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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

Is it us, or have we drawn the short straw with family?

7 replies

Mmsnet101 · 08/01/2021 13:42

Outside perspectives needed please, will try and keep it short but enough info not to drip feed.

My Dad - divorced mum when I was a baby. No contact since I was 7.

My mum - very much fits a lot of the Stately homes thread. Currently NC for 3 years, with one minor blip when I tried to do the right thing and let her know firsthand that I was pregnant with her first GC. She responded asking to which £££ pram to buy and that her partners DIL was having a baby too and she was being named after her because of how wonderful and close she is. When I didn't respond straight away (within an hour), she started sending all sorts of abuse so NC again.

My brother - great, we speak most days. Much better relationship now I'm NC with mum.

My DP of 8 years:
His mum - NC from late teens, as mum chose alcoholic boyfriend over DP when boyfriend tried to square up to teenage DP. She is also NC with her DPs brother.

His dad- parents split when he was a baby and Dad moved away. Older brother maintained contact and visited regularly as he was 10 when they split, Dad never took DP but would buy him birthday presents etc. After going NC with his mum and moving away, DP was persuaded by his brother to build a relationship with his dad, this was from 20s onwards.

DPs brother - never a close relationship because of the age gap and bro staying in home town whereas DP moving to a city hours away after falling out with his mum. DP visits 3 times a year when visiting grandparents etc however they've now all passed. Bro didn't visit DP as he had a child and is self employed so doesn't take many holidays.

We've recently gone LC/NC with DPs side of the family as we had our own DD a few months before covid hit and it brought up a lot of stuff. Family were initially pleased for us. Once DD was born, DP did the phone calls round. His DB responded by saying "yeah well I've worked 60hours this week so I'm knackered" as if the birth of your niece /brothers first child is general chat. DP was really hurt by this.

Since then DPs DB has been in contact once, which was a few months ago asking for a 4 figure sum of money with no explanation or chat. Initially DP thought it was some sort of spam message but no, it really was his DB. At the same time, SIL messaged to ask what they could buy DD for her first birthday, we told her not to bother (thinking financially they couldn't afford it) but she took offence and made comments on social media about us.

DPs Dad and step mum had a wedding anniversary a month after the birth of our DD. They wanted all the family to go and stay at a posh hotel a few hours away and a photoshoot with a photographer to mark the occasion. We said we'd need to let them know as weren't sure if DD would be on time /c section /trying to establish BF/3hrs travel with a newborn to stay in a fancy hotel and get our pics taken when I'd likely feel/look my worst etc. Too many variables. They fell out with us for not committing,cancelled everything and told family it was because of us not coming. The rest of the family then started calling and texting trying to get us to come. We explained we hadn't said no but just didn't want to commit. They all treated us like kids, being really condescending about babies being easy and tbh, it just made us not want to make the effort at all. In the end we did go for part of it and stayed elsewhere and smiled through gritted teeth when it was brought up.

They've also stopped talking to us over not putting DD on social media / not breaking lockdown rules to see them etc so DP has now decided to go LC/NC (although technically they aren't talking to us at the moment).

I just can't help shaking the feeling that we're somehow the problem given the above, so are we the problem? Or do we just have shit family?

OP posts:
AttilaTheMeerkat · 08/01/2021 13:51

Why would you feel that you people are somehow the problem here?.

Its not you, its them. They are toxic and you're better off staying well away from toxic people.

SweatyBetty20 · 08/01/2021 13:52

You're not the problem. Most families are dysfunctional in some way - you've just got unlucky and got two strands. My mum's family all dies early so there's nobody left, and on my dad's side they weirdly go NC when your link to the family dies, so when my dad died, they just shut up shop and ignore you. So it's just me, myself and I and a couple of cousins on my mum's side.

Just keep doing your own thing, and build a nice normal family of your own. Sounds like you're doing a good job xx

Hoppinggreen · 08/01/2021 14:01

No, both sides of our family aren’t great to be honest.
Mil - lovely unless you dare say no to her or disagree with her “interesting” view of reality. In which case all hell breaks loose and she has toddler tantrums and threatens to die. Wouldn’t ditch her LTP when he sexually assaulted a teenage family member because “it’s happened to us all” but ditched him when he became too ill to go on expensive holidays and she found someone more fun
Fil - alcoholic, died just after me and DH got together
Sfil - see above
SIL and Bil - so Pfb it’s not even funny
My mum - lovely at times but sees all women as competition to be dragged down if they seem to be too happy/attractive/successful
Sdad - kind but Aspie so can be very odd and say inappropriate things. Doesn’t really engage with anyone other than my Mum
My brother - think Donald Trump without the money

SnoozyBoozy · 08/01/2021 14:02

Difficult to say, as it does appear to be you who have chosen to go LC/NC with most of your family, but from what you've put above, some seems reasonable (to have gone NC - the not taking your newborn to a party for example), others a but less so - eg your sil asking what you'd like for your dd - this was a nice gesture and you told her not to bother? Obviously it depends how you said it, but if you really said it like that, I'm not surprised she was a bit put out. You could have just chosen something really small, like a hat or something.

classiestgal · 08/01/2021 14:41

Nope. I’ve got a family like this too. We are on our own! I see other grandparents picking kids up from school and think Wow. It’s must be such a different experience. Keep yourselves to yourselves. Don’t engage. It’s shit but it is what it is. I’m having weekly counselling which helps. Make friends. Friends with kids the same age. Not everyone has a beautiful Instagram family

Mmsnet101 · 08/01/2021 14:49

@SnoozyBoozy i think I said something along the lines of don't worry about getting her anything given current circumstances. She took it as don't bother. In hindsight I don't think she knew about BIL asking for the money.

OP posts:
Mmsnet101 · 08/01/2021 16:51

@classiestgal thanks, I think that's what brings it all on when you see other grandparents involved with their GC and I feel bad/guilty my DD will have such a small family around her!

OP posts:
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