Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Step-parenting

Connect with other Mumsnetters here for step-parenting advice and support.

I need help with my partner

129 replies

Callumbeattie · 22/01/2022 18:02

I keep coming to the conclusion that my girlfriend isn’t fond of my children. I have tried talking to her about this and it ends up in an argument or her completely shutting it down.. I am trying to be as open minded as possible, I know how difficult it can be for a women to try to bond with kids that arnt her own. It would be nice to see as there dad that she was excited to see them or didn’t make plans when the kids was over. I do love her and when the children are not over our relationship is great.. am I expecting to much or looking at this the wrong way?

OP posts:
Skeumorph · 25/01/2022 17:13

Hang on.

Your children are too small to be at the stage where you 'do family stuff' in an easy, let's have fun, let's go out for a Saturday afternoon kind of way.

They are tiny. One is practically a baby at 2. Time spent with them isn't going to be just fun family times, it's hard core parenting. Feeding, changing, taking to loo, holding hands, doing certain things at certain times.

They are also at the stage where yes, they really need you to be around and present all the time as the parent in the home, when they are in your home and not with their mum.

Ok, you say you don't expect her to do the parenting, but the fact is that just by joining you in day to day stuff when they are there, she has to spend her time parenting by default, because that's what you're doing, and it's kind of exclusive to doing anything else at their ages. And I think when you moved in together you simply assumed that that's what would happen. But that's actually a massive ask. There's a reason that people - usually mums- with young children usually hang out with other mums with kids the same age. You HAVE to do certain things and it's quite difficult to facilitate much else and it's boring and frustrating unless one of said kids is your precious wee thing who you find fascinating. And even then...

You split from your children's mum pretty quickly, possibly even before the youngest was born? I'll be honest, it's great that you're stepping up to parent but I think you honestly expected that simply by starting a new relationship with another female, you would have an adult who would automatically simply fill that 'other parent' gap and just be happy to plop her life into the category assigned for her.

Good that she isn't. Good that she's making space for YOU to parent, alone, first and foremost, so that your tiny children really bond with you, the parent - as they are supposed to. At this age, it would actually be quite shitty parenting if they were always spending that contact time equally with another random adult who isn't their parent. This time is their time with YOU.

As for the sleeping etc... well, this is where you probably both rushed into it. Honestly... it would have been better for you to say 'I'm a dad, right now my life is pretty intensive parenting, that takes priority, maybe living together isn't right yet.' Back to my first point though. I think you thought you were getting a parenting assistant as well as a partner, but - you didn't. And that's fine and has a lot of positives for your children.

I think she's perfectly happy, likes your kids, is happy to share a complex life where you've both got lots of very DIFFERENT commitments, your main one being parenting YOUR children. But she hasn't signed up to co-parenting them, no, and there's no reason why she should.

gogohm · 25/01/2022 17:17

To be honest, if she disappears every time they come I would suggest your relationship is doomed. If you are with a person with children they need to be part of your life, not every time, but at least 50% of it. My dp occasionally visits his dd without me (details to circumstances outing) but mostly I go, but she is part of the package. My dc are included too when not at university

Skeumorph · 25/01/2022 17:23

@gogohm

To be honest, if she disappears every time they come I would suggest your relationship is doomed. If you are with a person with children they need to be part of your life, not every time, but at least 50% of it. My dp occasionally visits his dd without me (details to circumstances outing) but mostly I go, but she is part of the package. My dc are included too when not at university
I think she's being quite clever, staying calm and quietly refusing to be drawn into a mini-drama which is supposed to end in her caving in and starting to play mum, in order to 'improve' things.

They don't need improving. It's right, and correct, and absolutely great for this living situation to consist of - two children who need their father to be very present for them and focused on parenting them, plus a live-in partner who stays more in the background, lives her own life so no 'muscling in', and is pleasant but more detached from these very small children while they are (really) learning to build a second hime life with their dad. The only person it doesn't suit is the man who is a little miffed that setting up home with a new partner hasn't absolved him of the tiring, thankless, often boring role that is Mummy of the House. :)

Frankola · 27/01/2022 18:34

Do you get excited to spend time with kids that aren't yours? Well, neither should she have to.

Your contact time is time for you and your kids. She doesn't have to be there all the time. She has a life and is free to make plans when she likes, including your contact days.

Nothing will cause more trouble than you trying to force her to play happy families. Trust me. It will only push her away.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page