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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

Being married to a 12 year old.....

230 replies

Pinkpeter · 31/05/2015 11:17

Regular but name changed.

This is my second marriage. First was short and I'll advised, no kids. His second marriage too. He has three kids from previous marriage and a relationship before marriage. We have two kids together, 8 and 5.
I am generally quite unhappy. I am very conscious that I don't want another failed marriage but conscious that we have done marriage guidance twice but we still keep on having issues.

His good points: he works hard at work, does overtime, very involved with his other kids and fought for all the contact he has, which is standard now, every other weekend and half the hols. Lots of issues there, but they would be deal able with if we got on better. Lots of the issues there were probably caused by our very argumentative marriage and how he treats me in front of the kids.
He takes the kids out, parks etc, he pays all the bills, apart from food and clothes, shoes, birthdays etc, I pay all those. He moans I don't pay enough but I earn less than a quarter than him.
He used to be funny, kind, loving and pull his weight and be clean.
Bad points: he often shouts at the kids in a very aggressive manner. He can't cope when they are running around just being kids, he has a hobby that dominates a lot of his time and keeps him glued to the PC. He is often unkind, shouty, and makes jokes at my expense . If I do this back, he can't deal with it but thinks as long as he finds something it is ok to hurt my feelings or take the piss out of me.
He has put on a lot of weight and often smells, so much the living room stinks. If I say nicely, please can you have a bath, he makes such a fuss and is offended. He belches constantly, big loud belching, I mean, several every minute. I have asked him to stop but he just ignores me. His default reply to anything I say or ask is in a nasty tone or sarcastic. He speaks to me like dirt a lot of the time, even first thing in the morning when I can't have done anything to upset him. If I do upset him, he can sulk for days and won't speak. Then when he is ready, he can't discuss anything and I am expected to just get on and forget about it and never discuss anything. A big bad point...he never accepts he has done anything wrong. He always has a reason, an excuse, but he never accepts responsibility for anything. The house often has a bad atmosphere when he is around. He shouts at the kids, is unnecessarily mean to them, will not implement any discipline techniques, just shouting. They are not bad kids at all, quite well behaved but naughty sometimes, like all kids.
This morning I couldn't understand why the milk had been decanted into a glass in the fridge. I am never allowed to sleep past 8am or he will come into my bedroom, (we sleep apart as he snores and twitches terribly, plus sometimes he smells) . I ask him why and he said I didn't need to know. Very hypocritical as I have to answer any question he asks me. I then find out he took the bottle to the bedroom so he could wee in at night! And when I ask why, he says so he doesn't wake up our son !!!
I am utterly disgusted with this. He goes to the loo often in the night and I have said he should go to the doctors but he refuses. I just can't believe how disgusting this is and how he thinks it is acceptable behaviour. I already have to deal with his 12 year old sense of humour, typical tits, arse, fanny jokes.
I don't know what to do or what I want to happen. As he never takes responsibility , he never admits anything is his fault. I don't want to break up our family , I want him to just grow up and act like a man. I don't want to be married to a 12 year old, as I tell him frequently. I want adult conversation, he seems incapable of it at home, but can at work. He just gets home, and turns into a 12 year old. He has a responsible job, think accountant etc.

any suggestions cos I don't want to break up our family.

OP posts:
saythatagain · 31/05/2015 23:15

He has no feeling for you or your children; only himself.
I suspect he really believes it when he says you must love him so much, and that is what makes him so very, very dangerous.
He is not wired properly....me, me, me.
There is not one thing you have written that gives him an ounce of credence.
I have been on here long enough and read enough to know that you and the children need to remove yourselves from this situation.
I have to tell you that, what you're telling us, makes for chilling reading.
I don't wish to sound melodramatic; I'm telling you how I, as a normal functioning human being, am reading this.

StEdmundsPippins · 31/05/2015 23:20

PinkPeter
Please, please listen to what all the pp's have said, it is all oh so true.

Many years ago, my exh would be 'nice' to me after verbally/physically/emotionally abusing me. Then he stopped being nice, and stopped apologising too.

Shortly after that he strangled me to unconciousness, and left me alone until I woke up. He then made me put on a scarf to hide the bruises, and forced me to visit my parents...with him.....all the time daring me with sideways looks to tell them what he'd done...I was too scared to.

Then two weeks later, after not having a meal ready for his specified time, he stabbed me. I was holding our baby at the time, and he just missed his head, but pinned me to the door through my shoulder with the blade.

He will escalate....he is showing you know who he is, and what he will do.... and yes, he will do it, and you'll not see it coming.

I escaped, and eventually built a fabulous life for myself and my child. Please make sure you are around, alive and well to do the same for you and your Dc's. Flowers

championnibbler · 31/05/2015 23:23

call it a day.
life is far too short for this misery.
just end it.

Starlightbright1 · 31/05/2015 23:29

Sorry I have only read first page realised there is 7 and just off to bed..Can I just say I worked really hard at my marriage and the one thing I realised after I left. You can work as hard as you want but if only one is trying it is unlikely to work.

good luck

badbaldingballerina123 · 31/05/2015 23:42

Op if you don't get out of this you'll be watching your children play this out in 20 years. He sounds highly narcissistic.

sleeponeday · 31/05/2015 23:48

He's not 12, lovely. He's a psychopath.

You aren't sure if he will damage your kids? Your 3 year old walked in on him threatening to strangle you for no reason and he calls your daughter a drama queen. There is almost constant low level nastiness and bullying. And We went on holiday and it was nice. He only kicked off once. Oh my Lord. Nice is his only kicking off once? Most people's nice does not involve anyone kicking off at all.

Mumoftwoyoungkids · 01/06/2015 01:56

One thing that rather freaks me out when I see my parents or my in laws - I can see bits of me and dh's marriage in each of their marriages. Luckily both marriages are pretty good. But it doesn't stop me finding it a bit weird to hear my in laws having a discussion about buying a new telly almost word for word the same as one me and dh have had or realising that my mum reacts to my dad being late home from work just like I do.

We learn to be husbands and wives from our parents.

yearofthegoat · 01/06/2015 05:04

It has already gone on for over six years. How many more are you going to waste?

Please start looking at the practicalities. It will seem daunting to sort out a new life but take small steps. Speak to a solicitor first. If you don't know what to say, let them read this thread.

phoenixrose314 · 01/06/2015 05:50

If you're wavering between leaving or staying, let me remind you that your children look to their parents to see what love looks like. They are making maps in their minds for their future relationships, and it's your job to make sure that they are creating a path to safe, happy, loving relationships.

I really think it's best to break things off. He sounds as though he's a better part time dad than a full time dad. Sending you lots of strength Flowers

LadyBlaBlah · 01/06/2015 10:29

He sounds very much like my ex-h. (although he didn't smell)

I think you are in total denial of what you are married to. This is a totally normal defence mechanism - to protect you from the emotional bomb that will go off when you accept what your life actually is. It is understandable but you do have to have the courage to accept the reality.

  1. He is simply not a nice person.
  1. No talking to him will change him for any acceptable length of time.
  1. Your children are getting dangerous and harmful messages because of him and the marriage and this may impact them for their entire lives.
  1. You are unhappy
  1. He doesn't love you because he has no ability to love.
snowydrops · 01/06/2015 10:52

Wow I've just caught up with this. Thanks for explaining the 'hands around neck' incident. Major alarm bells there! I had totally mis understood that but it is seriously worrying, I think I would have left and I think you should get out.as so many have said he sounds like he has some sort of personality disorder and I would never feel relaxed living around him. What sort of life is that.

popalot · 01/06/2015 11:05

Ugh, he sounds nasty and vile. No need to waste your life with someone like this. You have already said he is not going to change. Let him wallow in his own filth and get yourself and the children out of there. A good man would never:

  1. belittle you with tits, arse and fanny jokes. These are women hating jokes designed to upset you.
  2. put a single finger on you in an aggressive way, let alone around your neck as if you are nothing and he could extinguish you when he wants.
  3. sit around belching and stinking like an antisocial jabba.
  4. frighten or belittle your children

If you don't care about how he treats you, think about how your children are learning to either accept women hating behaviour or be a woman hater.

Pinkpeter · 01/06/2015 11:29

Thank you for all your posts. I am taking them all in. I think i have become desensitised to it all and accept this as normal...

OP posts:
LoisPuddingLane · 01/06/2015 11:55

I also think your children are being damaged. I'm afraid I've banged on about this before but if you are a child growing up in what is essentially a small scale war zone, you get damaged. I'm evidence of that. Forty years on, I still hear and see the shit I lived in as a child. My mother tried taking me away but there was nowhere to go back then. It was just before womens' refuges started. And she had absolutely no idea how to look after herself in the outside world. So we went back. It was horrible. And it damages you.

Get those kids out.

Manic3mum · 01/06/2015 12:04

I cannot believe guys like this exist - and women are there putting up with it! Very naive of me I know, but still I am Shock at it.
Please leave, and know that you deserve to be treated a whole lot better than this, as do your children.
Good luck Flowers

a2011x · 01/06/2015 12:11

He sounds disgusting

LoisPuddingLane · 01/06/2015 12:14

Also (more banging on, I'm afraid), I've seen my father sort of replicated in my brothers. They think they haven't been affected by any of it and are just fine. They are not. This kind of shit drips down through the generations. In 25 years your son will be shouting at his son "You spoil everything!".

DreamyParentoid · 01/06/2015 12:20

I send you so much love. I know what this is like. I am having a very similar situation except my DH does wash and has a lean stomach, but consequently thinks I should be size 10 maximum.

This is so tough.

I can only really send you love and support and wish you really good luck, good friends, and a clear vision of how you want your life to be once you get through all of this!

Cocosnapper · 01/06/2015 12:42

There are some amazing stories on this thread, told by courageous women. But PLEASE don't be tempted to minimalise by thinking "well, he's never stabbed me, or actually hit me, and he did bring me a drink, so therefore he's ok and I'll stay."

You cannot change his behaviour. You can't. But you can change how you react to it. You're an adult, it's up to you if you can tolerate poor hygiene and disrespect. But please don't tell yourself that your children will be ok. They are being seriously and irreparably damaged by him. Your boy especially being told that he spoils everything, is absolutely unacceptable and disgraceful and you must not let that abuse happen.

EauPea · 01/06/2015 13:00

Pink You started this thread asking for suggestions on how to make things right in your marriage. You didn't get the responses you hoped for as there is NOTHING you can do to improve this situation, other than leave, your husband is acting like a complete cunt towards you and your children and apart from occasionally answering him back, your default seems to be the doormat posistion.

I know what you are all saying. He has just made me a g and t. Is trying to be really nice to me dos he knows he has overstepped the mark. Doesn't that mean there is an ounce of something there that he does care about me? No! Not even the tiniest hint, he knows you're pissed off and is worried that you might actually do the right thing and leave, not that he'd miss you or be upset, just worried he might have to cook his own meals, sort his own laundry, be without his verbal/physical/emotional punchbags.

I know you have got used to minimising his abuse but read back your post, when advising us of his good points you point out how on holiday things were fine, just shouting and being mean to the kids Angry that is far from fucking fine.

EauPea · 01/06/2015 13:01

*position

iHAVEtogetoutofhere · 01/06/2015 13:33

Pink (sorry, just seen you asked where my thread was)

I don't know how to link but it is on this board and called:

'I am shaking... (long, sorry)'. It starts off about a window cleaner threatening me, but goes onto H being similar because I had asked for support.

My H has just taken kids to PIL for 3 days after 2 days of hell.

He 'thawed' in our short conversations during those days.
When we spoke this morning he was almost friendly and nice.

He will change when he walks back through the door.

His face literally changes.

I have been married 14 years and for 7 of those I have known he is unable to behave normally around me (for whatever reason).
I have clung onto: 'oh he made me a cup of tea / helped me with my socks (I am disabled)' etc. It is NOT caring, it is throwing me the occasional bone, like a dog, when he thinks I will leave and he might have to take care of his children, cook / make decisions...

I am further along the road of 'decision making' than you I think, but perhaps more constrained with options.

It's hard. But it HAS to be done.
Our kids are watching all this and they see more than we think.
And they internalise it.
And they grow up vowing to be different.
And they repeat our mistakes (often enough).

We, and our kids, are worth more.x

iHAVEtogetoutofhere · 01/06/2015 13:36

And as for having 'failed' a 2nd marriage - this is only my 1st but I had a series of horrible 'relationships' in my 20's.
You didn't fail. I didn't.
Well, only to draw lines in the sand we didn't really know were there / we were 'allowed' to draw.
We were failed by horrible partners.

It takes a very long time to unlearn such damaged self esteem.

I am good in theory and poor in practice. But I am working on it.
I DON'T believe I am worth it, tbh.
But my kids are.x

Pinkpeter · 01/06/2015 14:07

IHavetogetoutofhere ---- i read your post before, i felt so sorry for you. I didn't equate what is happening to you to what is happening to me.

OP posts:
captainproton · 01/06/2015 15:08

Pinkpeter, this is your normal and this is your kids normal. They just don't know any different. Are you saying you are sticking by your man? That is your choice of course, but if you do decide to call time on living in an unhealthy relationship then I'm sure lots of us will be here to help you through that journey. I don't think you are quite ready to make the leap into the unknown yet, it's easier said than done. But I don't think anyone on this thread thinks staying for the sake of, well I don't know, ensuring that your kids can say mum and dad live together is a wise move.