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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

We have no contact with mum’s DP and she’s guilt tripping me

39 replies

SeasonsInTheAbyss · 29/01/2021 19:47

We have been NC with my mother’s DP for 2 years due to his behaviour with my DC that I wasn’t happy with. He is childless.

For back story, they have been ‘together’ over 20 years (since I was a teenager). But it started out as an affair and the first few years he hadn’t left his wife yet. So of the 20+ year relationship, the first 9 years my mum was his weekend ‘bit on the side’. My mum even got herself a weekday boyfriend as well, which was a bit weird for me as a teenager.

So her DP seemed ok but when I got pregnant with my DS in my twenties he was very against me having the baby, phoned me and told me I’d end up a struggling single mother etc. It felt like a boundary overstep for someone who was merely a weekend boyfriend and it did offend me.

Since then, these are some of the things his done with my two DC that me and DH did not like.

On a holiday (the only one we ever went on all together), he turned into a total ogre.
Barged into my 7yo DS on purpose with suitcase
Ignored DS when he spoke to him
Hissed at DS loudly in a restaurant when he didn’t eat much dinner
Screamed at a member of staff in a shop over a misunderstanding
Marched around the city seething, so fast that the DC could not keep up and had to be carried by us. No one could stop to look or enjoy anything
Went ahead to the accommodation with 4yo DD and got her changed out of swimming things without us (dry swimming costume so not a pressing need to do so)

At DDs 4th birthday party he made a big show of sleazing and perving all over the children’s entertainer, going up close to her and looking her up and down.. completely embarrassed us (all kids parents had stayed for the party and watched him with their mouths open until my DH asked him to get a grip on himself).

This man is a martial arts enthusiast and kept pestering us to let him teach my DS. We were against it because of the hostility he seemed to show DS and I worried that he would use it as a way to scare/intimidate DS so we always politely declined. Then he would write long FB rants about why children should learn martial arts and it was ridiculous of parents not to encourage them to do it.

When we would go their house, DD would often sit on a bean bag on the floor and he would suddenly come over and while in a press up position pretend he was going to lay on her, or squash her, and she clearly looked uncomfortable having a grown man over her like that. I would always tell him not to do it and he just said it was a laugh.

Final straw was at Xmas a couple of years ago when we were playing children’s trivial pursuit and DS (just turned 11 by then) was winning (its mainly kids questions about pop songs and kids TV etc), this man was progressively getting more moody and sulking every time DS got a question correct. Basically sat there with a face like a smacked arse for the whole game. DS won the game and modestly celebrated, nothing OTT, just smiled and said Yay. This man grabbed him around the shoulders and said “if you behave like a show off then one day some one is going to beat you up”.

So we don’t see him any more but this devastates my mother and she thinks we are being completely over the top and he is a lovely guy. She has started to do little tit for tat things like not include my DH in her Xmas card ‘to see how I like it’.

What are people’s thoughts? I have a really strong gut feeling that he shouldn’t be around my DC. I’ve never met anyone from his family or any friends of his so I have never been able to see how he interacts.

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 29/01/2021 19:50

I wouldn't have anything to do with either of them. Your job is to protect your children, and you've done that. Fuck that guy. He is nothing but an abusive bully.

Ludo19 · 29/01/2021 19:51

No go with your gut. This man sounds a total ARSEHOLE.
Plus I don't like his behaviour towards your son which is vile but quite predatory towards your daughter.
Your mother needs to wind her neck in. She's in no position to exclude your DH.

HmmSureJan · 29/01/2021 19:53

Your Mother sounds like a complete idiot, sorry.

Santaiscovidfree · 29/01/2021 19:59

Yabu to continue to have anything to do with either of them.. Why would you feel you had to see her? Surely your dc need protection from them both?
I am nc with my dps. They don't see my dc either..
Ime dc do not need dgps as the ones you describe...

AttilaTheMeerkat · 29/01/2021 20:05

I would not have anything to do with your mother. Let her be supposedly devastated- she is not devastated at all but more like pissed off. She has made her choice here and she has chosen this man over you people. Her bar is that low she is basically enabling his bad behaviour. Protect yourself and your dc here from Bad Things, family are not binding.

Shred and otherwise do not acknowledge anything she sends to you.

AlternativePerspective · 29/01/2021 20:08

I’d cut her off as well.

TBH he’s probably been shagging around for the duration of their relationship as well. He sounds like an arsehole and a creep and she isn’t much better.

Hass13 · 29/01/2021 20:11

Keep that freak away from your children! If your mum thinks his behaviour is normal keep her away from them too as he sounds like a creep and a bully! Your poor kids. If your gut says run dont ignore it! Your mums clearly got no boundaries from how she got with this guy. Sorry if that seems harsh but she didnt care about how her life style would impact you by having a weekend fellas so shes not exactly going to be bothered how he treats anyone else including your kids.

It's never nice to fall out with anyone. But it's also not nice for children to feel uncomfortable and threatened and have adults not protect them. Especially their parents. Your mum dont deserve you or her grandchildren if shes not concerned by his behaviour.

justanotherneighinparadise · 29/01/2021 20:12

I think they both sound very odd OP.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 29/01/2021 20:16

God her DP sounds insufferably awful. Also note his anger and enjoyment of others' discomfort is aimed at children and women (like the entertainment person at your party) presumably because he believes they are less likely to challenge him. Ugh.

A bully and a sleaze.

Don't cave to her emotional blackmail. If you feel unable to go NC with her then rinse and repeat a statement stripped of too much emotion, that is factual.

"We have repeatedly explained the reasons why we do not wish to have any contact with (dickhead's name). We have the right to make that decision and it's one we are 100% sure of, so there is nothing more to discuss regarding (dickhead's name)."

Does she have a history of putting men before her children?

Did she seem embarrassed and awkward when he behaved like that on holiday?

Does she step in when he has a strop like during the trivial pursuit game (love that your DS won by the way!) or when he's intimidating like when he lay over DD on the beanbag?

Curious as to whether she seems genuinely unaware of why you feel this way or if she is sort of under his spell, because he sounds like a right fucking weirdo.

SeasonsInTheAbyss · 29/01/2021 20:51

Thank you all, you’ve galvanised me!

She has no boundaries. My father was an abusive alcoholic. I think she’s put this DP of hers on a pedestal and he can do no wrong. Whenever he was doing horrible things she would just sit there. On the holiday, she started complaining of a backache and just went around with her head in the clouds.

Luckily we never let the DC stay round there alone much. They did once or twice but it became clear my mum wasn’t very good at supervising them and they would bumped or cut and wouldn’t get given any lunch etc. I am quite LC with her and I do agree she has picked this man over her family. I think he kept her dangling for so long when he was still married that she has no self esteem.

OP posts:
SeasonsInTheAbyss · 29/01/2021 20:58

Also, totally agree with a PP that there is a distinct difference between how he would interact with DS and DD. With DS it was always resentment (why?) and micro-aggressions. With DD always an invasion of personal space. I felt extremely uneasy about it. You wouldn’t see him pretend to lay on and squash DS and likewise DD wouldn’t be hissed at for not finishing her dinner.
Both young kids just a couple of years apart in age, why would you relate to them so differently?

OP posts:
letsdolunch321 · 29/01/2021 21:05

Moving forward I would be NC with both your dm & her dp.

SeasonsInTheAbyss · 29/01/2021 21:15

I think you might be right. Trouble is that she’s the only blood relative I have so I will need to draw some strength to do it. Covid is buying me time at the moment.

OP posts:
Cabinfever10 · 29/01/2021 21:22

That man is a walking Red flag trust your instincts

Iloveacurry · 29/01/2021 21:26

Fuck that. He sounds awful. I wouldn’t want him around my kids. Your mother is almost as bad it be honest.

Santaiscovidfree · 29/01/2021 21:32

I currently see zero blood relatives... Seriously op it is more than fine.
Dh also sees no family either.
Our dc are safe, well loved and coming to no harm mentally or physically..
You can tick all of those boxes also op. Block them both.

SeasonsInTheAbyss · 29/01/2021 21:37

I remember when my mum first started seeing him, he would have been early 40s then, I was about 16 yrs old and he offered to drive me and two friends to an event, let us do our thing and then drive us home. He stonewalled and sulked all the way home and it was so awkward. I wonder if he thought he was getting a day out socialising with a load of young girls but of course we went off and left him standing and he didn’t like it.

Years later when us girls were in our 20s he added one of them on FB and used to comment slightly suggestive things on her pics (nudity references and the like) and of course she promptly deleted him.

He is a walking red flag. I have done the right thing and you have all confirmed that. My DD won’t have to deal with any of this nonsense.

OP posts:
Luciferthecat666 · 29/01/2021 22:21

@SeasonsInTheAbyss Just reading your original post and replies about this man's behaviour has given me the creeps! Go with your gut instincts and keep well away from him he sounds like a bully and a predator. I know it's hard because you care about your mum but she has clearly chosen him over her family. I'd keep contact low or go completely no contact with her if she's more than content to normalise this man's behaviour. As for her pettiness excluding your DH so you can see how it feels wouldn't surprise me if he's behind that to get some sort of upper hand with you. If he comes near you or your family or tries to contact you in any way OP I'd report him to the police it wouldn't surprise me in the least if he has some sort of history his type often do. You're doing the right thing in protecting your family from this man if your gut tells you something's not right then it's not right always go with your gut instincts they're there for a reason.

Grimsknee · 29/01/2021 23:45

Yes, trust your gut OP!
Also worth talking to your kids about protective behaviours
gdhr.wa.gov.au/-/protective-behaviours

QueenArnica · 30/01/2021 09:07

He sounds horrendous OP. Gut feeling is our super power, listen to it and stick to your guns. Hope it all works out Smile

AttilaTheMeerkat · 30/01/2021 09:16

"Trouble is that she’s the only blood relative I have so I will need to draw some strength to do it".

Blood is not thicker than water and family are NOT binding. You are and will be protecting your children from Bad Things if you all stay well away from either of them.

Your children need emotionally healthy people in their lives and she, like this walking red flag of a man she is now with, is also not an emotionally safe person to be around with her attempted guilt tripping of you.

EarthSight · 30/01/2021 09:22

He sounds like a wanker. I would go no contact too. You have kids and are looking out for them.

With DS it was always resentment (why?) and micro-aggressions. With DD always an invasion of personal space

Your son represents competition and a challenge for him. So sad, I know. He knows your son will get stronger one day and then it won't be so easy to be a dickhead to him. Also, that whole thing with martial arts was probably a perfect excuse for him to abuse your son. I can bet you your son would come home with injuries, and this man would brush it off as sparring, or that 'he needs to toughen up if he wants to get good at martial arts' sort of thing. I mean really, it's such an obvious attempt to try and get his hands on him, so show him how physically dominant he is. Honestly, your mum's partner sounds like a fucking chimp.

Don't let him near your daughter, even when she gets to her late teens.

Your mum will be guilt tripping you because it's an embarrassment for her. If she knows how awful he is, she won't want such an obvious display or deceleration that she's with a rubbish man. I think she must have so many psychological issues and is clinging on to him because of that.

EarthSight · 30/01/2021 09:24

@SeasonsInTheAbyss

I remember when my mum first started seeing him, he would have been early 40s then, I was about 16 yrs old and he offered to drive me and two friends to an event, let us do our thing and then drive us home. He stonewalled and sulked all the way home and it was so awkward. I wonder if he thought he was getting a day out socialising with a load of young girls but of course we went off and left him standing and he didn’t like it.

Years later when us girls were in our 20s he added one of them on FB and used to comment slightly suggestive things on her pics (nudity references and the like) and of course she promptly deleted him.

He is a walking red flag. I have done the right thing and you have all confirmed that. My DD won’t have to deal with any of this nonsense.

Fucking sad, and gross. That invasion of your daughter's space was obviously him trying to find any excuse to get as physically close to her as possible.
LouHotel · 30/01/2021 09:26

The swimsuit should have been the final straw. His behaviour to your DD sounds like he's an opportunist.

Have you had a conversation with your dd about telling you anything that might of happend over the years?

MrsSmith2021 · 30/01/2021 09:28

My DF insisted I had a relationship with his wife if I wanted a relationship with him. I’m now NC with both of them and much happier for it.

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