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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:
LadyMinerva · 30/01/2021 09:35

Nope, nope, nope. You are doing the right thing by cutting contact with them both. I know it will be hard but you are protecting your family. Sadly that's something your M was responsible for but didn't do.

tobedtoMNandfart · 30/01/2021 09:36

I'm stunned you tolerated as much as you did. Do not doubt yourself.
Your mother has made her choice.

skintandannoyed · 30/01/2021 09:44

He sounds like a pedofile. I don't blame you in the slightest.

Toocold · 30/01/2021 09:52

Well done OP you’re breaking the cycle and showing your children they’re worth more than this man and his vile behaviour, I would not be surprised if your children would rather not see their nan as he is making it all so awful for them and they will be relieved at not having to deal with them. I think sometimes it’s hard to imagine why people act in a way you would never act and maybe that’s how you feel about your mum, you’re doing a great job of putting your children first by going no contact.

LadyEloise · 30/01/2021 09:59

"......Luckily we never let the DC stay round there alone much......."

So your children have been there alone with this awful man and your, sadly, besotted with him, mother. Sad

I'd stay NC.

MusicWithRocksIn1t · 30/01/2021 10:11

Nc with both. You couldn't trust your mother to protect the DC and he is not someone I would ever have around my DC.

Shes trying to emotionally blackmail you into seeing someone who has so many red flags hes practically a one man parade.

I'm sorry you are in this situation.

Aknifewith16blades · 30/01/2021 10:23

OP, you have blood relatives - your children.

I would cut contact. You don't need to live with the worry that this man will sexually abuse your daughter.

smoothchange · 30/01/2021 10:36

Everyone is saying you should cut your mother off too, which at face value I don't disagree with. However, is she ok? Is she safe? Is she vulnerable and needing help here?

SeasonsInTheAbyss · 30/01/2021 12:54

Thanks again everyone.

We did discuss things with DD back then and as far as I know nothing untoward happened but of course she would have been very young, can never be sure. I did discuss it with some friends of mine who didn’t have any issues with males helping their DDs get changed but it felt very wrong to me as I had already decided he was a bit creepy. We were effectively LC after that awful holiday but he still managed to behave horribly on the few occasions we saw them.

I have been worried that there may be abuse in the relationship (especially because my mum put up with my own father for so long) but I am also at the point that there’s nothing I can do to help her if she’s put this guy on a pedestal. They are in their 60s and retired now so I can’t see her leaving him ever.

There was a time when my mum was planning a redecoration of her bedroom, buying magazines and tester pots and spending a lot of time planning it. Expensive paint chosen etc. When he decorated it he completed it when she was out. He bought a tin of cheap blue paint and painted the whole ceiling blue. It looks absolutely awful. Of course she didn’t complain even though it’s spoilt it. It’s like he has a compulsion to piss on people’s cornflakes in any way he can.

I know that’s not an example of violence or anything but there’s glimpses of control. But I can’t do anything about her if she doesn’t admit anything is wrong there.

Thanks all for the helpful comments, it has made me feel a lot better. Some of my friends don’t get it and said maybe he just doesn’t know how to behave with kids as he never had any.

OP posts:
sofiaaaaaa · 30/01/2021 13:00

You need to cut her off too.

Don’t feel sorry for her, she hasn’t felt sorry for you whilst exposing you to such creepy bullshit your entire life.

She chose him. Let her live with her shitty decision alone.

sofiaaaaaa · 30/01/2021 13:02

If he doesn’t have children, why the f did he have the audacity to undress your daughter and change her swimsuit? It’s not like he has parenting experience to take the initiative, and nothing even happened to warrant a change of her clothes. Frankly it seems like he just wanted to see her naked

billy1966 · 30/01/2021 13:14

OP,

Don't allow him within a 100 metres of your family.

Your mother hasn't any boundaries and I would be very nervous of her having contact either.

Your mother's behaviour when you were a child with two relationships on the go is disgusting.

Well done for making a success of your life and modeling a protective parent.

Continue to put your children first and stay away from this sleezy creep and your mother.
Flowers

freeingNora · 30/01/2021 13:14

Theres a brilliant book called protecting the gift it's a must for all parents. It's grooming what this man is doing he's undermining your son so he can't stand up for himself and he's prepping your daughter for abuse unfortunately. It leaves both children socialised and defenceless against his abuse. You've done the right thing You know you have. Predators groom whole families and not just their targets your mother is caught in this but she's weak too weak to protect you and too weak to protect your children.

Your children have something which you did not groaning they have You a mother who all costs would protect them regardless. I'm sorry your family of origin isn't like that. You can survive without them you just have to be prepared to write your own narrative and not be cowed by well meaning people who say oh but she's your mother.

I say this as someone who had to do this due to a malignant narcissistic family of origin

freeingNora · 30/01/2021 13:18

*growing up not groaning up Confused

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