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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

im going to confront my dad tomorrow am, about issues in my childhood, any tips or advice would be gratefully recieved

148 replies

lionbeast · 10/04/2008 21:23

hi everyone, this is a copy of my post on the toxic thread.

mybackground
well i am one of three, have two older brothers, mum has always prefered the middle one,im the youngest, she really battered my self esteem, she used to tell me she hated me and that i was clean on the outside and dirty on the inside,

sometimes she wouldnt speak to me for days and she'd say you'll need me before i need you [yes i was a child ffs] and when she used to be a bitch to me she used to say yeah you know what you can do if you don't like it.

she has hit me a few times althought there was about 5 times when i was a teenager,for example the last time she hit me i was 18, and we where both in the kitchen and i was probably irritating her, the freezer had a dodgy drawer whick kept falling out, and the drawer fell out when i was getting something out, so she whacked me one in the face, i pushed her off me, she called my dad who pushed me up against the kitchen wall, she then later tried to make out that i nearly broke her finger!

i never once hit her back ive only ever pushed her off me when she was hitting me in the face, and then i get accused of almost breaking her finger.

you know i wish i could of gone back in time and i wouldnt of hit her back, i would of called the police.

i moved out when i was 16, i moved in with a boyfriend for five weeks, i never loved him, it was just a chance to escape, five weeks later i was back home as he had finished with me.

she said it was because the house was flithy [we where only there 5 weeks,and both worked fulltime id been working a month and left home straight away ]and id never keep a man,

when i told mum a few years later that i never loved him i just moved in with him to get away from home, she said i dont believe you as you wouldnt of gone away to paris with him[yes we had a mini trip to paris, so that means i really loved him ]

anyway as the years when by i meet my now dh and moved out aged about 22, she was ok with me really when i left home, like she could tolerate me in small doses, then when i became PG i felt vunerable around her again.

this was when she decided it was a good time to tell me my dad never had any time for me or interest in me.
when i said i didnt believe it was true or that even if it was true, then he never made me feel that way.
she said it must of been because she did a good job of hiding it from me
this is what im going to ask dad about tomorrow

i dint feel upto asking dad about it at that point as i was feeling rough and had bleeding and cramping and thought i was going to have a mc when mum said all this to me, so i didnt feel upto or strong enough the confrontation then but i do now.
this is what im going to ask dad about tomorrow

yes dad never stopped it ,but im not sure that was true, although i have decided im going to confront dad about it, otherwise its always going to make me wonder even after hes dead. and i want to give him the chance to tell me straight.
although it could cause ww3 it has to be done for my sake and dads.

also when i was PG we only told my mum and dad and pil, asked them not to tell anyone,mum had already slatted my other sil for telling everyone that she was PG before 12 weeks,so with my news mum decideds to tell fav sil, and then doesnt tell me shes told her, then when i was on the phone talking to mum about a sugar test she turns round to fav sil who was there at the time oh you never had that did you? so of course im shocked and say so sil knows then does she? then mum turns on me and has a go at me say i think youll find if you told her she would be very understanding in a really pissed off way, and she still hasnt said soryy about that, no im the one in the wrong again

she worked fulltime when i started junior school and never had anytime for me, i got really behind at school yet her and dad had no idea, its not her fault for having to work, it must of been quite hard, but she still could of made time to see how i was getting on at school.

it didnt help that she did stuff like once when i was going to a friends party after school, i said id pop round the neighbours and tell her not to pick me up,as it was the neighbour that used to pick me up from school, mum said no ill tell her, i said oh ive got time ill go round now, no, mum shouts , so anyway guess what mum forgets to tell the neighbour not to collect me so all panic sets out at the school when the neighbout comes to collect me andf im not there, so i end up the next day getting a massive bollocking from the teacher, who said it was my fault.

about three days after i had dd, i had 4 th degree tears, she was nagging me to have a salt bath, i checked with the midwife who said salt bath where not really reccommended these days as there are a bit harsh, when i very carefully told her why i was not having salt baths she got really pissed off and snapped well perhaps women where a bit tougher in my day.[give birth to dd without any pain relief, but yet im a wimp of course]

i tried to avoid the whole subject by saying hmm yes maybe, ok ill think about that etc, but she wouldnt leave it alone until she started asking directly have you had one yet? and i didnt feel comfortable lying.

also when i had to go to my follow up with the gp i was a bit upset as he said i may suffer incontinence in the future as a result of the 4th degree tear, and she said i need to get things into persective in a really nasty stop going on a bout it type way.
and when i had a flashback and thought i was in labout about 4 nights after having dd, the mw was really kind and came and spent about 2-3 hours with me talking though what happened, and said it was normal to get flashbacks after such a traumatic event, it really helped talking it though, and when i said to mum it really helped talking it though she said, i think people talk about things far too much these days. and that you can talk about things too much.
when my cousin was asking me about the birth, and said i was so unlucky with what happened[abouth the 4th degree], mum pipes up well thats just what happened to me with fav son, [no it wasnt it wasnt even a 3rd degree as she did not have to have a repair operation] i just meekly replied well i dont think it was quite the same thing.

when i was struggling to bf, she keep saying that maybe dd wasnt getting enough milk and as dd was a frequent feeder that she should be more content by now one time she actually took her off me and said she doesny want another feed [dd was crying] and said she wants a nap and put her in her pram and started rocking her, dd started crying even more, so i picked her up and fed her. dd was only a few weeks old, what sort of person takes someones NB off them telling them what they want?and she keep telling me the bf is ok if its done discreatly and is not flaunted in public, when as dd was such a frequent feeder i had to feed her in public otherwise i wouldnt of been able to leave the house for 6 months.she say comments like my sil always fed at home as "shes not like that" in other words i was a slut to bf my baby, she does have a lot of issues about bf, and she was really trying to stop me from doing it with she didnt achieve.

anyway i used to have no confidence around my family,but i have changed quite alot since having dd, i was always having others opinions rammed down my throats and mine never getting listened to or even bothering to voice my opinions before[only within my family] never at work or with friends or dh[lucky for me i have a great dh thank goodness and didnt go for someone that was also abusive and would also say nasty things to me which i think quite alot of people with my childhood perhaps would.

i used to be scared id be a crap mum because of my childhood and now i know thats not true and i would never ever say or do those thing to my lovely dd.
its like my biggest fear is gone.

the odd thing is, that mum can sometimes be really nice.

but now if someone in my family tries to tell me something i don't agree with i tell them, and funny enough they have stopped doing it so much.
and thats why ive decided to ask my dad about what she said and tell him about all of the stuff she has said and done.it could cause me never to see them again and if that happens thats ok with me i have a happy marraige and a lovely baby, and its is there loss. or dad could be shocked and horrified i really do not know.i know mum will denigh and twist everything.she has never admitted anything or apolagised for anything in her life.i think she thinks apoalgising is a sign of weakness or something.
but im 30 now and im not having it anymore.

so anyway i decided im going to ask dad if what mum had said about him not having any interst or time or me was true,
i have to ask otherwise it will haunt me for ever and i need to lay this ghost to rest.
i dont thinnk its fair on him or me if i dont ask otherwise i will still be wondering long after hes dead.

i hardly ever get anytime alone with dad, but hes giving me and dd a lift somewheretomorrow and i want to ask him before dd is too old to start to understand and i will probably not get the chance to talk to him alone for a v v long time.
so it now or never
i really hope i dont wimp out.

so got any ideas how i should bring it up with dad??,
i was thinking about saying something like, i need to talk to you about something, its not going to be nice for either of us, but i need to know if something is true or not, notherwise ill will always wonder even after your dead, then proceed to ask him about the comments mum made about him....do you think i should write some stuff down so i dont forget to mention anything?
any help at all will be great.

OP posts:
QuintessentialShadows · 10/04/2008 22:54

But what do you remember from your childhood and your dad? You remember your mothers behaviour very well, what do you remember about his behaviour?

I think she is just trying to poison your mind.

WiiMii · 10/04/2008 22:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WallOfSilence · 10/04/2008 22:56

Frogs... is that a conversation you could start up, out of the blue? I couldn't.

I don't think LGJ is being snotty fwiw, just realistic.

lionbeast · 10/04/2008 22:56

thanks polly, i am prepared for the worse.
but you never know we might be able to heal a few things!
could be v wishful thinking.lol

i never tell mum or dad when i have problems
as they love it

i never confide anything thing in them
as they dont keep a confidence

so really we only have a v v superfical realtionship anyway tbh

OP posts:
BreeVanDerCampLGJ · 10/04/2008 22:57

Frogs

I am not trying to be snotty, I am trying to be pragmatic.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 10/04/2008 22:58

It's a tough one. I can understand you wanting to know, but, how is it going to change anything, realistically? You've always felt loved by your dad, havent you? I think you either feel loved and cared for or not, so asking him to verify something your rather bizarre and unhinged mother said isn't going to change how you felt you were treated. All it's done is sown the seed of doubt.

His reaction - well - do you think he'll tell the truth? Even if he did feel the way your mum said - is he likely to admit it? If your mother has made it all up - how is he going to feel about this being stirred up?

I do think you are searching for something - approval from one of your parents perhaps? I dont think you'll get it from doing this and the rift and arguments it could cause just wouldnt be worth it, IMVHO. I agree with what MT said about it I think - cut your mother loose and try and build a really solid relationship with your dad.

frogs · 10/04/2008 23:01

But I can completely see that you might feel the need to know one way or another before a parent was too old or sick to tell you.

I think if LB feels strongly this is something she has to do, then she should go ahead and do it. It doesn't sound like she's going to start it up out of the blue, rather that she's thought about it quite a lot. There is no easy way to start a difficult conversation, particularly if you're in a family where difficult things are never talked about.

WiiMii · 10/04/2008 23:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lionbeast · 10/04/2008 23:04

the thing is i cant cut mum out and still see dad. and i can understand what your saying about hurting dad and that is truely not what i want, but its not fair for her to say something like that to me, and leave me wondering if its true, and then im the one to feel guilty for asking dad if its true.
perhaps i should of asked dad at the time about 11 months ago but i was PG cramping bleedingand constanly being sick and didnt feel physically or mentally upto it perhaps i wasnt ready fpr any potential rejection then but i am now.

dont worry about saying whatever you like to me, helps prepare me for tomorrow.

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 10/04/2008 23:04

it could be setting herself up for another fall though, and i really think that is something she could do with out, since she seems quite introspective as it is.

lionbeast · 10/04/2008 23:07

vvvq why do i seem, quite introspective ?

OP posts:
lionbeast · 10/04/2008 23:08

if i just say thats it i want nothing more to do with her thats gonna cause alot more hurt and upset for everyone than if i justt ask dad.

OP posts:
WiiMii · 10/04/2008 23:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QuintessentialShadows · 10/04/2008 23:09

But what do you remember about your dad from your childhood? A loving and caring dad, or a distant dad? Do you have any memories of time spent with dad?

VeniVidiVickiQV · 10/04/2008 23:09

It isnt fair for her to say that to you. Really not. She sounds utterly horrid.

It isnt fair that she is saying horrid things about your dad to you.

Your dad is stuck in the middle - he may or may not realise that. He's got loyalties to both of you. Is there any reason why he shouldnt stand by his wife OR give her the benefit of the doubt?

TBH, I think you'd get far more benefit if you sought some counselling about the difficulties you've had with your mother and your childhood. I dont think quizzing your dad on his feelings for you is going to help anyone.

LilyMunster · 10/04/2008 23:11

i think if you say that this was said to you by your mum , and that it really bothered you and you keep wondering about it, then theres reason enough for you to be asking him about it... then you can judge from his reaction if its true or not.

you seem strong enough to cope with the answer one way or the other, i think its fair that you ask for it, since it matters to you (it would me too.)

good luck

VeniVidiVickiQV · 10/04/2008 23:12

Just because you seem to want to analyse situations you find yourself in deeply. It's not a criticism as such. I recognise it because my mother is the same.

lionbeast · 10/04/2008 23:14

well dad never sadi me hated me or i was dirty or anything like that never hit us

was quite caring i think [ its hard for me because since mums said that it me its kinda fogged my mind a bit]

well put it this way i cant remember dad doing horrible things like mum.

see this is why i need toask as i am geniunely unsure now. if i was 100% confident it wasnt true i wouldnt need to ask i suppose.

OP posts:
PollyPentapeptide · 10/04/2008 23:15

I really dont envy you and reading your posts has just stirred up so many hurtful memories for me. My dad is dead now but Im so glad I managed to get some closure on our crap relationship before he died.

Sorry to say this but it doesn't sound as if he cares very much for you at all and the sooner you can accept this, the better. You seem to be clutching at straws

lionbeast · 10/04/2008 23:17

thanks lily perhaps your style would be better, i could perhaps say dad mum said something to me when i was PG and it bothered me and i keep wondering about it and would like to ask you about it.?

OP posts:
lionbeast · 10/04/2008 23:18

well i must have doubts about how he does feel about me that is true.

OP posts:
WiiMii · 10/04/2008 23:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lionbeast · 10/04/2008 23:19

polly thats just one of the main things i want to avoid, not saying anything them never ever getting the chance to.

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 10/04/2008 23:19

Go with your instincts and try to bear in mind that your mother will undermine your confidence - if she hadnt said it - you wouldnt be doubting it would you? She's cast a seed of doubt - she's achieved her goal hasnt she? It's not uncommon for mothers to be jealous of their daughter's relationship with their father...... I'd leave it, assume the best of your dad, not the worst, and make the most of your time alone together tomorrow. I think you'd get a good idea just from that how your dad feels.

Polly - I dont know where you've got the idea that LB's dad doesnt care???

PollyPentapeptide · 10/04/2008 23:22

wiimii

in the post here.....

i never tell mum or dad when i have problems
as they love it

i never confide anything thing in them
as they dont keep a confidence

that to me suggests that he is just as bad!

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