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Estrangement

Pregnant and abusive daughter

(234 Posts)
VioletSky Wed 16-Feb-22 11:11:01

I'm sorry things aren't going well with your daughter but now is not the time for any of this.

You acknowledge that the amount of her losses and the worrying issues that have arisen in this pregnancy have affected her mental state but then you have not allowed her space to deal with this and have contacted others behind her back.

She hasn't frozen you out, she has told you information and asked you for babysitting help for appointments, that's organic and natural, what are you pushing for that is crossing boundaries?

Daughters are not soul mates. Keep your role as mother and grandmother, that's how you are needed to be.

The money is as others have said, a non issue. Never give what you begrudge and never give expecting some sort of special treatment in return.

In your position, I'd give that apology. I'd give it to be there if I was needed and I'd give it in the hope that when your daughter is feeling better, things will be better.

What I wouldn't do is badger her in any way while she negotiates what must be an incredibly stressful pregnancy. She is not going to calm until this baby is safe in her arms and even then it may take her time to relax completely.

I hope things work out for you all

eazybee Wed 16-Feb-22 10:28:14

Your daughter is clearly very anxious and stressed about her pregnancy and may be acting irrationally.
I would write a brief apology for upsetting her unintentionally; clearly there is family history but now is not the time to discuss it. Wish her well in the remaining weeks of her pregnancy, offer any help she might need in the forthcoming weeks, send your love, and leave it at that.

You will have to sit it out and wait; any attempt to build bridges may well exacerbate the situation and increase her stress.

Allsorts Wed 16-Feb-22 09:51:39

I do agree with the responses here, but I think it was a big over reaction because you were worried about her, anyone in a fragile mental state is worrying, but your daughter it’s worse, I don’t think I wouldn’t have rung fil, but it’s easy for an outsider, we all do silly things sometimes.. FIL shouldn’t have rung his son, why pass that on, if it were me I wouldn’t have, why do that when they are stressed? . You were concerned. She cannot be your soul mate, she’s your daughter and hopefully her husband is her soul mate. I would apologise if it were me, just do it, apologis and wait, I wouldn’t want estrangement, but take a really massive step back, it’s hard but better than the alternative. Your d is stressed enough and she will ask you if she needs you, but if she doesn’t let it go, it’s her life, lessons have been learnt, but name anyone that hasn’t put a foot in it sometimes, they don’t exist. It’s impossible to judge anyone, what’s right in one family isn’t in another. Try not to beat yourself up, you too are worried and hopefully you can sort it out.

Whiff Wed 16-Feb-22 06:16:26

Sorry this has happened to you. But what I find most odd is you call your daughter your soulmate. Sorry but she is your daughter she can not nor should she be your soulmate. She is your daughter not your best friend or your other half. But your daughter. To me calling her your soulmate is so wrong.

I know you where worried about her but calling her father in law was over stepping the mark . And then asking him not to say anything was putting him in a very awkward position.

You say she has kept her distance for 2 years. The best thing I think is to step back and wait until she contacts you. If you contact her things will only escalate and you may find yourself without your daughter and grandchildren. And not even be told when the baby is born or its name.

Hithere Tue 15-Feb-22 23:33:42

What happened 22 years ago?

What boundaries did she communicate?

What did they lie about?

Lolo81 Tue 15-Feb-22 22:26:24

What are the boundaries that your DD says you have crossed? Do you agree/acknowledge that you did in fact cross these boundaries? I’m not asking about your intentions here which were obviously love and worry, but your actions. It’s sometimes really difficult to give someone you love so much the space they need when you are concerned, but maybe that’s what should have happened here. Asking her IL’s to lie for you would feel to me like a big intrusion and I’d be furious, but that’s only my opinion. If your DD has ever emailed or text you about any of this maybe have a look back and see if you can fathom out where things started going awry - that might let you untangle some of this.
In my opinion at the very least I think you do owe them an apology for firstly contacting her IL’s - she’s an adult and you knew she was physically safe and with her partner and his family, so that was a bit overbearing. And secondly for asking them to lie for you - that means you knew what you did was wrong and wouldn’t be well received otherwise why would you want to hide your actions?

Smileless2012 Tue 15-Feb-22 21:06:00

There is clearly some tension in your relationship with your D which is going to make this anxious and stressful time harder to negotiate.

Having done so much to support them, I can understand how upsetting it will have been for false accusations to have been made going back 22 years.

Feeling "cornered" and being confronted by lies has resulted in you saying something you regret, which is unfortunate.

My advice FWIW is to apologise for what you said explaining how they'd made you feel and then take a step back to allow things to calm down.

Being told you must apologise for everything or "that will be that" is I feel unacceptable, even taking into consideration the amount of stress she's been under.

You've clearly been extremely supportive emotionally, practically and financially so perhaps giving them time to think about what's been said, and time to reflect on the amount of support they've benefited from, may enable them to see the unreasonableness of their behaviour.

You say this feels like a set up and even if that is the case, I really don't see what else you can do at this stage, but wait for her to contact you, once you've apologised for what you did say.

As you baby sit for your 6 year old GC, she may be in contact sooner rather than later.

I'm so sorry you are in this situation LongtoothedGran and do feel that my response is woefully inadequate, but really don't know what else to suggestflowers.

Elizabeth27 Tue 15-Feb-22 20:43:38

I do not understand you saying that she has been distant for two years but you have been babysitting and you thought she was your soulmate.

I would think that she would have been quite angry about you phoning her father-in-law and speaking to her brother about her.

Giving her thousands of pounds is irrelevant, you cannot buy affection and I hope that you do not bring that up with her.

Whatever was said that you say are lies are different views on a situation. Saying something you regret is understandable when you are so angry.

I would write or email her, what is said cannot be disputed if written, apologise for what you see as wrong on your side, and state clearly the incidents that you say she is lying about.

I really hope you can reach a resolution.

LongtoothedGran Tue 15-Feb-22 20:23:40

My daughter is 7 months pregnant after 5 years of operations to correct damage caused by the hopital after several miscarriages. Then IVF followed.She is having to follow very restricted diets due to intolerances and allergies, and emotionally is not in a good place. She has kept quite distant from us for the last 2 years, somewhere along the line she has been told to avoid stress, and I have been included in that. Recently she had a 20 week scan while we were baby sitting for her 6 year old, and was told there was a problem with the baby's heart. She was in pieces, as were we. The next day she with husband and D went to stay , a hundred miles away, with his family, for a party. I know how she feels about some of the family, and was very worried about her mental state. On day 4 after no replies from her phone, I rang her FIL see if they were all ok. We often speak to them on the phone. His response was that she was just herself. No information . I knew that they had been told the news. My husband asked him not to tell her we had rung in case she was cross. He immediately phoned his son, who then told her. 2 days later a further scan showed that there was nothing wrong with the heart, but she has abused me with such vitriol, and her husband joined in, accusing me of something 22 years ago, which I had not done. All I can get out of her is that I must apologise for everything or that will be that. It's to do with boundaries. We travelled 80 miles every week for 3 years to look after the first child, and have given them thousands of pounds to support them through the pandemic, I thought she was my soulmate, and am devastated. When I was cornered on the zoom meeting by both of them, I was silent at first until the lies started. Then I let out something I regret.
It feels like a set up. What on earth can I do?