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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

How to call it a day? Do I want to? long road + Long post

8 replies

retrobloomers · 07/10/2015 00:26

Hideously outing post so name changed obviously. (rants at bloody forgetting ridiculously long password and many attempts to change)

I don't know where to start. Sorry if I miss information or confuse things, i'm not intentionally drip feeding. Our relationship has been very poor for a few years as he has increasingly taken on a "world against him" attitude. It's permanent eggshells. It came to a head yesterday when for the first time there was a physical attack on me, A slap around the side of my head during a bicker (fairly hard, bit sore for an hour or two afterwards).

Our circumstances mean that we cannot separate immediately. However I did yell that we are over and I can not cope with this anymore. After a few hours apart he seemed remorseful and after a very one sided (him), self pitying conversation he said that he would change.

We have been together 7 years, 1 preschool child, not married. He lost his job 2 years ago and after a few weeks of half heartedly looking for a new job he stopped and fell into looking after our child as I could no longer afford childcare. He is a great father, there is no doubts there. So Issue 1 why we cannot part.

My job is not Mon-Fri. it is every day of the week, every hour of the day in various 8-12 hour combinations in 6 or 7 day stretches. I could not be a single parent with these hours. I have no family within a 100 mile radius, not paid high enough to have a nanny. so Issue 2 is I would need a new Job in order to find childcare.

Financially I deal with all matters. He had a lot of debt and was very poor with money when we met. He used to hide final reminders because he didn't want to pay them and had already spent his money on Man toys. I pay for all aspects of our House (my name only, i'm not daft), bills, car (his), all furnishings, all child expenses. He has an "allowance" for his own spending on luxuries, not a lot £30 -50 a month but it is all that I can afford. All food, Clothing is paid directly by me.

To split I would have to have change my entire life. I would leave my Job that I have worked hard at. I would barely be able to afford childcare, would be no hope of maintenance from him with no job.

He is vile now but he wasn't always like this. We were so close, best friends. He was confident, kind, motivated. There are still days when he is this man again. I just want him to change back and be the person who he was. The person who I gave my everything to. I want the old him back. can it be done?

He is currently writing me a letter. He wants to discuss all of the unfinished discussions and explain himself. He prefers to write things down. I fear that it will be yet more self pity and blaming the universe and all in it, rather than taking some ownership. But what if he answers the questions and sheds some light on the hell that I have been living with.

I'm so confused. I need to see what this letter says before i make any choices.

OP posts:
Playnicelyforfiveminutes · 07/10/2015 01:31

I just saw your title is similar to where I am right now. Confused is exactly how I feel too.
I'd be the last person to ask for advice, but I do have a thought about one thing; you say after he slapped you you said he was remorseful after a few hours. Do you mean he wasn't immediately sorry? My husband also hurt me once, the thing that really worried/saddened me was his reaction. When I spoke to him the next day he agreed it was not on and said something like "quite right we both need to make more of an effort"
I was so shocked he could be so vile and expecting tears and begging. I hope you make the right decision, it's so hard when you find yourself in the sort of situation you've seen on TV

retrobloomers · 07/10/2015 10:19

Hello play nice. Sorry that you are in the same situation too. Can I ask, has it got any better for you since he said he would make more effort?

When I got slapped he blamed me immediately. At first saying I walked into his hand, then that I had provoked it. No remorse at all until hours later. I removed myself from the situation as I had an appointment to keep.

Still no sign of this letter despite him staying up all night writing it.

OP posts:
hellsbellsmelons · 07/10/2015 10:55

You know you cannot stay with a violent man.
When the abuse becomes physical it is really really time to leave.
I don't believe anyone on here is going to tell you to try with a violent man who is abusive and a cocklodger and resorts to physical violence to silence his woman.

ConkersDontScareSpiders · 07/10/2015 11:35

If you split though he would still be able to do the childcare (unless you would be unhappy for him to do so given his behaviour as described above).So you might not have to give up your job, although admittedly it would be harder to organise it all...
I'm sorry you are going through this.... I wouldn't be able to stay in a situation where someone had tried to hurt me-that would be a deal breaker for me, never mind that you basically seem to be doing it all in terms of managing other aspects of your family life.

pocketsaviour · 07/10/2015 11:40

Would you consider leaving him as the main resident parent? This would mean you'd need to pay maintenance but it's probably less than what you're currently spending since you would only be supporting your child and not him.

Personally I wouldn't want a violent man to have 10 minutes with my kids but you described him as a "great dad" in your OP.

pigsinbutter · 07/10/2015 13:12

hello - am in the same-ish situation - husband with no job, he is looking after the kids, not making much of any effort to find work. I don't know if our relationship can even ever come back from where we are - I don't feel much of what i used to feel at all. It's mad, when at the start i was so sure, and happy in our relationship, but i cannot imagine how it can be recovered. The thing is, even if he lost his job, if he did not have you he would have to make an effort and get out there and find work. I feel that my husband's lack of effort is also a form of abuse actually.
I am also starting to think about the process of leaving, what it will mean financially etc - so don't have much advice to give! but i would have thought seeing a lawyer, and a citizen's advice person, would help to see what you are entitled to. it's a big shift but people do make it happen, and come out the other side, and make it through to another life, with partners who are respectful and loving, the way we all deserve.

retrobloomers · 07/10/2015 18:02

Physical attacks are a deal breaker for me too. I'm not stupid, I know We should end it. It is just not a workable option due to our circumstances at the moment. Staying and working on changing is the only thing that can be done for now!

Me being Nrp would not work. He would have no means to support them other than state benefits and maintenance. They would have no where to live and I could not watch my child living in b&b or vile temporary accommodation until he got a council house. I own the house we live in so couldn't pay the mortgage and let them stay, I can barely afford to run one household let alone two.

I'm still waiting for his flipping letter.

OP posts:
DelphiniumBlue · 07/10/2015 18:27

If you decide you want him to leave, there are other options for childcare that you might consider. On a different thread, a poster mentioned that she managed as a lone parent by getting an au pair, even though it meant that she had to share a room with her dc. Certainly it sounds as if you would need live in help if you were to stay in your current job , unless you can renegotiate your hours.
Someone mentioned up thread about your DP becoming the resident parent- if that's something you would find acceptable the finances might work, depending on whether he would be entitled to any benefits. Or if your dc stayed with you, presumably you could get help with childcare costs? I'm sure people here could give you more specific information about that. Maybe you could rent out a room to get extra money? You could save yourself his car expenses, at least!

It doesn't really sound as if he is sorry for hitting you, and physical attacks usually get worse.
If you do decide to stay with him for the short term, build yourself an exit plan, just in case the plans for change within the relationship don't work.
Don't be easily won round ( or give the appear ance of it) and let him work for anything from you.
BTW, is the reason he's not working now because he's doing full time child care and household running?

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