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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

Birthday....

249 replies

theendishere · 10/10/2012 07:26

I've been seeing someone for about 4 months. It's my birthday in a few weeks and a month or so ago he suggested going away to a nice hotel overnight near the date to celebrate it. Since he first mentioned it he's not said any more about it and he can't ne planning a surprise as i have to plan in advance and my son will be with me on the actual day, so he can't be planning it for then.
last night i mentioned by texr that my son would be away with his dad the weekend before my birthday plus another couple of days and it would be good to arranged to see eachother more (didn't mention bday at this point). His text in reply said he was going to watch his beloved team palying football on the saturday but would be good to do things the rest of the time (the sunday and monday morning are out as he'll have his kids then). So i appears that the hotel stay isn't happeneing! I'd really hoped i'd see him on the sat before my birthday, regardless of what we were doing. I send a text ust saying "footbal on my birthday weekend!!! I think i'll forgive you"x" he hasn't replied. Due to see him later but worried i shouldn't have sent the text or mentioned my birthday...

OP posts:
theendishere · 18/10/2012 09:41

It's good to hear some other views, thanks
Witht the birthday trip away it was more sepcific than an idle suggestion - hhe suggested it, asked if i'd like to go and could i attange to be away for a night. he said he'd get the hotel details, and at the point i told him how much i was looking forward to my birthday becuase of it. this was about 6 weeks ago and he's not mentioned it once since and my birthday is less than 2 weeks away. I can't see what i've done wrong with that - i didn't mention it as didn't to be seen to be asking for him to spend money on a hotel..

OP posts:
Lulabellarama · 18/10/2012 09:55

Having now read your other threads I want to reiterate my advice to end things.
You are not ready for a relationship. You are obsessing over this guy, who isn't giving you enough.
You need to be single for a while. Please.

RinderThrillerNight · 18/10/2012 10:29

I just don't understand. Why are you with this man? Why are you so desperate to add more stress to your life when you are already going through a stressful breakup with an abusive husband? Seriously, what is this man giving you other than stress? If it's just sex, get yourself a toy to help you out.

Give yourself time to heal from your marriage. Time to grow and rediscover yourself.

However, I just know that you will continue with this half relationship, desperate to keep this man. Because he is not as abusive as your ex. Yet. You will post other threads about him and the same people will bang their heads against the wall as they want to help you, but you refuse to help yourself.

You are 4 months into seeing this man. It should be the honeymoon period. He should be doing everything he can to push the boat out, impress you, want to be with you. Instead he is doing the absolute bare minimum and enjoying watch you run desperately after him. It shouldn't be this hard.

It's depressing actually.

swallowedAfly · 18/10/2012 10:43

it is depressing.

what about your kids in all this? surely you need to be focussed and happy and calm to be helping them through what must be a nightmare at home. surely you want to be sure you won't pick another abusive relationship and have worked on yourself to be sure you are healthy and in a strong place to go forward as their mother feeling confident you won't invite another abusive man into yours, and ultimately, their life?

if you can't do this for you then do it for them. frankly there is absolutely no way you are ready for a relationship and the choice of man you've made and the chaos that it is causing is just proof of that.

sorry to be so blunt but honestly in your situation i would focussed on my kids and addressing the damage done to me by an abusive marriage and the reasons i tolerated that abuse as long as i did. i wouldn't be chasing after some fuckwit in a kind of adolescent distraction mode - if i was i'd want someone to shake me and tell me to wake up.

theendishere · 18/10/2012 12:03

I know i shouldn't see him and know he's not really that into me - i guess he is a distraction from the horror of my home life. Fortunately my ds is still the happy little boy he's always been and stbx and i dont argue anymore and we split ou time at tthe weekend with him.

OP posts:
theendishere · 18/10/2012 12:03

oh hell, he's just text again asking if i want a chat....

OP posts:
RinderThrillerNight · 18/10/2012 12:17

But he's not a very good distraction is he? He's adding to your stress, not making it better.

I had a quick look at your posting history, after reading others' comments on this thread. I actually remember a couple of your threads from back in July about him and although I don't think I posted, I do remember thinking wtf are you with him.

I have also thought wtf is he with you. Given the brevity of your 'relationship', your expectations of what he should be doing (prioritising you over his children, etc) have been way too high. I am guessing he has stuck around for the sex.

Phone him, say it's not working for you and wish him a happy life.

Bet you won't though.

theendishere · 18/10/2012 19:07

He called anyway shortly after sending the text. All we did was talked about the divorce, negotiations etc and then some general chat. still no mention of my birthday or even a date to next meet up.
I texted ( i know i probably shouldnt have done) a coupe of hours after the call, saying i had lots of things planned with friends over the nxt couple of weeks and to let me know when/if he wants to meet. If he doesn't reply or is evasive, i've told myslef i will call him tomorow to end things. I hope i can go through with it....Will need all your help ladies!
He gives such mixed msgs, it's not helping me

OP posts:
HissyByName · 18/10/2012 19:24

The only one who ses his messages as mixed, is you.

The rest of us can see you're just convenient.

Stop blooming chasing him!

theendishere · 18/10/2012 19:34

I guess you might be right hissey. But then why would he text several times a day, call because he knows i'm stressed, buy the wine i like, worry about me, give me lifts, etc.
but then also also doesn't plan anything, hasn't mentioned my birthday , priortises football over me, and had "forgotten" about our hotel break

OP posts:
Twingirlsrock · 18/10/2012 20:11

Hi

Thought about whether to comment as I feel as though even commenting encourages the anxiety.

My advice is this (having been there). It's absolutely irrelevant whether what he is doing is right or wrong, whether you're interpreting him well or incorrectly. The truth of it is that whatever he is doing is not right for you; if it was, you wouldn't have all this stress.

When you think about a good relationship does it feel like this? No?

Even if he was the loveliest man in the world, trying his best, it doesn't sound right for you. That's the only truth that matters.

Make your peace with the situation. Walk away. Breathe deeply and shrug your shoulders and concentrate on yourself and your DS.

Work on yourself.

And when you're ready to be happy, you will have the chance to meet the right person and it will be straightforward.

I've been there. So it's honestly not meant patronisingly. All the best.

Bluefrogs · 18/10/2012 20:14

Because he's keeping you on a hook,he gets regular sex and you think you are getting a relationship.
Trust me any man that prioritises football over you will not change-if he wanted to take you away he would.
Stop wasting your time with him,let him go.

theendishere · 18/10/2012 20:32

Thanks. Maybe it's telling he's only had one long term relationship (1 yr) since splitting with his ex nearly 7 years ago. One was just a few dates and the other 2 werre for about 3 months and he didn't see them very often. The football and lack of free time due to kids was an issue with the 1 year gf too. he ended it as it sounded like she was getitng more demanding of his time

OP posts:
HissyByName · 18/10/2012 21:08

Ok, so you don't need to be mystic Meg to work out what will happen next then do you?

He's incapable of having a relationship, you're desperate not to be single, no matter what you have to put up with, so you hang on, demeaning yourself, waiting and waiting for him to really care.

He won't. He can't. It's not even about you anyway! He can't with anyone, so, for him, if he gets what he wants, no effort, no investment then he'll do the bare minimum to keep you hooked.

You on the other hand think that you'll implode if you're found to be single for 5 minutes, so will accept less and less not to be seen so.

It's not working, other women have come and gone over the years and he still hasn't got it.

If you demand anything of him, he'll dump you. So you will go along with it all.

End it, deal with your life/divorce and allow yourself some space to heal, grieve and comfort your DC who will be suffering too. This 'distraction' may be stealing from the DC life too.

You're trying to convince yourself that this non-functioning man is your knight in shining armour, when the only person that can save you is YOU!

My boyf is with me now 6m, we plan, we meet, we talk. He's not jealous, nor I of him. No need.

Please understand that until you're divorced/not living with your ex, you will not attract decent blokes. I've siad it before, abd it's beenrepeated by others.

Please stop panicking, please start managing your life. Please focus on your DC for now.

spookiesackhouse · 18/10/2012 21:34

OP, don't want to sound patronizing, I don't mean to be, but have you thought about some counselling?

Obsessing and over-analysing this much over a four month relationship isn't healthy.

Why not just totally back off and see what happens? Do your own stuff, concentrate on your dc and stop pinning so much on this man. He might come running. If he does, then set out your expectations, which should be way higher than they are now.

SoSweetAndSoCold · 18/10/2012 22:39

theend I have been where you are and come out of the other side as a happy single woman.

I won't bore you with details, but 20 year relationship, a year later had a 4 month fling with someone who was totally unsuitable, quite probably abusive and certainly brought me nothing but angst and drama for most of the 'relationship'. Yes I was upset when it ended, but god I am so relieved now and wonder what the hell I was thinking.

I completely understand how you almost get addicted to that drama to distract you from the horrible divorce process, and add into that all those endorphins sloshing about from the sex, it makes it difficult to make a sensible decision.

But you must know deep down that this is not going anywhere. He is not the answer to solve your unhappiness, he is just making it worse.

My advice would be to end this relationship, get yourself some good counselling, accept that you need to be single for a LONG time. Being single is NOT a bad thing I promise you. Yes you have ups and downs and you have a difficult road ahead, but you would have had this difficult road anyway. Divorce is hard. But I really think the only way to genuine recovery is doing it on your own first. Once you have really recovered your sense of self, you will be able to think about relationships again, from a better place with much higher expectations.

I am quite happy being single now, although the thought of it horrified me at first.

Oh, can I recommend 'You can heal your life' by Louise Hay. Available 2nd hand on ebay for a few quid. It really helped me, and I never thought I'd be a self help book person, but it made a huge difference.

Take care x

SoSweetAndSoCold · 18/10/2012 22:41

should be '20 year relationship ended in divorce'

theendishere · 19/10/2012 00:12

thanks - i will back off or ust end it.
It got worse this eve, he texted back when he was free, but only up to this tues, when i'd mentioned 2 weeks - so still not mention of my birthday, I asked if he was taking the piss only being able to plan to tues, and he said i was taking the piss for having been out with my ex!!! I replied to ask if it was a joke, if not wasn't sure why he was bothered as clearly not that interested. that was 2hours ago - he hasn't replied...

OP posts:
theendishere · 19/10/2012 08:14

Still nothing from him. Why do i feel this overwhelming urge to ask him to meet so we can talk about things/
His messages are so mixed - i don't know what to think

OP posts:
ErikNorseman · 19/10/2012 08:26

Honey he's being quite clear :(

swallowedAfly · 19/10/2012 08:26

offs!

do you read anything anyone says? what's the point of keeping on asking the same thing? are you thinking reality will magically change?

sorry but crikey OP - switch your brain on.

theendishere · 19/10/2012 08:31

Know you're right - just so sad about it. I mustn't contact him again must i :(
There is another guy interested in me, not for a long term relationship and i wouldn't want that with him, but he's good fun, open about his intentions doesn't have all the "issues" that this other man does

OP posts:
spookiesackhouse · 19/10/2012 08:40

Stay single for a while and get some counselling.

You sound pretty intense and this could totally work against you in developing future relationships.

You don't want to risk scaring a good guy off.

spookiesackhouse · 19/10/2012 08:45

Ps I don't think you're in the right frame of mind to handle a NSA fling. My advice would be to steer clear of man no2.

Get a new hobby instead. Spend time with friends and making new friends. Work on your self esteem.

bumhead · 19/10/2012 09:08

Op I'm wondering what it will take for this man to do before you realise that you and your birthday are not a priority for him. In fact now your birthday isn't something that he wants to celebrate in the slightest, if he ever did, it's just the elephant in the room.
Dump him.
Please.
I have had a relationship like this with football constantly being higher in the pecking order than me and oddly I put up with it 2 years before I finally snapped. Now I'm married to someone who puts me first.
Just get rid of him.
He doesn't want to spend his time with you but resents you spending your time with anyone else.
He is just not that into you.