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New partner needing 'time'

951 replies

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 15:54

I've recently started seeing someone - it's been under a month officially but we were very close before that for about 6 months.

He seems to come across as quite intense in his 'feelings' - always saying things like how he's broken, doesn't wan to lose me (said in that breathless, urgent way you'd imagine someone to say it in a cheesy american movie!) and the first week we were together he kept saying how strong his feelings were, felt like we'd been together a lot longer and all that stuff.

However, because he'd recently split up with someone and because of the fact I don't get on with a family member of his (I knew this family member before I knew him and we've never got along), he's been reluctant to tell anyone he's seeing me - he wanted to wait until the summer and then he felt like he'd be able to tell his close family members (including this person that hates me).
This caused issues between us, because I felt like we couldn't go out anywhere - he'd come and visit me at home, stay over etc and we have been out a few times out of town, but I want to just be able to go to the local restaurant or something in town and not worry that he'll be looking over his shoulder. He says I want everything 'now' and it's not possible...so because of this we argue - not full on rows, but niggly sort of things where usually one of us says we can't cope with it, and it's all up in the air again.

We were due to go out last night together, in town for a meal.

It'd been planned for 2 weeks, I had got my mum to have my three children overnight so we could go out (which meant me buying air beds and a travel cot so they could sleep at her house), and then Friday morning I had asked him to come over that night because we had been arguing and I wanted to try and fix us before I could go out with him the next night...eventually he agreed, we had a slight niggle but the rest of the night was fine, he said he couldn't lose me, the next morning he was very loving and we left on a good note - although he hadn't gone to sleep when I told him to that night, instead he kept trying it on for 90 minutes so we ended up only having about 4 hours' sleep :(

It got to 5pm on Saturday, the kids had already gone to my mum's and he text saying he was very tired, hadn't had a chance to sleep and would have to stay home - then didn't seem to understand why I was pissed off. I asked him to stick to the arrangements, he said he needed sleep and it spiralled into this massive argument and him refusing to even come over and see me, but stay in the house with me and not go out...which annoyed me further.

Eventually at 9pm he agreed to come over but sleep on the sofa, but said it would be finished for good if I "made him" come over...so he turned up, was very cold (I'd hoped I could win him round a bit but it didn't happen) and eventually left again after saying he couldn't handle this, and I should've let him stay at home.

He's now saying we need to "work on positive texts and see how we go" - we can't see each other now until the weekend after next as we both have commitments, so he wants me to basically just send him chatty, random texts through the next couple of weeks, effectively covering up how hurt I am and not talking about 'us' until he decides whether he misses me and wants to try again or not.

I understand that all this arguing has got him down; it has me too, but on Friday night he said he can't lose me with that sense of urgency and passion that made it seem like he loved me...then last night he said his feelings had significantly reduced over the past week or so and he wants to se if he can get them back - to me, I don't want to wait around to see if his feelings reappear; if they went in the first place (mine haven't, despite the arguing) then it feels like I'd be losing the self respect I still have left by taking him back if he decided he wanted to.

Does that make sense at all?

Apologies for the essay...I suppose I'm just wondering if he's being unreasonable in what he's asking of me now, or I am.

PS - he did text me last night saying that he can't see how he can be with me, but the thought of not being with me hurts him like crazy; and that he just needs a bit of space from the arguing, and just positive texting for a week or so, and see if it helps his feelings reappear.

OP posts:
forumdonkey · 19/05/2013 19:50

How old are you?

DontmindifIdo · 19/05/2013 19:50

oh my god, this is draining to read, it must be sooo exhausting to deal with this much drama in real life.

You've been dating for one month. A month, that's it, sod this level of drama after only a month!

Stay with him only if you love am dram every five minutes, I would put money on him being like this every other week. He told you he loves you after only a week? Big sign of a drama llama.

If you don't like dramatics, angst, always being in the state of high stress and/or having make up sex, never really knowing where you are up too, then walk away and tell him to come back when he's stopped being an oversized teenager.

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 19:50

We hadn't had sex at that point.

whoever asked - no that was my child's teacher who left the school recently.

This guy has no involvement with my children, aside from in his role as caretaker.

OP posts:
SgtTJCalhoun · 19/05/2013 19:51

I only hope that OFSTED have awareness of the shambles that is your dc's school and its staggeringly unprofessional staff roster.

forumdonkey · 19/05/2013 19:52

How's it going to be when you see him at school?

Will you be able to walk away without talking to him and do any of your friends know about your relationship?

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 19:53

You see, he said one of his exes was the type to create arguments just to have 'make up sex', he said that when he ended it, she tried that and then he sat on the floor by her bed all night, went home the next morning and didn't see her again.

If he was just after sex from me, why didn't he go anywhere near me last night? He came over after I'd said I missed the kids and felt near-suicidal, he said he would come but only sleeping on the sofa and when he turned up, stuck to his word - he slept on the sofa...or tried to. I kept talking, he wouldn't let me touch him, cuddle him or anything, then he left saying he needed space.

OP posts:
GetOrfMoiLand · 19/05/2013 19:54

But your kids do know him as you have said from odd jobs in their classes.

So he has gone from a caretaker who changes the light bulbs in their class to a man who stays over at their house within a pretty short period of time. I must be pretty unsettling for them, can you not see that?

I don't know why I am bothering with a sensible response, tbh.

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 19:54

forumdonkey

well I've seen him in school (in passing) while all this has been going on and we've said hello but that's it, I'm only in school one day a week for an hour with the toddler group, if he has any sense he will stay away during the group so it should be fine.

OP posts:
HamsterDam · 19/05/2013 19:54

its all excuses. unless you like arguing and drama what are either of you getting out of this 'relationship'.
how many arguments have you had in the last month??

forumdonkey · 19/05/2013 19:55

How old are you OP?

GetOrfMoiLand · 19/05/2013 19:55

why the bloody hell did he sit on the floor by her bed all night like that like a devoted Labrador?

akaWisey · 19/05/2013 19:56

Oh for goodness sake.

Stop this. Go and spend some time with your child.

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 19:56

GetOrf Yes I totally see your point. He runs the tuck shop at breaktime and so they've seen him in school since he came downstairs in the morning, and they've acted the same way they always do.

They haven't asked me when he'll be round again or even mentioned him at all, and it's been 2 weeks or so since that happened.

OP posts:
GetOrfMoiLand · 19/05/2013 19:56

I am afraid I cannot takte this seriously.

FreddieMisaGREATshag · 19/05/2013 19:56

Can't you see how utterly ridiculous all this is?

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 19:57

Children are in bed. It's 8pm on a Sunday night.

Getorf (again) he said it was too late and too far to go home, he was tired. I don't know, I don't know where she lives.

OP posts:
HamsterDam · 19/05/2013 19:57

how many arguments have you had in the last month??
did you tell him you were suicidal?? you sound unhinged i feel kind of sorry for your kids

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 19:57

Yes I can see that...but I'm just thinking that as I've acted like a prize prick, maybe that is the cause of all this and after a bit of space, if he's willing to talk things through and try and change the past then maybe we have a chance.

If not, then we don't and he was stringing me along.

OP posts:
forumdonkey · 19/05/2013 19:58

I did wonder if it was a troll but you couldn't make this upGrin Grin

GetOrfMoiLand · 19/05/2013 19:59

But why sit on the floor? By the bed? And why TELL you such things?

SgtTJCalhoun · 19/05/2013 20:00

"he runs the tuck shop"

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 20:00

Not a troll.

This guy is NOT like my ex.

He's dealing with things badly, but he makes an effort to be reliable, stick to the things he says, compliments me all the time...so I'm just reluctant to give that up and 'blame' him when his actions could be partly down to the way I've been acting.

I just wanted to give him/us a chance to fix things after having a break and then start dating, as we should have from the start.

OP posts:
forumdonkey · 19/05/2013 20:00

3rd time lucky - how old are you OP?

HamsterDam · 19/05/2013 20:00

to be honest i can see why he wants space and time away from you. i would want miles and forever.
not normal at all.
how many arguments have you had in the last month? did you tell him you were suicidal??

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 20:01

GetOrf it was during an argument, he'd said that if I'm the type to argue for the sake of trying to make up afterwards, he can't handle that. He then went on to say he'd been with someone like that before...and that's why he explained it all.

OP posts: