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Step-parenting

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DP insists on sleeping with DSD

285 replies

Lena007 · 06/09/2021 13:03

It doesn't sit right with me.

Have been together with DP 1.5 years. He has one 8 years old DD. We live separately but there are talks about us renting together in the nearest future.

DSD is with her dad 50% of time, just various days/ times/ nights. All fine.

She is a lovely girl, we all spend some time together but most of the time she spends with DP on their own. I spend some time with her too, just the two of us to slowly build a nice relationship.

Whenever I am at DP's and stay overnight when DSD is there I am expected to sleep in the spare bedroom so they can share the bed in the master bedroom. DP calls it 'their room' ie his and DSD's. It has been going on for over 6 months.

Initially I thought, ok, she needs to adjust and settle in the new place and accept the fact her dad is in a new relationship (first relationship after he split with her mum), but that's not that. She says one day she would love to go on holiday with me and DP but of course she is having one room with dad and I can sleep in another hotel room. DP just changed subject because he had seen shock on my face.
On the same day she says to DP that she wants to sleep in the spare bedroom on her own, to which DP replied ' No. I'm never going to leave you like that ' and he insists he sleeps with her whenever she is at his. I have heard her saying it at least 3 times. They stay up late watching tv/ netflix cuddled up on the sofa then they both go to bed together. I'm sat on the second sofa and then go to bed there on my own.

I've raised it with him and he says it is him who wants to sleep with DSD, not her. He says he loves her so much and misses her, that he loves failing asleep and waking up next to her and he isn't going to do anything about it because it is just a way it is and he wants to sleep with her. Then I've said it doesn't make any sense for me to stay overnight at his when she is here, I would rather be at my own place if I've to sleep on my own anyway. He says that he doesn't want to spend less time together and he wants me to be a part on their lives and be here when DSD is here too, and that he would expect me to behave like an adult, not to be jelaous and just understand and accept it because he would. I have told him I thought it was only a temp solution and in standard relationships adults sleep together instead one adult being delegated to the spare bedroom when children are here. He said that we aren't in a 'normal' relationship and will never be because he doesn't get to see his DD every day.
I would understand it if she needed to sleep with him, but no, it is him insisting on it.

He says if we rent together this will change and he will be going to sleep in DSD bedroom sometimes and I won't have to sleep in the spare room. But it still just doesn't feel right.

Aibu?

OP posts:
Tattler2 · 07/09/2021 17:14

When is the answer jregardless of the reasons, rationale, explanation , justification, or parties involved, if a situation is making you uncomfortable or unhappy , you should just leave? The purpose of entering into an elective relationship is not that you should be unhappy or uncomfortable.

If unhappiness and discomfort is what you getting in and from the relationship, why stay. What man or woman is so uniquely incredible that you should willingly tolerate unhappiness, discomfort , and questionable trust related to the motivations behind the behavior.

The pool of potential partners is not so shallow that your standards need to lead you to the bottom of the pool.

What is your own comfort and peace of mind worth to you? Why would you want to stay in a relationship where you would even have to anticipate discussing your partner with social services?

RainbowTurd · 07/09/2021 17:23

Weird weird weird! My DH works away and doesn't see our DD's for days at a time, loves them deeply but our bed is our bed. If they wonder in at night then fine, but to actively tell a child to sleep with you is a completely different matter !!

candlelightsatdawn · 07/09/2021 17:33

@Tattler2

When is the answer jregardless of the reasons, rationale, explanation , justification, or parties involved, if a situation is making you uncomfortable or unhappy , you should just leave? The purpose of entering into an elective relationship is not that you should be unhappy or uncomfortable.

If unhappiness and discomfort is what you getting in and from the relationship, why stay. What man or woman is so uniquely incredible that you should willingly tolerate unhappiness, discomfort , and questionable trust related to the motivations behind the behavior.

The pool of potential partners is not so shallow that your standards need to lead you to the bottom of the pool.

What is your own comfort and peace of mind worth to you? Why would you want to stay in a relationship where you would even have to anticipate discussing your partner with social services?

Agreed whole heartily here.

Op there must be a voice in your head that knows this isn't right or you would have posted. We are just the internet so you can ignore the comments but hopefully we have tipped the scale of that voice you have been shutting down into being a little louder.

You aren't being jealous or selfish. This isn't normal. You may not be able to solve this for the child, but you don't have to be the frog that boils slowly to death either.

WillThisEverBeResolved · 07/09/2021 17:51

marmalade hound - I don't know why you considered my thoughts to be totally unhelpful and unnecessary, because this has really shocked me, it's so wrong on all levels, as the majority of people on here seem to think! Was it really necessary for you to be so nasty, that wasn't really very helpful was it?

marmaladehound · 07/09/2021 18:13

@WillThisEverBeResolved

marmalade hound - I don't know why you considered my thoughts to be totally unhelpful and unnecessary, because this has really shocked me, it's so wrong on all levels, as the majority of people on here seem to think! Was it really necessary for you to be so nasty, that wasn't really very helpful was it?
It was the fact that you were shocked that she was still with him. Your shock was expressed and directed towards the OP not her parter, which is far more shocking!

So yes I think when someone has come here for support and advice about a negative feeling she has about something and she needs objective opinions and someone responds by criticising her for staying with said partner, that is unhelpful and not remotely needed. Even more so as she has come back to say she is acting on the advice received. She's in pretty shit place right now.

Shadedog · 07/09/2021 18:13

Abusers groom the adults around them. He will be presenting himself as a dad with an entirely normal relationship with another adult. I bet he’s not telling people he puts you in the spare room so he can fall asleep and wake up next to his 8yo. Once you are gone he will revert to being a creep who makes a kid sleep with him even though she’s asked for her own space. He might tell people how clingy and unsettled she is since her parents split and he has to reassure her at night like the top bloke he is. He will want you to stay, he’ll agree to the unicorn bedroom. If you stay he’ll change the days he sees you both to get more nights alone with her and spend nights in her bed when you are there. You’ll wake up and he won’t be there, but it’s because she cried, felt sick, needed a drink and he didn’t want to disturb you.

WillThisEverBeResolved · 07/09/2021 18:25

Marmaladehound, I don’t entirely agree with you, so let’s leave it there.

Tattler2 · 07/09/2021 19:03

@marmaladehound
Support can take many forms. Sometimes, the " oh , poor you " while understanding and sharing the feelings of another is the least helpful form of support. The OP knows that she is unhappy and troubled by her situation. Ten thousand people commiserating and or emphasizing with that position and awareness may be comforting but it does not help her to move one step forward.

Perhaps , WillThisEverBeResolved statement of shock and disbelief that the OP is choosing to remain in that situation will help the OP to realize that she is neither a captive nor a victim of her circumstances. She is an intelligent woman capable of observing and assessing what is happening in her environment and one who has both the right and obligation to self to act in her own best interest.

What can be worst than being unhappy, uncomfortable , and distrustful of your partner's behavior and motivations and yet lacking the courage or awareness to act in your own best interest? In such situations a shock or jolt can be exactly what is needed to move the person to action.

People asking for help do not adapts know what their options are , and many ,many times they are too fearful to take the steps necessary to help themselves. One can be empathetic and at the same time direct. Empathy alone does little to move anyone forward. Sometimes that shock or kick in the pants can inspire the movement that is necessary.
If empathy alone were a cure or even the best response, far fewer women would accept domestic abuse for years and years.

None of us can say with certainty what it will take to get the OP to act in her own best interest , and if she cannot be proactive on her own behalf, it is far less likely that she will be proactive on the child's behalf.

MusicTeacherSussex · 07/09/2021 21:38

Can I just highlight the things you wrote that need to be examined.

Gin It doesn't sit right with me

I am expected to sleep in the spare bedroom so they can share the bed in the master bedroom.

DP calls it 'their room' ie his and DSD's. It has been going on for over 6 months.

She says one day she would love to go on holiday with me and DP but of course she is having one room with dad and I can sleep in another hotel room.

On the same day she says to DP that she wants to sleep in the spare bedroom on her own, to which DP replied ' No. I'm never going to leave you like that ' and he insists he sleeps with her whenever she is at his. I have heard her saying it at least 3 times.

They stay up late watching tv/ netflix cuddled up on the sofa then they both go to bed together. I'm sat on the second sofa and then go to bed there on my own.

He says it is him who wants to sleep with DSD, not her.

He says he loves her so much and misses her, that he loves failing asleep and waking up next to her and he isn't going to do anything about it because it is just a way it is and he wants to sleep with her.

He would expect me to behave like an adult, not to be jelaous and just understand and accept it because he would.

He said that we aren't in a 'normal' relationship and will never be because he doesn't get to see his DD every day.

It is him insisting on it.

He says if we rent together this will change and he will be going to sleep in DSD bedroom sometimes.

It still just doesn't feel right.
Gin

What among these statements doesnt make you think this man is unhinged, rude, creepy, selfish, and doesnt respect you or his poor daughter. Read your post back. It makes me feel sick. Please do what you can to bring this to the attention of social services then get rid of this weirdo from your life.

thimblekisses · 07/09/2021 21:50

@ActonSquirrel

No one would bat an eyelid if a mum was doing it.

She is his daughter. She will grow out of it before long.

My 8 yo niece won't sleep alone and it is a huge bone of contention as I have refused to look after her in the past as I'm not bed sharing with an 8 year old. She either stays up late until you go to bed or you have to go.to bed with her at 8pm and I'm doing neither.

I wouldn't want a relationship with a man I couldn't even sleep with at home or on hols I'd dump for that. What's the point.

Pretty sure it's the dad that is insisting. Not the child
thimblekisses · 07/09/2021 21:53

Definitely not normal. Clearly there are some very serious attachment issues, as well as boundary issues. If he isn't willing to even discuss it properly then he also has denial issues too.

QueenofDestruction · 07/09/2021 23:51

Ugh, that is so creepy, the girocwants to sleep alone. Run really fast....

Happyd · 07/09/2021 23:55

@Aquamarine1029

Run. Run for the hills and don't look back.
This ...
Lena007 · 08/09/2021 08:59

Good morning all,

I'm waiting for a call back from NSPCC.
Will call them again today to see if I can get through this time.

In a meantime I've decided I'm going to phase out the relationship with DP. But before I go, I want to make sure DSD has her own unicorn bedroom over there and knows she has a right to her own space and privacy and that it is not okay for anyone to force anything upon her.

I know that once I leave DP I will lose contact with her, she is too young to have a phone to stay in touch, which potentially leaves her with no independent adult to speak to if anything happened. I'm not comfortable with that part.

Thank you very much for all comments, even the ones expressing disbelief and anger. They are all helpfull. Thanks

OP posts:
MusicTeacherSussex · 08/09/2021 09:04

This update is a huge relief- I'm so glad you have taken control of the situation. You're doing the right thing, good luck x

WillThisEverBeResolved · 08/09/2021 10:38

Lena007 Thank you so much for the update, my only thought is that if you can make sure that the DSD has her own bedroom before you leave, can you not do that now so that you don't have to leave? Whatever you do, I really wish you well, you sound as though you are being strong, so stay safe and all the very best for your future happiness.

ChequerBoard · 08/09/2021 10:49

@WillThisEverBeResolved

Lena007 Thank you so much for the update, my only thought is that if you can make sure that the DSD has her own bedroom before you leave, can you not do that now so that you don't have to leave? Whatever you do, I really wish you well, you sound as though you are being strong, so stay safe and all the very best for your future happiness.

Sorry? Are you suggesting that after her concerns about this man, the OP stays with him? Would you stay with a partner that you were concerned could be abusing his own daughter??

Well done OP, so glad this little girl has you in her corner. Stay strong and look after yourself in all this too.

Stath · 08/09/2021 10:57

Well done OP.

Another thing I’ve noticed from your posts is that it’s not just a situation where you and him are in bed and then his DD comes in/even starts the night there. You’re banished from the bed/bedroom from the start.

I’ve co-slept with all my DC to varying ages and due to their individual needs. From toddlerhood they’ve always been given their own space and bed (with various success!) and never forced to be with me.
I keep thinking back to the ‘closed door’ situation where it becomes exclusively them in the room.
Good luck with the NSPCC. Is there any way of finding out the DM’s details to speak to her when you’ve extracted yourself from the relationship?
Flowers

aSofaNearYou · 08/09/2021 11:40

@WillThisEverBeResolved

Lena007 Thank you so much for the update, my only thought is that if you can make sure that the DSD has her own bedroom before you leave, can you not do that now so that you don't have to leave? Whatever you do, I really wish you well, you sound as though you are being strong, so stay safe and all the very best for your future happiness.
I've never read a post where the OP more NEEDS to leave. It would be an absolutely awful decision to stay, and it's fantastic that OP has recognised that!
WillThisEverBeResolved · 08/09/2021 11:41

ChequerBoard OP has been with her partner for 1.5 years, so there is obviously something there. It was a light hearted question that was all, so there was no need for your negative comment. If you read the last two lines of my message, it clearly states 'whatever you do.....' so nothing to suggest that I think that she should stay with him. Jeez

aSofaNearYou · 08/09/2021 11:52

@WillThisEverBeResolved

ChequerBoard OP has been with her partner for 1.5 years, so there is obviously something there. It was a light hearted question that was all, so there was no need for your negative comment. If you read the last two lines of my message, it clearly states 'whatever you do.....' so nothing to suggest that I think that she should stay with him. Jeez
I'm not trying to be rude, but to most of us on here this post has read very much like "absolute creep, get away as fast as you can for your own safety and that of any children you bring around him". At the very least it's "disrespectful, controlling male with dangerously warped views on boundaries".

An "oh do you really need to leave him" message naturally raises eyebrows after all that. This is not something anyone should be advised to stick with, especially over the sunken costs of a mere 1.5 years.

StarshipsAreMeantToFly · 08/09/2021 11:55

Thank you so much for the update, my only thought is that if you can make sure that the DSD has her own bedroom before you leave, can you not do that now so that you don't have to leave?

What? No OP has to leave anyway. There's no way she can stay with this creepy man.

StarshipsAreMeantToFly · 08/09/2021 11:57

@WillThisEverBeResolved

ChequerBoard OP has been with her partner for 1.5 years, so there is obviously something there. It was a light hearted question that was all, so there was no need for your negative comment. If you read the last two lines of my message, it clearly states 'whatever you do.....' so nothing to suggest that I think that she should stay with him. Jeez
It doesn't matter if it's 1.5 years or 15 years there's no way OP should be hanging around with this man. He sounds dangerous.
ChequerBoard · 08/09/2021 12:09

@WillThisEverBeResolved

ChequerBoard OP has been with her partner for 1.5 years, so there is obviously something there. It was a light hearted question that was all, so there was no need for your negative comment. If you read the last two lines of my message, it clearly states 'whatever you do.....' so nothing to suggest that I think that she should stay with him. Jeez

Do you think this is the right thread for a 'light hearted comment' suggesting the OP stays with her man?

Have you actually read the thread and noted the overwhelming red flags???

GoogleWhacked · 08/09/2021 12:19

You've done the right thing @Lena007, I hope you are OK!