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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

Is our relationship doomed?

79 replies

Catrin80 · 12/05/2014 13:45

Hi, I posted a few days ago about my partner wanting me to leave his house, but stay together.

Brief recap; we have only been together for two months but had already talked about moving in together, which was his suggestion. He seemed really keen and planning the future, then I went to stay the weekend with my three children and we argued loads, due to stress on my part caused by other issues I was having to deal with at the time. He said it might be better not to move in together just yet, I agreed, and then my ex attacked me one night at home and when I told my partner as I was really shaken up, he said he would pick us up that night and we would live with him...but if he or I couldn't handle it at any point, I would have to make alternative arrangements.

Anyway.

We have argued a lot...well, bickered with a couple of massive rows thrown in, caused by me and where I said some awful, hurtful things that have stayed with him. He is worried I am using him for somewhere to stay (not true at all) but says he still loves me more than anything, wants to stay together but I need to get my own place so he can have his space, get used to the idea of living together and build our relationship.

We talked last night. We haven't argued for the past couple of days and now his teenage daughter has come to live with him too. She has a few issues and part of the reason for asking me to leave, was so he could dedicate attention to her.
I like his daughter, she copes well with my children and helps look after them (just little things like talking to them if they're playing up, that kind of thing) and I seem to be getting on okay with her. She's a great kid.

When we talked last night, he said "I wanted everything to be perfect but I'm just rubbish. All the feelings I had for you are still there just the same, but the stresses of life get to me and make me say the wrong things".
He also said this situation is hard for him...I've been a single parent for seven years so am used to it, but he isn't and just the constant noise, people around all the time (it's a relatively small house) is difficult for him to handle. He says that even talking to me without children screaming in the background all the time is hard and he wishes he could just do that one small thing.

I asked how he can see me as often as he used to, with my children and now his daughter (who only came to live with him last weekend).
He reckons he can still see me 3-4 times a week and still stay over at my house, but I don't think he can as I have issues with him leaving his 13 year old, home alone while he does those things. Especially overnight.
I asked if he ever saw us living together and he said maybe in 6 months once we have built our relationship more and gets used to the idea of living together with the children and the noise, etc.

But in my mind, he's had two weeks so far to get used to it, and is likely to have a few more weeks of it because I can't move out right away, and he said I can stay until I find somewhere else.

What do you think, do you think that he will ever get used to the noise and having so many people around in order to allow us to live together in the future, or has his experience with us here now ruined our future?

OP posts:
Jan45 · 13/05/2014 12:36

OP, that's good that the ball's now rolling.

You don't HAVE to live together you know to have a relationship. Yeah he might never want to live with your 3 kids, again, that's his prerogative, still doesn't mean yous can't date and see what happens in the future.

AnyFucker · 13/05/2014 12:36

Nobody is accusing you of "sponging" I don't think. They think you are trying to force a relationship that isn't there yet (and may never be)

littleballerina · 13/05/2014 12:44

So he wants you and not your children?
Did I read that right?

Catrin80 · 13/05/2014 13:38

Little ballerina - that's what I've been worrying about.

You see, he has been married twice - for about ten years and 5 years respectively, has his daughter with his first wife and then had an awful controlling relationship (her against him) last year. Then me.

At the beginning when he was trying to convince me to move in with him he was talking about taking my son to the bike park, birthday parties at the house, us sitting up with ill children all night and he was saying that he wanted that proper family that he had never really been a part of before (his first wife wasn't really a people person and is awful to her daughter, which is why she's living with her dad now).

Now he has experienced it and instead of sticking with it and trying to make it work, IMO, he is just telling me he needs us to build our relationship more, that we should've waited and looked for our own house together first, etc.

I don't know. I'm confused, but I am trying my best to move out as soon as I can.

Just not sure whether to continue the relationship. What do you think?

OP posts:
littleballerina · 13/05/2014 13:48

I'd say he's right in wanting to work on your relationship and get to know each other better (all of you, dc included) and in wanting to wait but.....if I suspected that a man wanted me and that my dc were going to be an issue in that relationship I'm not sure I could do it.

But saying that maybe the time and space he needs will help that?

Catrin80 · 13/05/2014 13:51

Well, I suppose I will find out, he is adamant that he doesn't want to end the relationship once I move out...I guess only time will tell.

OP posts:
Maisie0 · 13/05/2014 13:59

Catrin80 I have to say, I responded more directly on your other thread. To me, I know all about singleton life. It sounds like he is trying to please you without realising exactly how to achieve that realistically. I would take a big step back, and see what he does for himself instead. Why do you want to be with somebody who is not after the whole package too ?

EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 13/05/2014 14:34

Catrin
can't you see what's going on here? He is still grieving the family he never had or the one he lost and got carried away with the romantic idea that you and yours could meet that need. It's not real. His fantasy of bike rides was just an illusion, an idea that you both clung to but not real. He doesn't know your kids, he has no commitment to them, he is not their step father. The relationship you all have is shallow and based on fantasy. It's a terrible shame you have allowed yourself to be seduced by this fantasy because your children will be hurt by it, but you have to open your eyes and see what's going on.
You don't offer yourself as a step father to children you barely know, it's terribly immature and unreasonable, and betrays how far from ready for that responsibility he really is. You also don't, as a mother, latch on to the first man who comes along offering to co-parent your children.

NickiFury · 13/05/2014 14:45

It's not about not wanting your kids, it's about not being prepared for the reality of living with three young dc all of a sudden. How can he know if he wants your kids, he hasn't had a chance to build a relationship with them, it's only been 8 weeks!

As hard as you might try to make it about him being an arse he just isn't, he's seen the reality, he doesn't like it and has been completely up front. Far better this way than him putting up with your dc just to have you around, kids sense when they are unwanted, they really do.

Glad out are making definite plans and arrangements to move out.

BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 13/05/2014 14:55

"he said he would pick us up that night and we would live with him...but if he or I couldn't handle it at any point, I would have to make alternative arrangements."

He was totally honest with you right from the very beginning, so he's not attempted to change the goal-posts on you. Everything he appears to have done has been honest, decent and fair.

You, in turn, have to be honest, decent and fair to him. If your relationship succeeds once you have lived apart then it was meant to be.

One thing in your previous post stood out to me as very unfair was to even think about not contributing to the food-bill so you can save up to go by letting him charge that expense to a credit-card. That's a step too far in my book and potentially extremely selfish. Why would a man, who is barely more than a stranger, go into debt to feed you and your kids? That's crazy talk!

LineRunner · 13/05/2014 16:02

Catrin I think the timing of your relationship with him needs thinking about, too. You say he was still with his 2nd wife 'last year', but that you began your online connection with him ten months before you met. Has he really had a chance to move on?

Catrin80 · 13/05/2014 16:12

No he wasn't with his 2nd wife last year.

That marriage ended three years ago, he was seeing someone last year that he said he wasn't interested in really, but she just showed an interest in him and she had been the only person doing that since he split with his second wife. She turned out to be manipulative, threatening suicide anytime he tried to finish with her and she even overdosed at one point.

Bitter - no, I have been paying for food since I got here. I told him how much I can save and he said "let me pay for food and stuff. Can't you see I'm trying to help?".

OP posts:
julie009 · 13/05/2014 18:16

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

IWillIfHeWill · 13/05/2014 18:32

Nobody is accusing you of "sponging" I don't think
Sadly, that's how it looks to me. Blatant, manipulative, aggressive sponging. She's in his house with her children. He doesn't want her there. She won't leave.
I'd be sending for the police.

Quitelikely · 13/05/2014 18:52

Your homeless application will go through fairly swiftly given the fact that you vacated your last property due to domestic violence (why was your ex attacking you if you have been separated 7 years? Also how old are your children?)

Also I'm guessing that the benefits you receive for three children and yourself are quite substantial now you have no bills to pay. Maybe £250-£300pw?? So I'm thinking you ought to be telling the government about your co-habitation.

I think it is entirely possible that you can meet someone and believe that they are the one within a short time frame. However I am concerned about your childrens welfare. I'm assuming the police were called over the recent attack at your last home in which case a referral to SS would have been made? Have you heard anything from them?

I know you feel threatened because he has said he can't handle the children right now but come on......you know how much hard work 3 kids can be....,,..you can hardly blame him for underestimating the situation.

Your homelessness and your children are your situation, not his. Try to take some responsibility here. Good luck with it

Catrin80 · 13/05/2014 19:01

I work for a living, but thanks for assuming I am on benefits due to being a single parent :/

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 13/05/2014 19:08

Catrin, I think you are being quite silly over this bloke but I don't think you deserve the judgement that some latter posters are giving you

AnyFucker · 13/05/2014 19:08

and ignore julie, she needs her bumps feeling Smile

atos35 · 13/05/2014 19:56

I think he's being very honest and straight forward. Me and my dp lived seperately for 5 years when we first got together, we just found it easier that way when our kids were small (we each have a child from a previous relationship). Neither of us felt ready to force a step family thing on the children while they were small so we waited until the kids were 7 and 8. By then both kids knew each parents partner really well and had developed a good bond with them. We have now all lived together for 4 years and we have a dc together now and couldn't be happier. So I guess what I'm trying to say is just because he is having reservations about living together now doesn't mean he doesn't love you or isn't committed. I think he's made a very sensible decision and if it's meant to be then you can wait a little longer before making that comittment.

Caucasus · 13/05/2014 20:05

As others have said, 2 months is way to quick to integrate into a family - he needs time to get to know your children.

If his daughter is well behaved and gets on with your kids, can't she just come with him when he comes to visit you?

Charley50 · 13/05/2014 20:08

Where is all your stuff? What's happened to your previous home and I don't really get that you moved out cuz an ec who you split up with 7 years ago attacked you? Was he still living with you? Sorry I'm mainly just being nosey but the suddeness of your move is baffling me.

BobPatandIgglePiggle · 13/05/2014 20:13

8 weeks? Too soon to have even met the kids imho

You're rushing into the mundane bit of living together, bickering etc when you should be enjoying the exciting first dates bit of a fledgling relationship (although I honestly don't think it's a full on relationship worthy of the partner reference this early)

EverythingCounts · 13/05/2014 20:22

The best way of making this a possibly viable relationship further on is to back off now. I think his suggestion sounds perfectly sensible. Get to know one another without living together, even if that means you can only see each other once a week or whatever, and things will go a lot more smoothly. Caucasus makes a good suggestion above - perhaps on Saturdays his DD could stay over at yours or your DC at his and that way they all get time together without too much pressure too soon.

You are saying, effectively, that the kids will always be hyper etc so if he's ever going to deal with it, he has to be prepared to do so now. That doesn't give you two any space to build your relationship and your love for each other. The initial connection needs time to deepen if the relationship is to be solid. It's like saying 'Well, this motorway bridge will need to be able to carry a whole load of articulated lorries when it's finished, so why don't we build half of it and then just start sending the traffic across?'

LineRunner · 14/05/2014 05:17

I think that's a very good metaphor!

MrsTerryPratchett · 14/05/2014 05:33

At two months in you should be checking out each others moles and sending stupid texts. Arguing, getting involved with each others kids, moving in, it's all far too much too soon.

What would you have done without him being there to move in with? Do that, and maybe a relationship is possible.

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