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Relationships

Is it right for a married man to be texting another woman everyday, even if its all innocent and they are just friends. ??

123 replies

fruitandbarley · 14/02/2014 17:16

And if not, why not?

OP posts:
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JoinYourPlayfellows · 15/02/2014 09:02

She's someone he's met once and felt enough of a connection with to establish and escalate contact. That's not how friendships begin. That's how relationships begin.

Spot on.

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skyeskyeskye · 15/02/2014 11:56

OP - my personal experience - XH was texting his mate's wife all day every day, as soon as he left the house. Thousands of texts over a couple of months. He started to talk about her all the time, he became infatuated with her. He walked out on me with no warning. I didn't discover the texts until after he left though. When I confronted him he denied it, despite the phone bills proving otherwise.

His best mates marriage has since broken up and XH and his female "friend" are basically living together, although they are telling people that she is just lodging in the spare room Hmm.

She claimed that XH understood her like her own H didn't. XH claimed that they were just friends and she was supporting him because he was unhappy.

So sadly, in my experience, no, it is not right, can be very dangerous and in my case has led to the end of two marriages.

Your H appears to be open with you about the contact. That still doesn't make it ok though.

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Fairenuff · 15/02/2014 12:06

You know, if you don't stop this now, it will continue to bug you. His 'friendship' with this woman is already having a negative impact on your relationship.

I wouldn't allow another relationship to interfere with mine, no matter who that other person was, a male friend, his mother, his new female friend. The fact that it was impacting on my relationship would be enough for me to say it stops.

You do not have to allow yourself to be treated as second best. You are not second best. If he doesn't want you, fine, you can build your own life and eventually be with someone who loves and cherishes you and will protect that relationship and nurture it. Make him choose and see how important you are to him. Better to find out now than after months of heartache.

After a while, I bet he will say it was a silly infatuation and he is glad you saw sense and put a stop to it before he made a complete fool of himself.

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Suicidal5833 · 15/02/2014 12:11

I am a prolific texted I have a friend I've known since I was two I am deeply depressed as is he and he is signed off work sick we are both board so go through about 2000 texts to each other a month. We text everyday numerous times it's all very innocent just two lost souls who find it hard to get out of the house using each other for company.

However in your situation I would be dubious this is not a long term friend it's someone he has just met there are no extenuating circumstances and I wouldn't like it.

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fruitandbarley · 15/02/2014 12:51

Thanks everybody. Lots to think about.

OP posts:
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Takingbackmonday · 15/02/2014 14:58

I'm not married but in a LTR; I have a whatsapp group with male friends we talk daily plus some texts too, it's innocent. But these are old friends... In your situ I would not be happy

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nkf · 15/02/2014 15:09

It seems odd as he doesn't really know her. Like they are establishing a friendship via text. I don't know what it means and other people's experiences will be too varied to provide a benchmark. Do you feel you could tell him that it makes you feel anxious and uncomfortable?

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SirChenjin · 15/02/2014 15:21

You might want to head over to active where DrNick is currently pondering whether or not she IBU to think that men should ever be allowed to text women on the back of this thread

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nkf · 15/02/2014 15:39

I saw that thread. All very funny, but a bit mean on the back of this one.

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SirChenjin · 15/02/2014 15:41

Yep, agree

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fruitandbarley · 15/02/2014 15:56

Yeah saw that. Quite upset me since not what I posted. He texts women friends all the time, this was slightly different hence my post.

In fact to save them all heading over here taking the piss do you think mnhq would delete?

OP posts:
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JohnFarleysRuskin · 15/02/2014 16:01

I think it was aimed at another thread in particular.

Just ignore op.

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Timetoask · 15/02/2014 16:02

OP, just ignore that thread. It is completely childish and they obviously have not read your OP properly!
I don't think anybody is saying that it's is not ok for a man to have a female friend, but what you describe is not comparable to two longterm mates having a chat.

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hickorychicken · 15/02/2014 16:23

Nasty cliquey twunts tbh.

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Fairenuff · 15/02/2014 19:14

Nothing to do with your situation OP. They are just messing about but it's not funny when some of these 'friendships' turn into more. Ignore that and concentrate on what's really happening.

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perfectstorm · 16/02/2014 01:52

I don't think it's about this thread; there's another on AIBU where the OP's upset about a single text from a colleague which may or may not cross the line - impossible to know, as not enough info, but on the face of it I can't see any reason to mind that one. I wouldn't with DH, and in fact haven't.

Your situation is very different, and I don't think you are being in any way overanxious. I think it's appropriate vigilence, actually. He isn't boundarying your marriage properly, in context.

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badbaldingballerina123 · 16/02/2014 02:08

That threads been deleted , take no notice.

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Doratheexplorersboots · 16/02/2014 09:14

Perfectstorm put it well re: boundaries in marriage.

Personally for me, old friend = fine, new friend = alarm bells. There will be exceptions and its not a hard and fast rule. But I just think its on the dodgey side, sorry.

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SeptemberFlowers · 16/02/2014 10:08

I wouldn't be cool with it, you don't talk about your dc's all day to friends each and every day do you ? Hmm (Assuming this is what they said.)

I don't text anyone other than DH on a daily basis, and I would struggle to see why he would have to speak to another woman every day.

I trust mine too, however that would have me raising an eye brow.

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Jubilee7 · 19/09/2017 01:49

Here's the thing. Texting daily, especially throughout the day creates an emotional bond, and a can get out of hand (e.g., late night texting, a celebration of closeness), and an emotional dependency. I say it is a big no no for two people married to others.

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80sMum · 19/09/2017 02:35

All of my DH's friends are women! If he couldn't text or message them he would be cut off from his entire social network!

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80sMum · 19/09/2017 02:43

Gah! Just realised that this is a zombie thread!

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ShatnersWig · 19/09/2017 07:48

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