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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Struggling with Boundaries and Space in My Home with My Partner’s Ex and Daughter Involved

309 replies

Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 14:26

Hi all,
I’m feeling really overwhelmed right now, and I could use some advice. I’m in a relationship, but I’m facing some real challenges when it comes to boundaries and my space at home.
I bought my house before I got together with my partner, and I pay the mortgage myself. Since I moved in, my partner wasn’t really in the picture at the time, but now that we’ve been together for a while, things have shifted, especially with his daughter and the ongoing drama with his ex.
Here’s where things get tricky: I’m happy for my partner’s daughter to have her own space when she’s here, so I said she can use the guest bedroom, change the duvet whatever, However, I feel like everything is being shaped around her needs now, even though she’s due to be there every other wknd pending a court applciation. The bigger issue is this extra bedroom, which I had used for my things—wardrobes, personal items, you name it. My partner when he first moved in started using it for his daughter’s stuff, and I feel like my space is just being taken over, and told her it was her bedroom. I never decorated it because I let him decide how it should be arranged for her, and now I’m left feeling like I don’t have any room for myself.
When my partner’s daughter first started staying with us, it was forced by her mum. We live far away, and when she was about 3, she was forced into a car for a 40-minute drive around 7 pm. It just doesn’t feel like a good situation all around.She hated coming.
On top of that, my partner doesn’t have his own place. So, now it feels like all the pressure is on me to make the living situation work, including the constant worry about the court order related to his ex and his daughter. I feel like I’m the one making all the sacrifices, and my home has become a battleground when I just wanted it to be a place for me to feel comfortable.
Has anyone else dealt with a situation where your space has been completely shaped by your partner’s kids or ex? How did you set boundaries? How do you handle it when your partner doesn’t have their own home, and you’re the one paying the mortgage but feeling like it’s not really YOUR space anymore?

OP posts:
Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 16:47

MammaBear1 · 10/02/2026 16:31

Letting her pick a duvet cover doesn’t sound very welcoming.
A child spending contact time with her father overnight should have a space that is hers where she can keep some of her own items around her and not just the use of a guest room.
If you’ve let him move in and he contributes to the bills this is now his home and, hence, her second home.
If you’ve let don’t like it then that’s perfectly fine but you should be honest that a partner with a child will never be a good match for you and tell him so.
Poor child is getting a raw deal here.

I can only provide so much it is up to him to provide aswell , ok saying that you say that’s not welcoming enough for a night . When there are renovations that need doing in the house and he doesn’t pay anything towards it - you think that’s okay too? You think i should just roll over and give him everything he needs whilst I get nothing ?

OP posts:
sillygoof · 10/02/2026 16:47

Did you actually plan for him to move in, or did it happen gradually? Is he living with you permanently or temporarily? Your initial posts made it sound like he wasn’t even living there.

You don’t sound happy about any of it, him OR his daughter. Is suggest he moves back out and you live separately.

Starlight1979 · 10/02/2026 16:48

Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 16:47

I can only provide so much it is up to him to provide aswell , ok saying that you say that’s not welcoming enough for a night . When there are renovations that need doing in the house and he doesn’t pay anything towards it - you think that’s okay too? You think i should just roll over and give him everything he needs whilst I get nothing ?

You've just said in your other post generated by ChatGPT that he's incredibly proactive round the house?

Uricon2 · 10/02/2026 16:48

I have accommodated her needs for many years, even for six months after I bought the house, before I had even met my partner.

I truthfully have no idea what this means. How could you 'accommodate her needs' before you met her father?

Look OP, it sounds like her mother is less than optimal and you and her father moved hastily without thinking about the ramifications. It's OK for you to say it isn't working for you but I sense a lot of resentment of a 6 year old child who has zero agency in the situation. You talk about her reclaiming one of your spare rooms as if it's the Anschluss. She is 6, she needs to have a bit of stability and if you don't want to be a part of that you know what you have to do.

sesquipedalian · 10/02/2026 16:48

OP, you say your DP “says hes not going to buy a house. So my house it is” - what happens if you and he break up? Does he live in the street and never see his DD? What are your long term plans? Are you intending to get married and have DC of your own? And are you happy to provide him with a house which, if you do get married, will be half his? I couldn’t cope with a man who is happy not only not to have his own home, but to live with his parents and now you. You are going to have to think long and hard about where this relationship is going - if you’re in it for the long haul, then his child will become your stepdaughter and as she gets older will need her own room. If you need an office and your own mother comes and sleeps over, is a three bedroomed house going to be big enough for you all? If you move, will he be contributing? Frankly, OP, you’ve got bigger problems than worrying about where your spare clothes are stored, and whether it’s reasonable to give up your storage space for your partner’s child. You need to assess your future - at the moment, your DP seems to be having it all his own way, and you need to think about how far you are prepared to let him, and what you stand to lose by taking the relationship further. You also need to think about his daughter - the loser in this situation seems to be a six year old who doesn’t even have her own bedroom.

slashlover · 10/02/2026 16:49

Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 16:47

I can only provide so much it is up to him to provide aswell , ok saying that you say that’s not welcoming enough for a night . When there are renovations that need doing in the house and he doesn’t pay anything towards it - you think that’s okay too? You think i should just roll over and give him everything he needs whilst I get nothing ?

Many, MANY, MANY people have said that he's taking you for a mug and that you should kick him out? Are you just not bothering to read those comments?

HappyFace2025 · 10/02/2026 16:49

Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 16:47

I can only provide so much it is up to him to provide aswell , ok saying that you say that’s not welcoming enough for a night . When there are renovations that need doing in the house and he doesn’t pay anything towards it - you think that’s okay too? You think i should just roll over and give him everything he needs whilst I get nothing ?

You are being taken for a ride. With every new post you write it is obvious that the current arrangement doesn't work for you at all.

Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 16:50

ChalkOrCheese · 10/02/2026 16:32

She's not a fucking guest. You and him, together, put in a custody application for her to LIVE with you, at that house, at the weekends.

Don’t you dare swear at me

OP posts:
Starlight1979 · 10/02/2026 16:50

slashlover · 10/02/2026 16:49

Many, MANY, MANY people have said that he's taking you for a mug and that you should kick him out? Are you just not bothering to read those comments?

These threads drive me absolutely insane - I don't know why I do it to myself😂

Literally every response "kick him out" "let him sort his own home for him and his daughter" "you're a mug" "why are you doing everything for him?"

OP - Why is everyone saying I should give him everything?

beAsensible1 · 10/02/2026 16:52

are you a bot? every time you post the situation makes less and less sense.

KiwiFall · 10/02/2026 16:53

Your partner who you live with has a daughter. She therefore should have a bedroom when she is staying with her dad.

If you don’t like this and want your space back then you can’t live with your partner. Ask him to move out and find accommodation for him and his daughter. Be prepared this could be the end of the relationship.

If it is then ensure any future relationships don’t involve children.

If you do want this relationship to continue and you are saying your house isn’t big enough for her to have a bedroom when visiting her dad, you need to move. Either sell yours or keep it and rent it out.

Iamsotiredandfedup · 10/02/2026 16:53

This can’t be real surely 😂

OP you sound like a 12 year old, “so I just have to share do I? WHAT ABOUT MEEE!”
grow up and leave the relationship, this whole thing’s a joke with a child (aka “the kid” as you so nicely put it) in the middle

arethereanyleftatall · 10/02/2026 16:54

Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 16:47

I can only provide so much it is up to him to provide aswell , ok saying that you say that’s not welcoming enough for a night . When there are renovations that need doing in the house and he doesn’t pay anything towards it - you think that’s okay too? You think i should just roll over and give him everything he needs whilst I get nothing ?

Omfg.

op, can you go back and read the thread really slowly, stopping to understand what everyone is saying.

yes, op, yes, it is his fault.
yes, op, yes, it should be him who provides.

no, op, we agree, he’s not doing that.

so what you need to do, op, is to tell him to leave your house.

if you don’t want to do the last bit, what on earth can anyone say to help you when you’re basically saying

’my life is really shit because of X. However I’m not going to change X, and don’t you dare get at me for it.’

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 10/02/2026 16:54

"it feels like he’s been forced into decisions without fully considering my perspective"

He's not forced to make decisions without considering you or consulting you.
He chooses to do that because he thinks you are pliable and if he says I have no choice, you will accept that and accommodate whatever decision he has made.

I think you do have a say in this as he is living in your house (although paying utilities etc - but then he should be) and he has said he will not join you in buying a bigger house to accomdodate his DD.

So your perspective is much lower on his list of priorities. - have you discussed this with him? There's always more than one way to do things, but people will tend to go for the easiest option. Which at the moment is you providing accomodation for them both. A pp further upt the thread said that a 40 min car ride wasn't such a big deal. Maybe these things could be varied so that one week its her having the car ride, the next week staying at yours.

One of the main bugbears seems to be storage and constantly moving the DD's things from one room to another. You mention several times that its you that has to pack things away and get the room ready. If it bothers you so much, shouldn't he be doing this, its his DD? How much of the organisation, entertaining, supervision is he actually doing for her?

One short term solution - until the court is settled is that he could rent a Storage space nearby (and pay for it) to store stuff that would give you more space. Another short term solution to give you a bit of breathing space is that perhaps he could organise an AirBnB for himself and his DD occasionally (particularly if you feel he's not pulling his weight with the DD) when you want to have your DM or guests to stay.

Also very confusing about which mother it was that was passed out on the floor - was it partner's mother who was looking after the DD at the time or the DD's mother. If its his DD mother, the ex, then he's concerned for his DD safety, which is understandable. You say he's going to court over custody... are you prepared for him winning a high level of custody. It doesn't sound like you would be happy with that.

Otherwise, and outside of his needs and his DD's needs - it does seem that you are really fed up of having set up and pay for your own space, and now having to share it, or have someone else deciding how it is to be used.

I think you are also fed up of being at the mercy of what his ex wants and doesn't want, and see it as someone you have not connection with imposing her decisions on you whilst you have no say in it. I'm afraid that again is down to your partner. It comes across that you feel you gave them an inch and they are taking a mile. Again that is your partner, not his DD and not his ex. I feel sorry for the DD caught in the middle of this. Its not her fault.

If you find it difficult to get your point of view across to him and for him to set boundaries with his ex... for whatever reason.. perhaps you and he could go to counselling together to hash something out and see if there are concessions to be made on either side.

Maybe you aren't cut out for living together and he needs to rent his own apartment for a while whilst you both sort out how you want to proceed. But then he may not agree to continue.

Jellybunny56 · 10/02/2026 16:54

I’m not sure I understand the issue. If he lives with you then part of that is his child having a space there- always, that’s part of being with someone who has children.

If you aren’t okay with that then you need to tell him that and he needs to move out, which he really should anyway & end the relationship if he knew how you feel about his child being such an inconvenience to your storage space.

Illbefinejustbloodyfine · 10/02/2026 16:57

I think you should go your seperate ways. You are clearly not cut out for a relationship with a man with children. No criticism there, I wouldnt want it either. Its not fair on either the child, or you. But is likely to do the child some long term damage.

MammaBear1 · 10/02/2026 16:57

Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 16:47

I can only provide so much it is up to him to provide aswell , ok saying that you say that’s not welcoming enough for a night . When there are renovations that need doing in the house and he doesn’t pay anything towards it - you think that’s okay too? You think i should just roll over and give him everything he needs whilst I get nothing ?

Then tell him to move out. I don’t understand why you don’t. You aren’t happy having to make proper adjustments for his daughter, you say he’s not contributing to the renovations needed and you describe it all as you rolling over.
The situation clearly isn’t for you so end it.

CommonlyKnownAs · 10/02/2026 16:58

BruFord · 10/02/2026 16:10

Given your updates about her Mother’s drinking, I think that your partner needs to apply for primary custody of his daughter, not EOW. He needs to protect her.

That won’t work for you so I think he needs to move out and get his own place. You can still date, but living together isn’t going to work.

I agree. You just sound incompatible OP. It's totally fine not to want to give up this much of your space to the daughter of a fairly new partner, but in the current circumstances that means not living together.

greencheetah · 10/02/2026 16:58

Off he fucks!

LoveWine123 · 10/02/2026 16:59

Mangelwurzelfortea · 10/02/2026 16:12

This thread is a bit confusing but basically:

If you and your partner are officially living together and he is paying half the outgoings on your property, then yes he's entitled to have a room for his daughter who will be staying every other weekend. She's not a 'guest' so shouldn't be in the spare room. This is her home.

If you're not officially living together and you don't want to share your space with your partner's child, you need to tell him to move out and get a two-bed flat. That will probably end the relationship but that's your choice.

It doesn't sound like you actually want the kid in your life, just her dad.

This!

LoveWine123 · 10/02/2026 17:05

Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 16:47

I can only provide so much it is up to him to provide aswell , ok saying that you say that’s not welcoming enough for a night . When there are renovations that need doing in the house and he doesn’t pay anything towards it - you think that’s okay too? You think i should just roll over and give him everything he needs whilst I get nothing ?

You haven't actually said what you want to happen? Do you want him to contribute more, to pay for renovations, to not have his daughter there, to not live there at all? What do you actually want OP?

Tableforjoan · 10/02/2026 17:05

Oh poster. He is using you.

Open your eyes please. You are his walking wallet. His home his job his sex and his childcare. That’s all you.

You’re unhappy now imagine how much worse it’s going to get. Rather than get his own place and move slowly in your relationship his jumped form ex gf, to mummy, to new girlfriend.

It should’ve are or have applied to court. It should be him.

He was happy to coast along in his job with no home till you gave him everything on a plate. Stop helping him. Don’t let your family find his courses that he is not even interested in.

Once his got his feet in just a little further than he has, he will find a way to lose the job that won’t be his fault. Then you’ll feel even more stuck named in his court order as his child’s place to sleep. Then he will be a fully fledged cocklodger.

liamharha · 10/02/2026 17:09

Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 14:43

Yes, I do, but I don't think I should be the primary provider of accommodation for his daughter. I shouldn't be expected to give up a room in my house for her when she only stays every other weekend.

So you want him to to move out and you live separately?
If so just tell him that ,,he can either accept that arrangement or you can go your separate ways

Loobyloolovesandypandy · 10/02/2026 17:11

Curlywurly92 · 10/02/2026 15:57

he says hes not going to buy a house. So my house it is.

Hate to say it but you are a complete mug to be doing this. But then I think you know this. Are you frightened he will walk away if you tell him to get his own place?

HappyFace2025 · 10/02/2026 17:14

MammaBear1 · 10/02/2026 16:57

Then tell him to move out. I don’t understand why you don’t. You aren’t happy having to make proper adjustments for his daughter, you say he’s not contributing to the renovations needed and you describe it all as you rolling over.
The situation clearly isn’t for you so end it.

Not sure how many times pp have stated this but the OP is just putting her fingers in her ears.