Hilary you have not got the point of the thread at all. Many if not most of us have been in relationships where we have been ground down, put down, been treated like crap, had our confidence totally eroded, emotionally or physically abused and as a result one way or another relief on our exs to do a lot even of it was putting up flat packed furniture which by the way I still cannot do as instructions totally confuse me, which funnily enough my useless at everything else ex was brilliant at.
So if we want to pat ourselves on the back we will. Perhaps you are secretly envious, because you cannot do many things on our list yourself...
As for me, you try my life, bringing up four dc on your own after my ex (father to youngest two) has now disappeared. He was mentally and physically abusive, stole from me, pinned me up against a wall when I was pregnant, was horrible to the kids, destroyed my stuff and my doors, made me lose my job.
I am having horrendous problems with my 13 year old ds who has ADHD and poss asd, I have very little family and friend support, and I'm just knackered and depressed.
But I'm surviving. I've found the confidence to go back to college. I can do minor repairs to my house, I'm learning to manage my money by myself as abusive ex deliberately kept me short and told me constantly that I couldn't be trusted with money because I was a woman. I drive a car which I sort out myself.
So forgive me for feeling pleased with myself yeah?