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My husband is very hostile towards my grandchildren

(180 Posts)
CreamTeas Fri 14-Aug-20 09:38:44

Honestly, I could cry! We are both on our second marriage. We have been married 3 years and known each other for 7.
He has children and grandchildren he seldom sees although they live quite close. I have one daughter I am very close to and she has two children. Since we married she has had another child and I sometimes look after her. I used to care for her in her home while my husband was at work. I haven't seen them at all since lockdown but they have started to visit again, and I have returned to looking after the now 2 year old while daughter is at work one day a week. She comes to us now so she can play at Grandmas.
My Husband objects. He has now retired and wants us to spend the extra time together, with no kids. He is awful to the little one, ignoring her and rolling his eyes or huffing off elsewhere. Its almost as if he is jealous of her. My daughter is very concerned as she senses he doesn't want my family around. I have tried to talk to him, reassuring him that they won't come between us but he storms off refusing to discuss. On the very rare occasions his daughter, son in law and grandchildren visit I make a huge effort to make them welcome, preparing a lovely meal and doing all the clearing up so that husband can spend quality time with his family. I ask him why should his reaction be different towards my granddaughter from MY reaction towards HIS? He said he doesn't see his as often, and they are older. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions as this is making me very unhappy.

GrannyAnnie2010 Sat 15-Aug-20 12:50:36

You have my sympathy.
What's your daughter's take on this?
Perhaps your husband can't deal with the frequency of the visits. As a compromise, you could do alternate weeks at her house and at yours.

Kryptonite Sat 15-Aug-20 12:53:20

I've always liked this saying: "Happy wife, happy life." No, I do don't mean she gets her own way on everything, of course. On the whole, wives/(female) partners do an awful lot out of love and don't ask for a lot to make them happy. I'm sure you know what I mean. 'A little tenderness' goes a long way.

Sunf10wer Sat 15-Aug-20 12:54:27

You do what suits you, having your two year old granddaughter must be such a delight for you every week I would tell him it's your home as well and if he can't be nice and act like a grown up then go out for the day so you two can enjoy your special day together.

Molypolly1 Sat 15-Aug-20 13:02:26

Why are you living with such a mean spirited man. Sounds like coercive control, which I believe now comes under domestic violence. Truly bin him off. If he can’t make some effort for your sake what does that say about his feelings for you.

moggie57 Sat 15-Aug-20 13:14:04

cant you encourage him to join the local bowls club ,or some other club on the day your grandaughter comes.if it was me i would say to him if he cant start to act as an adult and not as a child ,he can just go away. say that acting the way he is is just childish. sounds to be he's a controlling man wanting everything his own way .tell him to get knotted...!! blooming cheek .your grandchild is with you only one day .dont change because he wants you to., stand up to bullies..

Whatdayisit Sat 15-Aug-20 13:28:59

Rene72 - sorry to read your post. Hope you can enjoy what is in front of you and not waste time regretting your wasted years on your husband.. hope you ard having happy times with your family now.

Karalou51 Sat 15-Aug-20 13:33:39

Although most are wondering why you married this dope in the first place, that's for you alone to sort out. I'm going to suggest you go online and find a short story written by Janey Godley in Scenes for Survival. It's about a woman who had a very controlling husband, who had just died and is the story of her re-connecting with her adult son. It's brilliantly acted by Janey Godley as the Mum and Jack Lowden as her son. It's heartwarming, emotional and a strong reminder that you only get one shot at this life and don't have to spend it being controlled by anyone else.
Your husband sounds like a dinosaur. Mine was too. He was downright rude to every single person who visited me at home and yet he'd bowl in from the pub with his mates, I'd happily feed them all and clear up when they'd gone. They were good company and I was brought up to be sociable. Didn't think about it at the time.
Please, please don't waste another day of your precious life on this arrogant, selfish bully. Stick with your family, who WILL help you to be you again. Decide on the person you want to be and be her. Don't waste any more time on him. Be with your daughter and Granddaughter. I personally wouldn't give the elephant in the room the option to change. Show him the door. Soon. Good luck!

Jinty44 Sat 15-Aug-20 13:50:30

"Its almost as if he is jealous of her."
There's really no'almost' about it - he IS jealous. Hr resents you paying attention to someone who is not HIM.

"He has now retired and wants us to spend the extra time together, with no kids."
So does HE WANT 'us' to spend time together or does HE WANT you to dance attendance on him and fit in with his every wish of where you go and what you do? I suspect the latter.

Sorry to be so cynical, but I would expect this man is all me, me, rather than us, us, us.

This aspect of your new husband didn't show before only because he was at work whilst you cared for your GC. You were allowed to spend time he didn't want you doing your own thing. Now he wants your time - ALL of it. Your wishes are nothing to him.

I'd be reassessing being married to him. Because he's not going to change (there's a reason he doesn't see much of his own DC/DGC) and if you stay married to him, this is the rest of your life.

Actually it will probably get worse, as your daughter will rightly prioritise her children over you and will limit their exposure to his nastiness. Maybe completely. How would you feel about him driving your daughter and DGC away completely? Because if he thought he could he absolutely would.

Jude10 Sat 15-Aug-20 14:12:07

That’s awful
Tell him to go out when baby is there .
Or maybe tell him to go out and not come back
Nasty nan

Huitson1958 Sat 15-Aug-20 14:13:33

No matter What, if my husband behaved like that towards my grandchildren he would most definitely be leaving !!!!!

biba70 Sat 15-Aug-20 14:16:14

what was he like with your family before you got married? Has he changed his attitude since then?

dorcas1950 Sat 15-Aug-20 14:21:41

Well done Annie 55.

Armoria Sat 15-Aug-20 14:28:46

So if you abide by his wishes and stopped looking after your GD then when would you see her and your daughter? Would he then object to you spending that time away from him? Do you have any friends of your own that you meet up with for coffee or whatever? Does he, or has he, made that difficult? His behaviour smacks of control and/or selfishness. He married you and knew you had a family from the start so not as this is all new and you kept him in the dark. I would be VERY wary of a man, even one who is not a fan of toddlers, who cannot put his own feelings to one side when there is a small child about. Furthermore if he loved you, really and truly, he would be happy to see YOU happy and to put you and your feelings above his own for a day. Don't give in or change your routine as I fear it will be not be the end of things he objects to you doing. Best wishes.

Vaugn44 Sat 15-Aug-20 14:32:04

Sorry to hear of your problem, I am sure some suggestions on hear will be helpful, but this sort of thing is why I personally will not marry again. Nothing wrong with living together these days and you have more options....

GreenGran78 Sat 15-Aug-20 14:33:52

Was he around when his own children were little, or did he split from his ex-wife and leave her to bring them up by herself? Maybe he’s one of those people who just gets stressed by small children. No matter how much we love them they can be blooming hard work in the first few years.
I’m not excusing his behaviour, just wondering if he has ever had experience with little ones around. He is being very selfish in wanting you to be there for him 24/7. Some serious talking needs to be done.

BlackSheep46 Sat 15-Aug-20 14:48:10

Best to speak firmly and calmly to him - it's jealousy without a doubt !! If he controls you over this - what's next !! Nope, it won't do. Maybe he was youngest in his family and has issues still to be resolved - send him to a counsellor. You just enjoy your family and get him to grow up - tough call but it's the only way !

SpringyChicken Sat 15-Aug-20 14:49:48

Doesn’t he have any hobbies or a man shed to go to? If you are his sole source of company, he needs to find additional interests that don’t include your attendance. Then he wouldn’t feel so jealous and resentful of your granddaughter.
Continue looking after her and seeing your family but also ensure you keep friendships with your girlfriends. It’d be so easy to be monopolised by him. That’s probably what he wants, an exclusive companion but it’s not healthy to live like that.

jan441 Sat 15-Aug-20 14:50:46

My first post on here but I just wanted to say how helpful this thread has been to me. I am in a very similar situation. My second husband has no children of his own but I have 3 children and now have 6 young grandchildren. Long story short. Last week my OH shouted at my 5 yr old gs so loudly and aggressively for splashing him from the paddling pool at a family gathering that they all were totally shocked and it broke up the party. Not the first time but one of the worst. I can now see that this is controlling behaviour as he knows that I wanted this gs and his brother to come and visit us. Of course he won’t want to come now. Anyway sorry for hijacking but the advice on here has just clarified things for me

BP20 Sat 15-Aug-20 15:05:27

I'm so sorry your going through this, I am experiencing similar issues, this is the time in past relationships I would normally leave. Unfortunately my husband has medical issues so I feel I have obligations to be there for him. I go to my grandchildren and make a day of it, I don't allow his negativity to control my relationships with my family. I will always ask if he wants to go with me so he can't hold it over me that I didn't include him. He actually has tagged along a few times. He doesn't have a relationship with his children or grandchildren but that's his choice. I will get back to traveling with my family, I have been told I can't travel. smile

fluff Sat 15-Aug-20 15:07:41

I’m afraid if I was in your position, his behaviour would have poured cold water on any loving feelings I would have had towards him, unfortunately this is about his character, not something that he can change, for me it would be the beginning of the end, my grandchildren are so precious to me. My father was once nasty towards my grandson, because he got upset and Quietly cried ... only three years old , it brought back bad memories of my childhood, I’ve not really been able to see him in a better light ever since, and now he has died I don’t believe that’s going to change.

susantrubey Sat 15-Aug-20 15:09:34

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Brigidsdaughter Sat 15-Aug-20 15:16:15

There is little left to say.
What stands out to me is that you only have your GC one day a week. H wants all your time then - or at least he wants to decide what you can or can't do. Is your life so busy that one day interferes.
He's nasty and controlling

sodapop Sat 15-Aug-20 15:21:59

Your comment must have made the OP feel so much better susantrubey not helpful at all.

I think creamteas has left the discussion now but my advice would be to sit down and have a calm and honest discussion with her husband. There must be some middle ground here to keep things on an even keel. If there is no compromise then he should take himself off somewhere whilst the family visits. We make assumptions with subsequent relationships that perhaps we should have clarified.

BlueBelle Sat 15-Aug-20 15:29:25

susantruby telling a poster they are disgusting is not on
That’s a very cruel post and says more about you than the original poster

janeainsworth Sat 15-Aug-20 15:30:39

susantrubey I haven’t seen you on Gransnet before, but I just want to say that your comment, with your personal attack on the OP, disgusts me.