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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

Am I mean and 'righteous '?

195 replies

reggaesongbird · 08/01/2017 20:39

Long story, will try to paraphrase...
I'm a single mum with small kids and not insignificant health problems.
I've been seeing a lovely guy (childless) since the summer, we get on well he's into the same things as me, we have mutual friends , he's thoughtful and lovingetc
For various reasons neither of us drive.
Since his divorce he lodges very very cheaply on the other side of our small town. where he lives he's unable to have guests which makes it very awkward for me, all our time together is spent at mine so I feel under a lot of pressure to entertain him and it feels quite limiting in terms of what we can do. In case anyone asks, I know he's not living with another woman, I've been there and seen the set up, it would be very awkward to conduct a relationship there but it would be nice to have it as an alternative place to spend time together.
He has a professional well paid job. I work part time.
Although we get on well and connect in many positive ways I find it very hard to argue with him. If I express disappointment or dissatisfaction with anything he becomes uber defensive and always says I'm being unfair or mean. When he recounts any other fallouts with other people he often uses the same language, e.g. Unfair etc.
Tonight's ridiculous argument was because he was coming this evening, I asked him to come when the kids are in bed, we haven't seen each other all weekend as have both been ill and I wanted time with my children...anyway I said come about half 7/8 he replied he'd only be able to come for an hour due to Sunday buses (they're pretty regular up until about half ten) he also cycles. This has been a regular theme of our relationship, he's often moaned about the time it takes to get to and from mine in the evenings.
Anyway... I replied it's hardly worth it for an hour, he then said he'd stay longer if I pay for a taxi, this was all in messages as the kids were still up. I told him I would not pay and that we should leave it if it's too much hassle, I then got the hump and asked if his friend had paid for his taxi when bf went to his friend's last night, he then replied no but his friend lives nearer and handy specified a time...this then degenerated into a text argument where I told him as a 40 year old man living cheaply he should be able to either undo a taxi or make alternative arrangements and then I moaned about him not having anywhere for u to go and suggested he get a girlfriend who lives nearer (it takes me 20 minutes to cycle to his house which I did once on the only occasion I was allowed there) he said with buses it's a two hour journey and we both have work in the morning etc.
He then said I'm being righteous and cruel and I obviously think he's a cunt and refused to continue the conversation with me.
I thought I was in love with him but these types of things keep coming up. Every time we have an argument he then goes cold and sulks and the last time just after New Years told me that he was ending the relationship as he can't cope with the arguments and insecurity. We argued after new year because I felt he'd been moody with me because I had to cut our time short and he felt sidelined by my children. Hes met my kids, earlier than intended because they got up in the night when he was here and he was in the lounge so I have let him spend time with us as a family just because it seemed like the right thing to do but I'm very mindful of trying to give a lot of my attention to them and I feel a bit worn out by it.
I've felt he's been short with me all weekend because I wanted to spend it with the kids, he of course will deny it but I feel him saying he could only stay an hour is him punishing me for not having him here this weekend. I struggle a lot with health issues and he has kept offering to come and help. I put him off because of the kids but also because in our last row he complained about 'running around after me' when I was ill, despite the fact I nursed him over Christmas and on my birthday. When he 'runs around ' after me he's so loving and solicitous and I thought we had a real chance of a future. I've asked him if we can work on our communication skills and how we cinduction arguments. I agree texting isn't always healthy but I struggle with his defensive argument and often I'm texting because the kids are in the house and I don't want them to hear me arguing.
Sorry this turned out longer than I planned...
am I mean and wrong and righteous?

OP posts:
reggaesongbird · 08/01/2017 21:14

I also feel embarrassed if we split as he made a big thing on fb about us being in a relationship on there which garnered a gazillion 'likes'. My ex dh is on there as well of course as everyone we both know. I've never done the relationship thing on fb before. My ex knows he's met the kids etc, he'll be shocked if he realises I have ended it with bf after letting him in the kids lives. Least of my worries I know it I don't want people thinking I'm a fool (I know I am)
I don't have a great relationship track record and everyone who knows him thinks he's amazing and I'm really lucky. I don't want people thinking I'm a loser with another failed relationship.

OP posts:
reggaesongbird · 08/01/2017 21:15

Slightlyperturbedowlagain seeing it written has choked me up and I haven't written the half of it.

OP posts:
Gallavich · 08/01/2017 21:17

He sounds fucking awful. Come on.

RogueStar01 · 08/01/2017 21:17

it's cheap talk to say what a great guy he is on fb etc, and easy to be a good friend - they don't know him properly. At least 2 of the horrible abusive people I've met were 'great guys' to their large pool of friends, they had no idea of the real person. Surely the fact he lives somewhere he can't invite/won't invite people round and huffs and puffs about visiting you even though he's made the constraint of not having you round to his should ring a few alarm bells in his wiser friends.

Gallavich · 08/01/2017 21:19

You shouldn't have let him come into your family unit so early on. Hopefully you will learn from that. What do you mean 'he made a big deal' about announcing it on Facebook?
By the way do you know you can just change relationship status to private so the relationship will just vanish from your profile without announcing that you've split up.

reggaesongbird · 08/01/2017 21:20

RogueStar01 you are right. He's justified it by saying that I specified a time therefore he's specifying his boundary/ requirements.
In his work role and elsewhere he has huge empathy and understanding which is one of the major things that attracted me to him, his kindness and gentle ways.
When he perceives himself under attack he's like a different person, truly never ever sees when he's wrong. When I have suggested it's a struggle managing both his and the kids' expectations I e asked him to be more proactive and he's said it's not his responsibility. He did buck up a bit after that but there's always something new.
He does drink more than I'm comfortable with but I'm not sure if that's my issue because my dads an alcoholic. A lot of people I know drink more than I'm comfortable with.

OP posts:
Bringmewineandcake · 08/01/2017 21:20

None of your friends or even ex-DH would want you to stay in a crappy relationship for the sake of being embarrassed. Honestly, your head should be held high once you've ended it.

Slightlyperturbedowlagain · 08/01/2017 21:21

Well the FB thing would kill it for me if nothing else did Grin sorry, just being flippant there.
Shit happens, people split up, it's life, don't feel pressured by public opinion or embarrassment to carry on in a relationship that's not right, it's not 1951.
Do what you feel is best for you and your DCs, but he is not behaving like you would expect from someone who was keen to see you and be part of your family. Good luck Flowers

BlessYourCottonSocks · 08/01/2017 21:23

Do not, whatever you do, remain with this guy to impress/mollify your ex! Christ.

Backt0Black · 08/01/2017 21:25

asking you to pay for a taxi, like him coming to see you is SUCH a treat for which only you are receiving benefit. Nope. Just Nope. A thousand cringes.

He sounds like an over sensitive, delicate little flower and a bit weak....oh and to use HIS terminology..... mean.

Best in the bin.

RogueStar01 · 08/01/2017 21:25

i do this sort of thing at work and i do think he has totally warped boundaries - you often can end up thinking that what's fair is what you can negotiate. It's not fair though - he's imposed a major cost on you that you always entertain at your house - 1st major shift away from the norm, and now he's spaghetti slicing at you about the inconvenience of him having to travel to you at a a time of your choosing (which is let's not forget, how it works when you go to someone's house, they choose the time, everyone has less or more convenient times!). This is a situation he created. No wonder he's long term single. This sort of exhausting manipulation is exactly why he's on his own.

reggaesongbird · 08/01/2017 21:26

Gallavich part of the reason I let him in is have disabilities it was easy for me to let him meet the kids especially as he helped out on days when I was immobile, I have no family to support me and friends aren't any help as I don't 'look disabled' people don't take it very seriously.
We'd had a row about contact with his exw and as usual he turned it around on me saying he felt insecure and that I was ambivalent about our relationship and asked if we could make it public, it was no secret, a mutual friend set us up and s I said before we know loads of same people, have socialised together with others and lots of comments shared pics etc online. So it was one of those public relationship announcements which loads of people commented on, I replied to most comments and he didn't respond to any so I felt that looked a bit weird too!

OP posts:
reggaesongbird · 08/01/2017 21:28

Wow roguestar1 totally on the money. Thank you. I'm impressed, incenced and empowered all at once.

OP posts:
Madinche1sea · 08/01/2017 21:30

Reggae - Regardless of anything else, this is a 40 year old man asking you, the woman he is dating, TO GIVE HIM THE TAXI FARE HOME Shock

That in itself would finish me off! Does he have no pride? What is wrong with him? I hope he takes you out to dinner etc more regularly than just drifting over to your place on his terms.

RogueStar01 · 08/01/2017 21:36

good luck op - I've found with these types of very verbally adept people, they're excellent at positioning their views as perfectly reasonable and you always benefit from taking a step back and having a good think - he can say that his boundary is that you pay when you specify a time but it's totally crazy. Everyone that goes to someone else's house does so at a time convenient to them (& isn't paid to get there)...and most people in relationships go to each other's houses. forget what your friends think, they're welcome to try him out!

Streuth · 08/01/2017 21:36

he then said he'd stay longer if I pay for a taxi

^ I saw red when I saw that. Jeez, what a total bloody cheek. I'd probably block him just for that forever. Or "ghost" him. The new blocking!

I have health issues OP, possibly even similar ones. Its ironic that we probably lower our standards or requirements as a result. When we should raise them actually higher Sad but true and not easy to navigate!

I think the best thing to have done would have just not been to answer that stupid and insulting text about paying for his taxi. Ever.

LooksBetterWithAFilter · 08/01/2017 21:42

The Facebook thing doesn't matter. If you do split up you don't have to make a big deal a d set your status to single just hide your relationship status from your profile. That's what I did when exh and I separated. Didn't want a big deal. The people that mattered knew and the more distant people didn't need a big announcement.
It's not sexist telling him he has no pride. He would still have no pride if he was just a friend or a female friend.
Before I met dh and was dating there were a couple of guys pretty up front that I lived too far away, I live 25 miles out of town. Fair enough to me it's not a big deal but to some it may be. When I met dh I'd had to get rid of my car and was looking for a new one. First date I got a train in to meet him there were plenty times though that he came out to get me and drove back into town. There were loads of things that made me stay with him one being that not long after we met he got up at 6am on a Sunday morning and made me a cup of tea. I'm and early bird he's not. The thing is he still would, it wasn't because he was on best behaviour or trying to impress me. If I asked him to get up early and make me tea he would. The point being is that it's been a matter of months with this guy. He should still be on best behaviour and trying to impress you. This is as good as it gets. You've said he's been a help when you are unwell yet he throws it back at you later on. He's never going to be the man that gets up at the crack of dawn and makes you a cup of tea. This is his best behaviour. If you progress in this relationship it will only get worse. Don't be the person that justifies staying by clinging on to the times he's lovely because the rest is huge scarlet flags waving at you.

WyfOfBathe · 08/01/2017 21:45

For what it's worth, I don't think facebook "announces" it when you change your status to single like it does when you change it to in a relationship.

ImpetuousBride · 08/01/2017 21:46

Only got to the "he asked that I pay for his taxi". I'm sorry but what kind of a man is that?

  1. He earns more than you in his full time job.
  2. He has no dependents.
  3. He lives in a very cheap, rented room.
  4. Is unable to make the effort of a 20min bike ride and asks you to pay for a cab instead!!!

You should really consider whether you want this incredibly selfish individual in your life at all.

reggaesongbird · 08/01/2017 21:51

streuth yes I have lowered my standards because I'm embarrassed and ashamed at the state of me because I can't exercise etc I feel grateful because he's so gorgeous and lovely in so many ways just seems he's really horrible in so many ways which seems to be cancelling out the other stuff.
He missed my birthday due to illness which is how I ended up going to his to see him in bed on my birthday, special birthday dispensation...
He didn't do anything to acknowledge my birthday as he was ill which I understood and accepted but when he was better did nothing for days until I broke down and railroaded him and then he made so many excuses I ended up feeling really awful about it. It really distressed me and I thought I was being a birthday diva. I'm crying now about it.

OP posts:
reggaesongbird · 08/01/2017 21:53

He does get up and make tea in the morning looksbetterwithafilter possibly only because he needs his morning fag and coffee...

OP posts:
notangelinajolie · 08/01/2017 22:01

This relationship sounds like hard work. A grown man asking you to pay his taxi fair? Call me a dreamer but a man in love would move heaven and earth to get to you. Ask yourself do you and your children really need this bedsit living/moody/needy man in your lives?

kittybiscuits · 08/01/2017 22:02

He is a thoughtless cunt and I bet I know what he does for a job. He is highly manipulative and I bet a lot of the problem with evening visits is because it interferes with him getting pissed. You deserve better than this OP.

reggaesongbird · 08/01/2017 22:05

I keep thinking it's me with the problem and if I take my ego out of the equation we wouldn't have these arguments. E.g. Tonight I originally just responded with 'no I won't pay for your taxi, let's just leave it' he replied 'ok xxx' and I should have just left it there, instead I was do angry I responded asking about the friend and taxi etc the night before which I knew would rule him and make him defensive.
Sometimes I can't work out if I'm meant to just ignore stuff or keep challenging? Surely if I keep challenging then I'm effectively saying he's not good enough and I don't accept him as he is ? Does that make me a bad overly critical person?
I can see so much good in him, am I asking for too much expecting 100% instead of just 70%?
I see so many peers accepting half healthy relationships I'm not sure if my expectations are too high?
Or Am I the warped one? !

OP posts:
RogueStar01 · 08/01/2017 22:09

Why should you accept him keeping trying dick moves though? Asking someone to pay for a taxi in this situation is a dickhead move - why should you ignore that?

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