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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

Being pushed away by husbands relationship with daughter

76 replies

Hailly · 10/11/2021 16:07

I feel awful about how I feel towards my step daughter when she's around. My husband has three kids and i have two. His older children are lovely and get on really well with them, his youngest (around the same age as mine) is treated very differently by him. She is a nice girl most of the time, it's more about how he is with her. He has made it very clear to me that she is more important and it's clear that her feelings are considered more than mine. He hasn't said it in a while but he used to say that if she didn't feel welcome in my home that he would leave. One time this comment come after a conversation about her having nits for the 100th time that month, I wasn't happy because my daughter had very long think hair and an absolute nightmare to treat. But because my reaction upset her it promped him to say what he did. I have never not made her feel welcome and always made an effort to include her. He's very strict with my children (thankfully, they don't always see it that way). He gets at them all the time for not doing things, thats my job haha. I know this is supporting me because they are very forgetful and need constant reminding to do the same simplest job everyday....anyway. I just feel this has got worse and he has stopped having fun with them. He fuses over her when shes here, offers her food, drink, sweets which is fine, but he doesn't offer my two who are sat right there. He doesn't tell her off for the same things he would tell my two off for. She's rude to my children and speaks down to them often and he never pulls her up on it. I have made comments here and there but he is very defensive over her and it courses arguments. He also insists that we do things like activities and days out when shes here, even if we can't afford it. But he shows little to no interest in doing things with me and mine when shes not here. On the odd occasion where we have played a board game or something hes not as engaged. I used to have routines for my children before he moved in like strict bed time and no treats in the week (mainly because they were getting greedy). But this didnt apply to her when she was here and of course my children questioned the special treatment, so i gave in and I kick myself for it. Recently i have started a new job which means the only days off we have together now falls on a weekend which means we always share them with the kids. I love the time with the kids but when we go on days out or simply to the shops she is constantly attached to him and makes me not want to hold his hand anymore. He doesn't encourage her to go and look around and explore. Is it bad that I want his attention and want him to hold just my hand sometimes? I understand that he feels bad that he and his ex split when she was very little and wants to spoiler her when he sees her but he can't see that it's wrong and what it's doing to us. I've been feeling really down about this for a while now and don't know how to approach him about this without it errupting. I'm important too!

OP posts:
litterbird · 10/11/2021 16:11

I am so sorry you are feeling this way. With what you are saying about him he seems extremely attached to his daughter and the preferential treatment is not good for the rest of the family to see if it isn't reciprocated. By the sounds of it approaching him just will make things worse for you. I am sure someone on the boards will come along who has experienced this. Looking at it from the outside I think this is going to be how it is until she grows up and moves on. Can you handle this until then?

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 10/11/2021 16:14

Your families are not blending, and it maybe time to move on.

Ozanj · 10/11/2021 16:17

I think you need to set ground rules to protect your kids. If she’s rude to them then as it’s your house he has to meet her elsewhere. If you don’t get to parent or tell his daughter off then he doesn’t get to do the same thing to your kids. Your kids should be the number 1 priority here not him and his daughter. If you need to leave him to make them feel better then do it.

FinallyHere · 10/11/2021 16:21

This is really not OK

I'm very sorry for your children, who should not be being treated as second class citizens in their own home.

Do you have a job, are you financially independent? Can you just go?

Your children need to know that you are aware that this is not OK and that you are there for them.

SquirrelCrimbleCrumble · 10/11/2021 16:25

Leave - it's obviously not working out - you need to put YOUR children first OP

Purplepeople12 · 10/11/2021 16:26

I had similar with my partner, he was absolutely blinkered about his son (same age as my daughter) I did stick it out but looking back I don't know how!! He is now 13 and in a sense he's pulled away from his dad, not literally, just in a natural way as he is growing up, he no longer glues himself to his dad etc. How old is your step daughter? Funnily enough we were discussing this just last weekend and he can see now looking back just how blinkered he was, but he says it stemmed from feeling like he had failed him when they split up (she had an affair) and also, far more importantly, his son had had ongoing issues with his health, multiple operations when young etc and so I did always try and make allowances in that respect. You have to factor in your own children here though, they are equally important here and should have the same treatment as his daughter, at least when they're all together. I remember once saying to my partner that we needed to be a united front, it's not him and his son and me and mine, it's he and I and the children if that makes sense, and that children will pick up on any chinks in the armour and play us off against each other if we aren't careful, could you talk to him along those lines?

Purplepeople12 · 10/11/2021 16:28

I will add though, he has always treated my children very well and equally, he was however very defensive about his son, but not that my children would have noticed, just me!

kelseypops · 10/11/2021 16:32

This is one of the many reasons I have just left my H. He worships the ground his son walks on and while I don't expect him to feel the same about my dcs, he doesn't treat my dcs in anywhere near the same way. In fact he shows no love to my dcs at all. Will be so quick to point out when they do wrong yet never say anything positive.

The only thing I will say is remember it's not the child's fault. I started to resent my dss but it was never really him.

I'm now trying to look forward to a future where I can be the parent I want to be.

Shouldershrugger · 10/11/2021 16:32

I'm going to be the cow here, but you're upset about not being able to hold his hand yet you lol the fact that he's disciplining your children. You need to remember that your children are yours to protect. The same way he's tending to his dd. Care less about him and more about your children.

Hailly · 10/11/2021 16:37

Wow, I wasn't expecting such quick responses.
I don't want to end things at all, but if I do I need to walk away knowing that I've tried. We do love each other very much but it very much him and his, me and mine. This seems to be more apparent as his children are getting older. To be honest, just posting this has made me feel better, a bit lighter. I suppose I'm just anxious about telling him exactly how I feel, don't know where to start.

OP posts:
Hailly · 10/11/2021 16:38

I do need to say that my children are happy and nothing seems to bother them, I just want it to stay that way. It's more about how I see and feel things

OP posts:
Riverlee · 10/11/2021 16:39

How long have you been together?

I think You will need to explain how rude he is being by only offering food to her. If he come out with the ‘not feeling welcome’ explanation, then say how unwelcome your kids are feeling by him spoiling his daughter. Explain how you need to have boundaries and all be singing off the same hymn sheet when it comes to!house rules.

If he says anything and threatens to leave, then let him. He’s entitled to put his daughter first, but you’re also entitled to put your dc first.

Capferret · 10/11/2021 16:42

It's time you stood up for your own dc and put them first.
It reads to me that you're more bothered about being 2nd to his dd than you are by the unfairness jn treatment of your own dc.

Wallywobbles · 10/11/2021 16:43

It's really really tough merging families. My DH is strict and never thinks I'm strict enough with my kids. There's some truth in it, like in your set up.

We have the step kids 50/50 and they did use to be stuck to him like glue. And he desperately wants them to remain as his babies not as the hulking teens they are. He calls them ridiculous cringy my Nick names!

But he treats them all largely the same. And if I pick up on something he'll deal. And if I'm raging I'll rage at who ever might be at fault.
But mostly he has never ever made me feel less important than them.

romdowa · 10/11/2021 16:49

You need to put your children first. The way he treats your kids is appalling and I'm pretty sure they do mind but they see you doing nothing about it and don't bother protesting. Get this man out of your house and stop letting him treat your children like dirt on his girls shoes . No man who loves you would treat you and your children this way.

1forAll74 · 10/11/2021 16:57

You do need to tell him how you really feel ,about this unreasonable set up he has regarding the children. It simply isn't fair how he deals with this, and it creates much disharmony in your family..

But depending on his nature,as in a selfish person, he maybe the type of man,who will flip, when any critisism is aimed at him,which may create more issues about things.

Gilda152 · 10/11/2021 17:05

How long have you been together? How old is your SD. as someone else, said, this isn't blending.his children are naturally more important to him as yours are to you. Cut your losses

tara66 · 10/11/2021 17:07

He's mean to your children in your house? It's your children's home before his. And he gives his child treats in front of yours without giving them something? Spiteful and nasty. Kick out.

FinallyHere · 10/11/2021 17:08

my children are happy and nothing seems to bother them

Or they have learned to not show their feelings about injustice. Can you be sure which one it is?

Most children have a very strongly developed sense of justice and complain if things are big fair. I'd be concerned that your DC have learned to not do that.

Hailly · 10/11/2021 17:11

I do tell him if I feel he's gone too far with telling my children off, I'm not totally weak and I will do it infront of them. And my children do tell me if something is bothering them. They noticed the unfairness and told me as I said in my original post. When food is offered to his daughter I wait and then follow up with 'do you guys want anything'. They don't go without while she's scoffing her face with treats. He doesn't shout at them I never said that, he just at them, nagging and not showing his fun side to them anymore. He doesn't have a fatherly relationship with them, I don't need him to, they have a dad. And to be honest I'm shocked at how quick you are to tell me to leave

OP posts:
Hailly · 10/11/2021 17:13

Yes he treats his daughter different I would never expect him to treat them all the same. I would however like more fairness.

OP posts:
FinallyHere · 10/11/2021 17:23

What can you do to ensure more fairness?

Nanny0gg · 10/11/2021 17:37

@Hailly

I do tell him if I feel he's gone too far with telling my children off, I'm not totally weak and I will do it infront of them. And my children do tell me if something is bothering them. They noticed the unfairness and told me as I said in my original post. When food is offered to his daughter I wait and then follow up with 'do you guys want anything'. They don't go without while she's scoffing her face with treats. He doesn't shout at them I never said that, he just at them, nagging and not showing his fun side to them anymore. He doesn't have a fatherly relationship with them, I don't need him to, they have a dad. And to be honest I'm shocked at how quick you are to tell me to leave
Then read back what you've written.

I only got 2/3 down and I wondered why you were still with him.

nocnoc · 10/11/2021 17:43

He’s setting a very bad example to his own child and yours. At some point in the future your children may decide to go no contact with you when they get angry about how you’ve enabled this man and this treatment of them. Don’t you think they are going to realise the differences? It’s in their face. I think you’re playing a dangerous game by allowing this child to belittle your children in their own home and not pull him up on treating her like a mini Queen. He’s actually disgusting in my opinion.

MondeoFan · 10/11/2021 17:44

How old is the daughter?

I couldn't put up with this I'm afraid. Him offering her sweets and treats and your 2 getting nothing.
I couldn't hold my tongue.

I get he wants to spoil her or treat her well or for her to know she's loved but this is ridiculous