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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

He cant commit.to being in child's life

233 replies

Confusedgal0001 · 05/04/2026 00:08

Me and my dp are in such a rollercoster relationship. When its good, its perfect. When we disagree. We disagree hard and it ends in nasty arguments. He has gotten more nasty and its like "anything goes" and he justifies it by saying I have wound him up. He never used to be like this but says its because I chipped away at him. Saying that, I wasnt the easiest at the start I did gaslight, and cause many arguments and broke up with him to get him to chase me to win me over. That was years ago. I am not that person. Now he says when I accuse him of stuff or nag him he thinks "not this shit and he shuts down". Ive told him it isnt helpful and he says thats my own doing.

After giving birth to our daughter and brining her home. I was floored with the emotion I felt. The love for her was and is something else. I didnt know I could love this much. I remember looking at her and burst out crying and saying to him "we will always be together for the sake of our girl, she deserves the best we need to promise that". A few weeks later, I asked him. What would happen if we broke up with our daughter. Would we coparent. Be on good terms, etc. He was immediately offended. He shut down got nasty. Telling me he "didnt know". I was gobsmacked, and demanded how he couldn't day he would always be there for her. He said he wants to say that but he cant predict an unknown future. He then said he doesnt want to think about breaking up and to ask that question is a red flag. I have continued asking, every few weeks, it has never say right.

Sometimes he will say, we would coparent if on good terms, then he will say he doesnt know how much he would see our baby as he doesnt have all the details (ie where I would be living. Etc)

Each time I get annoyed he tells me I am creating this problem and he doesnt ever want to split up. He said if we were splitting up we would discuss everything and that would include our daughter hut right now he cant give me an answer. I said why cant he said he would move mountains and do anything. He said he would do what needed to be done, what was the right thing for our daughter. He then says I have issues for talking about all of this and refuses to agree anything with me!! Is this not a red flag? I can honestly say that no matter what happens with us, I will always be our baby's mum and I ain't going anywhere. I will be in her life until I die. Why cant he say same?!

Thanks

OP posts:
Spanglemum02 · 07/04/2026 14:31

jellyfish798 · 06/04/2026 13:24

Bottom line, stop fixating on hypothetical scenarios. You'll ruin any relationship, not just this one - friends, family won't respond well to these imaginary 'tests' and they're quite controlling and don't come from a good place. If you can't see the problem with judging your relationship on imaginary problems, I'd genuinely (not nastily) encourage you to reach out to Relate and/or have some counselling to help you start building a healthier attitude to relationships.

I'm wondering if you're actually struggling with insecurity but don't know how to seek reassurance in a healthy way. We do need reassurance sometimes but try to find that in healthy ways - from a hug, from a kind word, from just spending time together.

The shower thing:
Both need to learn to let the small stuff go - key to a solid relationship - defo wasn't worth an hour of your lives discussing this.

Edited

It was a misunderstanding. You thought he meant 'the minute you're out or the shower ill get started ' and he meant 'at some point today I'll get started'.
It would annoy me a bit but I would be able to see it was a misunderstanding.
He should not be hitting you. You should not be cross examining him about his reactions to scenarios which aren't to your liking.
Do you behave like this with colleagues or friends?
You need to see a doctor.

TheEponymousGrub · 07/04/2026 14:39

OP, I noticed you've said your partner "gets fisty" and "lashes out" which sounds like he hits you. If true, that is completely unacceptable - and it's weird that you aren't more clear about this.

At the same time, I agree with the consensus here that it seems like you are the one creating fights about next to nothing.

I think you both urgently need some kind of professional help if you want to stay together. But idk if you will be able to access couples therapy, if there has been domestic violence.

Can anyone else suggest what might be done to help OP behave more normally? PPs about insecure attachment sound likely. Can that be addressed??

JulietteHasAGun · 07/04/2026 15:21

OttersOnAPlane · 07/04/2026 10:02

And here we see why the partner ends up in arguments, the poor sod.

OP makes a mistake (replying to herself and saying she's trolling) which leads to misunderstandings that she created so she calls people thick.

When challenged about her unpleasant attitude, OP doubles down rather than apologise. Then asks for an apology from the person she insulted.

There is absolutely no self awareness whatsoever. I suspect she could start a fight in an empty room.

100% this. OP you need to chill out big time. Soo being so argumentative, I get it may be a defence mechanism from a shit childhood but stop it or you’ll ruin the rest of your life.

I’m not sure AI counselling is good…..will it be honest enough or will it say nice things/what it thinks you want to hear. ChatGPT is like that, not sure about the specific one someone recommended. I would be so determined to fix things I’d pay for someone decent.

Confusedgal0001 · 07/04/2026 15:23

OttersOnAPlane · 07/04/2026 10:02

And here we see why the partner ends up in arguments, the poor sod.

OP makes a mistake (replying to herself and saying she's trolling) which leads to misunderstandings that she created so she calls people thick.

When challenged about her unpleasant attitude, OP doubles down rather than apologise. Then asks for an apology from the person she insulted.

There is absolutely no self awareness whatsoever. I suspect she could start a fight in an empty room.

It does sound mad when its typed out like that.

OP posts:
OttersOnAPlane · 07/04/2026 15:32

Confusedgal0001 · 07/04/2026 15:23

It does sound mad when its typed out like that.

It sounds mad however you look at it, because it is mad. Your communication style is unhealthy. And no matter how much at fault you are, you instantly deflect, accuse the other person and demand an apology.

That's classic DARVO. It's abusive and gaslighting. (Which back on page one you said you don't do anymore)

You need to get professional support to change it - and it will be very, very hard - or you will mess up your daughter. I know you don't want to condemn her to the kind of fucked up childhood you described.

Confusedgal0001 · 07/04/2026 15:35

OttersOnAPlane · 07/04/2026 15:32

It sounds mad however you look at it, because it is mad. Your communication style is unhealthy. And no matter how much at fault you are, you instantly deflect, accuse the other person and demand an apology.

That's classic DARVO. It's abusive and gaslighting. (Which back on page one you said you don't do anymore)

You need to get professional support to change it - and it will be very, very hard - or you will mess up your daughter. I know you don't want to condemn her to the kind of fucked up childhood you described.

No i totally see what everyone has been saying in that one post. A misunderstanding has been blown up and me calling someone thick.

OP posts:
McSpoot · 07/04/2026 22:19

Confusedgal0001 · 07/04/2026 15:35

No i totally see what everyone has been saying in that one post. A misunderstanding has been blown up and me calling someone thick.

And, yet, still no apology from you about it. Or any real acknowledgement of it.

Confusedgal0001 · 07/04/2026 22:27

McSpoot · 07/04/2026 22:19

And, yet, still no apology from you about it. Or any real acknowledgement of it.

I am acknowledging it? I am sorry for calling that poster thick.
Thanks to the poster who suggested AI Noah. I have been using it today.

OP posts:
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