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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Pet name? Possible emotional abuse?

101 replies

sellthebigissue · 14/12/2025 21:48

Not changing name as in my previous post, I was made aware I may be in an abusive relationship.

To cut things short, things havent been right since my previous post and ive been dealing with alot of shit from him.

This morning, my eldest daughter and I were chatting. Shes 17 and her dad lives in NI. I said to her "I can ask dad to send me the money and ill send it to you". Referring to her dad sending me the momey and ill send it to my daughter.

My partner has said that by calling him Dad, to my daughter, that im using a pet name and that i still love him. We havent been together for 14 years. He left and hasnt returned. Ive been barraged with messages body shaming me (again) telling me im disrespectful, saying hes just telling me the truth about my body, that im fucking out of order etc etc and my simple question is, did I use a pet name?

Im so confused. I have autism and I genuinely dont know if ive done wrong here.

OP posts:
thegrinchwasontosomething · 14/12/2025 22:13

sellthebigissue · 14/12/2025 22:11

Now hes saying i dont want to be a good partner to him. Im so fuckingn confused.

Don’t be confused.

there is no one sane who will say he is in the right.

its abuse and it will only get worse.

you need to leave this man

Justcashnosweets · 14/12/2025 22:13

Get him to fuck. He's one nasty piece of work.

Conniebygaslight · 14/12/2025 22:14

tripleginandtonic · 14/12/2025 22:12

Why do you need to be involved? Why can't he send the money directly to her if she's 17?

Edited

Hardly the point…comments like this might make the OP think she’s doing something wrong when she isn’t.

Songandance · 14/12/2025 22:15

Leave him. He’s a shit.

I always avoided ‘your dad’ He was never ‘your dad’ when we were a family and it just always felt wrong to me to change to that. Dad is just fine and not a pet name

you've done nothing wrong. Why do you want to stay with this man?

BillieWiper · 14/12/2025 22:16

She's clearly really hurt and upset about things that have gone on with her dad.

It's obviously not logical or reasonable to think that referring to your child's father as 'dad' indicates anything other than the fact he is her father. But if her feelings are hurt by it then do listen.

If she prefers you use another name for her father (maybe just his first name) I'm sure you'd be OK with doing that within reason.

FasterthanBolt · 14/12/2025 22:16

tripleginandtonic · 14/12/2025 22:12

Why do you need to be involved? Why can't he send the money directly to her if she's 17?

Edited

Stop it. The OP has done nothing wrong and is being abused. You are being deliberately inflammatory.

OkWinifred · 14/12/2025 22:17

He’s an abusive headfuck.

Notfeelinguptoit · 14/12/2025 22:18

sellthebigissue · 14/12/2025 22:10

Hes saying that because my grammar was wrong that I used a pet name by default and that I should have said "I will ask your dad" and not "ill ask dad". By missing out the 'your' hes saying ive used a pet name.

Honestly it doesn’t matter if you said ‘dad’ or ‘your dad’ he’d probably still find something to pull you up about. He’s also manipulating you to feel guilty for something which is absolutely nothing to be sorry for.
This is how emotional abuse works - I’ve been there.

Has he said sorry for body shaming you and calling you names? He won’t because he justifies it, makes you feel bad until you end up being the one saying sorry - losing a part of yourself every day til there’s nothing more left.
Id bet this isn’t the first time he’s been disrespectful either.
Easy for me to say but please leave this vile man, and heal and breathe again before you lose yourself.

FasterthanBolt · 14/12/2025 22:19

BillieWiper · 14/12/2025 22:16

She's clearly really hurt and upset about things that have gone on with her dad.

It's obviously not logical or reasonable to think that referring to your child's father as 'dad' indicates anything other than the fact he is her father. But if her feelings are hurt by it then do listen.

If she prefers you use another name for her father (maybe just his first name) I'm sure you'd be OK with doing that within reason.

What are you talking about? This is about her partner's response, not her daughters. Read the OP again...

Itiswhysofew · 14/12/2025 22:19

You were talking to your daughter about her dad. Why shouldn't you just say dad. It's got nothing to do with. He's trying to control you. To make you compliant. That's no way to live.

nayals · 14/12/2025 22:23

This man is fucking dangerous and you need to leave him. If you’re not able to do it for yourself, do it for your daughter!

YouBelongHere · 14/12/2025 22:23

My parents have been divorced for 20+ years, if my Mum were talking to me she would absolutely call him Dad. If talking to anyone else she would say his name or YouBelongHere's Dad. It would be really weird if she insisted on using his name every time she talked about him to me?

You did nothing wrong OP, don't let him convince you otherwise.

Ohpleeeease · 14/12/2025 22:29

He’s your DD’s dad, so that’s the name she knows him by. It describes their relationship, not yours. Your partner is an idiot and a bully.

BillieWiper · 14/12/2025 22:30

FasterthanBolt · 14/12/2025 22:19

What are you talking about? This is about her partner's response, not her daughters. Read the OP again...

Gawd I'm so sorry. Yeah I misread it.

Her partner is bang out of order and sounds insecure and controlling.

sellthebigissue · 14/12/2025 22:34

Thank you all for the replies. Im 25 weeks pregnant and have 5 other children at home. You are all right. You were in my previous post too. Why i havent been able to see it i dont know and I feel guilty that my children have witnessed this. Hes been so awful to me and ive always wondered what ive done. But I dont actually think ive ever done anything wrong. Ive apologised for gaining weight and losing definition in my body. But I have had 2 babies and Pregnant with another in less than 4 years. My body has taken a hit. Ive been so unwell each time. I know its not a sob story and its my choice to have children but what am I meant to do. How do I get out of this. He said he will kill himself

OP posts:
grindergirl · 14/12/2025 22:38

You have done nothing wrong, OP. It sounds like your partner is so insecure and has such low self esteem, he diverts it into anger towards you. Yes, it is emotional abuse

JLou08 · 14/12/2025 22:38

You've done nothing wrong at all. If I were talking to any adult about their parents I would say your mum or dad. Talking to children I will say mum/dad. I worked with children and the whole team said mum/dad when referring to one of the parents.
Your partner is abusive.

Bananalanacake · 14/12/2025 22:41

Oh boo fucking hoo, abusive men always say they'll kill themselves when you stand up to them. It's manipulation. Who owns the property you live in?

Songandance · 14/12/2025 22:42

He won’t kill himself. It’s another tactic to get you to dance to his tune.
Manage solo. It will be hard but 1000 fold preferable to the alternative of staying with this man.

YouBelongHere · 14/12/2025 22:48

As others have said - he won't kill himself. It's an empty, emotional threat meant to make you feel guilty about even considering leaving.

You shouldn't be apologising for gaining weight, even if you hadn't had babies. Jesus.

Call Women's Aid. Make a plan. I'm sorry you're going through this OP but you need to get the ball rolling, you'll feel better once you have a plan 🌺

sellthebigissue · 14/12/2025 22:48

I own the property, thankfully, and we are not married. How do I upload screenshot on here. Hes saying by posting on here that I needed external validation and he doesnt give a shit what man bashing women think. He has sent me £350 and referenced it as all my money. Ive asked him why and he said he doesnt need it where hes going

OP posts:
Emigree · 14/12/2025 22:50

Your instincts are right and you are in an abusive relationship. This is where he wants you - confused, walking on eggshells, baffled by the issue but feeling guilt like you might have done something wrong.

If it wasn't this issue, he would have found something else. It's not about calling your ex dad, having bad grammer, lack of respect, any critique he's making of your body - none of these is the real issue. He wants to put you on the back foot, to pick a fight and somehow make it your fault. It's training, to see how far he can push you, make you doubt yourself, make apologies for nothing, compromise to keep him sweet, and eventually be training into censoring yourself, moulding your behaviour around his demands and moods, using all your energy and headspace to manage them.

Look at the argument he's provoked - it's absolutely ridiculous to put so much drama on a simple choice of words in a basic conversation with your daughter that was fairly tangential to him, didn't concern or involve him. It wasn't about the words or respect or whatever crap he is spinning out of this flimsy excuse, its about the result of putting you off balance and doubting yourself.

A normal person does doubt themselves in a situation with conflict, tries to understand the other perspective, talk things out as you have tried. But he's not playing by normal person rules, or interested in resolution, so he's stormed off and is trying to ramp up the drama, hurt you with a laundry list of your failings until you start to believe him, take on his perspective, probably apologise and beg him to come back. Then in his mind, he can magnanimously forgive you, and settle back into the relationship with you knowing your place, watching your words around him and knowing, dreading the treatment you'll get if he takes offence again.

Please just let this be the end, don't let him back in or try and talk it out, or try and make him see your perspective. Just agree with him, it's over.

sellthebigissue · 14/12/2025 22:50

Honestly thank you for all of these comments. Im under no illusion its going to be easy but I cant deal with this anxiety and panic anymore not knowing how hes going to be from one minute to the next.
I was simply folding washing the other day and because id left the pile of underwear on the floor he kicked it in my face. I just simply hadn't got round to folding it. This isnt healthy

OP posts:
TinselTitts · 14/12/2025 22:55

sellthebigissue · 14/12/2025 22:48

I own the property, thankfully, and we are not married. How do I upload screenshot on here. Hes saying by posting on here that I needed external validation and he doesnt give a shit what man bashing women think. He has sent me £350 and referenced it as all my money. Ive asked him why and he said he doesnt need it where hes going

Why the feck are you telling him you're posting on here??

This whole thing is a shit show and now another child is being added to it.

I honestly hope you take the advice you've been given plenty of.

MinecraftMum40 · 14/12/2025 23:00

You have done nothing wrong. Your partner is an emotional abuser and you deserve better ❤️