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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Boyfriend upset with me for seemingly not showing enough concern when he was ill.

151 replies

Freckles81 · 17/04/2024 08:54

I am grieving the loss of a family member atm (she passed Fri), so I am a bit emotional and not able to process things clearly, and need an outside perspective.

We live together and I have sacrificed an international, very well paid career to stay with him in a small village in the UK (but am hoping to return to this previous career in a year or so). I am infertile, no kids.

I do the lionshare of household duties as I am home more and am a very loving, attentive partner.

Yesterday he told me he has had something on his mind that has been bothering him and needed to speak to me about. A month ago, after I looked after him for a full day when he was sick (I turned down supply teaching to do so, losing money), and he then decided to go back to work the next day, I didn't seem concerned enough about him, as I agreed he should go back to work if he wanted to and felt up to it.

He said he felt I just wanted him out of the way and so didn't really care enough for him at that moment. I had looked after him the day before and he was adamant that he wanted to return, and seemed better, so I agreed that if he felt ready to go back to work he should. I also wanted to be available to work that day if supply teaching jobs came through, as I too needed the money, and apparently he felt that 'energy' e.g. lack of concern towards him, and it made him feel I didn't care enough.

I even texted him that day to tell him to come home if he felt he wasn’t well enough to be there once he got there, but he declined, saying he needed the money. However, he harbours resentment against me for my seeming lack of care for him by not encouraging him to take another day off and for me to stay home to look after him again. I see this as incredibly needy. He is a man and not a baby/child who needs me to decide whether he stays off work and gets looked after.

He has been feeling v upset about this, which to me is a non issue, and brought it up to me whilst I am trying to grieve for my family member but put a happy face on it so as not to ruin our evenings together. The fact he has done this now, when I am grieving and feeling delicate, has really upset me. It seems such a trivial thing to carry and to raise with me whilst I am so emotional.

The act in question happened about a month ago and it has been bothering him since, even on his mind when he wakes up in the night! To me it was nothing in the grand scheme of things.

He also said that lately I have been short with him but couldn't give me examples. I had recently been signed off sick with stress by my Doctor due to violence and aggression in the classroom on long term supply, and money has been a bit of an issue so I have been extra stressed recently. I definitely have not been myself but can't think I have ever been annoyed or short with him. I try my best to put on a brave face and look at positives.

I feel upset and resentful that I prioritise him in all areas of my life, have sacrificed money, and an international career, as well as sacrificed living near friends and family, and all of my love and care seems undone by one morning in which I didn't seem suitably concerned that he wasn't well enough to go to work, despite him deciding that he wanted to.

He is now apologetic but I feel so upset with him and am considering asking him to move out and going back to him staying over 2 or 3 times per week, instead of living in my house full time with me, but am I being unnecessarily reactive here?

I would really appreciate outsiders' perspectives on this as I am grieving and emotional at the moment!

OP posts:
notanothernana · 17/04/2024 09:32

You turned down a day's work to look after A GROWN MAN? I assume it wasn't a heart attack or something serious?

I agree with others, he's doing this now as "mummy" is preoccupied. When I was grieving my, then, 5 year old poured water all over my bed to get my attention. Reminds me of that.

Sorry for your loss.

XFiler · 17/04/2024 09:37

Bloody hell leave this self absorbed man child

CurlewKate · 17/04/2024 09:38

What sort of "looking after" did he need??

Couldntgiveafunk · 17/04/2024 09:39

Reframe this in your head. He’s complained that despite you taking a day off to “nurse” a grown man with what I presume was a mild cold (if he only had one day off) you didn’t give him enough sympathy? And yet when you are bereaved and unwell, he chooses not to look after you in return but to beat you with whatever emotional stick he has to hand because your attention is not all on him, him, HIM!!!

He isn’t willing to give even a fraction of what he expects. He is @notanothernana ’s toddler throwing an attention tantrum, but as a grown adult that’s deeply unattractive.

I think your instinct of asking him to move out for a bit is a good one. Gives you time to reflect.

SewingBees · 17/04/2024 09:40

How ill was he that he needed you to stay home with him and miss a day of paid work? I'd have to be at death's door to expect that from a partner.

BaconCozzers · 17/04/2024 09:41

What was wrong with him that left him so seriously ill one day but able to go to work the next?

I'm so sorry for you loss op. And I'm sorry for the timing of your realisation that your dp is a bit of a twat. x

BaconCozzers · 17/04/2024 09:45

If I was cynical, I'd wonder whether he brought all this up now to turn your attention, which has been on your relative, back to him..?

mulberrybag · 17/04/2024 09:46

Can you actually imagine asking your significant other to take a day off to look after you ? Unless it was a serious medical condition that seems revoltingly childish does it not ?
The timing of this feels like classic narcissistic behaviour - the focus is on you & your grief currently so let's shift that back to me (him) and readdress this imbalance of power/attention.
Honestly, life is so very short and precious - please at least go through with your plan of getting him moved out, I imagine this will lead to more revolting man child behaviour and you'll see him for what he really is. The very best of luck

DifficultBloodyWoman · 17/04/2024 09:48

You are grieving so don’t rush into things.

Wait a week (or a month) (or however long you want) and raise the issue with him. He had time to reflect on your ‘behaviour’ when he was sick. You deserve some time to reflect on his now.

See what he says and if he actually recognises any parallels.

And, for what it is worth, I reckon you may be even more upset after considering the situation. Life is tough, you need a partner who lifts you up, not drags you down. I think his timing was both deliberate and shit. He chose to go to work, did he think you should have handcuffed him to the bed?

MsFaversham · 17/04/2024 09:48

It sounds to me as if he doesn’t like it when you aren’t fully emotionally available to you. You are grieving, so exhausted and distracted so he has bought the attention back to himself and how you weren’t there for him a month ago, when he also thought you weren’t emotionally available to him. This is a massive red flag and he won’t change. It will get worse and you will resent him for it. Driving you around to see your family seems as if he is being supportive but he is in for a bit of a shock as grief isn’t over in a few days like the virus he hopes that’s all you have.

Sunnyday777 · 17/04/2024 09:49

Fucking hell, leave this man child and go back to your career, see the world and have a great time doing it. He’s dragging you down. What fully grown adult man would get upset because his partner didn’t challenge his own decision to go back to work?! When the partner is grieving no less?
Neither me or DH would need nursing if we were ill from normal every day bugs, which as he went back to work I’m guessing it was.
He wants a mother, not a partner. My guess is he felt you were too busy grieving to give him the attention he needed.

Greatdomestic · 17/04/2024 09:49

Sorry for your loss Op.

My first thought when I opened this thread is why are you still with this guy.

Sorry if that sounds harsh.

I remember a previous thread of yours.

You have sacrificed a lot for a selfish man.

I would call it quits, he sounds awful.

TealSapphire · 17/04/2024 09:58

Unless he was in ICU or very ill with young children to care for I can't imagine why he'd need you to take a day off work. Where I am supply teachers earn $400-$500 a day. No way I'd be turning that down to nurse a man baby.

Get back to your international career and move on from this jerk.

unbelievablescenes · 17/04/2024 10:30

Having been married to a guy just like this for 15 years, I assure you he will bring you a lifetime of downplaying your hardships in favour of him being the poor victim at all times. Mine ruined every Xmas, Mother's Day, illness etc I ever had with him. It all had to be about him and it was draining. He'll not change its inherent

Datafan55 · 17/04/2024 10:34

(I'm with him because he's been) very caring whilst I have been grieving

Er, so since Friday? Until Tuesday?

mrsdineen2 · 17/04/2024 10:34

Genuinely awful behaviour on his part.

IF he was being genuine, he's had the best part a month to bring it up and hasn't bothered. Now that you're grieving, if he really can't just let it go, he could have frankly just waited until he was next sick and see how it goes.

But of course he's not being genuine, is he?

PollySolo · 17/04/2024 10:41

The moral of this story is ‘Don’t give up a well-paid international career to live with Mr Clingy who thinks his cold or minor stomach upset requires diligent attendance from Florence Nightingale’.

piscesangel · 17/04/2024 10:43

I'm so sorry for your loss.

To me this sounds like a carefully timed action on his part, for when you are weakened by your grief. This is a massive red flag for abusive behaviour.

You say your mum thinks he is clingy - is that something that could fit the description of 'love-bombing', another technique used by abusers?

I don't mean to seem overdramatic, but unfortunately as with many women as we get older we see people around us succumb to abuse all to often and it seems worth raising the possibility. I suggest you look at resources like the book "In control" to consider this possibility further. I apologise if I'm way off the mark here.

MILTOBE · 17/04/2024 10:43

Come on, OP, you're living with a complete and utter twat who isn't even adult enough to look after himself when he's mildly ill. How much did that day cost you? He wouldn't have paid that for help, would he? He'd just let you do it.

Why on earth have you given up a great career in a place you want to live, to live with this selfish, clingy man-child?

Daleksatemyshed · 17/04/2024 10:44

I don't much like how keen his DPs are for you two to marry either, nobody should be pressing you to make a commitment, especially not now. I think if he and his family have their way your old life will vanish and you'll end up the household drudge with no life of your own, please be careful Op

Therealjudgejudy · 17/04/2024 10:52

What a needy, pathetic man child.

I'd ask him to move out so you can get some space and perspective.

muggart · 17/04/2024 10:54

Yeh he's upset that you havent been 100% focused on him recently. It sounds like he's used to you prioritising him all the time.

You can only really be in a relationship where you put the man first all the time if he in turn puts you first. In this relationship you prioritise him, and he prioritises him. The balance is off.

gindreams · 17/04/2024 10:55

Please don't marry this man ! Get rid of him and get your career back

gindreams · 17/04/2024 10:56

PollySolo · 17/04/2024 10:41

The moral of this story is ‘Don’t give up a well-paid international career to live with Mr Clingy who thinks his cold or minor stomach upset requires diligent attendance from Florence Nightingale’.

This !

DuchesseNemours · 17/04/2024 10:57

A 1 day illness?

Sounds like it's not so much a girlfriend he needs but a substitute mummy.

What kind of adult makes a fuss about a one day illness? (Or needs another adult to take time of work to look after them?)

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