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SAHP

A place for stay at home mums and dads to discuss life as a full-time parent.

Resentment towards baby’s dad

9 replies

Lms2025 · 04/09/2025 21:34

Recently me and my partner split up as we were arguing too much and he is now
living elsewhere.. we have a 19 month old together and I am doing everything for her daily and he sees her for a few hours a week after work not every evening and stays the night occasionally (we are basically back together but living apart) on his days off we are together in the afternoon once he is all ready to come over and go out as a family but he doesn’t have time alone with her and he suggests taking her to his mums so his mum can watch her on his days off quite regularly too. I’d have thought he would want time with our child himself. I have no issue with her having our child I’m fine with that but I feel resentment towards the fact he doesn’t have her alone and I do everything for her. He helps when he’s with me but I feel annoyed he can go days just doing as he pleases whilst I am the one drained at times from looking after our child.

I guess I am just looking for if anyone has felt similar? I feel like he gets the best of both worlds still having his freedom whilst also coming here and still being with me. What would anyone else do in my situation if they felt this resentment towards him?

OP posts:
Meadowfinch · 05/09/2025 03:27

Your ex? partner is a fair weather, lazy non-dad. He will play with her while you provide a comfortable home and sex. If expected to look after his child, he just offloads her onto his mum. He's a lousy dad - there are millions of them around. He's essentially lazy & selfish.

How old is he? There is a chance he may mature into something better, but if he's over about 25, then he's unlikely to change. Dump him and regain your self respect. Look for someone decent instead.

My ds is now 17 and ex was much the same. I have raised my ds myself, and had a great time doing it. Get your head around the fact you are a lone mum, if you expect nothing, he can't disappoint you any more. Move on. You will feel much better.

Stillhoping1990 · 05/09/2025 06:45

you're doing everything alone so you might as well just be without him and single.

RandomMess · 05/09/2025 07:10

End it and drop DD off with him when he finishes work for the week and let him get on with parenting her. Or he comes around and you go out.

He is loving like a single bloke and you’re allowing it.

Squishydishy · 14/09/2025 21:08

He’s moved out and barely helping with child but still popping back for a shag?! Sounds like he’s got his cake and eating it

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 14/09/2025 21:17

He’s a shit dad, make sure you have records of this eg you say this to him
on email
or text and ask him to take her alone for prof that he can’t do it, should he take you to court for 5050 (which he probably will do after you ask fro child maintenance)

Newparent101 · 07/11/2025 00:16

I also get resentful from doing much more of the baby care, housework, etc than baby's dad does. He's pretty lazy too, sorry you're in this situation. Find it hard to contain the resentment sometimes too, I really empathise. One thought that does help (when I remember) is to remember that if I were a single mum I'd still be doing all this babycare and more, and also that the priority is giving the baby as much love and care as possible so that they grow up feeling secure, and to enjoy the feeling of giving that love and care to baby as a gift to them because you love them so much - that's the unconditional aspect to loving a child isn't it? But I often forget it too and become really resentful, before remembering the resentment isn't changing dad's behaviour, is making me feel worse, and distracts me from being present when caring for baby. In the end, he's the one missing out on bonding time and happy hormones by palming your baby off with his mum. Not sure if that's helpful, I hope so! Good luck!

Lms2025 · 13/11/2025 14:07

@Newparent101
Hey, sorry for the late reply. Thank you for your message I’m glad to know others feel similar to how I do! That was lovely what you wrote about the thought you remember that helps. I will definitely be remembering that too. It was helpful thank you 😊

OP posts:
Unexpectedlysinglemum · 15/11/2025 14:14

What do you mean ‘we are back together just living apart’ do you mean you’re still sleeping with him? I get that you have physical needs, but eeek I couldn’t fancy someone so rubbish and lazy.
he doesn’t have to take child on his own sadly, ever. Please get all of this in writing so that if/when you split formally and you ask him for or apply for child maintenance he doesn’t suddenly decide that he (and his mum) want 5050 to avoid paying for child.

ForFlakyPeer · 11/12/2025 20:28

I’m going to be brutally honest: I don’t understand your resentment at all. You had a child with this man, the relationship wasn’t good, and it was never going to magically turn into the fairy tale you’re imagining now. That fantasy was never going to happen. The situation you’re in right now was the most predictable outcome ever — yet you still chose to bring a baby into it. You created this mess.

You’re acting shocked that a man who wasn’t reliable before… still isn’t reliable now. That’s not a surprise. That’s a pattern you ignored. Your decisions have lifelong consequences, and pretending you didn’t see this coming is just denial.

And let’s get real about something else: if the relationship isn’t working and he’s financially supporting everything, most, or some it makes complete sense that he wants time alone on his days off. He’s tired. He needs to decompress. That’s normal. Expecting him to come home full of energy and enthusiasm after carrying financial weight is unrealistic.

Why would he jump to spend his rare free time with a child he barely knows, in a house that’s already stressful and tense? On his days off, that might simply be too much. He’s human. He’s overwhelmed. He’s dealing with things too — even if you don’t want to acknowledge it.

And here’s the truth no one wants to admit: kids don’t fix bad relationships. They expose every crack and make things worse. If your relationship was already shaky, adding another baby guaranteed more problems, not solutions.

He probably made it clear he didn’t want this child in the first place, and you didn’t listen. So expecting him to suddenly be emotionally invested and deeply involved now is unrealistic. You can’t ignore someone’s boundaries, force a situation on them, and then be surprised when they don’t play the role you fantasized about.

And if you and him are living in constant dysfunction, arguing all the time, and creating a toxic environment, then the best thing for everyone — especially the child — is to live separately. A child doesn’t need to grow up watching chaos, tension, and resentment. Separate households would be healthier than what you’re putting this kid through now.

You keep letting him back into your life — and your body — and acting shocked when the outcome doesn’t change. Stop expecting him to become someone he never was and never promised to be.

It’s time to take accountability.
Do better. Make better choices.
Stop giving him access to you.
Make everything strictly about the child.

Because nothing in this situation will change until you do.

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