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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Unpaid nanny to DSD Part 2

839 replies

seasonofthebitch · 18/01/2026 16:18

Just wanted to update the previous thread…

I’m about to get on the train home after lovely weekend with my sister. I’m more certain now of my boundaries and what I will and won’t accept. I expect this will lead to the end of the marriage.

DP called me this morning and said he was “so tired, with another full on day”. He’s taken DSD AGAIN to his gym for 3 hours and will be going to take her again tonight for 2 hours as I’m “not back in time”.

Youd think for one weekend he’d have sacked off the gym. Poor DSD.

When I was sick after Christmas, he spent everyday in doors with her. Didn’t take her the park, shops, walk, play centres, swimming - no where. Because I was not doing it too!

Im having a conversation with him tonight about our future. Feeling ok about it but also prepared for some backlash… coming back here to keep me focused!

OP posts:
GreenPaperCut · 18/01/2026 23:20

Fuck me. You are wonderful and yes he doesn’t like your job and wants to put you in your place. If you wanted, you could maintain some relationship with his daughter, seeing her a day a month or something, but I bet he’ll weaponise her and say you are not seeing her ever again to get you to stay.

OuchAndAbout · 18/01/2026 23:20

PullTheBricksDown · 18/01/2026 23:11

Do you have contact details for his mum, OP? Given the uselessness of both biological parents for this poor little girl, as his mum has also been taken for a mug in the past and got tired of it, perhaps you could team up, speak to social services and try to get something better in place? You are destined for a better future once you've left this loser. I just feel so sorry for the kid.

I too wondered about giving his mum the heads up - just so that she can know that he's bound to be on the ask again shortly. I'm erring on the side of don't, simply because what his mother chooses to do or not do for son isn't anything to do with OP, and OP has enough on her plate without dealing with a MIL who will likely be distressed to hear of the news that her son's marriage is breaking down and therefore the DIL who took over the nannying from her is fucking off and leaving a childcare gap that she's going to be guilted into filling. Again.

I also highly doubt that his mum would support any interventions that flag her son as a less than ideal father to SS. I think if OP makes a safeguarding report it will need to be without MIL.

ReadingTime · 18/01/2026 23:21

ChiliFiend · 18/01/2026 23:05

I think you can simply say "I've seen how you neglect your daughter and it's made me fall out of love with you."

That way there's no argument about how much you do vs what he should expect from you, how you said you'd treat her as family and whatever else he'll say to guilt trip you.

I think this is perfect, and just maybe, it will give him food for thought and he’ll realise he needs to do better by her. It’s more profound and meaningful than a long winded back and forth argument about how much each of you do and why he “has to network” etc.

Good luck OP you seem like a lovely person.

Doubledenim305 · 18/01/2026 23:26

RandomMess · 18/01/2026 22:48

Full on DARVO from him.

Yes the way he is using her kind words of calling his daughter family. He's taken that, put it in a gun and fired it right back at her. Like she is letting everyone down for not treating his DD like family, making her look like the bad guy.
I honestly wouldn't be discussing anything with him. He will just twist everything.
Have a holiday away from him for a while. Home life won't be worth living.

understandyourdilemma · 18/01/2026 23:27

seasonofthebitch · 18/01/2026 22:34

He came into the spare room saying “I’ve never felt more alone in a relationship”, I said I’m tired, need to sleep. He said “doing wakeups alone with the child you said was family…”

I said don’t you dare, you felt practically alone because I didn’t swoop in this weekend and provide childcare. I’m not talking about it tonight. I want to sleep

I really hope you got the sleep you need. When my exh and I were splitting up he couldn't stand it when I slept in the spare room. There would be every excuse in the world to disturb me. Hurt, anger, tears, pleading, trying to work thing out. It was just another sign of his self-centeredness and neediness. He could not put me first for one night.

SorryNotSorry00 · 18/01/2026 23:30

seasonofthebitch · 18/01/2026 22:34

He came into the spare room saying “I’ve never felt more alone in a relationship”, I said I’m tired, need to sleep. He said “doing wakeups alone with the child you said was family…”

I said don’t you dare, you felt practically alone because I didn’t swoop in this weekend and provide childcare. I’m not talking about it tonight. I want to sleep

He is a textbook narcissist. It’s a word that gets flung around a lot nowadays but that’s what he is.

murasaki · 18/01/2026 23:31

Yes, it's all about him. And did he really say 'the child' about his own daughter??

MO0N · 18/01/2026 23:33

OP, I have to agree with pps that the way he is doggedly sticking to his guns is concerning. It's good for you because it vindicates you but it also gives the impression of someone who cant back down & has to be right.
Have you concerns about your safety?

WhereYouLeftIt · 18/01/2026 23:34

"He came into the spare room saying “I’ve never felt more alone in a relationship”, ... "

Says the man who fucks off at every possible opportunity, leaving his wife sitting alone at home.

canklesmctacotits · 18/01/2026 23:37

“I’ve never felt so alone” = I’ve never had to do this alone before and I hate it and it’s your fault.

“…with the child you said was family” = you have no right to stop doing everything for me child because you said she was your family.

He’s not very clever, he’s insecure, he’s lazy, he’s incompetent, he’s irresponsible. You can do better.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 18/01/2026 23:38

May I ask - how long have you been married
and did you live together before marriage ?

MO0N · 18/01/2026 23:40

He's burned all his options and can only keep doubling down, I feel concerned that he might lash out😕

MyOtherProfile · 18/01/2026 23:41

That poor child.

I hope you can explain clearly and in words of one syllable, how he has done almost nothing as a dad, so how dare he criticise you for not acting like family.

AcrossthePond55 · 18/01/2026 23:42

saying “I’ve never felt more alone in a relationship”, I said I’m tired, need to sleep. He said “doing wakeups alone with the child you said was family…”

Honestly, you gotta laugh or you'll cry. He certainly is the centre of his own little universe, isn't he? Everything and everyone must revolve around him and his 'needs'.

Oh to be a fly on the wall during a potential conversation with his ex as he explains why she needs to 'start pulling her weight' with DD by providing 'childcare' so he can go to the gym. Although I expect she'll be on 'his side' and say that you should do it.

Just step away from the responsibility and his 'drama', see a solicitor about what divorce may mean to you, then give him your decision. But don't be surprised if he tries to enlist the ex, his mum, and any sisters he has to bring you back into line. Wimmin, know your place!!!

Francestein · 18/01/2026 23:44

I don’t usually spell stuff like this out, but you seem to have been saddled with a very manipulative narcissist. He is going to continue to weaponise your feelings for his daughter when he realises that you have pulled away from him - anything to make leaving as difficult as possible. I’m going to be blunt and also spell out that you shouldn’t be surprised if he finds someone else to fill your shoes ASAP. He will lovebomb someone vulnerable. They will have a whirlwind romance full of hearts and flowers (making you feel like you weren’t good enough to inspire that kind of treatment) and then she will move in and become the Instananny, sharing photos of her amazing “family” to try and fill the void that her real life has become. My advice is to leave and block.

Thesuperlativesistillloveyou · 18/01/2026 23:58

He's a self absorbed prick!

Coaly · 19/01/2026 00:08

OP, I would strongly advise you to gather anything of importance to you tomorrow, particularly paperwork, a bag of clothes, any sentimental bits all in the boot of your car tomorrow.

As you talk to him, make sure you have the keys to the car and your phone on you.

He really is a bad man.
They can be unpredictable.

Make sure you can exit the house safely.
Expect him to really try to manipulate you.

He will absolutely not wish to loser his childcare.
He's a gym owner?
Hardly senior to a doctor in academic terms?
Perhaps a bit financially at this point, but certainly not senior to you in any way that people seriously value IMO.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 19/01/2026 00:09

WhereYouLeftIt · 18/01/2026 23:34

"He came into the spare room saying “I’ve never felt more alone in a relationship”, ... "

Says the man who fucks off at every possible opportunity, leaving his wife sitting alone at home.

Says the man who fucks off at every possible opportunity, leaving his wife sitting alone at home.

To look after HIS child, while he pushes off to the gym for some “me time”.

Fuck that for a lark.

@ChiliFiend’s response is perfect because it puts the blame irrefutably on him for the breakdown of this marriage.

RedToothBrush · 19/01/2026 00:14

Is this guy in a relationship with you and his daughter or his darling Gym?

I'm struggling here.

He's feeling alone as a weekend of you being away means he's had to spend more time with his daughter than his true love. He's been missing his true love and not being able to give Gym his full attention.

He resents you for taking away time away from Gym. He loves Gym more than you. He spends all his quality time with Gym. He doesn't spend it with you or his daughter.

It's no better than being in a relationship with another woman.

DP has sent me a message basically saying that we “need” to agree a “structure” routine of who will look after DSD. He said he needs to continue his training “job”, and we need to work around that.
I’ve replied saying I can’t offer structured childcare.
His reply “this is our family, you can’t opt out”

This is code for, "You have to do this. This is what you signed up for." He explicitly said you can't opt out in his head.

He's a divorced Dad with a daughter to care for. He makes it clear that everything has to fit around Gym not his daughter. That's a hard no. That's no ok.

This isn't even about whether you provide care. It's about how his priority in life isn't his daughter or you. It's about how you are secondary to the gym and he takes zero responsibility for her.

As previous poster said it's neglect. He's neglecting her and he's neglecting you.

You get nothing from this relationship from what I can see. You'd be better off adopting the daughter because at least then you could go to bed without chompy mcchompface coming in at silly o'clock to eat dinner in bed.

He gets sex and childcare from the relationship. Win! You get emotional abuse for not looking after his daughter, a lack of sleep and no free weekends. Lose!

Seriously. What does he offer to the family? What does he offer to you as a partner? It can't be much if he's not even there at the same time as you apart from to sleep!

Need to agree a structure? Yep fab. It ain't going to be you picking up the pieces from Mummy and Daddy though. I'd actually get him to write down which hours in the week he thinks you are expected to provide childcare care, which hours his ex provides it and which hours he provides. And then laugh at it.

Ultimately his daughter, as much as she might love you - wants to spend time with her daddy and have her daddy's attention. When does he even give her the opportunity to do this?

His daughter is nothing but a nuisance his lifestyle and it shows. That's serious ICK territory and yep marriage ending stuff. Mainly because you don't actually have a marriage. He has a childcare arrangement and Gym.

Having the nerve to talk about having another baby with you in this arrangement? You may as well get a sperm donor! Do you want a child to grow up with a dad like this? A donor would preferable because it's be without the guilt tripping, you'd have more freedom over your own life and you don't have his arsewipe role model to shape the kids perspective.

Even after this weekend he's not worked out that you don't HAVE to do anything and instead he's just abusing you for it. That's seriously not cool. He is trying to force you back in line with a straight face and no self reflection.

Time to seriously rethink what you get from this relationship.

You'd be better divorcing and offering paid childcare.

Coaly · 19/01/2026 00:16

Children like that little girl would have been better adopted or a long term fostering.
Neither parents could care less.

It is not on the OP to raise this child and be used.

Francestein · 19/01/2026 00:18

I also love @ChiliFiend’s response, but would also throw in that you are not her parent or her nanny, and he needs to grow the fuck up.

Thesuperlativesistillloveyou · 19/01/2026 00:22

The you can't opt out bit
I take it he doesn't get irony!!

Bloodycrossstitch · 19/01/2026 00:33

What a pissy little slug of a man

Anyahyacinth · 19/01/2026 00:43

ChiliFiend · 18/01/2026 23:05

I think you can simply say "I've seen how you neglect your daughter and it's made me fall out of love with you."

That way there's no argument about how much you do vs what he should expect from you, how you said you'd treat her as family and whatever else he'll say to guilt trip you.

This is perfection and a hard truth ...he should be so embarrassed...yet he is a lazy Dad and a hardworking manipulator

Doubledenim305 · 19/01/2026 00:50

Coaly · 19/01/2026 00:08

OP, I would strongly advise you to gather anything of importance to you tomorrow, particularly paperwork, a bag of clothes, any sentimental bits all in the boot of your car tomorrow.

As you talk to him, make sure you have the keys to the car and your phone on you.

He really is a bad man.
They can be unpredictable.

Make sure you can exit the house safely.
Expect him to really try to manipulate you.

He will absolutely not wish to loser his childcare.
He's a gym owner?
Hardly senior to a doctor in academic terms?
Perhaps a bit financially at this point, but certainly not senior to you in any way that people seriously value IMO.

This. X