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Aussie and NZ Mumsnetters

Welcome to Aussie & NZ Mumsnetters - discuss all aspects of parenting life in Australia and New Zealand, including relocating, schools and local areas.

Unjust custody situation

433 replies

Helloworldz87 · 24/01/2024 10:21

What would you do? Long story short. Move in with husband and his family. Naive. Didn't know how controlling they were going to get. Get pregnant early on in the relationship. My father promises to sell his vintage car if we ever need it. Later renegs it. Won't explain why. Gaslights me. After the baby is born. Get Post natal depression. Husband's parents kick us out. Husband loses his job xand I couldn't get work. My parents go overseas for months. My parents eventually get back. My in laws use the legal system against me and file for custody of my daughter. Husband begs me back. Many empty promises of getting custody of my daughter back. Move in with him (without in laws) Many empty promises of getting our daughter back. Marriage becomes financially, emotionally and physically abusive. Move back in with my parents and baby. I feel like such a fool. But don't get any answers as to why my father screwed us over? Apparently if CPS was involved in my daughter case, this would've never happened.

OP posts:
Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 06:57

WandaWonder · 22/02/2024 06:47

Doesn't explain why you won't move out

They never cared that I struggle to be independent

OP posts:
Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 08:52

Still no answers from my mother

OP posts:
TotalAbsenceOfImperialRaiment · 22/02/2024 08:54

If you are going to accept financial and practical support from your parents, you need to stop resenting them.

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 08:55

TotalAbsenceOfImperialRaiment · 22/02/2024 08:54

If you are going to accept financial and practical support from your parents, you need to stop resenting them.

Not possible and they don't give me any answers

OP posts:
ShagratandGorbag4ever · 22/02/2024 09:00

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 06:45

Doesn't explain why my parents expect me to look after them. And why they always favour my sister, despite not needing any help

Maybe your sister didn't have a baby she could not afford with someone who was not reliable, then turn up on your parents' doorstep expecting to be housed.

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:01

ShagratandGorbag4ever · 22/02/2024 09:00

Maybe your sister didn't have a baby she could not afford with someone who was not reliable, then turn up on your parents' doorstep expecting to be housed.

Well why weren't my parents honest then? Why make empty promises?

OP posts:
Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:02

ShagratandGorbag4ever · 22/02/2024 09:00

Maybe your sister didn't have a baby she could not afford with someone who was not reliable, then turn up on your parents' doorstep expecting to be housed.

Why didn't they give me any advice?

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WandaWonder · 22/02/2024 09:14

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:02

Why didn't they give me any advice?

You are capable of having sex so you are capable of using contraception, you are not a child you knew what you were doing so stop blaming others

CraftyTaupeOtter · 22/02/2024 09:25

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:02

Why didn't they give me any advice?

At some point we have to stop blaming our parents and take responsibility for ourselves. You are a grown up now, a mother even. I think you are well and truly raised and your focus needs to be on your child and raising them now. Resentment will only hurt you.

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:32

WandaWonder · 22/02/2024 09:14

You are capable of having sex so you are capable of using contraception, you are not a child you knew what you were doing so stop blaming others

I did use contraception

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Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:34

CraftyTaupeOtter · 22/02/2024 09:25

At some point we have to stop blaming our parents and take responsibility for ourselves. You are a grown up now, a mother even. I think you are well and truly raised and your focus needs to be on your child and raising them now. Resentment will only hurt you.

Doesn't explain why they didn't care and never gave any advice

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Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:36

CraftyTaupeOtter · 22/02/2024 09:25

At some point we have to stop blaming our parents and take responsibility for ourselves. You are a grown up now, a mother even. I think you are well and truly raised and your focus needs to be on your child and raising them now. Resentment will only hurt you.

They never wanted me to grow up and act my age before

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CraftyTaupeOtter · 22/02/2024 09:38

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:34

Doesn't explain why they didn't care and never gave any advice

A parent who doesn't care wouldn't be housing you and your child now. They're doing you a huge favour here. I'm sure they aren't perfect, no-one is. Their actions here are showing they care.

Whatever the past, you are in charge of your life now.

WandaWonder · 22/02/2024 09:38

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:32

I did use contraception

So you enough about that but not to take enough to ensure you can't blame your parents for your choices

Schoolchoicesucks · 22/02/2024 10:05

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 05:02

Can you elaborate?

On every single post here where poster after poster is saying the same thing. Take some responsibility. Forget about your dad. You are an adult. Stand on your own two feet. Focus on your relationship with your daughter. Prioritise your own dc.

And your responses are but my dad said he'd sell his car. He cares more about holidays than me. My in-laws alienated me from my child. Why didn't anyone tell.me about support that was available then. Why should I support my dad.

I do get that you have had a traumatic and difficult time of it all. But you are not facing up to your role in any of this and are not looking to the future. It is all what about me. Your daughter's wellbeing and needs are barely mentioned.

Wadermellone · 22/02/2024 10:34

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:36

They never wanted me to grow up and act my age before

But they did.

you moved out and got married and they stepped right back. One of your complaints is they went a long holidays.

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 10:56

Schoolchoicesucks · 22/02/2024 10:05

On every single post here where poster after poster is saying the same thing. Take some responsibility. Forget about your dad. You are an adult. Stand on your own two feet. Focus on your relationship with your daughter. Prioritise your own dc.

And your responses are but my dad said he'd sell his car. He cares more about holidays than me. My in-laws alienated me from my child. Why didn't anyone tell.me about support that was available then. Why should I support my dad.

I do get that you have had a traumatic and difficult time of it all. But you are not facing up to your role in any of this and are not looking to the future. It is all what about me. Your daughter's wellbeing and needs are barely mentioned.

Because everyone lied to me and I've never gotten an explanation. There was no reason for my in laws to destroy my family and marriage. I'm not a bad person

OP posts:
Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 11:40

Schoolchoicesucks · 22/02/2024 10:05

On every single post here where poster after poster is saying the same thing. Take some responsibility. Forget about your dad. You are an adult. Stand on your own two feet. Focus on your relationship with your daughter. Prioritise your own dc.

And your responses are but my dad said he'd sell his car. He cares more about holidays than me. My in-laws alienated me from my child. Why didn't anyone tell.me about support that was available then. Why should I support my dad.

I do get that you have had a traumatic and difficult time of it all. But you are not facing up to your role in any of this and are not looking to the future. It is all what about me. Your daughter's wellbeing and needs are barely mentioned.

Because he lied and plays favourites

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Schoolchoicesucks · 22/02/2024 11:50

I don't think you're a bad person at all. I think you've had a terrible time of it and are struggling to make sense or come to peace with it all.

I don't think this thread is helping you and I do think that you need real life support to live independently of your family and support your dc who lives with you and build your relationship with your other DC and focus on the future and not the past.

MILLYmo0se · 22/02/2024 11:58

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 09:34

Doesn't explain why they didn't care and never gave any advice

Well make up your mind!! First they are shit parents and narcissists and now you are complaining they didn't give you advice - who would want advice from someone that is apparently a shit parent themselves?
Besides which it's clear from the thread that you wouldn't take advice anyway

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 12:39

Schoolchoicesucks · 22/02/2024 11:50

I don't think you're a bad person at all. I think you've had a terrible time of it and are struggling to make sense or come to peace with it all.

I don't think this thread is helping you and I do think that you need real life support to live independently of your family and support your dc who lives with you and build your relationship with your other DC and focus on the future and not the past.

I don't understand why they destroyed my family and marriage. my in laws are evil

OP posts:
Wadermellone · 22/02/2024 13:01

Helloworldz87 · 22/02/2024 12:39

I don't understand why they destroyed my family and marriage. my in laws are evil

Your husband was abusive.

He destroyed your marriage.

Helloworldz87 · 23/02/2024 04:44

MILLYmo0se · 22/02/2024 11:58

Well make up your mind!! First they are shit parents and narcissists and now you are complaining they didn't give you advice - who would want advice from someone that is apparently a shit parent themselves?
Besides which it's clear from the thread that you wouldn't take advice anyway

Not true. I definitely would have taken the advice

OP posts:
NotStylishOrBeautiful · 23/02/2024 07:40

You say you’d take the advice? BRILLIANT.

Loads of people on here have given you the same advice: stop focusing on the past; stop blaming your dad; get psychological help; focus on the future.

HoppingPavlova · 23/02/2024 09:32

I’m a parent of adult kids, including a ND adult. I have answers for you, so you need to wonder no more. But yet, you will keep posting no doubt.

You were an adult (in late 20’s or 30’s I think?) when YOU chose to get married, and YOU chose to have a child in an unsuitable situation, and then seemingly did so again. Given this, your parents have ZERO obligation. That’s the first thing you need to process. You have not processed that.

I would think your parents HAVE given you answers though. I highly suspect you either can’t process or compute these answers though, so in your mind they have not been given. A bit like Harry’s ‘truth’ as opposed to reality in a way. Your father likely mused on the possibility of selling his car to assist, and then in working that through that rationally, realised that it was like stopping a dyke leak with his finger and realised it was pointless and wouldn’t change the ultimate outcome. I suspect this was conveyed but as it wasn’t aligned with your ‘wants’ you refused to take it in. I suspect many explanations have been given that you refuse to take in, which equates to your understanding of no one explaining.

You seem to think your sister is favoured. I don’t think ‘favoured’ is correct. It’s probably more correct to say your sister has not given your parents the same level of grief. She likely didn’t get married when it was unsuitable, pregnant (twice) when it was unsuitable, and hadn’t need to be bailed out constantly as an adult. That doesn’t mean she is favoured, just acknowledged as not being as problematic as yourself.

Re your in-laws, I suspect they knew exactly what shit-show was occurring and wanted to ‘save’ their grandchild. Not only from yourself, but also their own son. They didn’t destroy your marriage as such. They saved an innocent child who was not being looked after suitably (a court has agreed with this seemingly). If your marriage was a casualty of this, so be it. The important thing was the child. Not you. Not your marriage. It’s not about you at all at this point. You can’t understand this though. You refuse to understand.

As to your parents going on holiday, just stop. Of course parents with a child in their late 20’s/30’s/40’s should go on holidays. They don’t need to plan their lives around yours falling apart because of the choices YOU made. Don’t be so ridiculous. Their holidays ARE important, if you are like this as an adult then I imagine it was a lot worse when they DID have an obligation to you as a dependant so god knows they deserve holiday relief with you as an adult.

Then, you NEED to live at home (to support yourself seemingly, and retain custody of your second child). Your parents facilitate this, but don’t have to. If they are narcissistic, physically abusive, or just not to your liking - then move the fuck out, and this ceases to be an issue. The end.

There really is no more or less to it than that.