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Step-parenting

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

DP says I don't spend enough time with his kids

125 replies

calmingspace · 15/04/2022 12:30

Been with DP for 12years, lived with him for 6, he's the non-resident parent and sees his kids at the weekend and holidays, (now 17 and 22) he's never let them down and always been they for them, first few years with him, he kept me at arms length with the kids, and I saw them when he decided, that's fine, whatever worked for him, but if I was to go out with friends whilst he had his kids overnight, he would be very jealous, so I found myself not going out to avoid arguments around who I talked to etc ...when we did move in together I already had stopped doing hardly anything with my friends and even family, he would say I should be spending my free time with him and his kids if an event came up where I was invited, even though I only went out once or twice a year, that was even too much and he would tell me not to get drunk and ask me what time I would be home and if I wasn't on the dot he would be calling me and shouting getting mad as he can no longer trust me, I have never cheated, or even wanted to, so I have pretty much spent all my weekends with his kids, I'm not a natural with kids, but I am friendly and have always been kind and helpful with them both, his children are entitled but I think that comes from having both parents fight for they love, and spoil them rotten as well as let them get away with pretty much everything, that's mostly my DP, my issue is am I allowed to not do stuff with them at the weekend? As now 17, 22, can I plan things myself now, I only want to do the odd thing, maybe once a month, without been told I'm not putting the family first, when I have said I would like to do something at the weekend he views it as I don't want to be apart of his family, and tells me he doesn't want someone like that!
He's still married to his ex, who when I met after 5 years told me they are not divorced as they might be getting back together! So she hates me as we are still together and makes sure the kids know it 🙈

OP posts:
Pallisers · 15/04/2022 15:23

Jesus his daughter's boyfriend is treated better than you! He gets a seat in the car and you get told to follow on.

This is really really sad. He has isolated you, controlled you, treats you like shit and lets his children and his wife treat you like shit.

Please please treat yourself better than this. Leave this fucker and get yourself some therapy and support. go back to form relationships with your family and friends. I hope to god your finances are separate and you are still working.

You really really deserve better than this. No one deserves to be treated this badly.

CandyLeBonBon · 15/04/2022 15:28

@arethereanyleftatall

It's difficult to respond op, or indeed empathise, because anyone with bog standard normal boundaries would have left the very first time he got angry/jealous when you went out. You clearly unfortunately have no idea what a healthy normal relationship looks like. I promise you it isn't this. Leave him, now, and please find the money to get counselling/and or discuss with friends to ascertain why on Earth you have tolerated this.
What? How on earth can you think this is a helpful response? You can't empathise because she didn't leave the first time it happened?Bloody hell are you for real?

What a shitty thing to say to someone!

TalkingCat · 15/04/2022 15:33

Wow. You are living with a married man. Someone's else's husband, and he is in no hurry after 12 years to get a divorce. I wonder why? He's not committed to you. 12 years and you're not even engaged, let alone married. Therefore, he is nothing other than your (married) boyfriend who you are shacking up with. You're not even engaged to the kids' father, let alone married, so you aren't even a step parent, so his kids have got nothing to do with you and you have no need to spend time with your (married) boyfriend's kids. So just tell him his kids are nothing to you and you don't need to spend time with them.

The fact that you, in 2022, are so complicit to this man you have become a shell of yourself and won't go out, have dropped all your friends for this germ that won't even divorce his WIFE for you, even after 12 years, shows you are wasting your time on a worthless piece of shit. Leave, find a man who won't order you how to live and mould you to suit his purposes. Find a man that isn't married, and that will commit to you and only you. For goodness sake OP, have so self respect and dump that germ in the gutter where he belongs. Get your life back, and your friends back.

arethereanyleftatall · 15/04/2022 15:52

@CandyLeBonBon
It was absolutely intended to be helpful, maybe it hasn't come out as it sounded in my head.
On mumsnet so often there are abused women who have been abused for so long they lose sight of what is normal. That was what my post intended to explain.
We all have the same goal here, helping the op find the strength to leave this dreadful situation, we're trying different ways to get through.

SeaRoom · 15/04/2022 16:14

OP, I was sad to read your story. Please get help from Women’s Aid.

They can support you breaking free from this abusive man, 💐

www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/coercive-control/

Robin843 · 15/04/2022 16:23

You've been with this man for 12 years and you're not his next of kin? His wife could possibly inherit his estate if he died. He sounds horrible, controlling and selfish. What is your financial situation? Do you pay towards his mortgage? Please say you don't.

PullTheOther1ne · 15/04/2022 16:46

am I allowed to not do stuff with them at the weekend? As now 17, 22, can I plan things myself now

YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN ALLOWED TO DO THIS.

What a twat.

IncompleteSenten · 15/04/2022 16:49

He doesn't give a shot about you being with his kids.
He is using them as an excuse.

What he wants is to control your movements and prevent you having any sort of life away from him.

Guineapigssweak · 15/04/2022 17:00

How long have you been together?

excelledyourself · 15/04/2022 17:18

@Guineapigssweak

How long have you been together?
Very first line of the opening post
spotcheck · 15/04/2022 17:24

Dear lord OP

He's just swapped parts here. He needed a new co parent for when his children were around, and popped you into the gap.

Iloveacurry · 15/04/2022 17:25

Ffs why are you with this man? He wants you to go out as a family, but you’ve got to drive yourself there? You can’t go out with friends without it being an issue? What are you getting out of this relationship?

LouOver · 15/04/2022 19:26

Please contact women's aid OP and have this thread moved to relationships and keep talking this through.

You are being abused. You need therapy and help to recognise this. This is not a healthy relationship.

notacooldad · 15/04/2022 19:31

You should have left him the minute he started telling you what to do. The signs were there what was to come.

Youve still got time to sort your life out if you want to.
It's your call.

Starseeking · 15/04/2022 21:02

As you moved in with him, I'm guessing the house is in his sole name? If anything ever happened to him HIS WIFE (that is exactly what she is legally), would have you turfed out of the place before his body got cold.

You've been with this married-to-someone-else-abuser for 12 years; don't waste even another minute on him. Leave him now.

calmingspace · 16/04/2022 09:35

I'm so surprised by the responses, as I choose to go out with a man with kids I am thinking it's a case of I take the whole family on, of course I wasn't expecting it to be this hard as you sacrifice parts of your life to make him and his kids happy. I thought you would all tell me to suck it up and stop being selfish as that's what I get called when I don't go along with what he's expecting from me.
He had a house on his own when I met, then after 6 years we moved into a bigger house together as the kids was growing up and was not a lot at room where he lived, we share the mortgage, equal shares.
The whole divorce issue comes up a few times as I have a will which leaves my share of the house to him (£150'000) equity on our house, he hasn't got one so it goes to his estate, neither of them have pursued a divorce, and when I question it with him, he tells me he will do it when he wants to, I do think he is afraid of his wife poisoning his kids against him, but I tell him his kids love him and that's never going to happen, as he's always been in there life.
btw his kids are not like I or maybe you guys growing up as they always come at the weekend, and like their dad to take them places, who wouldn't want an all expensive paid weekend, especially as they are both studying still, and don't have jobs.
Me and my DP have full time jobs, I am expected to help out with the costs of the weekends too, even though I know I can't afford it! That's even for my DP DD BF!

OP posts:
calmingspace · 16/04/2022 09:44

@ArmWrestlingWithChasNDave

This is nothing to do with being a step-parent. He's abusive and controlling, and that's the real issue. Have a Google of the Freedom Programme.
I will read this, just googled it, thank you x

With it being online, it's not obvious what I am doing too!

OP posts:
TottersBlankly · 16/04/2022 09:47

So, essentially, if you die tomorrow, and your partner dies next week, his wife will probably inherit your share of your house.

Are you happy with that scenario?

calmingspace · 16/04/2022 09:50

@Tangelablue

It doesn't matter how much effort you put into spending time with him and sc or how much you try to please them, it will never be enough. How does he show you he cares about you?
I felt upset thing about this, as I have just thought that I actually take him being normal to me and not getting mad about something as him being nice to me
OP posts:
Butterfly44 · 16/04/2022 09:58

What a one sided relationship!!! So you've effectively been in a relationship with a married man for 12 years. You do know that as he's still married financially his wife will get everything. I see absolutely no benefit to you in the relationship at all.
He's also get controlling. The kids are adults, one almost. No way do they want to spend time with you, and less of him I imagine, so asking you to spend time is ridiculous. Very sad you not seeing friends etc due to his controlling manner.
You need to be brave and leave this relationship. You need someone who loves and respects you and is your partner I. All sense of the word. Don't waste more time. The resentment will only grow larger from here.

Bonbon21 · 16/04/2022 09:59

Sweetheart, do not stay in this situation.
Life is SO short and you are sacrificing all these precious years to a man who is controlling and manipulating you.
What gives him the right to dictate where you go, who you meet, what you do?
What has he given up for you?
What does he actually do for you?
Please follow the Freedom Programme.
Please think seriously about walking away.
And as for paying HALF the mortgage on a property to accomodate HIS adult kids... that alone should make you realise he is taking you for a mug!
If you do nothing else, change your will and leave everything to the cat and dog home...
You have and continue to give everything... he gives heehaw!
You need to find you... and love yourself.

calmingspace · 16/04/2022 10:03

@TottersBlankly

So, essentially, if you die tomorrow, and your partner dies next week, his wife will probably inherit your share of your house.

Are you happy with that scenario?

Of course not, that's why I bring it up and ask him to think about what could happen, he's just not interested in pursuing it, I once even told him I was changing my will to leave it to my sister, he was furious at me, on at me till I didn't go any further with it. I have other policies too, so I think I should just change them without telling him.
OP posts:
SpikyHatePotato · 16/04/2022 10:10

I know it's a lot to take in, when a lot of strangers on the internet are telling you to leave this odious excuse of a man.

It might take you a few days or a few weeks, but please hear us.

You are allowed to go out by yourself.

You are allowed to not spend time with your partner's adult childen.

You are allowed to not spend money on your partner's adult children.

You are allowed to make your will in favour of who you want, be that the cats' home, your sister, or your favourite pop singer.

You are allowed to be in a relationship with someone who loves you, values you, supports you, wants to be with you, makes your life better.

You are allowed to not be in a relationship at all, if that is what you want.

Please take your time, and we are here to support you to make the move to take back your life and live it for yourself.

gamerchick · 16/04/2022 10:12

Man, you can't see the wood from the trees can you OP?

Your bloke is a prick. A massive, abusive, controlling prick. He's going to stitch you up if you don't open your eyes to what he's done to you.

Make a start, tell him to fuck off and you'll be going and seeing who you want from now on. Don't go on these seperate car bollocks and start standing up for yourself.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 16/04/2022 10:13

Oh, fuck that for a game of soldiers.

With a sale of the house, you could get somewhere of your own and not have to deal with his abusive bollocks any more. And then you could see your family, have friends and stay out shopping/having fun/doing whatever the hell you like without being abused by another woman's husband.

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