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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

Abusive mother

15 replies

Welltroddenpath · 29/08/2019 15:44

I have posted about my mum before under different names. As a child she was physically and mentally abusive to me and my older sister. She was like that until I moved out at 24. The mental abuse was worse but the physical abuse was almost daily beatings.

I have kids now and she started being abusive to my eldest when he hit secondary. Never in front of me but always within earshot. I’m sure it was to hurt me still. That was fixed by my eldest deciding she was nasty and not wanting to see her again.

My youngest son has asd and goes to a special school. Anyway at the beginning of summer I took the youngest two to stay with her for a night. I struggle with the kids without their dad ( he’s not too keen on my mum and was working). I took my mum and kids out to a few things and she said my son was out of control and needed a slap. As usual i tried to ignore as I’m condition to accept her behaviour as normal. Then the next day while I was buying her dinner she said to me “he not getting better, why do you send him to that school, you beat him or I will” so I shouted loudly “he is never going to get better, it’s like brain damage, it will never go away. Like if you had a stroke I couldn’t reverse your effects by slapping you all day long”. I finished dinner fuming. Kids are oblivious.

Meet that afternoon with a old school friend who laughed it off. I told my mil once about the abuse and she said I probably deserved it! I only started to realise it was abuse a few years ago. But most people minimised it.

I would so love a normal family life. My mum is 75 but still very with it and healthy. It’s just so unfair. I dreamed last night it was all a mistake and I was adopted. How sad is that??

My sister hates my mum and is no contact. I’m only in contact out of guilt. But I don’t think I like my mum. Ok she’s my only mum but she gets a genuine kick rom being nasty. Does it to everyone. Cuts you apart with a smile on her face and glint in her eye like it’s the only thing that makes her feel alive.

There’s nothing nice about her at all.

If i Did what she did to my kids people would be horrified, but it was me so that’s ok.

It makes you feel so worthless. She has fallen twice in the past few months and I’m half scared shes going to fall and break her neck but at the same time I need some time and space away from her.

My mother in law lives abroad and comes over every year but only see her grandkids for days. Film used to live a mile away and again never saw the kids. It’s all so dysfunctional with both pil “making the most out of life” that they don’t see the kids as a priority in grabbing every second out of life so that makes me keep in contact with my mum too. No other family members has any time for the kids.

Sorry just need to get this out. Who’s own mother doesn’t like her own kids? I know it’s her not me, but I still wonder why she doesn’t love me. Well she does but in her own way. I wish I had another mum. There I said it. I wish I had a different mum

OP posts:
something2say · 29/08/2019 16:06

Aww me too, me too!! I do now tho, a surrogate one.

My advice is to stay away. Like you say, she loves it and gets something out of it.

Raphael34 · 29/08/2019 16:09

You need to start protecting your kids from her. You should have stepped in and stopped contact the second she started abusive your eldest, instead of making him endure it until he was old enough to decide for himself to stop seeing her. Now she’s threatening to beat your youngest if you don’t. Don’t put your kids through the childhood you had

Welltroddenpath · 29/08/2019 16:20

That’s what I keep thinking, I’m putting them in harms way. My husband has said we should only see for a few hours at a time and he needs to be there. She is rude to him but he’s good at cutting her dead.

My eldest decided to stop seeing her as soon as she started on him, he’s not been back since. We talked about it afterwards and I told him she was always mean, so it was only the once but your right. Once is enough. It’s hard when you have everyone around you laughing her vile behaviour off. Again I go into “ it’s me, my fault” mode as conditioned too.

OP posts:
AppleBottomJeans · 29/08/2019 16:24

You had little choice as a child to suffer through this. You have every responsibility to protect your own children!! For goodness sake, tell the old cow to disappear and never put your children into her presence again. She’s toxic and you’re now enabling her to continue to abuse your DC. You owe her nothing

Gosh1 · 29/08/2019 16:41

I have a difficult mother who’s abused me and my sister. The psychological abuse was so bad that it took me over 10 years to get some self-esteem and some confidence in myself, whilst being away from her and keeping low contact.

I’m in low contact with her at the moment and she’s not seen my daughter yet (22 months). She lives abroad. Ever since I gave birth she was constantly picking on everything I did. Everything I did with my baby was wrong, she was chasing all my social media posts, was telling me who other mums were so great, other babies were ahead of my daughter in their development (mostly lies as she was bang on time with everything) and looked much healthier etc. As a new mum, sleep deprived and anxious, this was the last thing I wanted to hear. Therefore for a while I blocked her and after a few months I started to talk to her, but lc. I’m never ever going to allow her to put me or my dd down.

I honestly don’t understand why do you allow her in your children’s life or why do you still feel guilty. She’s never ever going to change if she didn’t do it until her age. I promise you’ll feel so much better once she’s out of your life.

hellsbellsmelons · 29/08/2019 16:48

Your sister has the right idea.
I’m only in contact out of guilt
This is called FOG - Fear Obligation Guilt
Google it and read up on it.
Look into NPD as well.
Also do some reading.
On Amazon search for 'daughters of narcissistic mothers'
But if he is too toxic for you then she is too toxic for your DC.
Especially one with ASD.
Do not allow her to abuse him as well.
Time to put you and your DC first for a change.
Really consider NC!
It's gonna be really hard but she has no positive influence in your life or that of your DC.

Sallycinammonbangsthedruminthe · 29/08/2019 18:50

Op ...break this cycle of abuse now,I am sorry you had a traumatic shitty childhood but you are not a child anymore.You are a married woman with a family of her own.There was no one there to protect you but there is someone there to protect your own children.You. You have responsibilities to the innocent children not the abuser.You are not beyond help ..you should seek some one out to talk to.You will I am afraid,sadly get no answers from your mum as to why she did what she did to you.Its her its how it is its so very wrong to have lived like you had to but now you are in a position to change all that and that includes not letting your kids be subject to the same as you were.Nothing in the world should get in the way of keeping your kids safe from this vile woman who is not fit to be called a mother...shes not she is an abuser a monster.It needs to stop you need to be free and the kids need to be safe and happy and loved and protected,,,you are responsible for them not her.She forfitted any right to be involved in your life.Sorry if I sound harsh I dont mean to but you must ,,in order to live a happy peaceful life give yourself and your kids that chance by leaving her to rot in her own evil.Your sister is a million percent right.You owe her nothing,not love not gratitude not respect,Dont offer your kids up to be her next victim please.Walk away.You will be glad you did.

Aquamarine1029 · 29/08/2019 18:57

I'm very sorry for what you want through as a child, but you are a mum now and allowing your mother to abuse your children is completely unacceptable. You want them to know the same abuse and heartbreak you do? Excuses like feeling guilty just aren't going to cut it. You must keep her away from your children permanently.

Welltroddenpath · 29/08/2019 19:09

I don’t think I can go completely NC with her. I do feel sad that’s she’s all alone but I know it’s her choice, her doing.

I do realise I’m subjecting the kids to abuse, but again people around me like mil minimise it so again I start doubting myself. I need start listening to myself more.

I know you are all right, I think I need counciling really to process and retrain my thinking.

My mum is real introvert and very socially inept. So I don’t think she is a narcissist. They are normally quite good at fooling people they are wonderful. She has zero social skills. No friends. She has got some kind of diagnosable condition on the DSM I’m sure. It’s like she can’t empathise but worse, she just alway thinks horrible things when thinking of others struggles.

OP posts:
TowelNumber42 · 29/08/2019 19:19

Why can't you go completely NC with her?

Total NC is the easiest by far. Much easier than LC. It also makes it 100% clear to your own children that you will not tolerate anyone abusing them.

I feel awful for your eldest DS knowing you wouldn't protect him, you still see his abuser and you put the other DS in harms way too.

Total NC. Ask your sister how to do it.

Sallycinammonbangsthedruminthe · 29/08/2019 19:22

OP...just read your update...You know you said you realise you are subjecting the kids for her to abuse can I just ask you to think about them growing up and hating you for you allowing that to happen to them? You will loose your kids...they will hate you as they get older...Also what will you say to your children when they ask you why you did it?Why did we deserve that too mum? Just something to think about....the kids see, they know they arent daft.They dont deserve what you will put them through because of your misplaced feelings of what you owe your abuser.

Welltroddenpath · 29/08/2019 19:38

My eldest hasn’t seen her for five years so he’s not subject to anything. She was fine with him until one day, when she said “your like mums dad, and I hated him too”. He never went back. She lives a few counties from me so I only see her every 3-4 months. Normally since said this the above to my eldest me and dh agreed it would be best not to stay over and just do the long drive in the same day. Take her out as she is double unlikely to be rude in public in front of dh.

I guess it’s been years so I let my guard down staying over, I keep hoping she will mellow a bit. I know she won’t.

The kids only see her about four days a year and never ever left alone with her. I guess even that’s too much to hope for. Biting her tongue for a few rare days a year.

I can’t go NC. I just can’t but I think your right the kids need too. I can always walk out as soon as she gets nasty. They don’t have my options.

OP posts:
AppleBottomJeans · 29/08/2019 20:10

I rarely get riled by a post on MN, but in this case, you’re making yourself into a martyr. No idea why. She was an awful mother through all her own choices. You now have a choice to let her continue to absuse you and your DC. For goodness sake, just cut her loose and the miserable old bag can be lonely as much as she deserves. The real risk is that your children resent you when they grow older

Robin2323 · 29/08/2019 20:37

. The mental abuse was worse but the physical abuse was almost daily beatings.

Daily beatings ?
On a little girl?

You can go no contact.

None of this is your fault.

The hills are that way.

Run and don't look back x

TowelNumber42 · 29/08/2019 21:43

Why can't you go NC? What would happen if you did?

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