I met my husband 6 years ago. At the start my niece was happy, although a little shy around my husband but she is around all men until she gets to know them (this includes her other uncles and grandpas). It did take her a few years of seeing my husband and I only on weekends before she started to come round, she even started sitting with us instead of her dad!
Fast forward to 3 years ago my husband proposed, niece was excited and was planning on what she was going to be doing in our wedding. Still only seeing us once a month or so but she was comfortable with us both. Having him push her around on her bike if she needed the help, playing with him and the dogs.
2 years ago we moved closer to my family. My brother (nieces dad) moved in with us and got to have his daughter 6 nights a fortnight. My niece was still good with my husband and has been up until about 8 months ago. The only thing we can put it down to is her mom broke up with her boyfriend and my niece has become cold towards my husband since.
I found out a few days ago that my niece is telling her mom that she doesn’t feel comfortable around my husband, she won’t even walk past him to go anywhere according to her mom. This is the first we’ve heard of it as my niece has never done this before. Not one of us has witnessed this.
I’ve talked to my brother and said if my niece says anything worse than she feels uncomfortable around my husband, that they would have to move out and my brother understands that my immediate family comes before his.
She will spend time with my child and I but not if my husband is there. He’s done nothing to her as they’ve never been together by themselves (but even still accusations can ruin lives even though there’s proof they’ve never been by themselves).
Does anyone have anything they could suggest to help us out or how I could possibly broach this situation with my niece as her mom is a known liar?