Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Step-parenting

Connect with other Mumsnetters here for step-parenting advice and support.

Ex`s new partner

45 replies

becsta · 27/11/2010 16:53

Hi just wondered if any had any (constructive!!!!)advice on if I have any rights about requesting to meet my ex`s new partner, they have apparently been in a relationship for six months and have been engaged for three. I requested to meet her a month ago, (and only found out by fluke she existed via FB)and was told I could but noww suddenly I mention it again and im being unreasonable. I have not stopped him seeing our 2 year old but have said that this weekend I dont want him to take him anywhere if I cant meet her. I have also had a convo recently about him calling our son as he keeps asking why Daddy doesnt call he said he would and I have had no calls for 2 weeks!

OP posts:
LunarRose · 28/01/2011 17:27

As other have said your ex would have no legal grounds to stop your children meeting your new girlfriend, the only time it could cause trouble legally would be if you were to introduce the kids to a looonnnnng succession of new partners

mjovertherainbow · 28/01/2011 17:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ChocHobNob · 28/01/2011 19:05

A solicitors letter telling you which of your houses you are permitted to see your own children in?!? Seriously, taking the mick she is.

Like others have said. Thats a solicitor's letter. Only a court order means you must comply for fear of breaking the law. All going against it may mean, is Mum throws her toys out of the pram and stops contact. (obviously not ideal in the slightest) but she might just be calling your bluff. Hopefully her solicitor will have informed her she can "try" this tactic but she cannot enforce it without a court order saying so.

balia · 28/01/2011 21:24

I have a very pleasant relationship with my ex's wife - we've even been out with DD as a foursome and have attended school functions all together. I think it makes DD much happier and has made things a lot easier when there are little problems (as there are bound to be along the way). However, I think I am one of the lucky ones and it is fairly unusual (cue flood of MNers in exactly my circs!)

If that is your ultimate intention (and TBH it doesn't sound like it is) then you have really started off on the wrong foot by trying to control the contact between father (and any person he judges appropriate) and daughter until you get your own way. It may be that your ex is happy for the two of you to meet but the new g/f is nervous and he is respecting her concerns. I don't believe you really think she is any kind of threat to your DS and would not make this kind of fuss if he was introducing your DS to friends or wider family members and spending a bit of time with them.

Quality, unsupervised contact is for the benefit of your DS and should not be interfered with as a method of forcing your ex to comply with your demands.

becsta · 31/01/2011 14:04

Hi, anyone help????????????
My neighbour just came round and has lost her mucus plug 3 weeks ago and has been having period pains and contractions for 4 days this morning she has had a bloody show. I have advised her to bide her time and wait for my contractions anyone have anymore ideas?

OP posts:
WinterLover · 31/01/2011 14:08

Try posting in pregnancy but I think she's best calling her MW to see what they want her to do :)

becsta · 31/01/2011 14:23

Thanks for all the replies, yes my two year old is quite advanced and talks on the phone to my family members all the time but im still struggling to get his dad to contact him and because of the nature of his business its not easy for us to ring him!
As for new partners I have had none and obviously would be curtious and ask if he would like to meet him as and when I meet somone! I have given up asking now its not worth the stress for such a simple request.

OP posts:
becsta · 31/01/2011 14:23

Winter lover lol I wrote the wrong msg in the wrong thread!

OP posts:
WinterLover · 31/01/2011 14:30

I've just seen your post over there :) hope she's ok

catsmother · 31/01/2011 17:02

Hi .... I was a single mum for a long long time before I became a stepmum, and my ex met someone serious a while before I did again. I admit it felt ... I suppose .... odd to think of my son off out with not only his dad (which wasn't odd) but also another adult whom I'd never met. Thing is though, whilst I had no objection to meeting her per se, say, if we bumped into each other, I wasn't sure it was actually necessary to do so as I didn't imagine, whatever his other faults, that my ex would introduce anyone unsuitable or dangerous to our son because he loved him too and wasn't irresponsible in that way. Consequently, I've only ever spoken to my ex's wife over the years on the phone, in a casual, leaving messages sort of way, where we have both been perfectly polite. If I ever do meer her we shall probably make a lighthearted remark that it's "about time" or something but nothing has ever given me any concern about her.

Realistically, if I had asked to meet her I'm not sure what it would have achieved. She was almost certainly going to be nice - had she agreed - as no-one in that situation would behave like a hideous monster and just suppose if I had taken against her for some reason .... what would I do next ? Demand that my ex dump her because I didn't like her ? .... which would have made future communication with my ex fun I'm sure. By all means, if you close enough to each other that it's likely you may meet casually one day, make polite conversation, offer a cup of tea or whatever, because there's absolutely nothing wrong if all the adults involved with your son can get on amicably but I guess what I'm saying is that it's not actually necessary and neither is it something you can insist upon.

By contrast, my DP's ex demanded to meet me - but only after I'd been called a slag, whore etc, my son had been called a bastard, DP's children had been told ridiculous lies about us both and 101 other sorts of s**t-stirring ...... so funnily enough I declined the invitation as I knew that her motives for meeting me weren't good. I suspect she'd have either had a go at me for some imaginary reasons and/or forever more slagged off aspects of my appearance and so on. Ten years on and we have never met and I have no intention of doing so. Despite all this, DP was repeatedly told that he'd be failing the children if he didn't immediately dump me at the start of our relationship. Ho hum. Conversely, DP's ex has had, errrmmm, several "friends" who he's never met - so complete double standards I'm afraid and an example unfortunately, of a woman thinking she knows best because she's the mother, whereas a father's judgement can't possibly be trusted.

Greeninkmama · 31/01/2011 19:27

MJ, doesn't BM mean bio mum?

balia · 31/01/2011 21:13

I have given up asking now its not worth the stress for such a simple request

Good - you have to pick your battles, I think. I do hope you are going back to normal with contact, though...

pleasechange · 31/01/2011 21:55

Greeninkmama - ssh, those words must not be spoken on mn, except to describe someone who has had their child adopted. For reasons which are unfathomable to me, they are offensive to some people on mn and so we now avoid the term

Petal02 · 31/01/2011 22:31

Just so I don't offend anyone, I realise we can't say 'bio mum' or 'birth mum' any more - so what's the polite description this week?

I always thought BM stood for Barry Manilow ...

pleasechange · 31/01/2011 22:35

Best man?

tokenwoman · 01/02/2011 12:54

Hello

My DP ex requested (demanded) to meet me supposedly to put her mind at rest about the woman spending time with her DD after our 6 month relationship became perm. I didnt mind I guess Id have felt the same and I couldnt see the point of not doing it if it made life easier for my DP. (this is another ex wife from hell but thats another story)

So I made contact and we agreed to meet at the local shopping centre coffee shop. she admited when she turned up she didnt know why she had asked or what she was going to say and regretted getting herself into such a situation but here we were....

what tanspired was 2 and half hour rant where she talked about the marriage breakdown (she left my DP for his best friend) access arrangements, maintenence, how she had DD to help fix her marriage etc etc ad bloody nausea.

everytime i tried to bring the conv round to her DD we ended up talking about her and how hard done by she was, complete waste of time. we have only met once and she once requested my help on a parenting issue she was having with DP and DD which I declined to get involved with as it was DP issue and not mine

result: she twisted my words around at a later date argument with DP, has been so rude about me, tried to interfere with my relationship with DP, has written extemely nasty emails about me, has managed to PAS DD regarding me so i get ignored by DD and ex has been a royal pain in the butt...(so has DD) but hey ho another lesson in life learnt
i do think it would have been better not to meet her

you have no right to meet, most woman would agree to meet you but dont withold access as a bargining point, your ex is the other parent and has as much right to introduce your child to anyone he sees fit and take them anywhere he wants (even the amsterdam red light district as what happened to my 2 young impressionable sons some years back whilst on holiday with their father)

elastamum · 01/02/2011 13:16

I think it is difficult as you dont have the right to insist, even though your son is very young. With my children I am less worried as they are older and tell me what they think. You can only ask, but if he says no you will have to respect his wishes.

I have to confess though I wasnt happy that when days after we first split my ex had the woman he was having an affair with, who was still living with her H and kids round, when the kids where there. She is not the woman he eventually married BTW.

With my exes new partner, have often invited her in when they pick up but for some reason she wont ever get out of the car- god knows what she has been told Hmm

BTW the correct term is mum! Grin

mjloveswineoclock · 01/02/2011 15:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mjloveswineoclock · 01/02/2011 15:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Greeninkmama · 01/02/2011 18:10

Got it!

I am going to have trawl through that thread one idle day.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page