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My son & DP

43 replies

user1487636583 · 09/09/2018 16:43

I am writing this in here as it’s about my partner and my son. I have 2 older children to an ex partner, 3 to my current partner. Over time it had becoming increasingly obvious that my partner does not like one of my older children, my son who is 15. They barely talk, only if my son says how are you? Other than that nothing, unless my dp decides to ‘take the mick’ out of my son. A few years ago my son was going down the stairs and my dp started coming up, and I actually heard my DP call my son a prick. He’ll have been about 9 at the time.
He says I spoil him, I don’t. He says he’s my favourite. He is not. I love him. He’s my son. We have a good relationship and joke around a lot.
I love my partner but feel torn. On one side I have my partner who I have three children with, on the other I have my two older children who to be honest don’t think much of their step dad but they are what I’d call normal teenagers. They a bit lazy at times, but when my partner is at work they’ll often help me doing the bedtime routine with the little ones. After a huge row yesterday between my partner and I he started spouting stuffss per usual, and later my 4ur old said to me that he loves his family but he doesn’t love his brother cause dad doesn’t like him. It hurt. I tried to raise it with partner and I said that I know he doesn’t like my son as it is very obvious, he just didn’t say a word and carried on playing with his phone.
Another thing is that we were talking about moving in around 4yrs time. I own my home and it would be only me buying the next one for a a couple of reasons. DP said about how many rooms we would need, and I said an extra one. He asked why. I said because where is my son going to sleep, he was like ‘he’s still gonna be with us in 4yrs?’ With a shirty voice. My son has only just turned 15, he’s only just gone in to his last year of school. I said that I would have thought so as he’s not planning on going to university and I doubt he’d have enough money just after finishing college to move out! He just grumbled oh.
When I was younger my mum chose a man and a city move over me. I feel like am choosing a man over my son.
He really isn’t any bother. He is at school all day, goes to his band practice most evenings and is out most days on a weekend. Even the Mum of the main people in the band say what a lovely young man he is, very polite and helpful. In fact, several of his school friends parents have said the exact same thing to him!
The only issue I really have with him is the fact he is always getting up late so I have to shout at him to make sure he’s up for school.
My dp does have 2 children to an ex. He sees them fortnightly. In his eyes they are obviously perfect as they come, sit on their phones and then leave. There is no real parenting involved. He doesn’t have to deal with the fact his son is always late for school, the fact his daughter argues a lot with her Mum, and obviously thinks that they are the perfect offerings to the world. I could have several opinions about his kids, but I certainly don’t think I have a right to voice any of it. Even when it’s stuff directly related to my kids - like my 5yr old saying her sister doesn’t love her any more because she didn’t come for several months, or the fact that she is always posting all over every social media about her ‘preferred sibling’ (her words not mine) about her baby brother... and yet it’s still my son who literally comes in and goes to his room who gets the abuse.
What I basically want is someone to tell me I’m not stupid to tell my Dp to do one and leave despite a 7yr relationship and 3 children :(

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
lunar1 · 09/09/2018 18:08

Does your son have a dad he could live with?

lunar1 · 09/09/2018 18:10

I should clarify that further, I didn't mean it that the son should leave instead of the partner, the partner should go regardless. But the op has allowed a toxic relationship to build up with the whole family. New siblings included. This poor boy needs unconditional love.

MattBerrysHair · 09/09/2018 18:29

Op, you should have left the day your dp called your ds a pick. Can I ask why you didn't? It sounds like you need counselling to help you think with clarity and to get over your abusive childhood. Your eldest should not be your best friend. That's a huge emotional burden to place in her shoulders and isn't a healthy parent/child dynamic. I'd organise counselling for all your dc as well as the home environment has been toxic. I hope you get the help and support you need to do this. CAB are good for financial advice and the website gingerbread is a great resource when separating from a partner.

fuzzywuzzy · 09/09/2018 18:39

OP, if you keep finding yourself in relationships with men who treat you and yours like crap maybe you might benefit from doing the freedom programme?

I spent a good long while single after getting rid of a highly abusive ex, because I needed that time to get myself together and being happy with myself. I now have a very low tolerance level for anyone who’s treats me badly they never ever get a second chance.

You do deserve better, your children most certainly deserve better than this.

Kick him out, get a CMS claim in so you get child support, and go to your local CAB to find out what your entitled to and how to manage your debt.
There are several companies which will help you negotiate with your creditors.

Your P sounds like nothing but a liability in your life.

DubiousGoals · 09/09/2018 18:39

Please leave him OP, your son deserves so much better, and having read your updates, so do you 💐

My DSS had a similar toxic relationship with his stepfather and moved in with DH and me aged 15. 8 years later he is still NC with his mother (who has never even met her own DGS) as he has always seen it as she 'chose' her husband over him.

Honey2018 · 09/09/2018 18:40

I agree if your eldest isn’t even 18 you shouldn’t be relying on her emotional support. Does she live with you?

IfIWasABirdIdFlyIn2ACeilingFan · 09/09/2018 18:41

I love my partner but feel torn.

Something has gone seriously wrong in your mind when you choose to love someone who would call your child a prick.

LeftRightCentre · 09/09/2018 18:53

Good grief! I'm eternally baffled by people who allow their partner or boyfriend or girlfriend to abuse their child and instead of kicking them out, sprog off with the twat more and more. And you feel torn? Give your head a wobble. Get rid of this bastard and stop bloody dating until you get some serious work on your boundaries and self-esteem.

hamabr86 · 10/09/2018 14:50

Maybe a slightly different point of view but I had a completely rubbish relationship with my stepdad as a teen but I think I would have been very upset if my siblings family had to be split up for the sake of it.

Maybe the difference was though that my Mum spoke to me about it and told me she thought he was a twat, but she wasn't sure how should could support my three half siblings without him. I knew she was and always would be on my side regardless.

If you can't afford to move out maybe telling your son that you can see it and that you know it's not right will help him?

HeckyPeck · 10/09/2018 16:16

I had a completely rubbish relationship with my stepdad as a teen but I think I would have been very upset if my siblings family had to be split up for the sake of it.

OP would be leaving because he is a terrible parent to all his kids and treats her like crap too. It’s 100% not her son’s fault and hopefully OP would make sure he knew that. Bullying one child so obviously that the others notice is being a shit parent.

hamabr86 · 10/09/2018 17:45

I don't know, maybe because I just had to tolerate it and I knew my siblings at that age would have likely blamed me I find it hard to get my head round.

I'm not saying that she should stay, just that's what I felt at that age in similar circumstances.

MeridianB · 10/09/2018 18:10

I stopped reading after the part about him calling your 9-yo a prick. That’s all I needed to know to recommend that you tell him to leave now.

LittleMe03 · 10/09/2018 20:04

A few years ago my son was going down the stairs and my dp started coming up, and I actually heard my DP call my son a prick. He’ll have been about 9 at the time.

Sorry op but I didn't need to read any further than this to wonder why you are still with him?

SlightlyMisplacedSingleDad · 12/09/2018 13:07

What your partner is doing is emotional abuse. That's a criminal offence. What you are doing is neglecting your son by failing to act to prevent the abuse. That is also a criminal offence. That poor child.

That you should ditch the partner is blindingly obvious. Do it. Now. No more excuses. No more looking the other way. No more putting a relationship ahead of your child's wellbeing. You shouldn't be feeling "torn". The right course of action is obvious.

Once that's done, you have work to do. You claim your son hasn't really been affected. I can assure you that is not true. What may well be true is that he won't share his feelings on the subject with you, because he has seen you choose the partner over the child time and time again. Every time you failed to intervene. Every time you failed to call your partner out in his behaviour. He knows he comes second. That you will not act to protect him. It is not credible to claim that this hasn't damaged your son's self-esteem.

So, now you have to try and put that right. You owe your son an apology. A big one. You need to face up to what you've done, and tell him loud and clear that it was not his fault. That the adults were to blame. Both of you. And you need to keep telling him that.

You need to show him in your actions that he matters. Focus on your kids. Don't even think about another relationship for a long time. You have work to do on yourself first. And you have work to do with your kids. The next few years (yes, years) need to be about them exclusively. Others have suggested the Freedom Programme - that's good advice.

Time to act. Good luck.

oracle2811 · 13/09/2018 19:25

If my DH spoke to my DS like yours has I would kick his backside out never to return. Your loyalty should always be to your children. Your DP is a massive prick

twattymctwatterson · 14/09/2018 13:10

You've actually allowed this man to abuse your son since he was a small child. You've stood by and let him do it for the sake of keeping your man. It actually sounds like you're only getting rid of him now because you're no longer happy in the relationship. You're as despicable as he is and you've probably royally fucked your poor son up

SandyY2K · 16/09/2018 02:21

So since he called your son a prick you've had 3 kids with him.

Even if you were pregnant with the eldest you could have left. Now you're tied to this idiot for longer.

The only saving grace is that you aren't married and secondly it's your house.

Don't back down and get him out of the house. He's a horrible bully.

May I ask...Did he mutter under his breath that your son was a prick or did your son hear him?

Your poor son has dealt with this for years... better late than never anyway.

I think you'd benefit from having therapy/counselling.

SweatyFretty · 16/09/2018 20:49

How's it going OP? Are you ok?

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