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Step-parenting

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Fiance’s Daughter refuses to meet me

247 replies

Goldbracelets · 22/08/2021 12:44

My fiancé has a 13 year old daughter. He and her Mum separated 18 months ago and her Mum is NOT happy about it. She still sends nasty texts and accuses my fiancé of plotting to murder her, while begging for him back. It’s nuts. There’s probably some mental health issues there, and I don’t for one second forget how hard this is on a 13 year old. She has a great relationship with her Dad who she stays with about a third of the time. My fiancé have been going out for a year and both of us feel it’s just right and hopefully long term. We got engaged a few weeks ago, although we’re we won’t get married for several years. But we’d love to think about moving in together, and maybe even plan having a child together, since we’re no spring chickens. But although his daughter has known about us for a few months, she refuses to meet me. She won’t even talk about it. My fiancé tells her that I have nothing to do with the separation and that she’s not betraying her Mum etc etc but she just says “yeah I know, but I don’t want to meet her” and won’t say anything else. I am worried this attitude will never change. Her Mum tells her bad stuff about me and she just believes it. We don’t know what to do. Any advice? My mum is an educational psychologist and says she should meet me sooner rather than later because she’ll have a negative image in her head of me and once she meets mr she’ll realise I’m not terrible, but I don’t know. We don’t want to force her, but we want to move on with our lives all the same.

OP posts:
Lunificent · 22/08/2021 12:55

Just do it at her pace. She will probably, like you say, realise you’re fine if she meets you. But you can’t force that to happen.

OiPanda · 22/08/2021 12:56

And maybe break off the engagement until you've met her?

Miniroofbox · 22/08/2021 12:56

How were you dating someone new in the middle of a lockdown?

swanswallow · 22/08/2021 12:58

I agree here, the speed of things will have such an impact on his daughter. A new relationship within 6 months is quick, combined with a quick engagement within a year. I think that slowing things down will help.

FeatheredHope · 22/08/2021 12:58

Goodness. Just put yourself in her shoes. She’s barely had any time to adjust to her parents breaking up and now she’s dealing with him jumping straight into another relationship and all during a global pandemic.

IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves · 22/08/2021 12:59

Give her more time. Her world has been turned upside down. She needs kindness and understanding and shouldn't be expected to suck it up so the adults are happy. Prioritise her.

Hekatestorch · 22/08/2021 12:59

My dd was the same with her dad's (almost fiancée). Dd was 14. She had already met one of his girlfriends and didn't want to do it again.

As far as she concerned they are just her dad's girlfriends, they aren't anything to do with her. She is 17 now. Exh didn't in fact go through with the engagement and is now telling everyone the girlfriend was an alcoholic.

But dds decision had absolutely nothing to do with me. I don't talk crap about her dad or anyone he is seeing. It's not my business.

Its simply that's 'dad's girlfriend' isn't someone she feels the need to create a bond with.

And at her age, no one can force her too.

I mean, the split at the beginning of a pandemic, it's been a really crappy 18 months. Especially, for young people. Her dad starting dating in less than 6 months. She had probably seen her mum upset.

There's a lot going for her. Meeting you is probably just something she isn't up for. No one can make her what to do it

MrsRobbieHart · 22/08/2021 12:59

you’re engaged to a man who got engaged to someone without even checking to see if his child liked her?

And, despite seeing how he treats his existing child, you want to give him another one to treat poorly? Confused what’s wrong with you people?

HairyMaryMyCanary · 22/08/2021 12:59

All about you, isn't it OP? You want to play happy families with this child whose life was ripped apart eighteen months ago.

If you really care, stay in the background until she actively wants to meet you, of her own free will.

AuntLydiasNewHairdo · 22/08/2021 12:59

Sounds like an engagement between 15 year olds. Forget being 'engaged' until you have met his daughter.

TheQueef · 22/08/2021 13:02

Is there a bit of an age gap between you and fiance?

MrsRobbieHart · 22/08/2021 13:02

She has a great relationship with her Dad

You have no idea what sort of relationship they have. You’ve never witnessed them interact. You only have his word to go on, and even then, you know it isn’t great because he didn’t even wait to see how his daughter got on with the woman he wants to make her step mother!

Getyourarseofffthequattro · 22/08/2021 13:02

@MrsRobbieHart

You’re engaged to a man you’ve known a year despite never having lived with him and never having met the most important person in his life? Even worse, you’re engaged to a man who got engaged to someone without even checking to see if his child liked her?

You’re bonkers

That's ridiculous. If we let our children make our important life decisions we'd all be fucked.
AtrociousCircumstance · 22/08/2021 13:03

Poor kid.

Your mum is full of crap, btw.

So give her time and reduce your expectations of her falling into line and playing happy families with you massively.

Her world was ripped apart recently - her family was broken. Of course she doesn’t want to meet you.

Give it time. Take her lead.

GinIronic · 22/08/2021 13:04

Why are you so keen to meet her?

OiPanda · 22/08/2021 13:04

@MrsRobbieHart

She has a great relationship with her Dad

You have no idea what sort of relationship they have. You’ve never witnessed them interact. You only have his word to go on, and even then, you know it isn’t great because he didn’t even wait to see how his daughter got on with the woman he wants to make her step mother!

That's a really good point. You have no idea what their relationship is like!
MrsRobbieHart · 22/08/2021 13:04

That's ridiculous. If we let our children make our important life decisions we'd all be fucked.

Jesus. You didn’t read my comment at all, did you?

Bluntness100 · 22/08/2021 13:05

@TheQueef

Is there a bit of an age gap between you and fiance?
Yes I’m wondering that. And how did you meet?
OiPanda · 22/08/2021 13:05

Also if you've never met her then you might find when you do you just don't get on with her.

Bananarama21 · 22/08/2021 13:05

Getyourarseofffthequattro what is ridiculous is getting engaged to a woman you only know a year ago during a pandemic when you have dc to consider and haven't even met her and they never loved together.

Getyourarseofffthequattro · 22/08/2021 13:06

@MrsRobbieHart

That's ridiculous. If we let our children make our important life decisions we'd all be fucked.

Jesus. You didn’t read my comment at all, did you?

Yes I did but my 13 year old daughter not instantly wanting to warm to my new fiancee wouldn't make me bin him off because a 13yo in that situation is unlikely to accept anyone. Whilst I think this has obviously happened very fast I don't really understand the massive outrage. They don't even live together. The fiancee bit is a bit of an irrelevance.
Getyourarseofffthequattro · 22/08/2021 13:07

@Bananarama21

Getyourarseofffthequattro what is ridiculous is getting engaged to a woman you only know a year ago during a pandemic when you have dc to consider and haven't even met her and they never loved together.
Their being engaged is entirely irrelevant though isn't it because it doesn't actually alter the reality of their relationship, does it?
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 22/08/2021 13:07

How can you agree to marry a person when you haven't even met their children and seen whether it works to blend the family?

MrsRobbieHart · 22/08/2021 13:09

Yes I did but my 13 year old daughter not instantly wanting to warm to my new fiancee wouldn't make me bin him off because a 13yo in that situation is unlikely to accept anyone.

Again, you’re making things up. Who said anyone should be binned off? And this isn’t about the child not warming to her, it’s about the child (who is clearly struggling- which is normally a priority for a parent) not having even met her!

I can’t imagine knowing my child is having a hard time processing the changes in their life and just ploughing ahead with my own massive plans that absolutely will impact that child. For me, everything would be on hold until my child was in a happier place. But I don’t think with my pants.

FelicityPike · 22/08/2021 13:09

I agree with @MrsRobbieHart.
Do you have a ring @Goldbracelets or is this a “let’s get engaged to be engaged but we won’t get married for years” situations?