My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Relationships

Don't know where to turn

15 replies

OhWesternWind · 13/05/2011 10:56

Sorry, I am now probably officially a regular on this board. I have found so much help and support here and a chance just to vent a bit, and it's really helped me. Back story is my ex left me and the two children now almost four months ago and we are getting our life back on track apart from his twattery and mind games, especially with the children who do not want contact due to his past abusive behaviour.

I am feeling in a low place today with nowhere really to turn. I am not coping with things very well and constantly feel on the verge of tears or shouting. I am really worried about several things at the moment which are

a ex and him wanting contact with the children and the effect of this on the children (on a positive though looks like I finally have some counselling sorted for dd to start after half term)

b ex and his general behaviour which seems designed just to make things more awkward and difficult for me in any way he can think of

c money

d my mum, her behaviour and health

e whether or not we should move

f, g and h money

My mum is staying with us at the moment as I asked her to come down whilst ex picked up some stuff earlier in the week as I didn't want to be in by myself then. However, I think she is making me feel worse. She has been ill lately with her thyroid medication being the wrong dose and is also having problems with her sight, op scheduled for July, but she is also very low in spirits and also very snappy and irritable particularly with my son. She is on anti-depressants. She is always making little snippy comments to him and telling him off for silly little things. Obviously he is picking up on all this and thinks my mum doesn't like him (a fair assessment going on her behaviour) and has started really acting up at her, which turns it all into a vicious cycle as she is "proved right" about him. She complains to me about him, he complains to me about her and there I am in the middle. I have spoken to her about her behaviour to him before this visit as he's only five and is a lovely good boy, very loving and good humoured althoug he can be a bit cheeky at times. She just doesn't see the good side and has said herself she is not used to boys (?). He asks her to play with him, she says no. He asked her to watch him swim, she said no. It is so wearing and awful.

She hardly speaks, just sits around looking at me and not talking. It's really awkward. She started to clean a room in my house for me yesterday, which involved moving everything to one side of the room out of its place, filling the sink with china etc "to soak" and then leaving it all for me to clear up and sort out when I got home from work, plus I had to make tea, wash up, take ds to swimming, see my financial advisor etc. It is really not helpful. I told her one fairly quick job I would like her to do if she really wanted to help but she did not do that, instead she made all this mess and work.

It has also emerged that she really can't see very well at all but she is still driving her car and over Easter drove her car with my children in. I have told her she should stop driving until after her op but she just walked out and I know she will take no notice.

She is also drinking a lot and starts drinking around 4.30 or 5 pm. My son was drawing pictures and drew one of a glass of squash for me and a glass of red wine for my mum! I am not comfortable with her drinking this much but she takes even the smallest remark as an insult and will go into a sulk. She keeps saying she will be better soon but there is no sign of this.

I was hoping to move house to be nearer to her but because of my work arrangements it would mean that I would have to rely on her for help with the children on a regular basis. She agreed to this but I don't think it is going to happen. I was looking forward to moving for a fresh start for me and the children, plus some family support and company, but how my mum is at the moment this is looking less and less likely and now I'm feeling trapped into staying where we are ie near ex.

Ex is a whole other story and is really acting the arse at the moment. He will not give me his new address which I need for the solicitor.

He turned up (for the second time) earlier this week to collect furniture and again turned up without a van, which makes the whole exercise a bit pointless. He took a few bits and pieces but is now e-mailing about when he can come again. I told him last time that I wanted him coming once only as it's really disruptive (emotionally) but he is just not listening.

I am seeing the solicitor on Wednesday about his stupid games where he has stopped paying the mortgage on the buy to let property, leaving it for me to pick up, and won't get it valued/on the market. Hopefully this will help sort him out but at the moment it just seems one fight after another and all this is costing me money I don't have.

Right, this is really long and I am going to stop now but it has probably done me some good to write it all down.

OP posts:
Report
cheekeymonkey · 13/05/2011 12:10

And....breathe!

Feeling any better?

Sometimes it just feels like everything bad happens all at once doesn't it?

Sounds like the ex stills wants to be in your life?

It will all pass, vent as much as you need.

It could be worse....you could have earache as well! Smile

Report
OhWesternWind · 13/05/2011 13:00

Better out than in, eh?

It is getting a bit overwhelming, to be honest, and I'm finding it difficult to stay positive and keep going.

Ex only wants to be in my life in a negative way - I know it sounds a bit paranoid, but he is acting like he really hates me and just wants to make everything more difficult. Anything he can cause problems with, he is doing. I was with this bloke for seventeen years and it's like he is now a totally different person. He is showing his true colours now.

I feel very lonely and sad - but at least no earache Smile

OP posts:
Report
zikes · 13/05/2011 13:05

I think maybe tell your mum you're feeling stronger and would like to try to cope alone for a bit, as a way of getting her to go home again. She sounds like hard work atm, and not what you need.

Report
Butterbur · 13/05/2011 13:12

It doesn't sound like your mum is someone you will be happy leaving your DCs with while you are at work. She is drinking too much, and in denial about her sight loss. You really can't risk her driving your DCs in this condition.

What childcare arrangements do you have at the moment? Can't you move away from your ex and do whatever it is you do now about childcare?

Report
OhWesternWind · 13/05/2011 13:43

Hi Zikes - yes, she is really hard work. The problem is, it's my dd's party this weekend and she has really come for that, she just came a couple of days earlier so she could be here when ex came over. She lives a bit too far to go home and come back unfortunately.

Butterbur, I know, I was horrified when I realised how bad her sight was. I only realised when she didn't notice my new flower-design wall paper I'd put up. I was a bit put out that she hadn't said anything about the decorating so I asked her and she said she hadn't noticed it was new wallpaper, and her eyes were so bad she thought the pattern was floaters or shadows! Bloody hell. And a while later I realised she had seen fit to drive the children around over Easter knowing what her sight is like. She says the sight thing comes and goes but that is no reassurance. However, she won't discuss this or the drinking.

The childcare arrangements are at the moment the children go to a childminder in the morning before school. But because I have to start work early and if I moved I would have a longer journey, it would be too early for a cm and I'd need my mum to come over a couple of mornings a week to get them dressed and off to school, and probably a couple of school pick-ups too. I could move away and have similar arrangements but not as far as to my mum's as the journey time would make all the difference. Keeping my current job would only be a temporary option though til I found something more local, but I'm feeling a bit despondent about the whole thing.

OP posts:
Report
OhWesternWind · 13/05/2011 13:57

Now I have just got an e-mail off him saying he will only give me his address if I let the children visit. As if!! This is a violent and emotionally abusive man with mental health issues and a severe disconnect from reality. He has put my daughter in particular through hell so she is having to have counselling and he expects they will be visiting him!!!

Honestly, what can I do about this though? The solicitor is at a loss because he has only moved recently and so won't show up on electoral register etc and if he won't play ball by even providing a contact address then we cannot sort out any financial issues or anything.

What a twat.

OP posts:
Report
NettleTea · 13/05/2011 14:33

do you have a work address for your ex?

Report
bejeezus · 13/05/2011 14:35

i think you need to get your mum to go home as soon as you possibly can after the party. I dont think she is going to be very reliable or safe childcare for you and I think you should think about your future plans without her doing your childcare. I dont think you should move right now; I think you should get rid of your mum, give yourself a bit of space and time and make a decision like that when you feel less wibbley.

Can you/ do you want to get a court order to keep your ex away from you and the kids? do you know where your ex works?- cant the solicitor contact him at his place of work?

Report
OhWesternWind · 13/05/2011 19:08

Thanks - yes, I have his work and parents' addresses so he can be contacted there, I suppose. It is just the sheer frustration of it all the time that's getting to me.

I will get my mum home on Monday after the party but she has now had a conversation with dd and promised her she will be back for dd's actual birthday next week. I don't have the heart to say no but I will really have to try for some calm and to let it all wash over me.

Usually I am reasonably okay but this week things have really got to me.

Thanks for your help, everyone.

OP posts:
Report
OhWesternWind · 13/05/2011 21:23

My mum has had both the children in tears tonight because of her horrible behaviour and nasty comments to them. She has apologised to my daughter but not my son. She says it is because she is so tired and feels ill, and took herself to bed shortly after 8 pm. I asked her, quite calmly, if she was feeling ill just to say she needs a rest rather than try and keep going and get in a foul mood but I doubt she will. My daughter then joined in (she had eavesdropped from in her room) and shouted at me for being horrible to her grandma. Just what I need. A lovely end to a lovely week.

And here I am again sitting in my front room by myself with no-one to talk to and no change in sight. Don't know how I can carry on with this.

OP posts:
Report
cheekeymonkey · 14/05/2011 17:13

Oh what a nightmare! Do you have any girlfriends that could help you out in anyway? Think you are going to have to have a blow out at your mum and let her sulk and mull it over, clear the air as they say.
Your ex is a control freak but you know what comes around....
Do you not know a cm who could do school runs for you and have them extra hours to help you out?
Think you really need to put the feelers out for some extra support, get someone around with a bottle of plonk and put the world to rights.
Fingers crossed for you Smile

Report
OhWesternWind · 15/05/2011 10:10

Hi Cheekey and thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately I can't get extra hours at a cm as I can't afford it. They already go to a cm in the mornings for the school run and that's about my limit, has to be done so I can keep my job.

I do have some friends but feel bad keep asking for help. None of my work friends live locally, and all my local friends are busy with their own families and lives. I feel like a real user keep asking for favours which I have done a lot lately without really being able to offer a lot in return apart from the pleasure of my company which isn't getting a lot of takers at the moment! One of my friends locally takes dd one morning when she has to go to school early on the bus for orchestra, others have been great with lending tools, having a chat etc. I find it very difficult to get out in the evenings though because of the children and cost of getting a babysitter and then of a night out so I'm not really a good deal socially.

I do bend some of my friends' ears on the phone on a regular basis too but it is just the never-ending parade of evenings spent on my own that is really lonely. Still, it was no better when ex was here as he would either be out or not speaking so I suppose I should be used to it by now.

I have had words with my mum yesterday, actually I blew my top a bit at her behaviour to my son when she started pushing his hands to make him use his knife properly. (This is in contrast to her sitting there and watching my daughter who is three years older fiddle about with her fingers in her food - appalling manners I know which I was correcting but my mum just smiles and laughs in a "you are over-reacting" sort of way). She turned it all round on me for making her feel bad, stalked off for a couple of hours and then came back and wouldn't speak. I did tell her that I was very sorry but at the moment I don't have any mental resources or energy for coping with her problems and that for once I need support from her not the other way round which she did not like. She is not up yet this morning thank goodness but I don't know if she is speaking to me or not which could be awkward as it's my daughter's party this afternoon. Oh well.

Just feeling low and lonely and probably things will be better in a few days. I think it's hard coming to terms with my mum and how she actually is rather than how I want/need her to be. Really, I'm having to accept that I can't go through with my moving plans which were a bit of of a mental lifeline, but unless I can get a new job it won't be happening. Now doesn't feel like the right time to be chucking in a secure, well-paid job . . .

OP posts:
Report
cheekeymonkey · 16/05/2011 11:16

How did the party go? How you feeling now? Smile

Report
OhWesternWind · 16/05/2011 14:07

Hi - the party was lovely, thanks for asking. My mum stood at the back of the room with a face like a wet weekend and didn't speak to ANYONE - but we all took no notice and didn't let it spoil anything. Dd had a lovely time and I think her friends all did too.

Feeling a bit better today, probably because my mum's gone home - hooray! I think she's not speaking to me so I should have a couple of peaceful days before it all starts again. I've managed to sort myself out with a secondhand freezer after ex took my old one, so I am feeling reasonably positive. (Although there is a part of me just waiting for the next bit of shit to happen).

Very up and down at the moment but I will enjoy the up whilst it lasts! Thanks for your reply.

OP posts:
Report
cheekeymonkey · 16/05/2011 15:43

You stick to your guns with your mum, the longer she's not talking to you the better by the sound of it!
Glad you DD had a lovely day, hope DS did too with your mum lurking?
Long may your slightly better feeling last Smile

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.