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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

Partner's 18 year old daughter hates me (for no good reason)

95 replies

ThisGreyLurker · 20/08/2025 21:44

I have been in a relationship with my partner for over 3 years. We get on well but there is one major problem - his daughter. Prior to me, he had other short relationships, his daughter did not like any of his previous partners and had a hand in the breakdown of their relationship. Her and her father are VERY close (almost to the exclusion of all others) and he has her on a pedestal and spoils her rotten (to the point of ridiculousness) and treats her almost like a partner. She has a say in what he wears, what he eats, where he goes, what car he drives and he tells her everything (including about his relationships). She is rude and dismissive but he cannot see that as he has rose tinted glasses on!
She currently lives with her mum but my partner has just bought a house (that they chose together - if she did not like the house that he liked, he would not go for it and she had measurements of how big her room had to be) and she is moving in with him. She has already told him what she wants doing to the house and what new furniture he should buy for the house so it will in effect be their house.

All through our relationship she has been there, making sure she is there at weekends (our time together) and choosing where we go, what we do and what we eat etc. He always gives her her way. They walk along arm in arm (with me walking behind) and if me and my partner go out together for an evening, she asks him how much he spent! He tells her when we have an argument and basically everything about our relationship.

I have tried SO hard to get on with her, I have been nice, bought her lovely gifts, gone along with what she wants to do etc but to no avail. She has never hugged me and most of the time barely speaks to me. She doesn't have many friends and the way she is has caused issues with her mum and her partner and his children (who can't wait for her to move out).
Before all the keyboard warriors say I am jealous, I can assure you I am not! I have a lot of friends and have never really had anyone dislike me for no reason before. I have friends with children her age and they love me and love spending time with me, I think I am an amicable person and have never had an issue like this before. I have my own house and am self sufficient and independent and am in no way jealous at all!
I am however at my wits end, I feel uncomfortable around her as she just ignores me and fawns all over her dad and I can't see it getting any better. She wants me gone (like all the others) and I get the impression that she wants her dad (and his money) all for herself.

Now they are moving in together, I can't see a good ending. She will be there all the time and as she does not make me feel welcome in any way, I won't want to go round there so in effect, she has "won" yet again.
The problem is, I do love him (and he loves me) and we get on well but he is completely blinkered about his daughter. When I have said that it is an issue and that she does not make me feel welcome and does not speak to me, he just says "that is the way she is".

I can't see things changing anytime soon and I am worried that them moving in together could be the final straw as we can't progress our relationship while they are living together.
I don't want to split up but I just don't know what to do. Any advice / thoughts would be appreciated but please, no trolls as my mental state is not great at the moment. Thank you.

OP posts:
WishSheWouldGoAway · 20/08/2025 21:46

What are her plans?Is she going to university?

Is she getting a job.

Will she eventually carve out her own life?Any time soon. Surely she can't stay and meshed with her dad forever, that's very unhealthy

Enigma54 · 20/08/2025 21:47

Run! This excessively close father daughter relationship will break you.

Quitelikeit · 20/08/2025 21:49

All I can say is this guy must be rich otherwise I can’t see why you would tolerate this 😂😂

You have been very foolish and your standards are very low! Find your backbone and walk

ARichtGoodDram · 20/08/2025 21:49

A man who refused to parent his daughter appropriately- and sharing details of his relationships with her is absolutely inappropriate- wouldn't be one I stayed in a relationship with.

yeesh · 20/08/2025 21:52

Why on earth have you put up with this for so long. It’s gross tbh

CopperWhite · 20/08/2025 21:53

When you say weekends are ‘our time together’, what makes you think that your weekend time with him is more important than her weekend time with her father? She probably doesn’t like you just because she wouldn’t like anyone in your position as she doesn’t want or need a step parent, but I expect she senses your resentment of her existence as well.

If you can’t be supportive of their relationship, you need to walk away. It is not your place to damage their relationship so that you can find your way into the position you want.

CharlotteFlax · 20/08/2025 21:54

You won't win with this one.

Idontjetwashthefucker · 20/08/2025 21:55

Ditch him, it's just very very weird

Enigma54 · 20/08/2025 21:57

CharlotteFlax · 20/08/2025 21:54

You won't win with this one.

This 1000000%!!!

Enrichetta · 20/08/2025 21:59

You know what you need to do, so do it.

There is no ridiculous solution waiting in some hidden place where you can’t find it.

TwistedWonder · 20/08/2025 22:01

I had one like this except his daughter was late 20’s and he still treated her like a 12 year old princess. We couldn’t go out to dinner, away for weekend or even on holiday without her phoning him constantly. It got so ridiculous that she wanted him to fly home from Spain a couple of days early because she couldn’t find her car keys!

Walk away it wont get better for many years if at all

PrincessandtheP · 20/08/2025 22:02

What are you getting from this relationship? It sounds draining and miserable.

Respectfully, what is there to love?

outerspacepotato · 20/08/2025 22:05

She hates you because she's afraid of not being the primary relationship in her dad's life. Nothing you do will change that.

3 years is your sunk cost here.

WishSheWouldGoAway · 20/08/2025 22:06

outerspacepotato · 20/08/2025 22:05

She hates you because she's afraid of not being the primary relationship in her dad's life. Nothing you do will change that.

3 years is your sunk cost here.

Until she meets someone she wants to be with and then her dad won't see her for dust.

itsachickeninnit · 20/08/2025 22:07

Have you posted about this before? If not it was someone else in an identical situation and the answers remain the same - ditch him, you’re on a hiding to nothing.

Enigma54 · 20/08/2025 22:09

Don’t let your heart rule your head ( as my dad says) Get out of this stressful and suffocating relationship now.

zerofeeling · 20/08/2025 22:15

Sounds like it's only going to get worse now she'll be living with him. As has already been said - you're not going to win in a battle with her for his attention/affection. Things might change if she meets someone but how long are you prepared to wait?

Minnie798 · 20/08/2025 22:19

itsachickeninnit · 20/08/2025 22:07

Have you posted about this before? If not it was someone else in an identical situation and the answers remain the same - ditch him, you’re on a hiding to nothing.

I thought this too.

Loadsapandas · 20/08/2025 22:33

He sounds like a shit partner and father and you should leave whatever this is.

As an adult and parent he has built and/or facilitated this relationship with his DD, he should have been raising her to launch.

Sounds creepy on his part tbh.

ThisGreyLurker · 20/08/2025 22:33

Thank u for all your comments - i think one person said that i resent her and want to damage their relationship, ii really don’t and I don’t want to be a step parent to her either - i just want us to get on and for her to make me feel welcome which I don’t think is a lot to ask! They r super close; they message constantly and she is all he talks about (apart from work lol) and it is a bit all encompassing - I think I know what I have to do but the issue is that it is not what I want to do :(

OP posts:
TheGreatWesternShrew · 20/08/2025 22:38

He’s not blinkered Op. He likes their relationship that way. He’s not stupid.

arethereanyleftatall · 20/08/2025 22:40

I would say you have the weekends the wrong way round. If he is the NRP who has every weekend and his dd (who was 15 at beginning) is away from him all week, then it is you who is encroaching on their weekend, not the other way round.

TheGreatWesternShrew · 20/08/2025 22:41

He’s not blinkered Op. He likes their relationship that way. He’s not stupid.

If you can’t deal with that then yes it’s best to leave.

arethereanyleftatall · 20/08/2025 22:43

What do you like about him then op?
you’ve detailed he’s clearly a crap parent, disloyal to you by over sharing, boring as all he talks about is her or work, actively excludes you on weekends…what is left to like about him?

AngelofIslington · 20/08/2025 22:47

This is not going to end well op so I’d bail before she causes any more problems.
The relationship between them isn’t healthy and id want to steer well clear of it.
Yes DC’s can be jealous of their parents partners but he has allowed this behaviour to escalate.
I wouldn’t try to be nice to her, she’s an adult being extremely rude.
Leave the pair of them too it, although I imagine they are going to be two extremely lonely people in years to come