Please or to access all these features

Mental health

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have medical concerns, please seek medical attention.

How to manage an estranged mother

60 replies

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 08:34

I was go into too much detail but I haven’t spoken to seen my mother for over 3 years due to her being overbearing; not taking any responsibility and her manipulation. The relationship hasn’t been great for years previous but when I had my daughter enough was enough.
my mum (other has her own issues and childhood ACES) has never taken accountability for her actions towards me or any one for that matter. She doesn’t understand boundaries and when someone tries to put them in place she makes out they are sensitive and they’re the problem. She’s sold my belongings on me and has lied multiple times - I just don’t trust her.

anyway I made a decision to cut contact. At first I had arranged for her to go through my partner to see my daughter but she said ‘I’ll let you get on with your lives’. Fast forward 7 weeks and she turned up at my daughter’s nursery asking to see her - luckily I had already informed them of the situation. i texted her to stay away. Over the past 3 years she has been sending gifts on special ocassions which leaves me riddled with anxiety because it triggers my childhood past traumas. I have received counselling over it and admitted to the counsellor that the only time I will feel free is when she dies. She turned up at my door one time to drop a gift off and again I had to text her. I was starting to see a pattern of her trying to make contact with me so I started ignoring her. Then couple of months ago she sent me a letter apologising but it was very much about her being the victim. I have told her time and time again how she made me feel. The thought of her seeing my baby feels me with dread because her normal isn’t my normal and I know she would undermine me so I don’t want that relationship at all.
after she sent the letter I sent her a big message thanking her for the letter and saying I forgive her but I don’t want a relationship. I wanted to be respectful but to the point. For a couple of months we didn’t hear anything from her; she’d stopped contacting my partner and everything was great.

i am now pregnant again and it was coming up to my daughters birthday and I feel the anxiety coming back again. Lo and behold - big parcel of gifts and a letter saying it’s not about me it’s about her and my daughter building a relationship. I texted her again but my message wasn’t as respectful and I feel I’m on the verge of losing it with her. She shares pictures of my daughter on her social media - I don’t know her friends and to be honest I’m not 100% they’re all safe people - I asked her to stop. She ignored me and put a big post up naming my daughter (full name) with a picture. I’m on the edge and I don’t know what to do.

Ive tried contacting social media to get posts removed but they’re saying it doesn’t apply to their standards or something.

just to add my mother has poor mental health and goes through phrases of being on ‘downers’ where she’ll eat eat eat and smoke weed. I’ve had to deal with this from a young age. I was emotionally, verbally and physically (threatened) abused. I was exposed to adult subjects and content from a you g age and I am trying to protect myself and my family.

OP posts:
Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 08:38

At first I had arranged for her to go through my partner to see my daughter

why on earth do you want to subject your daughter to this awful woman?

op, just ignore her
donate any gifts (better yet, sell and then treat yourself)

how far away does she live?

Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 08:39

You describe yourself as having cut contact

but it would seem she has remained and remains very much in contact with you

ItsmeMargo · 29/09/2025 08:47

You need to cut your Mum off completely. And this includes her not seeing your children. The stuff you say about her getting down and smoking weed… I wouldn’t want anyone like that anywhere near my DC.

If she keeps sending gifts, don’t acknowledge them, just get rid. Don’t indulge her at all. We are NC with a relative of MIL: she kept sending gifts… I gave them back to MIL and said we didn’t want them. They kept on coming, I kept on giving them back. It’s been more than 10 years, and she still sends DC cards. They go straight in the bin.

As soon as your children are old enough, she will begin manipulating them against you. You will be the bad guy.

Block her on social media and don’t look at anything she posts.

Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 08:49

This is very very very far off cutting someone off OP

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 08:54

Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 08:38

At first I had arranged for her to go through my partner to see my daughter

why on earth do you want to subject your daughter to this awful woman?

op, just ignore her
donate any gifts (better yet, sell and then treat yourself)

how far away does she live?

Edited

Because I felt bad for her but after I processed everything and realised that not having her around was better for me I found the strength to say no.

i am going to send the gifts back in future but I am wondering if I should inform police of harassment?

OP posts:
Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 08:54

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 08:54

Because I felt bad for her but after I processed everything and realised that not having her around was better for me I found the strength to say no.

i am going to send the gifts back in future but I am wondering if I should inform police of harassment?

Don’t send the gifts back fgs
just inviting more drama

come on op.

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 08:56

Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 08:38

At first I had arranged for her to go through my partner to see my daughter

why on earth do you want to subject your daughter to this awful woman?

op, just ignore her
donate any gifts (better yet, sell and then treat yourself)

how far away does she live?

Edited

She lives 10 min away from me.

OP posts:
Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 08:57

Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 08:54

Don’t send the gifts back fgs
just inviting more drama

come on op.

but if I accept them and sell them on etc then she thinks it’s ok 🤷🏻‍♀️ she doesn’t know I’ve sold them or donated

OP posts:
Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 08:57

She’s sold my belongings on me and has lied multiple times - I just don’t trust her.

so in your shoes I wouldn’t want my children around her, ever.

You haven’t cut contact. The drama continues. Just shrug off contact and sell what she gives and don’t have your children in contact with her for goodness sakes

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 08:59

Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 08:57

She’s sold my belongings on me and has lied multiple times - I just don’t trust her.

so in your shoes I wouldn’t want my children around her, ever.

You haven’t cut contact. The drama continues. Just shrug off contact and sell what she gives and don’t have your children in contact with her for goodness sakes

You make it sound like it’s very easy. If it was then I wouldn’t be asking for support.

OP posts:
Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 09:01

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 08:59

You make it sound like it’s very easy. If it was then I wouldn’t be asking for support.

This is your child. If that’s not going to galvanise you against what sounds like an abusive woman then nothing will

Lavender14 · 29/09/2025 09:01

Don't be hard on yourself op, you're navigating a very difficult situation that's highly emotive and most of the time when people cut contact it's a phased thing where they try out various degrees of contact before deciding that none is actually what works. I think some pps on here have forgotten that.

I do agree with them though that it's time to be more ruthless with it. Block her on all social media, block her number and email address, return any presents etc to sender unopened/ get partner to inform her they've been donated to charity unopened and the same will happen if she keeps sending things. Get your partner to manage any unsolicited contact that crops up like this.

You can't control what she does, what she posts, what she sends unfortunately but you can control how you react to it. Self care is important and investing in other relationships that make you feel good. It'd important to remember that you're working in the context of your own ACEs and you're actively breaking the cycle for your DD which is the greatest thing you can do for her.

OriginalSkang · 29/09/2025 09:04

How is she getting pictures of your daughter? Or are they old pictures?

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 09:04

Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 08:38

At first I had arranged for her to go through my partner to see my daughter

why on earth do you want to subject your daughter to this awful woman?

op, just ignore her
donate any gifts (better yet, sell and then treat yourself)

how far away does she live?

Edited

Just for the record my daughter hasn’t seen her for over 3 years and she was only 18months so doesn’t remember. She only accidentally seen her when my mum turned up on my door step about 18 months ago. It was then I texted to say stay away from my house. She then started to send the parcels with a taxi or someone she knew

my daughter doesn’t ask about her or wonder who she is when parcels are dropped off.

OP posts:
OriginalSkang · 29/09/2025 09:06

I presume you don't give your daughter the presents?

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 09:06

OriginalSkang · 29/09/2025 09:04

How is she getting pictures of your daughter? Or are they old pictures?

So my partner was sending her some pictures from time to time . Then I told him to stop. Now she uses old pictures but puts them into those AI app where they can make her a mermaid or fairy etc

im not actually friends with her on any social media but her instragram is open

OP posts:
Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 09:07

So the issue is around these gifts?

ok, sell them
use the money to buy treats for you!!

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 09:07

OriginalSkang · 29/09/2025 09:06

I presume you don't give your daughter the presents?

i was yes because she would see them but I’m not in future

OP posts:
Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 09:08

Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 09:07

So the issue is around these gifts?

ok, sell them
use the money to buy treats for you!!

No the issue is her trying to come back in to my life. I want her to disappear so I don’t have to worry

OP posts:
Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 09:08

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 09:08

No the issue is her trying to come back in to my life. I want her to disappear so I don’t have to worry

”FFS piss off and stop contacting me”

then block

job done

TorroFerney · 29/09/2025 09:10

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 08:57

but if I accept them and sell them on etc then she thinks it’s ok 🤷🏻‍♀️ she doesn’t know I’ve sold them or donated

It doesn’t matter what she thinks. You are still attracted to the drama you need to pull back. You need to get to a stage where you don’t think of her.

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 09:12

Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 09:01

This is your child. If that’s not going to galvanise you against what sounds like an abusive woman then nothing will

Ok shall I put it blundently to you. I am very close to knocking her block off! If you haven’t got any sensitivity towards my situation then please don’t comment. To suggest I am not protecting my daughter is insensitive to my situation. I have been manipulated and emotionally abused since I was a child and I’m trying to navigate through this whilst heavily pregnant.

OP posts:
GaudySocks · 29/09/2025 09:12

Is it possible for you to move? Can you change your phone numbers? Send DC to a different school?
Anything you can to prevent her getting in touch with you.
And stop messaging her.

Tummyrum · 29/09/2025 09:13

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 09:12

Ok shall I put it blundently to you. I am very close to knocking her block off! If you haven’t got any sensitivity towards my situation then please don’t comment. To suggest I am not protecting my daughter is insensitive to my situation. I have been manipulated and emotionally abused since I was a child and I’m trying to navigate through this whilst heavily pregnant.

I have told you what I think you should do

“fuck off”

block

Sunshine8537 · 29/09/2025 09:13

TorroFerney · 29/09/2025 09:10

It doesn’t matter what she thinks. You are still attracted to the drama you need to pull back. You need to get to a stage where you don’t think of her.

Believe me I am not attracted to the drama.
I am trying to be calm but she doesn’t understand that. I am ignoring but she doesn’t accept them. She doesn’t respect boundaries.

OP posts: