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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be considering leaving my partner due to these issues

155 replies

Cherrycolacat · 30/11/2024 13:25

We have been together for two years but have known each other since we were 16 so a very long time.

He moved in with me and my 4.5 year old at the start of the year, and since then I’ve just struggled with his lack of effort around the house and lack of support towards living costs and his lack of ability to listen when I bring up any issues.

I do the substantial majority of the housework, I also work full time 45 hours a week from home so I am home all day but I’m still at work. He is between jobs and often on the sick, he struggles to motivate himself to go to work and ends up making excuses to be off. I find this obviously stressful as his income some months is drastically dropped and realistically there’s no reason for him to be off most of the time he is. He does help with the dishwasher and he will help if I go out of my way to ask, but if I don’t it just sits there. He will make a basic job like putting washing away take hours while I run around and do everything else.

An example of a recurring problem: I left the house in a hurry last week and didn’t have time to tidy that morning, I normally always tidy before I leave so that it’s nice for when I get home, I had had two hours sleep the night prior due to being poorly so it needed a good tidy. He was in all day, I came back at 2pm and not one thing had been done and he was asleep in bed. Mess on the kitchen counters, cat litter on the floor that the cats had scrapped out while I was away, food wrappers and dishes on the side from his dinner, floor needed hoovered.

Its came to a head this morning, my son has been having a bit of a difficult phase and being quite defiant, I was asking him to help me with some chores for chore week at his school and he was just saying no and it escalated into my son being upset and having a tantrum. My partner was saying he was being lazy, he wasn’t helping around the house, and raising his voice saying he won’t get any games anymore if he doesn’t start helping and that he needs to see a doctor.

Immediately this angered me because I don’t parent like that and he knows it, raising his voice only made it worse and also he has an absolute bloody cheek to say my four year old does nothing to help when he’s a grown man who does the bare minimum.

The issue is he seems to think he does help out. Ive mentioned this COUNTLESS times and im always met with ‘how am I meant to know if you don’t tell me’ or ‘just tell me if things need cleaned’ but it’s obvious. He also tells me ‘if you think I don’t do anything you’re lying to yourself’

We have had so many issues with money also as he never offers to do any food shops I do them all and pay for them all. He huffs and sighs if I ask him to come with us to the shops and hurries me and my son up so he can get back home quicker for no reason other than he doesn’t want to be there.

Im just utterly sick of it. He snatched a bar of soap off my son this morning because he was refusing to put it away, so I snapped and took it back off my partner and told him to not dare treat my son like that and have a hard think about how much he does around the house before taking it out on him.

He made a comment that he did plenty and to not speak to him if i really think he does nothing around here, and then stormed out the house. Its not the first time he has done this but it’s the first time he has done it in front of my son.

AIBU to not want him to come back? There’s so many other things too but if I ever try speak about any issues or anything he does that is hurtful he is extremely defensive and never apologise for his actions and just storms out rather than trying to resolve anything and he makes me feel like my expectations are unreasonable

OP posts:
Lollypop25 · 30/11/2024 16:29

He sounds vile and this is a poor model of a healthy relationship to your DC, he contributes nothing to your household or life so if he didn't return what would you really lose?

Wheresthebeach · 30/11/2024 16:31

For the love of God through this freeloading man child out.

He is awful and will be a terrible influence on your son

JFDIYOLO · 30/11/2024 16:32

List everything you'd expect, not even from an ideal partner/relationship, but from a nice one.

Now list everything you've put here (and anything you hadn't included) about the current reality for you and child.

Compare.

Tell him you've given the relationship a fair chance but you are not happy, not satisfied and not prepared to invest any more time or unhappiness in it.

It's run its course.

Give him his matching orders. Better before Christmas, so you and your child can have a good one.

Nanny0gg · 30/11/2024 16:35

I despair

Seriously I do.

Why is this even a question?

Oh. And if it's your house, it's not you who'll be leaving.

He goes. Today

C152 · 30/11/2024 16:39

Change the locks, pack his stuff up and text him a day he can collect everything (ideally, a time when your child is out of the house and you have a friend there with you).

LookItsMeAgain · 30/11/2024 16:39

I’m fairly certain that “Kick him out” will become the new “Cancel the Cheque” but that’s what you need to do. Send him packing. Today!

JFDIYOLO · 30/11/2024 16:41

You've known him since you were 16.

You grew up.

He didn't.

Look at it this way:

You have a sullen adolescent who won't get up, won't get a job, thinks it's Mum's duty to run the house and might do a few jobs really badly to get her off his back, is mess and smell blind, is jealous of his little brother, has stroppy tantrums ...

REALLY?

Luckily this is your house.

InSpainTheRain · 30/11/2024 16:43

Firstly you don't need to have any issues to leave someone. Just wanting to leave and not be in a relationship with them any more means you do not have to be. Secondly, he seems to be a freeloading cock lodger, so especially in this case you are not being unreasonable!

OrwellianTimes · 30/11/2024 16:44

Bin.

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 30/11/2024 16:46

Throw him out. He brings nothing and at some point it is really going to harm your child’s health.
Get him out. Today.

Wolframandhart · 30/11/2024 16:48

He isnt a partner he is a child who should nit be around your actual child.

do not move men in with your small child after a year of dating. Especially lazy, petulant, unemployed shirkers with a temper

ffs move him out immediately.

and raise your standards off the floor.

Wavescrashingonthebeach · 30/11/2024 16:51

I skim read this and was like check, check, heard it all before. Get rid.

LivinInYourBigGlassHouseWithAView · 30/11/2024 16:51

He saw you coming. Do you really not see that?

He is a terrible partner.
He is a terrible role model.
He is a waste of space.

You and your DS deserve better. If you don't feel you do, at least consider your son. And tell him to get out and to get to fuck. Permanently.

another1bitestheduck · 30/11/2024 16:58

yabu to have not chucked him out months ago, let alone letting him move in the first place.

Your self-esteem must be so low to think this is what you deserve, and that's bad enough, but you need to get your son out of this situation before it starts affecting him too.

DreamTheMoors · 30/11/2024 17:02

I remember only having enough income to eat once a day, so I’d skip lunch and eat dinner.
My boyfriend was staying over almost every night and once, while I was making dinner, he mocked me for my “perfect little table and perfect little dishes, eating at the perfect time every day.”
He was eating for free.
I threw him out, and I don’t think there was a more shocked person in the history of the world.
I recommend it highly, @Cherrycolacat

Mummyoflittledragon · 30/11/2024 17:04

Your ‘partner’ is acting like a bully older sibling to your ds. This isn’t a relationship. Your poor ds.

Pedallleur · 30/11/2024 17:04

Nothing there for you OP. It won't get better. You are doing everything on your own anyway so just make it official. You owe him nothing.

JustWalkingTheDogs · 30/11/2024 17:09

You have a cocklodger OP

Hellskitchen24 · 30/11/2024 17:19

Lives in your house, doesn’t work, doesn’t contribute either physically or financially, is unpleasant to your son, and spends most of his time in bed. Phwoar what a catch. No wonder he doesn’t want to work, why does he need to? Presumably as well as paying for all the food you cook his dinner too. Assume you also wash his dirty pants. He’s well and truly got you hook line and sinker.

Girl, change the locks and put his stuff by the front door. You and your son deserve so much better!

TiredCatLady · 30/11/2024 17:20

Quite simply? He’s a cocklodging wanker who is mean to your son. Get the fuck rid. Asap.

Daleksatemyshed · 30/11/2024 17:24

So he pays nothing towards the bills, tells your DS off for being lazy and has all day to himself but does nothing. You may have known him since childhood Op but quite frankly you really didn't know him at all when he moved in- him moving out would be the nicest thing you could do now for you and your DS. Think what a nice Christmas you could have without this manchild under your feet

HardenYourHeart · 30/11/2024 17:51

You can leave for whatever reason you want. In your case I'd definitely leave.

ANonEMouseYouSir · 30/11/2024 17:56

It sounds like the rubbish has stropped taken itself out! Good.

What are you going to do @Cherrycolacat

GoldenLegend · 30/11/2024 17:57

Good grief. Prize cocklodger, right there. Get rid.

fetchacloth · 30/11/2024 18:01

Leave him, this will only get worse.
A deadbeat father won't be much missed anyway.