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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Daughter and her online boyfriend...

51 replies

user1496036124 · 29/05/2017 07:27

Good Morning everyone,
I have just joined mumsnet and I am looking for some advise, about 18 months ago my 20 year old daughter started talking to someone online from America, I said ok and she told me about him, but as the weeks went by she became distant and said he was travelling over to see her, but as she still lives at home we had to put him up for 2 weeks, I of course felt uncomfortable about having a stranger in my home, after agreeing he came, my husband and I gave him a huge welcome cake, banner, food, and lots of conversation, but he barely spoke for the whole 2 weeks, he just lay on the couch with both of them expecting me to cook and clean and just generally become a slave even when I cooked and cleaned and served dinners he would just sit there and if asked him what he wanted he would just stay quiet, a few times I would receive texts if they were both out and daughter would say ' I hope dinner is ready as we are hungry' and then when he got home he would just leave his food and just lie on the couch, he would follow her everywhere and even enquire about her letters she received in the post. Apparently he has thousands in the bank and keeps telling daughter this, well if he has thousands then why didn't he buy himself some new shoes and bits to travel to his so called girlfriends house, I thought he would want to make an impression on the parents, not make me bad towards him and my daughter, I did have words much to my daughters dismay, my husband was getting so fed up at this point coming home from work and having to contend with me and all of this, daughter made me apologise to him and rather than him say sorry back he would say ' well I am not liking my room', what wasn't to like, fresh towels a new put up bed and new curtains and a shower just off his room, he treated that room like a hostel, socks and food wrappers everywhere, I made the bed for a couple of times but just thought what was the point. he didn't do anything, he arrived with the tatty shoes with holes in and trousers he was wearing, just odd socks in his travel bag, did he expect to wear the same shirt for 2 weeks, he slept in his clothes that he wore when they went out for the day, he didn't shower and has terrible body odour, my daughter is a very clean and well dressed young woman so having to see this was just too much, she hates when things are dirty I rode out the 2 weeks with such frustration, I know this was a mistake and that myself and my husband did everything we could for our daughter, now our relationship is under fire as apparently we weren't meant to have words with him, how can she be this cruel when she had known him for such a short time, surely she could see the way this boy was treating the household, when I have family over or go to visit friends I am always polite and realise their home should be treated with respect. Daughter got her self a job and bought a ticket to see him, I am quite worried and the amount of arguing this has caused, we were once a really great little family and I really want my daughter to have a boyfriend someone she can be with who will treat her with respect, I said to her there must be someone here who is nice and she says no there isn't, she is constantly on the phone telling him about her dad and I telling him if we argue with her, she goes next week, what will he be like out in his own territory, I am worried sick and have explained to my daughter about how I feel but she expects me to help her pack all her things for this trip and shouts at me and can't understand why I don't like him, she has bought so many new clothes and new things for the trip, she got her hair dyed and cut and even bought gifts, my husband and I got none of that, I feel I have done something so wrong to her, sometimes I want to leave my home and just not have to deal with it anymore, I am at my wits end and feel so alone in this, will she be ok in America, I know nothing about him or his family, daughter said I am treating her like a five year old and I should just leave her be....

OP posts:
metalmum15 · 29/05/2017 09:44

Contraceptive implant is fine, but won't stop her contacting any STIs. Ship her off to Boots to buy some condoms.

Xanadu44 · 29/05/2017 09:46

Hmmm. From the sounds of it she's just blinded by love. With how lazy he was at yours it sounds like when she gets to America to see him he will be even worse there and the house will be a state and I doubt she'll have true greatest of times. I think the love bubble may burst and she'll be glad to come home. Ride it out. She's young and "in love". Be supportive, be there, but bite your lip. By the sounds of his visit it sounds like her trip to America won't be amazing for her so just wait. Good luck!

Toomuchocolate · 29/05/2017 12:16

I'd Be really worried too. Hopefully she'll come to her senses out there.

DearMrDilkington · 29/05/2017 12:28

How old is her boyfriend?

DearMrDilkington · 29/05/2017 12:30

Is it at all possible his lied about his age and is actually older than he makes out? I'd be very concerned about her going to stay at his 'parents' house, but there isn't much you can do to stop her at her age..

Hopefully she'll change her mind before flying out there.

Cricrichan · 29/05/2017 12:54

I also think that you need to stop babying your daughter. Charge her rent and get her to pull her weight with housework for a start. I would have been mortified if I'd brought a friend or a boyfriend home and they'd behaved like that to my parents! Has she got friends you could speak to? What's their take on him?

FrancisCrawford · 29/05/2017 14:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Aquamarine1029 · 29/05/2017 16:22

Personally, I think you need to cut the apron strings and leave her to her own devices. Tell her you love her and will be there if she needs you, but other than that, she's on her own. No help with travel, don't pay her phone bill, and never let that lowlife boyfriend back into your house again. It's time for your daughter to grow up and get a taste of the real world.

louloulottie · 29/05/2017 16:29

I just cannot believe that you gave consent for some guy ( that neither of you had met ) to come over from the other side of the world straight into your home - no doubt in her bed? Did he sleep in a spare room?
I mean what does this teach your daughter regarding staying safe online?! God only knows who this guy was & what sort of a past he has...he could have a criminal record etc ? Who knows ? I get that you thought it was 'safe' if it was going on under your roof, but come on, who the hell invites some guy that they haven't 'actually met' into your home for 2 weeks. Your daughter is at the age where she needs guidance, not encouraging practices that could potentially land her in danger one day - online dating is very risky, people can say/ pretend who they want to be. Creeps on the internet prey on vulnerable & trusting people like you!

AnyFucker · 29/05/2017 16:33

You have a really strange and unhealthy relationship with your daughter

Odd all round Confused

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 29/05/2017 16:35

Hope she has a return ticket, or she won't get into the us.(on the other hand...) She best be prepared for the grilling of a lifetime at us immigration. (My ds has a gf there, met online. Luckily she is lovely.) He had everything prepared, return ticket, esta, addresses, money, itinerary. Three and a half hours at immigration at lax because they questioned his return flight.

Xanadu44 · 29/05/2017 16:44

@louloulottie lots of people meet their partner online now and friends etc. In fact I met my husband online. I don't think this was a worrying part of the story. In fact I think it was good they invited him to their home rather than their daughter going to god knows where with him. Internet relationships are getting more and more normal. I think you are behind on this point of it.

Adora10 · 29/05/2017 17:08

Shocked that your own daughter would treat you like a servant and allow some dirty chancer from the USA to join in with the belittling of you and using you like a service aid.

Where was your mouth OP, it's your home, what did your husband say?

For 20 years old, your daughter sound incredibly self centred; I'd keep my mouth shut and let her go make her own mistakes and I'd keep out of it as much as possible and not have any more dossers in my home.

SleightOfHand · 29/05/2017 17:11

He should have stayed in a hotel, cheeky devil. Did he pay for his ticket? What more do you know about this guy OP, job wise, family etc.

user1496036124 · 05/06/2017 02:27

Good Morning Everyone and thank you for your advice regarding my daughter, well I am not pleased to say my daughter is now in America and has hardly text me or let me know she is fine, I did however manage to get through to her phone after trying for ages, she was crying and saying everything was fine when surely it isn't, she was shaking when speaking and there are other people in the house, She sounded really weird and annoyed I had called and I could hear music and this man asking who she was speaking to, he sounded annoyed, I am at my wits end, it is 2.25 in the morning and I can't sleep, when I text her and ask her about the texts she just says I didn't get that message, even when I tell her about her pet dog she loves him so much, but she just wasn't interested. I don't know what to do. I have tried to beg her not to go and at 20 years old you would think she would know better, she said she felt ill yesterday and I was worried and I text her and she just did not text back, I am very worried...

OP posts:
Tatiannatomasina · 05/06/2017 02:36

Leave her alone is my best advice. Pull back, she has a phone, she can call you if she needs to. She has to make her own mistakes and you need to let her.

user1496036124 · 05/06/2017 02:53

I know, just very worried about the consequences, she is very naïve and don't know how to handle this...

OP posts:
steff13 · 05/06/2017 03:22

Where is she in the US?

Atenco · 05/06/2017 03:30

I don't mean to sound unsympathetic, but I think you have babied your dd too much, frankly.

I am sorry you are so distressed by this situation, but most likely she will survive and maybe grow up a bit.

Ginger782 · 05/06/2017 03:40

OP, if this is all true you may get some more helpful advice by responding to other poster's questions. When you have a back-and-forth on mumsnet it can be a useful sounding board. Currently all you are doing is typing out what's happening and I don't mean to be rude, but the way you are posting is a quick way to get people to start thinking you're a troll or not genuine.
Take some time to read everyone's questions and perhaps answer some of them?

FrancisCrawford · 05/06/2017 08:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Xanadu44 · 05/06/2017 08:33

Try not to worry. She is an adult. Try to email her if she's saying she's not getting your messages just to let you know how she's getting on but try to be quite "breezy" about it (even if you are having kittens in reality at home!) she will be home soon as the USA are really strict about visas etc so do not worry. She does sound rather self centred but I think that's quite normal at her age, so she may have been having an argument and was just thinking about that rather than thinking about you worrying at home. I just think she's just thinking about herself rather than you there. Again, I think this is quite common at 20!

Try to relax. You'll look back at this in a few weeks and regret worrying as much as you did when she is home safe so just try to enjoy having less to do in the house as it seems she doesn't do a lot there either.

I would definitely follow some advice above in getting your daughter to do more in the house. She is an adult and you shouldn't have to run around after her. I wish her a safe return home and I hope you're ok but really try not to worry. Remember she is an adult.

Badweekjustgotworse · 05/06/2017 09:26

It could work out in both your favours op.

This might be the kick up the arse she needs to realise she needs to take more responsibility for herself and she may come back having learnt valuable lessons about having more respect for others and herself.

All you can do now is wait it out and be ready to pick up the pieces when she gets back. You should help her set some new boundaries when she gets home, agree on housekeeping and her contribution to household chores.

She needs to learn to not expect the world to owe her a living and pay her own way and take care of her own basic needs. Can she cook? Maybe the two of you could start to cook together to help her learn and she could start cooking one or two family meals a week (does your husband ever cook?)

You should talk to him (your husband) about his expectations for his daughters future relationships and explain that you as a couple have spent twenty years moulding her expectations and maybe it's not worked out to her benefit given this current boyfriend. Is there anything you as a couple can change to show her that you both respect and appreciate each other?

How long is she away for?

P1nkP0ppy · 05/06/2017 09:32

Do you actually know exactly where she is staying? Do you have an address? Is there any way of checking if that address exists?
I too would be worried, it's easy to sat don't. When do you expect her back?

Paperdoll16 · 05/06/2017 10:08

If in the worst case scenario that you feel he is controlling her phone (reading and deleting her messages) then I would urge you to stop over sending.

There is nothing you can do until she's home.

By constantly texting her (and if you're wrong then just let her enjoy her break) about things to do with the things at home and the pets etc is potentially going to wind him up and make the situation worse.

From what you described in that phone call would concern my greatly too. But she went and she is 20 and has maybe made a mistake going there.

All you can do is wait for her to contact you or just say you hope she's enjoying herself and you're free if she wants to chat when not busy.