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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

Staying in marriage for son doing GCSEs

32 replies

Novida · 06/09/2014 10:03

I am in a predicament that has evolved over a period of three years or so. I read some clearly flirtatious texts between my husband and a customer of his by complete accident a year ago. I was stunned as he had been going through an extremely difficult time because of an accident he had been involved in. Not physical injury to him but it affected him badly. We had come through the worst and were re-building ourselves and he was coming out of the depression I think he was in. He would never seek help for this however much he was coaxed by his family and I. He thought it a sign of weakness.
I confronted him with the text discovery and he was very apologetic. Claimed it was nothing more than stupid flirtation and said he would stop it immediately. We talked it through, he couldn't give an explanation as to what had made him think it was ok to text the woman. She lives very close to us and although I don't know her, I know of her as my husband has worked for her from time to time. I took the decision to believe and trust him-he was in bits at my initial reaction as I made him leave the house for three days I was so angry. admittedly I had to dig deep to do move on, but I tried to see it from his view point. I have never brought it up again and I think he believes we have moved on....
The reality is, I have not. When this incident happened I switched off and have never switched back on towards him. I am going through the motions as a mum and wife in every way and must be doing a good job as he is oblivious to me being any different.
However, it is becoming more and more difficult and I am finding more and more things about him that I don't like. Our son is now in GCSE final year and I have this goal in my head of getting him through to June and then just letting it all out.
Two things stop me from telling DH how I am feeling. I honestly believe if I do I will not be able to stop it coming out and there is a lot of 'stuff' from the last few years I feel I have had to tolerate as a result of his depression. I honestly believe we will end up splitting. I don't want this to happen when my son is in this really important year of school. We are in the middle of a big property renovation. If I tell him now and I say I can't go on any longer how can I expect him to finish off the house? I can't ask him to do that.
As you can see I am in a complete muddle about the whole situation.
I am not afraid of going it alone. Have a good well-paid job and great friends and family. I have only fessed up my feelings to one friend who is being very supportive.
Any advice welcome mumsnetters!! New to this but have lurked and realise I will get both sides. Believe me, I have been supportive beyond belief of DH and feel my support supply has run dry.

OP posts:
Novida · 07/09/2014 07:59

Lotsofcheese and Starlight - thank you for the suggestion- I think counselling for me is a good idea.

OP posts:
Novida · 07/09/2014 08:07

Littlemiss- thank you for your perspective. I have mentioned above that my husband is inclined to go in o a depressive state when stressed. Having the talk and living with the situation now, putting on a united front for DS is not something he could pull off. I would be surprised if DS is aware as we talk a lot, he has always raised concerns about things that bother him and this has never come up.

OP posts:
JeanSeberg · 07/09/2014 08:19

GCSEs are months away. Are you sure you're not using your son as an excuse to postpone the split? You'll be surprised when you tell him how much he probably already knows.

kaykayblue · 07/09/2014 13:07

I think you need to have a definite deadline - waiting until after gcse's sounds reasonable, as it isn't years away. But when that time comes, you need to actually do it, and not think "oh well maybe the A levels...etc" because you waste your entire life doing that.

To be honest, I don't think the reasons why you are feeling like this are particularly important. You are clearly incredibly unhappy in your relationship, and have been for a long time. That's all the reason you need to want to separate.

LittleMissRayofHope · 07/09/2014 13:14

I'm not suggesting you get your husband to put on a united front at all. But split and just keep any arguments/aggression to a minimum during hours DS is around.

If your husband is prone to depression then this is something your son already knows and will have developed a coping mechanism for.

Despite how often or in depth you speak with DS, do you actually expect a teenage boy to question his mother as to the extent of her marital happiness? Very very unlikely. He probably is aware it's not all rosy but how on earth could he ever bring up that subject?
I couldn't have back then. And now at 29 if I was in the same situation I doubt i would find it much easier to start that kind of discussion with my parents.

Good luck with your desicion. But I agree with others: GCSE's followed by A levels followed by uni.... Could be a long haul on top of the time you've already spent

sunnydayeveryday · 05/11/2019 21:08

I know this post is YEARS old... but Novida, what ending up happening?

Palontino · 05/11/2019 21:57

ZOMBIE THREAD ALERT

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