incident is odd. He'd just had a break away from the kids, you hadn't?

So many red flags just from the little you have posted @Hmewoods . Happy, healthy relationships don't have this amount of drama.

Edited to add I'd posted before I saw your 3rd and 4th replies.

Get this piece of shit gone. Now. Call the police if you have to. He sounds deranged.

MissPrismsMistake · 01/06/2025 16:54

Oh dear … I hope you get to start your new job, @Hmewoods - because it seems to me your lovely partner is building up to an almighty scene that will prevent you from leaving the house on Tuesday …

WearyAuldWumman · 01/06/2025 16:57

Hmewoods · 01/06/2025 14:58

Thank you for your replies everyone. I guess I just needed some validation on the situation because I also think he’s been unfair.
I do feel like men can be better but he always feeds me the whole ‘if you ever got in a relationship with anyone else you would see how good I actually am’ and it just makes you question it all doesn’t it? As well as the fact he is the father to my children so it isn’t just me it would affect.
Just get worried about leaving incase there is any regrets.

Honestly? He sounds like one of those (rare) men who think that they're paragons of virtue because they're not wife beaters.

Spirallingdownwards · 01/06/2025 17:00

Your father was controlling (and not much help with the kids in your own words) and you have chosen a partner who is the same.

Most fathers do step up with childcare and tasks such as nappy changes.

Next time decline your father's holiday and holiday together which breaks the cycle of a controlling dad and a lads break which wipes him out for so long after

Purplecatshopaholic · 01/06/2025 17:02

Their own dad doesn’t really change nappies? You have a right prince there op, never mind the other stuff! Seriously, raise your bar - why do so many women put up with shit men?

notatinydancer · 01/06/2025 17:03

Hmewoods · 01/06/2025 14:58

Thank you for your replies everyone. I guess I just needed some validation on the situation because I also think he’s been unfair.
I do feel like men can be better but he always feeds me the whole ‘if you ever got in a relationship with anyone else you would see how good I actually am’ and it just makes you question it all doesn’t it? As well as the fact he is the father to my children so it isn’t just me it would affect.
Just get worried about leaving incase there is any regrets.

I can’t believe this is real. Why do you put up with this shit ? What did you say when he moaned about the nappy ? I’d have gone mad.

Maray1967 · 01/06/2025 17:05

OP, my DC are 25 and 17. My DH changed nappies all the time, right from the start. Every single one of my girlfriends’ DHs and my male friends, my DB, BIL and male cousin did too. We are all in our 50s.

You have bigger problems than the fact that he doesn’t want to change nappies though - but a bloke who won’t change his DCs’ nappies is pathetic, in my eyes.

I’ll accept there is a difference when it comes to other people’s kids. None of the men I refer to above to my knowledge changed nappies of children who were not their own, whereas the women would have done/did if asked.

toomuchfaff · 01/06/2025 17:25

Hmewoods · 01/06/2025 16:29

Sorry for slow reply, it seems the situation has escalated further! Whilst writing my initial post he had gone upstairs to sulk/sleep after the incident. He came down about 20 minutes ago and continued the argument, if I’m honest I think he must have taken stuff over there and this is the after effects of it all because his temper is through the roof. He started saying how I got my break whilst I was on holiday because I had family with me (my dad isn’t much help with the kids and my sister has her own to worry about so definitely wouldn’t have classed it as a break, found it was more relaxing when we got home and back into a toddler proofed environment!) he then started getting really angry when I was telling him that just because he pays for things doesn’t warrant him a free card to leave me to do everything else. He told me that apparently one of the guys he went away with had ended up trashing his house after arguing with their partner and that he would do the same in a minute, then proceeded to boot a football in the kitchen. At this point I asked him to leave calmly over and over again, to which he started hyperventilating saying if I make him leave he’ll kill himself, shouting it in-front of the kids to which DD obviously got upset so I had to retreat, I just went upstairs to remove myself from the situation and try and calm it all down and he followed me giving me more abuse. I’m now upstairs crying on my own whilst he’s turned the music up downstairs singing all happy. Honestly I know the answer to all of this because I have done endless posts regarding similar situations before and the answer is always the same, I have tried to leave so many times and he is so good at manipulating me whether it’s threats to kill himself or uses the kids against me getting DD to beg me to let him stay.
This is all the reasoning for my dad not wanting him there, although I hold my dad at arms length anyway due to him not being the greatest man or father either but is now trying to fix broken bridges in his older years. Probably reasoning for my shitty choice in men - which also makes me realise the damage I will be causing to my children, but I’m also just holding onto the idea that things will change and get better which I’m starting to realise they won’t.

Don't make the excuse that "he must have taken stuff over there and thats why ges a shitty human being"

He's just a shitty human being.

SmoothRoads · 01/06/2025 17:36

OP, this is for you. Definitely check out the book 'Why does he do that?' by Lundy Bancroft as well if you haven't already.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk2w3YeyBs8

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