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Step-parenting

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AIBU - Ex wants to bring his new GF to school evenings.

161 replies

Goldilocks3Bears · 02/10/2017 10:02

Ex and I split up 18 mos ago and are now divorced after a lot of aggro. Our parenting relationship has survived by a mere whisker and we've managed to largely protect the children from 'adult issues', like his affair. She is lovely to the kids, for which I am grateful, but he seems desperate to "up her position", starting to refer to her as 'stepmum' etc. after only 9 months (they are not married, only been living together for a year and she retained her old flat until recently).

This week we have senior school visits and he wants to bring her as "she has invested a lot of time and effort in the children". He and her have them every second weekend and half of the holidays....

I've already said I don't think she has a place there, it's super awks and we should be able to do these things as parents without others. I wouldn't dream of bringing a new BF along to these things, even if me and the kids were living with another man.

I've asked him this twice now and he just emailed to insist she will be there. I feel like he's trying to make a point and this is overshadowing the true reason we are there and focus on our child's future school.

AIBU and WWYD?

Goldie

OP posts:
Aderyn17 · 02/10/2017 20:20

OP says cm picks up from school. OP doesn't have to hand them over to his gf.

DameGlitterSparkles · 02/10/2017 20:22

So the OW is trying to muscle in with your children after playing a part in breaking up their family?

FUCK THAT

YANBU she is a cheeky manipulative bitch tell her to fuck right off!

DameGlitterSparkles · 02/10/2017 20:23

And your ex is quite simply a cunt 😡

SlideAway82 · 02/10/2017 20:24

I'm a stepmother to two girls and I would NEVER insist on going and treading on their mums toes. I've always been respectful of the fact they have a mum and with things like parents evening, etc I'll just ask my husband when he gets home how it went. I can still show I care about them without the need to be physically present.

Justoneme · 02/10/2017 20:24

So the OW is trying to be a part of your child life ... how dare she cares and show any support to your child ... oh I have just read what I wrote ... don't see the issue really. I see why you would have an issue though.

Goldilocks3Bears · 02/10/2017 20:29

TO CLEAR UP THE PICK UP/DROP OFF CONFUSION:

  1. The kids live with me full time
  2. I work so I have a CM that helps with after-school.
  3. GF does not need to drop/collect at school
  4. He has them every second weekend and half of the hollibobs
  5. He works weekdays but due to the nature of his super important job, he occasionally has to do evenings/weekends.
  6. He does not share his scheduling with me
  7. GF has occasionally had to collect the kids and I am aware she has been having them half days if he has had to work.

Goldie

OP posts:
newjobblewobble · 02/10/2017 20:29

Go the whole hog and bring the childminder with you. She probably knows them as long and has just as much, if not more, input into raising them!

Goldilocks3Bears · 02/10/2017 20:32

@DameGlitterSparkles that made me laugh Smile.

Spot on.

OP posts:
Aderyn17 · 02/10/2017 20:33

Well Goldie, I am a childish bitch and when ow turned up to collect my dc I'd tell her fuck off and send their actual parent to collect them.

DameGlitterSparkles · 02/10/2017 20:35

I can say this as someone who's had to deal with an OW. This same woman who was supposed to be our 'friend' and she told me four weeks post partum that I had no right to keep my baby from spending nights with her dad because I didn't like her (DD was breastfed)
She saw that I was going to whack her with something as dad was coming back in so swiftly fucked off!
I swore that she would never be near my baby again and you know what she never was because she was irrelevant and out of the picture only a few weeks later!

stitchglitched · 02/10/2017 20:36

So she was the OW and your break up was only last year? She must have a hell of alot of chutzpah if she thinks it's appropriate to turn up to something like this. What the hell is she thinking?

As difficult as it is I would just let it go. Just give her a bit of a bemused look and then ignore her. Hopefully she will feel a bit awkward and belately develop a bit of tact and empathy. Your ex sounds like an utter knob too.

Goldilocks3Bears · 02/10/2017 20:42

@aderyn17 My children fell apart and X just lost the fucking plot all round so I had to resist the urge to lose my shit in front of the kids.

OP posts:
Goldilocks3Bears · 02/10/2017 20:49

@aderyn17 My shit got firmly lost on the weekends I did not have the kids though :-)

OP posts:
Mama234 · 02/10/2017 20:59

I didn't realise she was the ow from him cheating on you, tbh he does sound like hes been insensitive at times towards you but my point was that everything she has/is already doing for your kids was a bigger deal, I do think if you break up a marriage you should tread very carefully regarding the ex wife.

ToadsforJustice · 02/10/2017 21:02

She is not a step-parent. She is not married to your ex. At most, she is the girlfriend. She has no right to an opinion in this matter. She should have more respect for you and the awkward situation. I suspect she is desperate to come across as a nice person, but she will always be the OW and she knows it.

Magda72 · 02/10/2017 23:00

Goldie - I really empathise with you so much.
My exes dp was also the other woman & I have spent years enforcing boundaries while also sucking up all the shit she & ex do to make THEMSELVES feel better about their dishonest behaviour for the sake of my kids - if I've to eat one more slice of cake she's baked with my dd & then given to dd to bring home to me I'll gag! Smile. Until you've lived it no one can understand what that's like.
But you know - no matter how it seems, take it from me they are fooling no one but themselves.
You sound sane, reasonable & very grounded. I initially thought you could talk to her & ask her to stay away but reading your later posts I can see that wouldn't be an option.
As others have said of course sm's can be included in stuff depending on individual situations but there is NO need for her to be there in this case - your ds has a present and able mother who is also the RP.
Glam yourself up & go with your ds - chat to the teachers etc. with your ds & leave the two of them to their own devices. They'll look like right twits wandering around by themselves.
Be civil but don't be nice. There are actually times in life when it's ok for your kids to see that you are disapproving of a situation & this is one of them.
And to those saying she should be included as she minds the kids for your ex - more fool her! My ex famously once told me to stop paying for childcare & to use his partner (the OW) as she came free!!!! I didn't!

swingofthings · 03/10/2017 05:53

Goldie, your ex is being the typical selfish man that made him do what he did in the first place. He will justify his actions by convincing himself that you were not a good wife and acting in such a way to give him the family life that he believes he is entitled to. It's your fault that he had an affair and had to break the family.

He has now found the woman of his dream, the one who makes him feel good and who he wants to reproduce with the family life that he was denied with you because of you. He is in fantasy land and if that fantasy could extend to you disappearing from earth and his new perfect woman could take your place and become his wonderful children's mum, life would be absolutely heaven.

So that's where he is now, fantasy land, and that's why he wants her to be there. She is most likely uncomfortable with it, but he is probably throwing all reasoning at her to convince her that by going and being involved, it makes her a wonderful step-mum to be, and even more the perfect woman he has fallen in love with. She is desperate to please him and make him believe that she is the one, she is going along with it.

The future will probably go that way. She will gradually realise that he is a selfish * and that when he is over the honeymoon stage, will start treating her like he treated you. She's walk out.

Or she will go full on with it, but if she does, hopefully, she will show to actually care, and even though it is really hurtful now, it will get easier as the years go by (for info, I would have been totally distressed if she's come to a parents evening in the first few years she came into the life of my kids. 8 years on, I appreciate that she has a significant part into their lives and her being involved -not replacing me- doesn't bother me at all. I would expect her to be at their wedding at the top table when/if that ever happens).

She will make efforts to start with, and then realise that 1/ it's pointless and will feel more assertive to tell your ex, or she will get bored in getting involved and step away anyway.

If it helps, try to look at the bigger picture than just this event. There will be more of these battles, so it's all about how you deal with them so that your children are not affected and it doesn't break you. In the scale of thing and when you'll look back in 10 years time, this open day event will be quite meaningless. It would be lovely to both be there as parents, but if it doesn't happen, it won't mean that your child will fail his education.

As said, go there for your son and keep your head high. Enjoy the evening with your child and if at some point, he goes to spend time with his dad, divert yourself to go and speak with teachers independently and if you feel very awkward, tell yourself that she probably will feel even more awkward than you.

Newyearnewbrain · 03/10/2017 06:10

Is there any way you CAN take a strapping new BF with you? That would work for me!

rizlett · 03/10/2017 06:14

This battle is just using up your energy and wearing you out and making GF the most important thing you think about.

Let it go.

In 5 years time it won't even matter.

It's not really your decision if they both go or not. You cannot win this battle and if it's more about what other people will think - who cares?

It sounds like the child in you is really hurt so work out how to heal this instead of fighting something you cannot win - focus on yourself and work out a strategy to feel good about yourself.

Playing games just makes them think they're winning. [not that its a competition either.]

dertyyuoih2 · 03/10/2017 06:24

Could you approach her re it? As she feels like you can both text (ie her having text you before?) something along the lines of, I really appreciate how much time you have invested in DS and so does he, however on this occasion I don’t feel it’s appropriate for guests other than DS Dad and myself to go the event. I’m pleased you want to have an active role in his education as it is is something very important.

She will then feel awkward going and won’t go and will know how you feel?

CauliflowerSqueeze · 03/10/2017 06:25

step-parents who are childless over step the mark because they have no empathy or understanding of the situation

Yes people who don’t have children have no empathy or understanding. You have to be a parent to experience either of those. Hmm

Whereismumhiding2 · 03/10/2017 06:26

OP, I agree with @Magda72

Go with your DS on your own, walk round, leave xH to go round with his GF. You'll probably bump into them (say hi, then walk off sharpish with DS) but you & DS don't have to walk round with them!!.

This is midweek, not his contact night, so whilst you'd offered to include your XH, the fact he's being goady and insisting on bringing his GF when it'd make you feel awkward (& therefore focus would be taken off of DS), negates your original offer.

You can just reply to XH 'in that case, no thanks, Ds and I will go round on our own'.

CauliflowerSqueeze · 03/10/2017 06:29

OP - don’t stress it. You’ve said you don’t think she should come and she is. You can’t control that. If you make a bigger deal out of it it still won’t change anything but will make the event more tense and will give him a reason to freeze you out publicly.

Freak him out more: make friends with her and whisper to her - make HIM the gooseberry of the situation, not her and not you. It’s HIM that’s been the arse having an affair. It’s HE who broke his promise.

MissBabbs · 03/10/2017 06:31

I could bet at 32 she will want to be pregnant soon.
This will hugely change the dynamic and the time she spends on your DCs will disappear into baby demands.
I think I would just accept this situation and make sure she is on the edge of group meetings. Teachers will be aware of the tension and give you their full attention I would think, or you could prime them.

RavingRoo · 03/10/2017 06:39

I agree the dynamic will change when or if she has a baby. She sounds desperate to be part of the family, presumably because at the moment she feels like the slut who broke up a marriage like most OW’s do and should :D

I agree with others, don’t make a big deal. Save your energy for the bigger fights along the road.