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Anyone ever walked away from a happy relationship when dsc contact went from eow to fulltime?

114 replies

gingermopped · 26/08/2014 22:37

anyone?
dsd has been saying for ages she wants to live here, tonight the call came.

OP posts:
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expectantmum79 · 28/08/2014 15:49

He didn't feel the need? Then that's not a partnership.

If you feel this strongly you're obviously doing the right thing, every success and best of luck with your pregnancy.xx

EveDallasRetd · 28/08/2014 15:51

What a "selfish git" to put his own daughter before his six month pregnant partner of 4 years without even consulting her, in her own home Imagine that.

Fixed that for you.

JustGiveMeTwoMinutes · 28/08/2014 15:56

Wow Ginger, I am hugely impressed that you are able to fully value your own health and sanity and that of your 5 (4+1 on the way) children.

Daisy the OPs DP has not taken on her and her children as a package in any way shape or form, he lives in her house and yet has nothing to do with her children.

The poor DSD has no real parents - her mum, dad and step dad all sound useless.

Maroonie · 28/08/2014 16:11

If he is expecting you to have a role in her care- which he must be if I have understood his work schedule correctly then you should definitely have a say.
He can still disagree/discuss but to not allow you a say is just unacceptable and says a lot about the kind of person he is.
If this is his attitude it doesn't bode well for a cohesive household and you are better off out of it for your all children's sake.
This is why these things cannot be decided by one person in 15 minutes. He has now offered his daughter somewhere to stay when he doesn't have that to offer and will need to go back on that at least until he has made arrangements on where to live. I feel for his daughter as she is being let down by her mother and father. But that's not the reaponsibilty of her step mother to fix.

Sunna · 28/08/2014 16:13

Of course, Daisy, if he does move out he'll have to find some other sucker to look after his DD because he's never around. Imagine that - a father who's never around and expects other people to bring up his DD.

Selfish git sounds about right to me.

KneeQuestion · 28/08/2014 16:13

What a shocking disrespectful attitude he has!

Petal02 · 28/08/2014 16:16

Ginger, I really can't believe he thought it was nothing to do with you - I'm speechless!!!! But well done for giving him his marching orders.

I honestly couldn't have coped with DSS full time, EOW was a big enough challenge.

Maroonie · 28/08/2014 16:16

Also if the girl wants to live with her dad because she doesn't like her mums partner then does that make the mother is selfish for not kicking her partner out for her daughters sake?!

zippey · 28/08/2014 16:30

I think you are probably doing the right thing. Its a hard decision but if he doesnt put the needs of his child (DS) over his DD then he is hardly likely to put you or new baby over here as well. Good luck OP

catsmother · 28/08/2014 16:57

Ginger ..... again, I'm so sorry that's his attitude and well done you for not putting up with any of his selfish stupid shit. Yes, stupid, because if he'd treated you with a bit of respect and as an equal adult he might just have found that between the pair of you, some sort of compromise could have been thrashed out to everyone's advantage. I can't believe the way he spoke to you - quite obviously he sees you as a housekeeper and nanny and nothing else, and an unpaid one at that (though it's not surprising seeing as he was quite happy before to scapegoat you rather than pull his daughter up - for her own good FFS - over potentially damaging accusations). Please please stick to your guns about him moving out - anyone capable of speaking to their partner like that won't change even if he does try to soft soap you now with his insulting "don't be silly" .... I'm sure I don't need to tell you that he'll want to stay because it's easier for him if you remain the little obedient "wifey" doing all his childcare.

I really admire you, as (most) others have already said for protecting yourself and your children from a situation which could very likely be very disruptive and stressful. Clearly, this "choice" of his would never work in a million years when he doesn't value your opinion or feelings one iota and would almost certainly undermine you at every opportunity. Anyone doing the vast majority of day to day care for a teen who knows she can get away with murder will be on a hiding to nothing and your life would be an utter misery.

As for you Daisy what is it with you ? .... are you reading a different thread to the rest of us ? Of course you're not but hey, don't let the facts of the matter as described by the woman actually going through this situation spoil your goady fun. Are you incapable of imagining for one second how the OP must feel right now ? ... she's pregnant, and is having to face up to the fact that her so-called partner sees her as nothing and nobody, seemingly existing only to do his bidding when he demands - no discussion, no respect. Do you get off on being so disdainful and insulting ? ..... how bloody rude you are to refer to the OP as "a girlfriend" when she's 6 months pregnant and up until a couple of days ago had presumably been looking forward to a long term future with this man .... the same man who's now revealed his true colours (though admittedly he's not covered himself in glory before) as a very selfish user with what amounts to an extremely sexist view of women by expecting Ginger to fully accept another - and troubled (as indicated by serious lying) child - with a single murmur of dissent. I think she's very brave to stand up for herself given she's 6 months pregnant - a lot of women would perhaps put up with being treated so badly due to the new baby's soon arrival. However, make no mistake and obviously Ginger knows this - life as a single mum and especially with a newborn won't be easy and I'm sure she's hardly jumping for joy over all this ..... so how about you lay off with your holier-than-thou nastiness ?

Perhaps Daisy you are the OP's DP in disguise or even the SD ?? ..... or maybe you're a so-called "surrendered wife" ?! Can't understand your mindset otherwise. "Sounds like he'll be better off" ...... oh per-lease .... this poor little put upon man who, remember, does NOTHING for the OP's children but expects OP to do EVERYTHING for his because he tells her to (and not because he courteously and respectfully seeks her agreement). And yes, it's always very sad, when, for whatever reason a child doesn't live with both its parents in a happy household but this situation is NOT of Ginger's doing - you talk about "lack of compromise" as if the OP is being completely unreasonable yet when she attempted to speak to her partner about how this would work it was him who told her that a) her opinion doesn't matter, b) it's nothing to do with her and c) SD living there is his choice ONLY. Fucking hell - THAT is the perfect example of a lack of compromise and if you can't see that you must be on another planet - or, to use a well worn MN phrase, perhaps you're on glue !

The fact the new baby will be brought up without its father involved in its life on a daily basis is its selfish, arrogant, contemptuous father's fault so don't you dare try to make the OP feel worse than she already does by blaming her for this very sad situation - which could potentially have been avoided if her DP was any sort of real man who saw her as an equal worthy of discussion.

Ginger - keep your chin up sweetheart (I know that's a bit gushy). You're doing the right thing and setting a great example to your kids about how women should be treated by their partners (and the other way round of course).

womaninthewildsofwales · 28/08/2014 17:03

Wakey, yes my house, my rules. We are a traditional couple in that I deal with discipline usually because I am the one around most of the time, I escalate to him if any defiance occurs. I regularly take away dss's tablet, DP backs me up. Woul. Be a different story I suppose if he didn't. Good luck op whatever you decide. Being a step parent is hard anyway, circumstances can make it even harder!

riverboat1 · 28/08/2014 18:12

OP - is he really saying that it has nothing to do with you, and at the same time expecting you to provide care for his DD from 6am-11pm while he is at work??!

PerpendicularVincenzo · 28/08/2014 18:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WakeyCakey45 · 28/08/2014 19:12

women expect their children to be seen as a package and to ditch any man that doesn't see that yet men are not given the same respect in any shape or form.

you might well present yourself and your children as a package - but how dare you presume to speak for me and all women.

The commitment my DH made was to me - his role as a stepfather to my DD is entirely separate to that. I wouldn't dream of expecting anything different from him, and neither does he to me.

The OP is not ending her relationship because her DSD is moving in; she's ending it because her DP is a disrespectful bully who treats her as a skivvy to be directed and whose opinion he has dismissed.

She deserves better, and her DCs deserve the opportunity to share their life with a stepdad who is committed to them and their mother.

zipzap · 28/08/2014 21:09

ginger I'm incredibly impressed that that in the circumstances you told your 'd'p you'd give him several weeks to get a deposit together - that's very generous of you.

However given the way that he spoke to you when you told him that he had to go, I'm impressed that you didn't kick him out there and then. I hope that they're both gone soon.

And in the mean time make sure that anything that's important to you and your dc - be it passports, toys, jewellery, sentimental stuff etc - is all safely away so they can't take it with them even to be vindictive towards you. It wouldn't surprise me if he gets angry very quickly when he realises that not only are you serious but his nice ride has come to an end and he is going to have to actually look after his dd...

Whatever21 · 28/08/2014 22:42

So you expect your partners to take on your DCs, lock stock and smoking barrel but do not reciprocate and that is a relationship breaker.

sorry that is a double standard - you want your cake and more but expect your DP not to be entitled to the same as you. The disney dad may well disappear when it is 24/7 rather than once in a blue moon.

PrimalLass · 28/08/2014 22:55

Whatever21 - have you read the thread?

Sunna · 29/08/2014 06:47

Obviously not. Why let the facts get in the way of an attack on the OP?

WakeyCakey45 · 29/08/2014 07:04

So you expect your partners to take on your DCs, lock stock and smoking barrel but do not reciprocate and that is a relationship breaker.

Again, no - that may be your expectation but it is certainly not shared by all.

catsmother · 29/08/2014 07:58

Does anyone know where there's a decent brick wall round here so I can bang my head on it ..... again ?

Whatever - the OP's (soon to be ex) DP has NOT "taken on" her children "lock stock and barrel" so sorry to disappoint but there's no double standards happening here - at least not in the stereotypical wicked stepmother way you'd like to believe .....

... that's because her (stbex) DP does NOTHING for her children but HE seems to feel "entitled" that she'll do EVERYTHING for his child without being consulted. A child who's made serious allegations about OP in the past which were never dealt with.

The (stbex) DP is hardly ever around to do anything even if he wanted to - which it appears he's not - but wants OP to take on FT care of his child 24/7 though he won't be there. Scrub wants BTW - he's effectively demanded she does this and has told her her opinion doesn't matter. You were saying - about double standards ? Jeez.

Ha ha ha .... so, OP apparently wants "her cake and more". See above. Are you on glue too ?

But wait - shock horror - the OP has confessed to not being happy with the stepmotherly role forced upon her and her partner's contemptuous attitude. How very dare she ?! ..... let's get the knives out and kick her some more when she's down. Because, it seems, in the opinion of some completely bigoted rabble rousers you are, if you're a stepmother, in the wrong by default no matter what the background and circumstances and you should just shut up and do what you're told.

The way the OP's (stbex) DP speaks to her with such contempt, the way he completely disregards her opinion and feelings, the way he shows her no respect as a supposed equal would quite rightly be described as emotional abuse if this thread was about any other matter. Imagine any other scenario where the man comes home and without any discussion tells the woman, regarding something that'll affect her whole life each and every day "this is what's happening, it's up to me, nothing to do with you, I don't care what you think, it's going to cause you lots of extra work and stress and no I still don't care and it's still none of your business, just do it" ....... well, any decent and compassionate person would be outraged on her behalf.

DaisyFlowerChain · 29/08/2014 08:17

Catsmother, the DP must do something at home.

The OP says she is financially providing herself, now with four children and housework to be split after they both finish work then unless she is doing it all then he must do something otherwise there would have been a lot of moaning re lack of cleaning etc.

Unless of course there's a secret trust fund or some other form of money coming into the house and the OP doesn't work.

EveDallasRetd · 29/08/2014 08:25

Daisy, the OP has stated twice that her DP leaves the house at 6am and doesn't get back in until 11pm. That he only really sees OPs children every two weeks. What exactly do you think he does at home? (In the OPs house, where she lived, with her 4 kids, before he did, presumably doing everything herself then as well)

You really don't like being wrong, do you?

Sunna · 29/08/2014 08:51

But she usually is, Eve, as most of us have noticed.

catsmother · 29/08/2014 09:05

Oh please let's not reduce this situation to an argument about who does what housework. In fact, unless I'm mistaken the OP hasn't specifically mentioned housework at all, though, as Eve quite logically states if he's out of the house 6am to 11pm Mon to Fri it doesn't leave a lot of time to do anything but eat, shower and sleep during the week.

OP's also said that EOW when both her children and his are around that he "disappears" off out with them. Now that might need clarifying but I read it as he goes out with his kids - the implication being that each party goes its separate ways. Nothing wrong with that per se on occasion but if it's a regular occurrence it further reinforces OP's description of him never doing anything for her kids, and correlates with my gut feeling that he doesn't want to do anything for her children (as mentioned in my last post, and based upon what OP has told us).

Right now, I'm sure OP has more on her mind than doing "a lot of moaning" about her DP's housework contribution (or lack of). You know jolly well (if you'd read the thread properly rather than selectively) that when I - and other posters - have referred to this man doing "nothing" it has been in the vein of him taking no responsibility - practically or financially - for her children and this is extremely pertinent given that on the other hand, he's all but demanded she takes on FT responsibility for his daughter, which is apparently not her decision to make (according to him).

And I wonder if this "poor little man" whose partner is being oh-so-nasty to him (in the opinion of a deluded minority) has actually bloody bothered yet to speak to his partner about her recent stay in hospital - to enquire how the baby is, what medical advice she's been given, how she's feeling or anything ?

And god knows what the OP's finances - which are nobody's business but hers - has got to do with his lack of compassion towards her (re: pregnancy issues) and his contemptuous disregard for her ?

shey03 · 29/08/2014 09:19

The OP does not need to compromise anymore as their are other dc involved. The OP's dsd has not been raised to respect/appreciate the dd or dsm or the family unit. It's not comparing apples with apples... non-resident children and resident children behave VERY differently sometimes (usually the result of permissive/disney parenting or toxic alienation). The dad is completely missing his own failings as a parent, doesn't care to rectify anything (for the betterment of HIS child!) and fails to see how significant a change this is. Where's the respect for his life partner. In what way has he shown with words or actions that he will actually support his partner? Good god, the OP has given him enough chances to put this right and it's his daughter involved - how irresponsible of HIM......... Good luck OP, you have alot of support here, most of us experience the same challenges and we know just how hard this would be with a partner like this. Hugs.