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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should I accept proposal if I've never met his daughters?

482 replies

ZanySheep · 15/03/2026 08:07

We have talked about marriage although bf is still going through his divorce. 3.5 years in, we live together with my kids (they call him step dad) he's met everyone on my side we are very very happy . His ex has said to him I will never be a part of their dd's lives (19&21yrs) still I have never met them because of this . They were living together when we met. They are still married going thru divorce. I have a feeling he will propose when divorce comes through.. my question is should I say yes if I've never met his girls ? I've met his parents , some friends. They live local he sees them every week , gives them money still . He's a brilliant dad . What are everyone's thoughts ?..

OP posts:
Wish44 · 16/03/2026 07:19

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 15/03/2026 23:13

He didn't have any children. And neither did I when I cheated (many times with several people) on my first husband.

But the point is, I've never cheated on this husband.

I thought the point was that if you and your now husband were unhappy in your respective first marriages you should have left the marriages, rather than stay and cheat and hurt your then spouses very badly. Your earlier post seems to justify men doing this as they can’t afford to go until they meet someone else. But surly you see how cruel that is to the other partner? Being used like that? And hence why the daughters may dislike the op… and their dad. Leave- don’t cheat… it’s simple.

mrswomblesbusy · 16/03/2026 07:26

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 15/03/2026 23:13

He didn't have any children. And neither did I when I cheated (many times with several people) on my first husband.

But the point is, I've never cheated on this husband.

But the point is, I've never cheated on this husband.

What do you want, a medal ? 🙄

And if your first husband put up with your cheating, more fool him.

Forgotthebins · 16/03/2026 07:34

If his daughters still refuse to meet you if and when he announces the engagement, at that stage that’s their choice. He just needs to keep keeping the door open for them to have the relationship with him that they are comfortable with, and you have to decide if it bothers you that a big part of his life is a closed door to you. The past was not ideal but you can’t change it now, you just have to acknowledge that his children have to take priority and if they don’t want to see you that is sad but that’s how it is.

I think the point someone made about money was not that you are a gold digger but that if you marry him then die without a will he could inherit and in principle leave all your money to his daughters that you have never met.it could even happen without him meaning to of neither of you make wills. It probably wouldn’t happen but shows how unusual the set up is. And you should have a will.

mrswomblesbusy · 16/03/2026 07:36

Orangejuiceisgood · 15/03/2026 09:12

Bitter is not a nice descriptor. Betrayed or hurt might be better.

Very true.

"Bitter" is the adjective thrown out regularly, by one or both, of the cheating pair to denigrate the betrayed party.
It shows a total lack of empathy and is just plain nasty.

Having said that, If the cheaters had one ounce of empathy they wouldn't have done what they did 🙄

bringthewashingin · 16/03/2026 07:44

BeKookyExpert · 15/03/2026 09:07

You have a joint bank account with someone who’s married to someone else? You do know that’s a marital asset?

It sounded like this is how she knew he gave the daughters money! Surely not from your joint account OP?

Whatexcellentboiledpotatoes · 16/03/2026 08:42

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 15/03/2026 23:13

He didn't have any children. And neither did I when I cheated (many times with several people) on my first husband.

But the point is, I've never cheated on this husband.

Gross 🤢

mrswomblesbusy · 16/03/2026 08:47

bringthewashingin · 16/03/2026 07:44

It sounded like this is how she knew he gave the daughters money! Surely not from your joint account OP?

😮

Could this Joint Account be a way for him to hide "marital assets" OP?

(Either from the Inland Revenue or from a divorce solicitor. If so, both are criminal offences OP.)

Never2many · 16/03/2026 08:50

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 15/03/2026 16:51

That's completely understandable if you were never given the opportunity to meet her and the whole thing was sprung on you. My mum married someone I'd only met once and she'd only known for a matter of weeks herself. Didn't tell me and my siblings until after she'd done it. (We'd all left home, so we had no idea she was planning it.) We never quite forgave her and it changed our relationship forever.

But in this case I get the impression it's been the girls' choice all along to have nothing to do with the OP. That's their right, but it's also his right to remarry if he wants to. They are adults. They can't complain that he's marrying someone they've never met if they've had ample opportunity to meet her and have chosen not to. He's been with her for several years already, so it's not like it will be a bolt out of the blue, either.

Edited

While I am generally of the view that not all affairs are black and white, and that sometimes someone might leave their existing relationship to be with someone else, if you choose to have an affair, you are also choosing the responsibilities which go with that.

And those responsibilities include putting your children first, above the ex you decide to leave, and above the person you decide to leave them for.

If you’re unhappy you have the right to leave a relationship. But you do not have the right to trample over the innocent parties left behind. I.e. the children.

The children may be adults, but if they have chosen to not have anything to do with the woman their father left their mother for, and he is persisting on putting his happiness above theirs, that’s on him, not them.

Even if you’re genuinely unhappy in a relationship, you leave. If you bring someone else into the picture before that then you lose the right to claim unhappiness for your choices.

I don’t subscribe to the view that “once a cheat always a cheat,” but the truth is that if you do cheat, then you take on the responsibilities which go with that, and that includes losing your family if that’s the choices they’ve made.

You choose to leave your wife and children for another woman? Don’t be surprised when those children want nothing to do with that woman.

Nobody has the right to happiness at the expense of others.

If a man marries his mistress knowing his children will not accept her due to how they got together, that’s a clear indication he never loved them in the first place. If he did, he would give them time.

But this man hasn’t even bothered to try and divorce this woman he apparently was so unhappy with.

That tells you all you need to know about him.

mrswomblesbusy · 16/03/2026 08:54

@Never2many "But this man hasn’t even bothered to try and divorce this woman he apparently was so unhappy with."

Because, as I said upthread, he wants to 'have his cake and eat it'.🙄

Blondeshavemorefun · 16/03/2026 09:21

If the daughters are adults - why is he still paying the mortgage

house needs to be sold and both buy properties and smaller mortgage

TwistedWonder · 16/03/2026 09:37

Missj25 · 16/03/2026 03:53

OP has already said he pays the mortgage on his Children’s family home , not everyone , infact lots can’t afford two houses !

Nearly everyone on here has gone into various different rants , he’s this , that , the other thing .
He just has to have ulterior motives.
It can’t be as simple as they are in love , but his daughters don’t want to know her because they’re not happy their father has moved on .

Should she marry him without meeting them is the question here ?
Personally speaking , all circumstances aside , I wouldn’t be rushing to marry anyone after being married already that I only know for 3 years .

Well if he can’t afford two homes maybe he needs to get on with getting the divorce sorted - 3.5 years, the kids are now adults and it’s still dragging on.

But while hes cocklodging at the OPs he doesn’t appear to he in any rush.

Tiddlywinks63 · 16/03/2026 10:37

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 15/03/2026 23:13

He didn't have any children. And neither did I when I cheated (many times with several people) on my first husband.

But the point is, I've never cheated on this husband.

That’s nothing to be proud of ffs!

arethereanyleftatall · 16/03/2026 10:49

Op, if you sounded pleasant in any way, shape or form, I would be advising you to protect your children’s assets.
but the two of you sound like a great match.
your posts have astounded me with your foolishness to not see this abhorrent man for what he is. The lies you are swallowing beggar belief. A good father would NEVER have an affair. Never. He would put his children’s happiness first. If you can’t work out what this tells you about him, and you’re also incapable of listening to other people who tell you, then you’re making your own bed. Enjoy.
I feel very sorry for your children. And his. What a pair of selfish parents.

Missj25 · 16/03/2026 11:16

arethereanyleftatall · 16/03/2026 10:49

Op, if you sounded pleasant in any way, shape or form, I would be advising you to protect your children’s assets.
but the two of you sound like a great match.
your posts have astounded me with your foolishness to not see this abhorrent man for what he is. The lies you are swallowing beggar belief. A good father would NEVER have an affair. Never. He would put his children’s happiness first. If you can’t work out what this tells you about him, and you’re also incapable of listening to other people who tell you, then you’re making your own bed. Enjoy.
I feel very sorry for your children. And his. What a pair of selfish parents.

Oh stop with your narrow mind rubbish ffs !
People cheat for all sorts of reasons, you can’t paint everyone with the same brush .
There are all different situations, & you nor I have any idea what that man’s life was like with his Ex wife.
Yes , there are people with lovely spouses & they still cheat cause they’re assholes .
There are others who just aren’t in love anymore ( in which case yes , walk away , don’t cheat ) .
There are others stuck with bullies who make them miserable , they have kids who they love & find it very hard to walk away .

My daughters friend’s dad , a really nice man & an amazing father was stuck married to a bully for years & years .
He met a lovely woman who he is now marrying . He was married at the time he met her .
I’m so pleased for him being honest that he got away from that shit wife & mother he was married to .
He deserves to be happy .
A hard working , kind man .
His daughter spends most of her time with him & his new wife to be .
You see there are all different stories out there so people shouldn’t be so quick to make assumptions.

.

arethereanyleftatall · 16/03/2026 11:22

I disagree @Missj25
if you live with a bully, then you leave that relationship first. You aren’t staying ‘for the kids’, you are staying ‘for yourself so that you can still see your kids’. It’s selfish. I stand by my comment that no good person has an affair.

Namingbaba · 16/03/2026 11:30

I don’t know why you’d want to marry so quickly. The wedding planning is going to be a nightmare. You’ll be creating another thread about how his daughters don’t want to come and how it’s going to create a rift between your partner and his children.

If I was you I’d wait it out a while before even considering that. Things might mellow in time.

mrswomblesbusy · 16/03/2026 11:34

@arethereanyleftatall "I stand by my comment that no good person has an affair."

I agree.
For starters they are liars.
They lie to their partner, they lie to their affair partner and some even lie to themselves.

They all have the same characteristics - entitlement issues, poor problem solving skills, are conflict-avoidant and have a total lack of empathy.

Missj25 · 16/03/2026 11:39

arethereanyleftatall · 16/03/2026 11:22

I disagree @Missj25
if you live with a bully, then you leave that relationship first. You aren’t staying ‘for the kids’, you are staying ‘for yourself so that you can still see your kids’. It’s selfish. I stand by my comment that no good person has an affair.

” No good person has an affair “ , that’s a fairly strong statement to stand by PP .
What if it were your son or your brother ?

Wish44 · 16/03/2026 11:44

Missj25 · 16/03/2026 11:39

” No good person has an affair “ , that’s a fairly strong statement to stand by PP .
What if it were your son or your brother ?

What if it was my son or brother? They would still be my male relatives , I would still love them. But I would think very differently about them and would tell them that their actions were wrong….

lots of people who have affairs are able to admit that their actions were wrong

throwawayimplantchat · 16/03/2026 11:49

Missj25 · 16/03/2026 11:39

” No good person has an affair “ , that’s a fairly strong statement to stand by PP .
What if it were your son or your brother ?

What are your thoughts on OP moving in her affair partner to her children’s home, presumably pretty quickly as they’re only 3.5 years in, he couldn’t afford to pay for his own rental at any point and they apparently already consider him their step dad?

In my opinion it’s pretty selfish and shitty parenting to move an unrelated adult male, let alone one you know has a history of lying, into your children’s home quickly because you’ve been shagging them so they need somewhere to live but can’t afford their own place.

Pumpkinmagic · 16/03/2026 11:53

ZanySheep · 15/03/2026 08:21

Basically I was he other woman I guess so she's still bitter

Well more fool you. If he did it to his wife and the mother of his children, he’ll do it to you too. His ex wife has every right to despise you for the rest of her days. How do you expect her to feel? You almost sound proud of it. What you did is despicable. How would you feel if this happened to your daughter or sister? I think you need to work on your self and on building your self esteem if you are happy having been the other woman before you settle down.

arethereanyleftatall · 16/03/2026 12:03

Missj25 · 16/03/2026 11:39

” No good person has an affair “ , that’s a fairly strong statement to stand by PP .
What if it were your son or your brother ?

No different whoever it is, I don’t think they’re good people. Leave first.

Missj25 · 16/03/2026 12:05

throwawayimplantchat · 16/03/2026 11:49

What are your thoughts on OP moving in her affair partner to her children’s home, presumably pretty quickly as they’re only 3.5 years in, he couldn’t afford to pay for his own rental at any point and they apparently already consider him their step dad?

In my opinion it’s pretty selfish and shitty parenting to move an unrelated adult male, let alone one you know has a history of lying, into your children’s home quickly because you’ve been shagging them so they need somewhere to live but can’t afford their own place.

He wasn’t her “ affair partner “ 🙄, when he moved in .
He’s her partner.
OP & her partner want to get married , so that does make him their step dad .
He can’t afford two homes , this has been said already .
He pays the mortgage for his daughters family home .

I just think people come on here with all this giving out & passing off lots of shitty remarks to people whose Situations they know nothing about .
It’s fucking mental !
She asked a question, “ Would you marry someone if you never met their daughters “ ?

Missj25 · 16/03/2026 12:07

arethereanyleftatall · 16/03/2026 12:03

No different whoever it is, I don’t think they’re good people. Leave first.

I think you’re talking absolute rubbish, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t think that of your own son if he came to you .
We will have to agree to disagree & leave it at that .

arethereanyleftatall · 16/03/2026 12:12

Missj25 · 16/03/2026 12:07

I think you’re talking absolute rubbish, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t think that of your own son if he came to you .
We will have to agree to disagree & leave it at that .

I’ve brought him up better than that I hope.

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