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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

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:
FreddieMisaGREATshag · 19/05/2013 20:01

Leaving aside everything else. How can you possibly think this is a healthy relationship to model for your children?

Takingbackmonday · 19/05/2013 20:02

Genuinely,

LTB

HamsterDam · 19/05/2013 20:03

we might get an answer soon forum. same number for age and number of arguments i reckon

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 19/05/2013 20:03

There's really nothing on the TV tonight so this is a good diversion. Keep it coming OP..........

akaWisey · 19/05/2013 20:04

I would want miles and forever Grin hamster

I want to run to the shop and buy Wine and it's not even my relationship!

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 20:04

Argued everytime he's come over (apart from once) mostly started by me saying I know he just wants sex (trying to get him to admit or deny), I didn't say I was suicidal but I said I was feeling very emotional, it was an emergency and I couldn't be alone that night.

That was after he said he was tired after not having sleep for 36 hours, couldn't deal with anymore arguing and that if he came over, he'd have to finish it as he'd have felt forced into coming over when he felt unable to. Then I said all the stuff I mentioned above and he agreed to come "as a friend".

forumdonkey I'm 38. But yes, naïve, immature and all that.

OP posts:
forumdonkey · 19/05/2013 20:04

How can you say he's reliable when in your OP you said you spent half your relationship (2 weeks) planning a night out and bought air beds only for him to let you down? ??

Catmint · 19/05/2013 20:04

It is totally unacceptable for him to attempt to make you feel responsible for ' fixing' him, with all this 'I'm broken,' crap.

Either it is a line to manipulate you. Or he really thinks he is broken in which case he is responsible for seeking proper help. Being in a relationship is NEVER. Enough to make a sick person well.

I am so cross!

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 20:05

I don't know what LTB means.

OP posts:
akaWisey · 19/05/2013 20:06

I'm watching The Wedding Date and this thread. It's quite good.

FreddieMisaGREATshag · 19/05/2013 20:07

HE's been stringing you along a lot more than a month. You were in a weirdly dysfunctional relationship before, I remember your posts.

It means Leave The Bastard.

HamsterDam · 19/05/2013 20:10

you argue everytime he comes over. why are you bothering really? 1month in its supposed to be fun. ltb means leave the bastard. you should. just don't contact him sounds like you need more work on your self esteem and boundaries

forumdonkey · 19/05/2013 20:11

I know age gaps shouldn't come into it but he's 20 yrs your senior. He must be hung like a donkey or have the tongue of a thirsty alsation Shock Shock

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 19/05/2013 20:12

Did you post your old threads under your current name, OP? I really want to read the one about the teacher running away from you.

GetOrfMoiLand · 19/05/2013 20:12

I think you are best away from each other tbh. You seem to annoy each other a lot, then you are very demanding emotionally of each other, then you argue.

It is a waste of your time, a waste of his time and a crap relationship model for your kids.

Life is too short for this kind of crap. It sounds like the kind of relationship Billy Mitchell from Eastenders would have.

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 19/05/2013 20:15
FreddieMisaGREATshag · 19/05/2013 20:16

I have no ice cream. I have eaten every piece of junk in this house today. I've an awful report I should be doing.

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 20:17

forumdonkey yes, and that's what caused the argument.

This is how it went:

Thursday night he came round as usual, during the night I'd said we couldn't carry on and it was over, then obvs there was tension the following morning.

Friday morning he left at 5.30am for work, I texted him at 7.30 saying he needed to come over that night (when he doesn't finish martial arts until 10pm and he was at work again for 11am Saturday) to see me, or we wouldn't be able to go out on Saturday.
A lot of texts were exchanged with him saying he didn't want another argument and we should leave it until Saturday, so we could go out, he wouldn't stay over and it'd be more like a proper date. In the end, I promised it was the right thing to do and I wouldn't argue, be negative or anything like that, he agreed to come over.

At 7.30pm I text him saying if he was too tired after training at 10pm he didn't have to come over and it'd be ok, he replied with "don't do this!! what do you want me to do?? :(" and I said I did want to see him, had just been giving him the option.

At 10pm he turned up, half an hour later he asked if we were going to bed or he should go home, I told him I didn't mind either way so he said in that case he would go as he was tired, I then got annoyed and said I'd wanted him to stay, and he replied that he was confused and I had to start saying what I actually meant and showing some interest if I WAS interested.

We got on that night, argument forgotten, but only ended up with about 4 hours sleep in the end.

5pm on Saturday I text asking how he was, he said he was very tired as he hadn't had any sleep during the day due to being busy, I asked if he wanted to stay home that evening and he said he might have to...then I started on saying how annoyed I was as he'd broken a promise, he was apologising and I was saying he had to stick to it...etc. That exchange went on for a good couple of hours, and then I text him a bit later asking him to come over as a friend, as it was an emergency (I used that word because a few nights previously my ex had come round threatening me, but I hadn't told my partner til the next day..and he then said I shouldve told him because if I ever had an 'emergency' where I needed him, he'd drop everything and come over) and couldn't cope being on my own without the kids in the house.
He said he would come over but sleep on the sofa, I said ok and when he turned up, I asked him to share the bed with me...he said he couldn't because it wouldn't feel right with us having split up - because he'd said if I get him to come over that night it would be over, as he didn't feel fit enough to do it.

Then as I said, he ended up leaving because I kept asking him to share the bed, cuddle me etc.

So - despite the fact that whole thing is very toxic, fucked up etc, being totally detached from what you think about me, him and our 'relationship', in that particular incident I described above, who do you think was right and who was wrong?

OP posts:
HamsterDam · 19/05/2013 20:18

forum Grin

forumdonkey · 19/05/2013 20:18

gobbo - me too Wink

Any link to the mo farrah of the teaching world ?

FreddieMisaGREATshag · 19/05/2013 20:19

Jesus Christ.

Why on earth would you bother with this.

TheSecondComing · 19/05/2013 20:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 20:20

sorry spent too long typing again.

whoever said it; it wasn't a relationship before, though.

We got talking in school, this shit with the teacher was going on, with the teacher complaining to the Head that I was asking too much of him, this guy made an effort to talk to me every time he saw me and admitted from the start he was with the woman from Aus and had been planning to move there.

Yes I invited him to my house and he came over, but nothing happened. It didn't until after she had finished with him (which happened after he told her he was having doubts.

OP posts:
KatieScarlett2833 · 19/05/2013 20:21

You're behaving like a psycho over a toxic 50 something shagger Jannie?

Shock
confusedisitme · 19/05/2013 20:21

Can someone please read the long post up there about that silly incident and just answer who was in the wrong on that one? Then I have my answer.

OP posts: