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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

Shit, it's dawned on me I have two crap parents, not one.

19 replies

HarrietKettleWasHere · 10/08/2017 09:44

Just looking for some advice really. I know there's no fix. It might just be cathartic writing it down.

I've posted on here about my mum lots of times. She was vile to me when I was growing up and if I didn't keep her at arm's length she'd be vile to me now. That's ok, I've come to terms with that.

What I thought I did have was a great dad. (They are divorced)

Last week I finally realised I do not Sad

So, having not done any kind of 'family holiday' type thing since I was young (my mum does a centre parcs thing with my (adult) brothers every year but I don't go) and since I've got a month off before my new job starts, I thought it'd be nice to accept my dad and step mum's invitation to stay a few days with them at a big house they'd rented in the lakes. My younger brothers would be there, plus my SIL and baby nephew. DP was up for it too. They'd already been there for a few days when we arrived.

Dad was supposed to pick us up from the station (nearest one 15miles away) didn't 'tie in' with his day particularly well apparently so he got my brother and SIL to do it on the way back from taking the baby swimming. Baby hates car seat. Screamed all the way back, nothing to be done as had to be in car seat obviously, stressing my brother out who was driving so he missed about three turnings and got lost. So nerves were a bit frayed when we arrived.

Evening went ok, dad barely said two words to us, we watched some TV, dad inexplicably starts being loudly homophobic towards some gay characters on a program. I challenged him. (I was really embarrassed and DP was like Shock ) He says he's paid £££ for the house and I am ungrateful and how dare I challenge his opinions. He stormed off to bed.

Everything was centred around 'his boys' (my brothers) they are like princes to him. They went out on 'lads runs', a fishing trip/picnic in the boat, played endless games of pool. It was a obvious he didn't want to spend any time doing anything with me. If I tried to 'join in' I was made fun of and laughed at by all three. I felt like I was spoiling their fun so I gave up.

DP said to be a couple of times he was quite shocked about how my dad (and my brothers) was treating me. Usually I won't hear a bad word said against my dad but I was starting to get really down about the whole thing.

On the last day, our train wasn't until 2pm as it was a cheaper one. Plan was for dad to drop us at the town at 11 after they'd packed up the holiday home and we would just find a country pub to have lunch and read our books until the train. Dad decided due to car space and luggage he couldn't do that and also this town was out of the way for him and not on his route home, so he dropped us at 9:30am in a town a bit closer for him so he could get back and load up the car. We had ages to hang around and had to take a bus to where we needed to be, that's annoying but not terrible. What really upset me is that I learned that after they'd all packed up the house, they had a family brunch in the same town they'd dropped us in and didn't tell us. I saw the photo on Facebook. I asked him and he says 'well I assumed you'd have already had breakfast.'

I've been really upset since I got back. Now I think about it it's always been like this and I feel like the black sheep but my mum was was horrible my dad looked like a knight in shining armour in comparison. And he's not Sad

OP posts:
category12 · 10/08/2017 09:51
Flowers
Outlookmainlyfair · 10/08/2017 09:58

Sounds toxic!

hatsoncats · 10/08/2017 10:04

Perhaps your dad deliberately portrayed himself as "a knight in shining armour" to hurt your mother? To win your affection? But now he has a new wife & family he doesn't have to try any more, so you're seeing the "real" dad?

All daughters want their dads to be their hero. To look up to, love, respect.
Some of us choose partners to reflect what we saw in our dads.
They are our first male influence figure.
We want them to be wonderful. Perfect, even.

Your dad, your idol, has clay feet. He is a flawed person. We all are.

But his behaviour towards you was rude, selfish and disrespectful.
You do not have to accept this or tolerate it. You are no longer a child.
Go low contact for a bit, while you get your head around this incident, and decide how to handle it in the future. This has all taken you by surprise, hasn't it?

HarrietKettleWasHere · 10/08/2017 10:19

A big surprise, definitely. I feel like I had those horse blinkers on Sad

I know he's only human. I just thought he thought I was wonderful too, if that makes sense? Like he knew I wasn't all the things my mum said I was. I'm not sure at all now. I can't provide football chat, I've no interest in fishing, (although I do like lots of outside stuff) and I'm crap at pool. So I wasn't of much interest to him, not with my wonderful amazing football crazy sports mad brothers around.

I spent a lot of time cooking for everybody and making tea. It was the only way i felt I was 'worth' being there. How sad is that.

OP posts:
sonlypuppyfat · 10/08/2017 10:24

Sounds awful, don't waste your time on them again, they are not worth it

AttilaTheMeerkat · 10/08/2017 10:30
Flowers I would not bother with either of them any longer. You were and still are the scapegoat for their inherent ills.

I would also consider seeing a therapist to further talk about this, ideally with someone who has no bias about keeping families together despite the presence of mistreatment. BACP are good and do not charge the earth. You may also want to post on the "well we took you to Stately Homes" thread on these pages too.

TherealMrsBloom · 10/08/2017 10:40

How hurtful. Attila's advice is good. 💐

RunRabbitRunRabbit · 10/08/2017 10:42

That is sad. You were there to be their servant. Well, now the blinkers are off, you won't let it happen again. Onwards to a better future!

whatpardonwhat · 10/08/2017 10:46

Just wanted to send you Flowers

GinnyWreckin · 10/08/2017 10:56

Your DP sounds like a gem. He's got his eyes open about how wonderful you are and how awful they are.

Pay attention to the relationships which nurture you and move away from those who don't.

It's a hard lesson to know you're a "skivvy" to them, but at least you can move on without guilt or remorse now.

You deserve to have love and light in your life. Give yourself a specific time each day to think about your birth family, and write things down that upset you if it helps get rid of them.

How wonderful that you have had a witness to your bad treatment, so you know it's not just you, in your head.

You sound amazing!
Move on, move up!

Hissy · 10/08/2017 11:04

Thank god for your DP. Thank god for YOU!

TBH, your entire family sound awful! what was stopping the brothers standing up for you a bit?

As for the brunch? how hurtful is that?

Please my love, cut contact, live happy and they can ALL FTFO

FWIW, your dad ALWAYS was awful. He enabled her cruelty towards you and did nothing to stop it. You compared and he was least bad.

That doesn't make him a good man/father. far from it.

a decent human being would have done what they can to stop you being abused/hurt.

Mrscropley · 10/08/2017 11:11

See this is why I don't get why dm are always encouraged to keep the reason why dh fuck up marriages and break up families. .
Df are encouraged to be able to sit on their pedestal, keep their relationship with dc intact. . Then wham older dc suddenly see df for the twat he always was.

Childhood was all a lie, dc should be told df is a cheat /dw beater/financial abuser /other. .
Then they can make their own choices about having him in their lives. . Hardly a role model /positive influence. .

ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual · 10/08/2017 11:31

This has really made me sad. The brunch was absolutely brutal, what utter fuckers they all are.

I've just come back from a similar situation involving my Dad. He couldn't bother himself to have even one conversation with me. It's been simmering for years but I've finally resolved to go NC.

BluePheasant · 10/08/2017 11:42

Sounds like both your Dad and your brothers have a very poor opinion of women.
Thank goodness you have found a lovely DP.

Agree with others, by all means it's fine to feel sad about all this, but don't let it eat you up and do not allow them to treat you like that again. I think low contact is the best way forwards from here Flowers

paddlenorapaddle · 10/08/2017 11:52

So sorry you have had to find out this way my heart goes out to you, I just wondered if the reason this has happened now is because you now have real love from your DP so you have something to compare him to.

lasttimeround · 10/08/2017 12:52

You poor wee scapegoat. Go find the stately homes thread. You are ok - you've just been bullied probably your whole life. It gets better once you see it clearly and sat no more to that bull.

HarrietKettleWasHere · 10/08/2017 16:43

Thanks everyone. I've nipped into the Stately Homes thread a couple of times. It's really helpful.

I did try counselling- I generally have a lot of anxiety surrounding my family and even though I don't live anywhere near them it has a big impact. Constantly self conscious, wondering if I'm doing the right thing, what people are thinking of me, or just general over the top people pleasing which hasn't been great, some awful situations in my early twenties off the back of that one...Or I do things like cook elaborate three course meals when I visit or my dad's favourite pudding as it's a way of getting praise Confused

Anyway counselling (self referred NHS) was awful. They cancelled appointments at the last minute, missed phone calls, forgot appointments, I had one session before I gave up and she told me that all parents make mistakes and they probably did their best Confused so thank you for the suggestion from Atilla upthread. DP has said that out of our savings pot (meagre at the moment but will grow next year as we are moving in with his Dad to try and save a deposit) a portion will be earmarked to try and get me sorted.

OP posts:
RunRabbitRunRabbit · 10/08/2017 18:33

You might find that your anxiety reduces dramatically when they are no longer in your life. It worked for me. My MH wasn't bad after all. I was just reacting to extreme twattery.

jenthehen · 10/08/2017 18:53

Just wanted to send flowers and hugs (but can't work out how to do it). It sounds like you're a gorgeous person and always keen to please people ( a trait I've begun to realise I also have). I was treated appallingly by my father, having spent years trying to be 'the perfect' daughter whilst my sister was a selfish nightmare who was continually causing dramas and upsetting people. In the end, 3 years ago, having given him several opportunities to apologise and recognise his toxic behaviour, which infact led him to be even more hurtful, I decided the only way I could cope was to go NC. Having been the 'dutiful' daughter and confider and support for my DM over many years I'd hoped for some love and support from her but she sided completely with my sister and dad. I was hurt beyond belief but I have fantastic lifelong friends and my own gorgeous little family and now I focus on them. The first six months was tough, but I soon began to feel 'liberated' if that makes sense? Focus on all the positive things x

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