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Parenting

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Help me process why I feel off about my partner's choices around his daughter

128 replies

catsaremything · 24/11/2025 16:20

I am in a relationship of 4 years, we both have daughters about 2 years apart age 11 and 13 and share custody with co-parents. I feel blessed both our daughters embrace the relationship and get on well, as I know these configurations can be less than harmonious sometimes if the age or gender gap is too great or clashing parenting styles make those relationships difficult. We live separately but in the same part of London. I have been cautious of blending our families thus far, I feel sensitive that our kids feel comfortable before making a move together and also that our relationship is stable and we have been happy living separately as we both own our own houses. This is a small gripe but I would like help processing my feelings as I don't know if they are jealousy or parental concern and appropriateness and I have had similar feelings in the past. My partner and I don't get much time together due to opposing parenting and work obligations, so there is a feeling of scarcity present and we would love more time together. Anyway, a few weekends ago, my partner took his daughter out for dinner. Before the dinner he took her to another small restaurant for a drink/something to do. This is one of our favourite places it is intimate and cosy and for grown ups. We have had a lot of special memories there. He then wanted to take her to a new wine bar that has just opened which has a lot of buzz around it before going for their meal. I felt a bit pissed off about those choices. Partly because I felt like 'wow, can't he differentiate between a date and time with his daughter?' and 'really? you think it's appropriate to go to a cool buzzy wine bar with your 13 year old daughter on a Saturday evening. How will she feel about that when she is a few years older and may not idolise him or view memories with a different lens'. I guess I still feel both of these thoughts and feelings. I do wonder if it's an appropriate way to spend time with her, is he doing that because she is providing company in a way that adults her before her time? Kids should be kids imo. There is plenty of time for this stuff in adulthood. I kinda feel he is making her bend to his companionship/social needs rather than the other way round. Although am I just feeling this way because she is growing up into a young woman, would I feel the same if he had a son? Yes there is also jealousy. I guess I would like one area of our life to remain 'ours' - romantic and sexy. Time away From parenting. Somehow sharing our haunts feels off. I appreciate how well she shares her Dad with me, and I only feel this way when he does things that I feel represent something I thought of as 'ours'. Am I being out of order? I haven't mentioned anything, and would worry to do so. It's a tricky subject.

OP posts:
FlyingApple · 24/11/2025 17:37

This is really creepy.

honeylulu · 24/11/2025 17:37

It's a bit uncomfortable that you're talking about being put out that your partner is having a "sexy" date with his daughter.

I can sort of see whats likely to be going on here. He likes those places, having tried them out with you so they seem like obvious places to him. Like a lot of blokes he doesn't have the imagination to consider other options or give proper thought to what's suitable for a 13 year old girl.

Alternatively he does have more foresight than that and wants to treat his daughter to a grown up place. I occasionally take my daughter (11) somewhere "sophisticated", only briefly as she'd get bored after long, but it's fun to see her all wide eyed initially, whispering "its so FANCY in here" and excitedly sending selfies to her friends. I say occasional because I don't want her to take fancy stuff for granted - the rest of us have to work for it!

I can see why you might be mildly irritated in the first scenario. Even in the second, if it becomes a regular thing rather than an occasional treat, he might be encouraging a princess-type entitlement, that would also be annoying, particularly if you have different standards for your own daughter.

But, sexy, NO!

amber763 · 24/11/2025 17:37

Yes you are being weird. It's just a bar and a restaurant. Stop being jealous of how your partner chooses to spend time with his kid!

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JLou08 · 24/11/2025 17:40

There's nothing wrong with a dad taking their teen DD to them places. Either you are very jealous and insecure or there is something inappropriate in the relationship that your instincts have picked up on.
Either way, surely the relationship is over? I couldn't look at a man the same, never mind have sex with him if I'd started thinking they were inappropriate with their DD.

SamVan · 24/11/2025 17:42

I don't think there's anything wrong with what he did at all. I'd have loved to go to nice adult restaurants when I was 12/13. I don't know if you're suited to having a relationship with a man with a child if you have these feelings. Nothing wrong with that, some people just get more jealous and need more couple time. But you might want to reevaluate your relationship because he's unlikely to want to stop spending time with his kid and it would be unreasonable to ask him to do so.

Dgll · 24/11/2025 17:46

It isn't totally unheard of for people to be jealous of step children or even their own children. However, it is type of resentment that is rather unpleasant. Unless you want to be competing with a 13 year old for a man's attention, get over it or break up with him.

Hayley1256 · 24/11/2025 17:46

I take my DD9 on dates all the time, not to a wine bar but we enjoy going to nice resturants. It's all part of a child's social education.

WallaceinAnderland · 24/11/2025 17:47

Remember OP, she is always going to be his priority just like your daughter is your priority. Don't try to fight that or change it. Either accept it or move on and hopefully find a man that doesn't have children of his own but is still willing to accept that you will prioritise your dd.

ACatNamedRobin · 24/11/2025 17:50

OP

I know exactly what you mean.
It's not sexual jealousy.
It's that you want to keep a couple of places as just "yours", special for you and him solely.
Especially as you get to spend so little time with him.

ACatNamedRobin · 24/11/2025 17:51

(also, not sure how you're able to stand opposite timetables of custody - surely that's no life at all!)

fireandlightening · 24/11/2025 17:55

I am a single parent with a teenage son, and much as I miss toddler days, one of the things I enjoy most about him growing up is that he is beginning to enjoy many of the things I do - plays, concerts, hikes, beach side holidays and yes, nice restaurants and even pubs. I have a partner who gets along very well with him, and the three of us do many of these things together, but I consciously protect my bond with my son but making sure we do many of these things just the two of us. My partner completely gets this, and if he didn't, I don't think we would have a future. At the end of the day, my child comes first. I imagine it is the same for your partner with his daughter. She is a child and he's enjoying introducing her to things he enjoys. This isn't a competition, well not one you are likely to win, anyway, so I am glad you are trying to process your complex emotions on this.

MsPavlichenko · 24/11/2025 17:56

catsaremything · 24/11/2025 16:44

By jealous, it isn't sexual jealousy. I don't see her as sexual competition I care about her. The jealousy is that I don't have much time with the man I love, especially just us time. We spend most of our time with our kids not alone. Is it really that weird to not want to share our romantic places?

It’s not a romantic place when he’s there with his DD though is it? It’s a nice pub/restaurant that they can enjoy a drink and or meal in. Completely different to when you’re there together.

If she enjoys it, and they both appreciate the time they have together that’s a good thing isn’t it? Even if you were living together it would be a plan for them to have time together. You can do the same with your DD too.

Disasterclass · 24/11/2025 17:59

I think there are 2 different things going on here. Due to busy lives and kids you don’t get to spend as much time together as you’d like. This is difficult but as you know part and parcel of dating people where you both have kids. It’s fine to feel this way and something that is good to discuss to make sure you spend quality time together.

Secondly you don’t like or don’t feel it’s appropriate for him to take his almost teenager to a wine bar. If the bar allows under 18s in then I don’t see how it is inappropriate. I often take DD (a bit older but doing it for a while) to the pub, both with DP and just us. It’s a nice space to be in, and she enjoys it. I don’t really see bars and restaurants as ‘sexy’, that’s down to the person you are with, not the venue - barring the sort of place that rightly wouldn’t let her in.

you mention having similar feelings in the past, is that about the lack of time you have together or are you concerned in some way about his behaviour?

Prelim · 24/11/2025 18:04

ACatNamedRobin · 24/11/2025 17:50

OP

I know exactly what you mean.
It's not sexual jealousy.
It's that you want to keep a couple of places as just "yours", special for you and him solely.
Especially as you get to spend so little time with him.

Why can’t they still be ‘yours’ though? Personally I think the specialness comes from the person you are with, not where you are.

Bossbabyxmas · 24/11/2025 18:10

It could be weird. For example as someone else said if he’s taken her out at lunchtime to somewhere like the Ivy then fair enough. If he’s taking a 12 year old out in the evening to a full on wine / cocktail bar that is very odd and I wouldn’t be happy with that! Everyone’s different though. I’m of the opinion that 12 year olds should still be kids but others let their 12 year olds dress up, wear makeup and take them to the hotel bar on their annual package holiday to Spain so depends on their background.

DottieMoon · 24/11/2025 18:13

catsaremything · 24/11/2025 16:41

For anyone responding without care to contextualise or provide your own experience, thanks but I don't care what minimal and finger pointing ignorance you're sharing. Daughter is just a few weeks shy of 13. If you think these subjects are too weird to discuss that shows me you can't handle a complex set of emotions and potentialities but you clicked on the clickbait title none-the-less. Says more about you. I asked for help to process emotions not "please cut me down for being vulnerable"

Posters aren’t finding it weird to discuss, they are saying YOU are weird!

CoralOP · 24/11/2025 18:22

Well I take my son to weatherspoons sometimes, he likes the pizza there.
I used to go with my husband when we were younger for jugs of woowoo's (classy I know 🤣)....I don't think my husband is jealous or feels its inappropriate..I best ask him!

CharlotteLightandDark · 24/11/2025 18:39

“I kinda feel he is making her bend to his companionship/social needs rather than the other way round.”

Maybe he is doing this a bit but I don’t really blame him, who wants to eat overpriced shit quality food somewhere kids like because they lack the discernment to recognise it’s overpriced and shit quality eg Nandos. I’m sure he didn’t exactly have to twist her arm anyway.

KnitFastDieWarm · 24/11/2025 18:45

DP takes the DSC hiking in our favourite places, to the opera, out for
dinner, to pubs etc etc. If i started vetoing him ever doing anything with them that was ’our thing’ he’d never leave the house with them 😄

@catsaremything I wonder if this is more to do with you feeling neglected/distant from your DP? If you felt secure and happy with him then it’s unlikely you’d be bothered by what he did with his DD.

Kippykangarooo · 24/11/2025 18:53

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

First post nails it.

Sassylovesbooks · 24/11/2025 19:17

I agree with others I think you're viewing these places as 'yours and your partner's', and your partner is simply viewing them as restaurants. It's a restaurant he likes, or a wine bar he wanted to try, so decided to take his daughter. For him, I think it's that easy and simple. A restaurant or wine bar is only romantic or intimate if you're there with the person you love, otherwise they're just restaurants/wine bars. Personally, I don't see anything wrong in what your husband is doing. He's treating his daughter as a teenager, rather than a little child. She probably thinks it's all rather sophisticated and grown-up and is enjoying it.

Celestialmoods · 24/11/2025 19:19

It’s you not him. You are being petty.

Special romantic places that hold all sorts of significance for your relationship in your head are just a nice place to go in his head.

This bit of your post is weird to me.

and 'really? you think it's appropriate to go to a cool buzzy wine bar with your 13 year old daughter on a Saturday evening. How will she feel about that when she is a few years older and may not idolise him or view memories with a different lens'.

Why do you need to question how she will feel about it in a few years time? It’s fine, she will feel fine. She will just have a nice memory of being made to feel special and a bit grown up by her Dad. That you see something weird in it is weird.

PeonyPatch · 24/11/2025 19:20

I think it’s bloody weird and inappropriate to take your 13 year old daughter to a wine bar as a solo father 😂

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 24/11/2025 19:21

catsaremything · 24/11/2025 16:44

By jealous, it isn't sexual jealousy. I don't see her as sexual competition I care about her. The jealousy is that I don't have much time with the man I love, especially just us time. We spend most of our time with our kids not alone. Is it really that weird to not want to share our romantic places?

Yes. It’s his daughter.

AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers · 24/11/2025 19:21

PeonyPatch · 24/11/2025 19:20

I think it’s bloody weird and inappropriate to take your 13 year old daughter to a wine bar as a solo father 😂

Edited

Would it be weird if it was a solo mum?

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