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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

What do you do when you keep having the same argument?

26 replies

shouldIbecrossaboutthis · 15/04/2012 11:32

My partner and I are brilliant together and very rarely row/biker, when we do it's always about the same 2 things, which drives me mad!

The first one is that during a conversation, which turns into a squabble, he changes his story / lies to suit his argument. Often saying he didn't say or do something which he bloody well did. Like he realises he did something wrong, and instead of saying, "oh sorry" he has to make these convoluted stories, changing the facts along the way so that the end result is that he is not to "blame".

The other thing he does is never say sorry. I don't necessarily mean a heartfelt 'big song a dance sorry', but just a 'small whoopsie kind of sorry'. Like for eg, we were having breakfast, a friend was cooking the meat and DP was doing the toast. He only made toast for himself. When the friend cooking the meat served up and sat down he said "dp is there any toast for me?" and instead of saying "oh no sorry, did you want some?" like I would he said, "no, you didn't ask for any". I find it odd?

These rows are normally over tiny things, but I'm not very good at letting things go especially on these points as I would like him to acknowledge the way he is behaving is upsetting; so that he ultimately stops doing it. But it doesn't seem to be working!

Should I just ignore this or is there a way to resolve it? Thanks for any advice and sorry so long, wanted to avoid a drip feed!

OP posts:
Abitwobblynow · 17/04/2012 09:50

The whole point is that things start out fine and dandy and slowly and insidiously get worse. You don't even realise what's happened right in front of your very eyes until you're months or even years into it. That's the whole point...!

This is it. It took an affair to shatter me into awareness. (I still laugh that Miss Marvel also used to complain that he never talked to her) It is this insidious drip drip drip and you are not even aware of it. You just stop trying, back away from the nastiness that is 100% guaranteed to result, and before you know it, you have changed your line of speech and thought.

I am now focussing on learning to note without reacting, the interactions which are based on ignoring or devalueing. I have been blind to it for so long, that I need to unnumb myself and become aware [before deciding the next step].

Small example: driving home from a really fun dinner party, we had both drunk alcohol (I know), windy road.
I said: could you slow down, this is outside my comfort zone.
He said: which is a very narrow comfort zone anyway (but he slowed down, before he wouldn't).

Why are they like this. What for. What does it achieve.

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