Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Parents of adult children

Wondering how to stop worrying about your grown child? Speak to others in our Parents of Adult Children forum.

Adult Dd hates me and right now I don’t like her very much either. Very long, sorry.

220 replies

DDstress · 25/08/2023 17:18

She’s 22yo, just finished uni. Lives at home, lived at home all through uni. Still married to her dad. No other kids.

I really don’t know where it went wrong. We seemed to get on fine, days out, doing stuff, etc till she was about 16yo. Then she got more distant but thought well this happens, she’s out with friends, etc, it’s normal.

she’s always been well behaved and worked hard, done well at school, etc with no pressure from us.

I offered to pay for her to live in halls at uni but she declined, we let her do what she liked and never interfered with her life or gave her any house rules.

If I’m honest she’s been spoilt. Certainly financially. If she wants something she pretty much gets it. 2k laptop for uni (said she needed a high spec), expensive desktop, upgrading stuff on her desktop computer, driving lessons, 6k car. Pay all her insurance, tax, car bills. She has a part time job so didn’t need an allowance while at uni as she got wages plus her student loan.

we paid for her to go on a course to Italy which cost us 3k this summer, it was Paris with a friend the year before that. She said to me yesterday that she wants a new laptop for Xmas.

she had a boyfriend while at uni and they split up at Xmas. Her choice. From what I saw she was vile to him, but she said he was horrible to her beh8nd closed doors. She dumped him, I sympathised. Since then she seems in a foul mood constantly

If anything goes wrong she has a meltdown, rages, shouts at me and rages (dh keeps out the way).

she was dog sitting a few weeks ago and rang me at work saying she needed £80 now as she was booking her speed awareness course and had no money as she’d spent it all on food as was living at this house she was dog sitting at. At no point did she clearly say to me she needed money for food. I transferred the £80, told her I couldn’t buy food for two households but there was plenty of stuff here (5 miles away) she could come and get. She slammed the phone down on me. A few weeks before this I told her she needed to sign on for universal credit but she has refused.

so she went to Italy for three weeks. Came back and said she has sorted out an au pair job and as soon as she can is leaving. She’s having a nightmare sorting out the visa, I have been googling and trying to help and she had a meltdown today.

Said she is doing it “all on my own”. I pointed out I’ve been trying to help and have actually found out how to book the visa appt today and while she was on the phone to me with her encouragement booked the appointment. She is now raging at me for booking at . She then said she hasn’t booked the language course which she needs to do to get a certificate for her visa. I’d given her £500 towards an £800 course a few days ago and yesterday she told me she’d booked it. Turns out that was a lie. She doesn’t want that language school as she’s heard the govt have clocked that it gives out dodgy visa letter (she should be at the school for the whole year but £800 is about 4 weeks of lessons but they will do you a letter saying it’s a year). So she needs to pay 3k for a better language school.

I said I’m not paying 3k for a language school for her. She’s been shouting at me. Saying how much she hates me, that she’s leaving the country because she wants to get away from me. That I’m emotionally abusive. That I was emotionally abusive at Xmas. I asked her to give me one example and she can’t remember. She says we’re a dysfunctional fucked up family and she can’t wait to leave and she’s never coming back. I said fine, if that’s the way you feel then go. She’s screaming that she’s trying but can’t afford to.

She said her whole childhood has been emotionally abusive, that she’s always been unhappy. That I have never supported her. I pointed out all the stuff we’ve done, from paying for tutors, paying for counsellors, helping her write appeal letters when she was nearly kicked out of uni for failing a year, all the financial help. Or she can say is that I give her money so I can throw it back in her face. But I don’t throw it in her face, but I will defend myself trying to give examples of when I think we have supported her.

she was angry because I made a cake this afternoon as she wanted to make one, but she’d just got in after driving a 4 mile round trip to the embassy and not getting seen. So I thought I’d do something nice and that she wanted actual cake, not to be making the cake herself. She’d mentioned about cake yesterday so I was trying to do something nice for her.

my friends say she bullies me. She seems as nice as pie when she wants something, and angry and nasty when she doesn’t get her own way.

she works at the gym I go to and she told staff there that I’d kicked her out after Xmas (she went to live with friends for a few months ) and that her dad had hit her. Which is all lies. I confronted her about that for the first time today and asked her why she lied because it’s embarrassing as I know her colleagues and they asked me about it. She was backtracking and said that her dad did hit her (he smacked her when she was about 6yo and I said no more and he hasn’t). She reckons when she told work that she was referring to that. Which is bullshit. I told her I hadn’t kicked her out and she denied telling work that which I think is also bullshit.

She seems to like being the victim. There’s been minor examples of this with friends, etc where I think she’s said something about them which isn’t true. That they’ve done xyz to her. Im actually beginning to wonder if she has s9me sort of personality disorder. The friends she stayed with im sure she told them I kicked her out. She gets on very well with her (now ex) lecturers at uni and im sure she’s told them this. Her graduation is next week and she hasn’t invited us to it. She wants everyone to feel sorry for her and run round after her.

I to,d her im sad she feels this way but if it’s how she feels then she should go and pointed out I prefer it when she’s not here. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.

she’s stormed off now, im sure to go and tell someone how abusive I am to her and probably try and find somewhere else to move to. She has 24k in a bank account which I’d saved for her as a child for a house deposit. I told her if she needs money for expensive Italian language courses she will have to start using her money. Am I right?

OP posts:
TooManyPlatesInMotion · 25/08/2023 19:10

Omg. Stop doing all this stuff for her... She's 22, not 10.

She is behaving horribly. Let her head off to italy and sort her own life out. Don't give her any more money, beyond what is in the acc you saved for her.

It is irrelevant whether she is ND or not. There is no excuse for her behaviour

7eleven · 25/08/2023 19:11

From your updates @DDstress your daughter has grown up as an only child, with an unavailable father and a mother dealing with possibly undiagnosed ND.

She may be overindulged with material things, but she could have been neglected, emotionally? Is that a fair thing to say? I can see how that would make her feel unsafe.

Tinkerbyebye · 25/08/2023 19:11

Afraid I would be asking her to leave. She can use the money in the bank account to live on and do her course

sometimes it gets to the tough love stage and this is it. She is on her own

SquirrelSoShiny · 25/08/2023 19:12

Neurodivergence isn't an excuse for her behaviour but the behaviour can be a maladaptive response to undiagnosed neurodivergence. Especially if she has been raised by a mother with ADHD and a passive, emotionally absent father who may have ASD traits. Your daughter may well have been struggling for a long time without understanding what's wrong.

Listofjobs · 25/08/2023 19:13

I can relate. In fact I have a couple of good friends with very similar children. My own DS (now 25) started to demonstrate manipulative traits at the onset of puberty and I presumed he was just at the extreme end of typical adolescence. But it continued and he has what appears to be emotionally unstable personality disorder. We never know what we will get on any given day/minute. He did have to move out as I wouldn’t tolerate his cannabis addiction, which is ongoing. We have maintained a good enough relationship but it comes ar a cost to my own well-being. Constant requests for handouts which I don’t always agree to, but I live every minute with him treading on eggshells. He threatens to kill himself if he doesn’t get his own way. One thing I have learned though is don’t “join” them in their histrionics. I’d help her get to Italy but not with financial help, but don’t be under any illusion that she won’t be back a month or two later. If that happens, find her somewhere else to live, it’s time for her to learn some independent living skills now. Look after yourself, it’s extremely hard.

Almondmum · 25/08/2023 19:13

You offered to throw the cake away????! What the hell? This is the problem. Surely you say, stop being silly, I made it as a treat for you, you can make a cake another day..

YukoandHiro · 25/08/2023 19:16

suckrifice · 25/08/2023 18:23

Can she sign up for uc if she has 24k in her bank account?

No. £16k max.

BumpyaDaisyevna · 25/08/2023 19:16

TakeOnMe251
Wil your husband step up now he knows more? Give you the chance to step back?
He needs too. You need to protect yourself from her verbal assaults and HE needs to starts protecting you.

I doubt it. Don’t think he’s capable^
^
I think this might be the root of the problem - and also the potential way forward.

Ie your DHs actual incapacity to be a father to her - or alternatively your view that your daughter's father is too weak to fulfil that role. *

Or perhaps there's a bit of both at play.* *
*

BumpyaDaisyevna · 25/08/2023 19:18

Quite hard for a child to grow up and grow away if they feel they are leaving their mother without a strong partnership of her own?

joey197860 · 25/08/2023 19:19

I think you need to tread carefully here. Is there any possibility she's taking something either prescribed or not?
Is there any possibility she has any identity issues?
Any childhood trauma?
Mental health struggles diagnosed any time?
I'm asking all this because I saw a neighbour's child go right off the rails for no reason. He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. Your daughter's behaviour isn't rational. I'd stop giving money unless you go directly yourself to pay and get the receipt.
I hope the situation is resolved.

Colinfromaccounts · 25/08/2023 19:21

This reply has been deleted

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

YukoandHiro · 25/08/2023 19:24

Can I ask: why do you only have one child? I feel like the answer may provide some insight here.

Goldcircle · 25/08/2023 19:26

I recognise some of this in my daughter of the same age. She sounds spoilt, mine is too. I had it out with her and after a few dats sulking, shes been better than she was.

Nosleepforthismum · 25/08/2023 19:27

She’s just being a brat OP. Don’t worry, she’ll come out the other side. Most of us went through this stage in some form (although yours sounds particularly bratty) and you are not helping by indulging her.

Can’t help but eyeroll at the “but did you meet her emotional needs” posters. You sound like a great mum that has been too soft and is now suffering the consequences. Have a conversation where you say you feel she’s ready for full independence and to go travelling, move out, whatever she wants and she has a sizeable sum of money to go mad with. Unfortunately you will no longer be available for financial support but will always be there to listen to any problems. Give her a deadline to move out, get DH on board and stick to it.

DDstress · 25/08/2023 19:28

This reply has been deleted

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

Yeah, you’re right….that’s exactly what I’ve done. 🙄

OP posts:
DDstress · 25/08/2023 19:29

YukoandHiro · 25/08/2023 19:24

Can I ask: why do you only have one child? I feel like the answer may provide some insight here.

Dh didn’t want another.

OP posts:
Pollyputhekettleon · 25/08/2023 19:29

You said you paid for counselling for her. When was that and what was it for? Was that the post-Christmas counselling she's told you about, where the counsellor seems to be blaming you for some problems she has?

DDstress · 25/08/2023 19:32

Pollyputhekettleon · 25/08/2023 19:29

You said you paid for counselling for her. When was that and what was it for? Was that the post-Christmas counselling she's told you about, where the counsellor seems to be blaming you for some problems she has?

No, the recent counselling was free from uni.
we paid for counselling, during lockdown. Generalised anxiety which she’d been to the gp for.

OP posts:
Goldcircle · 25/08/2023 19:32

This reply has been deleted

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

🤨

TheDestinationUnknown · 25/08/2023 19:34

You have babied and spoilt her, and created a monster. Now you must reap what you sow.

At 22 I was living in my own house, working full time and I didn't get a penny from my parents. I was grateful for a box of chocolates from them at Christmas fgs.

If you want to have any chance of salvaging this, and of her turning out as a decent member of society, then the money and help stops right now. Time for her to stand on her own two feet! It will be the best thing you've ever done for her.

Pollyputhekettleon · 25/08/2023 19:34

DDstress · 25/08/2023 19:32

No, the recent counselling was free from uni.
we paid for counselling, during lockdown. Generalised anxiety which she’d been to the gp for.

Did she discuss how that went with you? Was there any mention of what was causing the anxiety? Did she go on medication for it?

EmmaEmerald · 25/08/2023 19:36

OP "we’ve had conversations about her boyfriend when she was having issues with him and I tried to be helpful. He crashed his car drink driving and I spent a day driving her about trying to find him as he’d done a runner from the scene. So yes that was practical I guess but was trying to calm her down/emotionally support her at the same time."

I am really horrified by this too. She's okay dating someone who not only drove drunk but fled the scene? I also feel like you're kind of showing too much concern in trying to find him as well. He needed to be found by police and suffer the consequences.

I really feel for you. I have one colleague who had issues with her DD being really obnoxious and it only got "resolved" by them finding her a place to live and telling her they would only see her once a week. Meanwhile, my mum knows people who have obnoxious adult kids living with them and expecting everything to be done and paid for.

She's an adult with funds. Let her sort her visa out on her own.

Namechange666 · 25/08/2023 19:38

bunchofboys · 25/08/2023 17:25

She sounds awful op. Poor you. Does she have adhd? Somethjng about your description of her sounds ND. But its no excuse for bad behaviour and her behaviour is shocking. Stop with the hand outs or she will never grow up.

How does this sound like ADHD?????

It is nothing of the sort thank you!

DDstress · 25/08/2023 19:39

Pollyputhekettleon · 25/08/2023 19:34

Did she discuss how that went with you? Was there any mention of what was causing the anxiety? Did she go on medication for it?

She said it had helped. Something did actually happen to her in her first year at uni with someone on her course which I don’t feel comfortable divulging even though I’ve name changed. So the counselling was for this, she says the gp said she had ptsd following the event. The GP did talk to her about medication but she refused.

OP posts: