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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU or is there another solution?

77 replies

Barbaro · 26/04/2018 11:23

My boyfriend and I live together, and for the most part it's fine, apart from our sleeping times.

I work hard all day then go look after my horse and by the end of the day from then cooking dinner, tidying up and doing coursework I'm knackered. So I go to sleep early like 10ish and wake up at half 5 for work.

My boyfriend works during the day, but it's not anywhere near as stressful or busy as my job and then he doesn't do much other than washes the dishes. So he isn't tired and wants to stay up playing games.

Which is fair enough but then he'll come to bed between 1 and 3am and everytime wakes me up. I then can't get back to sleep and am exhausted the next day.

I've suggested that we get a second bed for him to use in the spare room so that he doesn't disturb me and he can sleep too rather than sleeping downstairs like I'm currently making him do to avoid waking me up. But he doesn't like this and refuses to get separate beds, but also refuses to come to bed early and doesn't seem to care that he's making my life difficult. I don't want separate beds, I'd prefer if he came to bed with me but he won't because he can't sleep.

Is there a better solution?

OP posts:
Barbaro · 26/04/2018 12:51

He will help sometimes once I ask a lot but he just generally leaves stuff lying around all the time, doesn't even shut drawers. The first week we moved in, I came home each day to him with all of his work stuff all over the place, a good 2 hours after he finished working and him playing games. I asked each day for him to tidy up, he did eventually. But I shouldn't have to keep asking. Eventually I came in one day, he'd done it again and I had had a stressful day with the horse and just couldn't take it so went upstairs and ignored him all evening, made no dinner for either of us. Since then he's stepped up a bit, it's not as bad.

He would never be able to get me to part with the horse though, I'd dump him the moment he suggested it. Don't want kids either so no chance of being stuck with some but I get what you are saying. I've told him most of what was said here and he is going to try to change. Just hoping he does.

OP posts:
PineappleExpress · 26/04/2018 13:15

I had an ex just like that. I started work between 4 and 6 each day. We shared a car, so I would have to get a staff bus in to work that picked me up at 3:15, so I would be up at 2-2:30. He would come to bed, understandably, later than me, but would be making loads of noise downstairs, so it was hard for me to actually fall asleep, then when he came to bed he would excitedly get the dogs up to go out for a wee (I always did this with minimal disturbance when roles were reversed), and would turn on the light to get changed, flounce around to get comfy in bed, then either watch TV or some stupid videos on his phone and laugh or exclaim as loudly as he felt like.
He was a selfish prick of the highest order, though, and never thought he was doing wrong because "it [was his] house, too". I hope your boyfriend changes, but I've had enough experience with a man child to not expect miracles.
Give him a time limit (in your head) and if he hasn't made serious efforts to change in, say, a month, you really should think whether you can put up with this long term. But I wouldn't be too surprised if any change is short lived, anyway

FizzyGreenWater · 26/04/2018 13:16

OP, wise up.

And realign the way you think or you're going to end up wondering how you ended up unhappy in your partnership/marriage.

'Help out'? What do you mean by that? It's his house too, yes? You both work, yes? So basically, already, the default for your relationship is that this man has bagged himself a domestic servant, who takes responsibility for doing the jobs involved in running the home he lives in too.

To get him to even contribute slightly, even pick up the things he is directly responsible for dropping/messing, you have to cause an atmosphere.

He's a dud, OP. He isn't a keeper. Good, quality, intelligent, non-sexist, KEEPER men don't act like this. They've usually lived alone and are well aware that adults are responsible for their own shit, and living with a partner means sharing the load, not passing it to the domestic servant.

And that's without the utter disregard he's shown for you with the noise and stuff... nope. 'Try to change'? Have a think about that. Completely unprompted, naturally, he should want to care that you get good sleep because he is a loving man who loves you. And he doesn't. You ask him to do things that show he cares and not to make your life actively more difficult, and his response is basically fuck you. Only when the riot act appears to have been slightly read does he say he'll try and change (ie when it looks, vaguely, like he might end up out on his ear and having to pick up his own pants, in other words).

He doesn't love you, he's a selfish prick.

He would never be able to get me to part with the horse though, I'd dump him the moment he suggested it

People in these kind of relationships ALWAYS do this - make pages of excuses for shit partners, then end on a fierce flourish, just to show how in control of it all they are. Partner cheats - 'Oh but he knows if he so much as puts a lock on that phone again he is OUT, no discussion!' yeah right. Partner is violent - 'He knows that if he so much as looks at me funny, I'll be straight on to the police this time' -these are the saddest of all. Anyway. It's not about him saying 'I want you to get rid of your horse' and you saying no. It's about shackling yourself to a man who actually does not love and support you, but is a selfish prick who drains you. The end result of that is that you gradually find you have less time, less money, less energy, to be the happy, positive person with their own life and interests that you once were. You look in the mirror in 20 years and wonder who the fuck is looking back at you. By contrast, choosing a good, loyal, LOVING partner does the opposite. Builds you up. Helps you achieve. Supports you.

That's why you started this post - because you're knackered and you are having your life 'made difficult'. And it's because you've chosen to be with a selfish prick- that is the complete, total answer.

So give him time to change if you want but he probably will not, because people generally are who they are. But don't give him much time to show this, and don't give any more chances.

FASH84 · 26/04/2018 13:36

Hopefully having spoken to him he'll be more considerate, if not it's a bigger issue. Is he quite young or not lived alone before? Some darling mothers have a tendency to spoil little princes, which creates man children, they can be retrained though, if they are open and have the right mindset, my DH sometimes cringes at how he used to be, and he'd lived alone and with another LTP before we lived together. Good luck OP

Bambamber · 26/04/2018 13:39

He sounds like a right catch Hmm

SilverySurfer · 26/04/2018 13:51

He is a pathetic man child which would be a huge turn off for me. Please do yourself a favour and don't have children with this 'man' as he will do less than he does now, plus zero parenting.

SilverySurfer · 26/04/2018 13:52

Forgot to add: DON'T BE HIS ENABLER! I would be telling him to shape up or ship out.

Shoxfordian · 26/04/2018 14:28

He's very selfish
Don't stay around hoping he might change..life is too short op

ThePants999 · 26/04/2018 14:33

We have a similar disparity in sleeping schedules, and our answer is separate bedrooms. I'm not going to claim it as the universal panacea, since it obviously has issues of its own, but honestly it works really well for us.

Ragwort · 26/04/2018 14:38

As others have said, he sounds a selfish prick and I suggest you dump him.

I don't understand people who won't sleep in separate rooms (assuming you have the space) if you really want to stay with him - just insist he goes into another room, or make the spare room 'your' room. If you can't agree either of those options then clearly he doesn't care enough about you so why should you care about him?

It sounds as though you have a busy, fulfilling life - why do you need him in it? Hmm Do you really want to be stuck with someone who's idea of a great night is playing games?

willynillypie · 26/04/2018 14:50

DH comes home very late and leaves very early, but he creeps around like a ninja to avoid waking me, and uses his phone torch etc or a dimmer. At weekends sometimes he wants to come to bed later which is fine due to his sleeping schedule, but again is always considerate and quiet. Your DP sounds like an epic bellend and a man-child. Computer games until 3am? Have had an ex like that, trust me it spells trouble.

RestingBitchFaced · 26/04/2018 15:40

Very selfish behaviour. I suggest you wake him up as you get up early in the morning - see how he likes it

OlennasWimple · 26/04/2018 15:44

What are his redeeming features? TBH even if he earned more than Bill Gates, looked like Brad Pitt's handsome younger brother and was better in bed than Casanova, it would still be awful living with someone who cared so little for his partner that he CBA to put her first even occasionally

Barbaro · 26/04/2018 17:50

Come home to find the duvet he used last night still on the couch, his work stuff still out and although he washed dishes he didn't put them away. He doesn't do clothes either as he can't learn how to use a washing machine.

He's not that young, he's 26. But his mum always did everything for him and I suspect his exs have as well. They all suspected his was cheating though and cheated on him eventually, which based on his behaviour in the past I have told him I can see why they were suspicious of him. I really don't believe he ever has cheated on anyone, but he doesn't understand what can offend or upset people. He is lazy but i am trying to teach him how to be more considerate of others. It's slow progress.

But he is a nice person really, he does care about me a lot and I do love him. But he is selfish at times, he knows this and is trying to get better.

OP posts:
Nanny0gg · 26/04/2018 18:15

Why do people keep making excuses for these men?

They’re adults. They choose to behave this way

Slapbetcommissioner · 26/04/2018 18:19

He's not a nice person.
He doesn't care about you.

Sorry. Flowers

RandomMess · 26/04/2018 18:30

He is showing you how little you matter to him!!!

You aren't important enough to share the "wifework" with you aren't important enough to come to bed very quietly or earlier or sleep in the spare room... Confused

You don't need a child you already have one...

OlennasWimple · 26/04/2018 18:30

You do realise it's not your job to train him to be a decent adult?

If he can work a playstation, he can work a washing machine FFS

FinallyHere · 26/04/2018 18:36

* H*e is lazy but i am trying to teach him how to be more considerate of others. It's slow progress.

Why have you chosen as your partner someone who needs to be taught how to be considerate , which also known as a decent human being and furthermore one who doesn't seem to be getting the hang of it any too quickly.

Is it possible that he thinks he is onto a good thing and that he is quite enjoying being selfish and you putting up with it ?

Is there any chance that you are getting something out of acting as his mother rather than an equal partner ?

RandomMess · 26/04/2018 18:37

Our Xbox 360 baffles me!!! Funnily enough I can use all the domestic appliances with ease as they are much more straightforward...

Ragwort · 26/04/2018 18:49

*He's a nice person' - how? In what way?

Have some self respect and get rid of this man child.

I would be embarrassed to admit that my partner behaved like a petulant teenager (actually I hope my teenage DS behaves a lot better than your DP).

TheMythOfFingerprints · 26/04/2018 18:50

He can't learn how to use a washing machine?

He's got you well trained op.

Cliveybaby · 26/04/2018 19:04

thoughts on this:

  1. Is he really worth fixing??? It seems like a lot of effort
  2. He is very selfish.
  3. My DP and I had this discussion a while ago as he likes to be up later than me (I'd ideally go to bed at 10, he'd be up til 1). We have kind of compromised/agreed to be flexible, so sometimes we go to bed together at a time in the middle of that (this happens about half the time), and sometimes he stays up late, but then he either creeps in very quietly and doesn't wake me, or sleeps in the spare room.
Motoko · 26/04/2018 19:15

God your bar is low.

So, he'll try to change? Hmm. What that means is that he'll do a bit more for a week or two, but then slip back to his usual ways.

You keep making excuses for him, you'd "get food poisoning if he cooked" "he can't use the washing machine". I say BOLLOCKS to that! Of course he can use the washing machine, he can learn the same way you did. Same goes for cooking food that is edible. So stop making excuses!

He doesn't love and care for you. He shows that in his actions. Just because he says he does, doesn't mean it's true. If he did love and care for you, he would be quiet when he came to bed, so as not to disturb you. He would share all the cooking/shopping/household tasks. And he wouldn't make even more mess for you to clear up.

You say you don't want children, so I hope that means that if you have a contraceptive failure, you will have a termination. The trouble is, although you are sure you don't want children now, if you found yourself pregnant, you might find that you can't go through with a termination, and then you'll be stuck with a child, plus the horse, plus the housework, and he still won't do his share.

You need to heed what the majority of posters are saying. Remember, amongst us, we have a wealth of experience, many of us with men like this, who also ignored the warning signs because "he loved and cared" for us. We don't need a crystal ball to accurately predict how your life will look in 5/10/15 years, if you stay with him.

Good luck, you're going to need it.

jedenfalls · 26/04/2018 19:17

Ask yourself this..
If this was a houseshare with a female friend would you put up with the disparity in chores, mess, laziness and waking you up?

If not

Why the fuck are you doing it for him?

He isn’t a superior being that you have to defer to.