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Divorce/separation

Here you'll find divorce help and support from other Mners. For legal advice, you may find Advice Now guides useful.

How to cope with new woman

9 replies

Grounded03 · 15/11/2025 13:55

Hi all

i have been separated 2.5 years after a 20 year relationship. Divorce still going on. Two kids. He moved on with the woman I had suspicions about (who of course was ‘just a friend). She has now been introduced to the children and is suddenly in their lives every weekend. I saw her the other day by chance and she looked awkward and avoided eye contact.

I know it’s been a long time but I am finding it so hard to have this woman in my children’s life and for it all to have worked out for them while I am holding down most of the childcare, the house , all of their emotions, managing finances on my own. Feeling a bit shit and sorry for myself. Meanwhile he is living it up in a bachelor pad, a girlfriend without her own children who is suddenly being inserted in. Christmas is coming up and I just feel miserable about all.

When does this part get easier? I can’t ever imagine being able to talk to this woman or feel neutral about her.

OP posts:
Disturbia81 · 15/11/2025 13:57

You concentrate on your own happiness instead of focusing on them. Do things that make you happy, meet new people.

financialcareerstuff · 15/11/2025 17:19

OP, I’m sorry this is hard but two and a half years is a long time and you must focus on yourself rather than them. I say this with care, having been through the same thing. They are still together, now with two new half siblings for my DC, and my DC have no idea of the history. (In my case a confirmed affair and she was much much younger).

a few quick thoughts- don’t assume everything is happy or better for them or will stay that way in the long term. They will be living with the lack of trust, with the hit of reality after the affair buzz, and she will almost certainly want her own kids, meaning he will be back to screaming nappy changing phase while you are hopefully gaining your freedom.

but more importantly, you need to release your emotions - grieve, accept, rant and rage if you need to, so you can move on. The fact that you are still feeling this after two and an half years is understandable, but suggests you are a bit stuck, with unreleased emotion that you are holding in. Write if all down, read it and honour then burn it…. Or rant and punch some cushions….whatever you need to. accept every feeling as legitimate. The anger, self pity, injury to self esteem, all of it…. It is all ok, but you have to accept and feel it in order for it to flow out and release you.

And then focus on yourself- your wellbeing, getting to know yourself, embracing the positives and potential of your new life. I know this is hard when you are managing most of the care and responsibility, but you get to build your own home now, how you like. You got rid of a loser. Now you get to carve your future with your kids. You have a blank canvas to draw on. What do you want to draw? Discover yourself anew. Thus can be anything from working out what colours you want to paint a wall to trying tango dancing, to just enjoying and noticing the love and peace you can share with your kids in the evening.

and her? She is not comfortable- she looks away…. Good. Let her. You are the one who has your principles. And you have nothing to apologise for or feel bad about. There is no need for you to look away. Let her be the one who feels uncomfortable. Take your space. Hold your head up high.

sending hugs.

Zempy · 15/11/2025 17:47

Is she nice to your DC? To be honest that’s all I would care about. Having had to deal with the fallout when XH new GF was horrible to one of my DC consistently, I can promise you it’s much better if they are all happy together. 💐

MrsPrendergast · 15/11/2025 17:50

Why isn't ex doing childcare and helping with finances?

rasnnz · 15/11/2025 22:37

What a nasty dirty pair they are. That said, you will have to try to file this dishonest pair away in your head and focus on yourself and your kids. He’s done this, it can’t be reversed. The only thing that you can impact is the present and future. Sorry this happened. It’s horrible.

Tomatocutwithazigzagedge · 15/11/2025 22:51

Zempy · 15/11/2025 17:47

Is she nice to your DC? To be honest that’s all I would care about. Having had to deal with the fallout when XH new GF was horrible to one of my DC consistently, I can promise you it’s much better if they are all happy together. 💐

That's honestly how I got through the situation with my ex and his new partner. She spent a lot of time with my DS and was very kind to him.

My ex was always painting me as the unhinged ex-wife and once, after baking cupcakes with her my DS came home and said that he wanted to bring some home for me, but his dad's gf said that perhaps it would make me annoyed. Mainly because of the way I'd been painted to her, no doubt.

I told DS that I was happy that she spent time with him, and it was great that another person in the world cared for him. That made my son feel better, and also quashed my exes bullshit.

If you can OP, I would try to be the bigger person if I saw her alone, stride over, stick my hand out and introduce yourself as DCs mother as she's going to be spending time with your children. Take control of the situation and the narrative, rather than your ex.

It's not easy, and my exes gf wasn't the OW in my situation, but taking rational action puts you in the better position.

Grounded03 · 16/11/2025 13:24

Thanks for your replies , everyone. I think it all feels very raw because she was only introduced to the kids a couple of weeks ago. And now is suddenly on the scene every weekend. She is more or less past the age to have kids so I don’t think that will be on the cards for them.

I have been feeling much better generally , this has just hit me hard as I think I was hoping they would fizzle out. I know I will feel differently if/when I am ever in a relationship again. Perhaps it’s more about that.

OP posts:
Grounded03 · 16/11/2025 13:25

MrsPrendergast · 15/11/2025 17:50

Why isn't ex doing childcare and helping with finances?

He is, it’s just hard making ends meet in a single parent household so I constantly feel that stress.

OP posts:
MrsPrendergast · 16/11/2025 14:45

Grounded03 · 16/11/2025 13:25

He is, it’s just hard making ends meet in a single parent household so I constantly feel that stress.

Are you claiming all the benefits that you can get?

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