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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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I think ive fucked everything up

496 replies

whatdidididido · 29/08/2024 14:38

Name changed ofc.

Ive been with my partner 2.5 years, but known him closer to 20. I have 3 teens from my previous marriage, ds19 and dds 18 and 15. Their father walked out and have been NC since 2014. Its just been me and them since 2014. About 6 months ago we started discussing partner moving in, paying 2 sets of living expenses just seemed silly. He would come here almost every other weekend anyway, but he lived and worked over 100 miles away so there was a big travel expense. But if he was moving closer, it would be in with us as he couldnt afford to live in my town as a single person. Me moving was never an option as my childrens lives are here.

So he moved in. About a week ago. Moved his job here, gave up his rented place, left his family and friends, and came here.

I cant do it. Little things are making me rage. I have a small 2 seater and a 3 seater sofa. I have always used to 2 seater, kids the 3 to watch tv, i dont want tv, i watch my laptop with a headset. He keeps sitting next to me on the 2 seater watching my screen. I feel like im under a microscope. I feel like a i cant breathe, its claustrophobic, i need space to relax. I suggested getting an arm chair or something for him and he looked at me like i kicked his puppy! We even set up his tv and games etc upstairs in the bedroom but hes not even gone on it. Just sits next to me expecting me to change how i relax and involve him. But thats my space and my way of enjoying downstime. I need my little sofa to my self as my own space.

I have no space generally. He has started his new job granted so is out in the day, however, i work nights in a very draining, physically and emotionally, job, i do 4 12 hour shifts a week so tend to stay in a kind of night time sleep pattern all the time. This means the time he is at work mostly im asleep. Then when im wide awake at home he is going to bed so my bedroom is out of bounds. Theres no where that is my space which ive had for 10 years. The bedroom was my quiet place away from teens on voice chat etc. now its gone. I have no place to go in my own home that feels like mine. The bedroom is taken over by him and his stuff.

Hes done no tidying or cleaning since he got here. On night i was away for the night with my 2 dds at a show. Came back and everything he used is in the kitchen unwashed. Ive left it still 2 days later in the hope he gets the message. He hasnt.

He has brought 5 times the amount of shit we discussed. My living room has no fewer than 13 boxes in it we have no where to move them to, and multiple pieces of ugly old furniture cluttering up the living room hallway landing and bedroom. Its disgusting old furniture. Sitting even in my living room, as well as being basically sat on top of and constantly watched, all i can see is boxes and a cabinet i want to burn. Its making me irrationally angry to the point o cant even talk to him. My home, and my kids home, has been invaded by stuff i never agreed to. When we discussed what he was bringing none of this shit in my living room was mentioned.

He told my youngest daughter off. This is the biggest. When we were getting ready to leave i said to dd15 to go and dry her hair as we had to leave in 45 minutes or so. Now despite long, and multiple conversations about how my kids dont need a new parent, they are mine, i deal with them, its been just us for so long that if this has any hope of working, he cannot come in and try to play parent to teenager's, he chimed in with "yeah dd name, get up now go dry your hair and get ready to leave and dont come back down till its done". This may not be any thing massive in the grand scheme of things, but the minute i left with them she burst into to tears about how he isnt her dad and he cant talk to her like that. I agreed. I apologised to her for not calling him out immediately, but i was taken aback he had said anything, as he knows my stance on this. They are my children, he does not get a say.

What do i do? Hes left his job, his home, his family, everything to come here. It was fine for the night twice a month as we did something, not normal family life. But a week in, i cant live with him, i cant do it. But i also cant tell him to leave.

Ive fucked up. Havent i.

OP posts:
SpringleDingle · 29/08/2024 14:42

You jolly well can tell him to leave - you may need to put up with him for a few weeks as he finds a new rental but if you can't live with him he needs to go. Sadly it might finish off your relationship. I take it you didn't have the "what if" discussion before he moved in?

FknOmniShambles · 29/08/2024 14:43

You have, but it doesn't have to be permanent. Get him out. For your sake and your daughter's. It's his fault he's a selfish slob and also that he dropped everything and moved with no backup in case it went wrong.

VimFuego101 · 29/08/2024 14:43

I feel smothered just reading this, so you have my sympathy. Do you think he'll find his feet in your area and get a social life going or is he more of a 'flop on the couch every evening' person? Just wondering whether he might find his feet and get out a bit more eventually.

VimFuego101 · 29/08/2024 14:45

And as far as telling off your daughter, you had clearly laid out expectations regarding that. So he overstepped on that part for sure.

Itsabitweirdinhereinnit · 29/08/2024 14:47

Well yes, you have. The thing that stands out most for me here is that you’ve moved someone into your house and with your children, when you’re still finding it awkward to have even normal conversations with them. 100% he should have been told immediately ‘why have you made a mess and left it for me? What is all this stuff, this isn’t what we agreed you’d bring? What do you think you’re doing talking to my child like that, we discussed that any discipline will be carried out by me’. It’s one week in and it’s not working, and it’s a little disturbing that he’s already causing stress, upset and tears, and you also feel you can’t tell him to leave. It may be a pretty major fuck up, but it needs undoing. People make mistakes op, and that’s ok

CalicoPusscat · 29/08/2024 14:47

Could he get his old job back? Really doesn't sound like this will work.

With you on your own space, it's so important.

wonderstuff · 29/08/2024 14:50

You need to talk to him. Was he like this with space and cleaning before he moved in? Lay cards on the table, have a discussion about it all.

Itsabitweirdinhereinnit · 29/08/2024 14:50

Do you think you’d both be happy to continue the relationship if he found a rental nearby?

ForgotThePlantsAgain · 29/08/2024 14:50

Trust your gut I think. If you're not comfortable your kids will pick up on it too.

Lindjam · 29/08/2024 14:50

Of course you can (and should) tell him to leave. The option is that you spend the rest of your life going slowly doo lally.

I get it, I split from XH in 2010 and am so used to my own space now (unless young adult DC are visiting) there is no way I could live with another person breathing in my house.

You are going to have to pull yourself up by your boots and tell him. Good luck.

TimeForTeaAndG · 29/08/2024 14:52

It's a week and he's not on his absolute best behaviour (or this is his best and it will get worse from her on)!

I'm not a "wash the dishes every day" kind of person so maybe there needs to be a conversation about that. There definitely needs to be one about him parenting you daughter, though if he does remain in the house he does need to have some level of authority if asking them to get ready for him to take them somewhere?

The couch- it sounds more like he wants to spend time with you and you need to have a conversation about how you relax. 10 years is a long time to have your own space and then have a new person in the house. There does need to be a bit of compromise otherwise it will always be your house and he's not allowed to make it his home.

SensibleSigma · 29/08/2024 14:53

Just to clarify, he didn’t move ‘for you’ if that’s what’s being said. He moved to save himself travel time and money.

In doing so he hasn’t respected your home, he has assumed it will run the way he likes- with you doing his chores and housing his stuff.

Tell him that his moving in is causing you a lot of work which wasn’t at all what you expected.

Augustisnearlydonesogoodbyesun · 29/08/2024 14:55

Hell we have been together 12 years, married and he doesn't tell my dc off...

IReallyCouldntThinkOfAUsername · 29/08/2024 14:55

Yeah you've fucked up. You weren't ready to share your space, and he's overstepping on things you have discussed and agreed. The couch thing seems daft, but coupled with everything else yeah I think you need to talk to him.

HappyDane · 29/08/2024 14:56

Oh it absolutely is a big deal that he tried to muscle in on telling your DD what to do.

And you absolutely can tell him it's not working for you. Do it now before it's too difficult - quickly, like ripping off a plaster.

Olika · 29/08/2024 14:57

It won't work. First of all you didn't think of how it would be on every day basis having an extra adult in the house to share your space as your partner. It sounds like you expect him to be like a housemate staying different space to you and feel annoyed to share with him. Secondly he is lazy and not sharing household tasks so you will end up being his maid. Thirdly if you had the convo about your kids and only you raising them then him getting involved is against this. I cannot see this relationship working in any aspect.

Maddy70 · 29/08/2024 14:57

Breathe....

You are adjusting to having someone else living with you. Youve been a little nucleus for so long.

It is unreasonable for you to be watching a film by yourself with headphones... put the tv in the lounge and watch something together

He only spoke to your daughter...he didnt discipline her. He just made a comment to another human about getting ready and the time to leave

Not cleaning up ...yes. tell him thats unreasonable but also everyone has their own standards. You need to meet in the middle

Relationships are all about compromise

Time fir a frank discussion but be aware that if may be you....

MindatWork · 29/08/2024 14:57

He sounds like an arse OP, I'd get shot of him for the way he spoke to your DD and the slovenliness alone.

However, it sounds like you're not necessarily suited to living with another adult 24/7 - how did you think it was going to work with seating arrangements and sleep patterns? If you can't even bear him sitting on the sofa next to you, how was it ever going to work having him in your space all the time?

I hope you manage to get it sorted, but i think it's better to have a frank conversation now that this obviously isn't going to work.

HateMyselfToo · 29/08/2024 14:57

Send the kids to their mates and have a "we need to talk" conversation. He'll either apologise, admit its just him adjusting and pull his socks up, or he could admit he doesn't want to continue either and provide you with a solution, or he won't see the problem, in which case you have to tell him to go.
It does sound like one or both of you made the decision for financial reasons rather than love.

Projectme · 29/08/2024 14:57

TimeForTeaAndG · 29/08/2024 14:52

It's a week and he's not on his absolute best behaviour (or this is his best and it will get worse from her on)!

I'm not a "wash the dishes every day" kind of person so maybe there needs to be a conversation about that. There definitely needs to be one about him parenting you daughter, though if he does remain in the house he does need to have some level of authority if asking them to get ready for him to take them somewhere?

The couch- it sounds more like he wants to spend time with you and you need to have a conversation about how you relax. 10 years is a long time to have your own space and then have a new person in the house. There does need to be a bit of compromise otherwise it will always be your house and he's not allowed to make it his home.

This

SatansBobbleheadedDashboardOrnament · 29/08/2024 14:57

Have you talked to him about any of this? The boxes? Your sofa space and downtime? The unwashed dishes? Instructing your daughter on what to do? Or are you silently seething?
I'm not saying he hasn't behaved like a shit or that it will work, but that would be my first stop.

loropianalover · 29/08/2024 14:59

I think there are lots of things here that you can simply have a conversation about…. The furniture, the dishes, the evening routine on the couch. He surely doesn’t expect the furniture to sit in the hall forever? So what’s the plan?

It’s a big adjustment but would you not at least try work on it before throwing him out? There’s obviously a reason you’re in a relationship with him? I’d say get the kids away for an evening when you’re off work, sit down with paper and pen, and do life admin on the house stuff. Explain what you need, let him explain what he needs.

bergamotorange · 29/08/2024 14:59

Tell him now, better now than later.

He's really overstepped with your DD, how awful.

Apolloneuro · 29/08/2024 15:01

Oh no. If he spoke to my child like that he’d be leaving wearing his balls as earrings. He needs to pop right back out of the door. ASAP.

Apolloneuro · 29/08/2024 15:03

loropianalover · 29/08/2024 14:59

I think there are lots of things here that you can simply have a conversation about…. The furniture, the dishes, the evening routine on the couch. He surely doesn’t expect the furniture to sit in the hall forever? So what’s the plan?

It’s a big adjustment but would you not at least try work on it before throwing him out? There’s obviously a reason you’re in a relationship with him? I’d say get the kids away for an evening when you’re off work, sit down with paper and pen, and do life admin on the house stuff. Explain what you need, let him explain what he needs.

I’d have 💯 agreed with you until OP mentioned the daughter. That would be my line in the sand.