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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

Things you don't miss about an Ex

270 replies

Wheelycote · 17/09/2017 09:14

Recently become single and have been bereft. I read something on another thread and it reminded me of a behaviour ex had. Sulking.
It's strange how, things like that become the norm.

The rose tinted glasses are starting to fall. It won't happen overnight, we were together for 8 years.

Pls share something about an ex, that you don't miss.

OP posts:
KityGlitr · 22/09/2017 19:14

Awful money management. Just kept accruing debt.

Serious sleep problems that kept me awake most nights and had hospital appointments to sort it but kept quietly cancelling them.

Led me down the garden path saying he wanted kids and then when it came to crunch them, didn't.

But most of all... absolute Peter Pan. Constantly fantasising about the next life upending pursuit that would bring him happiness... quitting his job to play in a band that brought no money in, wanting to emigrate to countries he'd never visited with no money to do so, suddenly taking up a new qualification to go teach abroad when he'd never made a peep about it before. Basically I feel I can have a lovely exciting life while also holding down a good job, and get my enjoyment from close friendships, weekends adventures or holidays, going to gigs, hobbies I do at home and someday having a regular family life. The sound of that was all insufferably boring to him. He wanted to have this inaccessible exciting ever changing life and no means to finance it.

We split. He met a younger girl who won't want to settle down for years and is long distance so he gets to do the whole romantic on the train every weekend but doesn't have to actually consider her needs full time or grow up. I met a truly lovely man who is very hardworking, dedicated to his career, and wants 2.4 kids and marriage in his future. We are both much much happier apart :)

Fanciedachange17 · 22/09/2017 21:16

I don't miss;
The arrogance
Him always talking about himself
Him not listening
The laziness
Not once getting up for a baby crying
The snoring
The demands for attention and sex the minute I had put the dc to bed
Never reading the dc a bedtime story. Not once would he do it.
The victim status.
The watching porn
The vanity of a fugly fat man.
The bullying
The lies. Oh the lies.
The texting to other women
The cheating
The meanness
The sneering
The complete destruction of my confidence
The rudeness to family and friends
The badmouthing of me when he left
The very small penis. Oh yes it really was.

So happy now but don't think I'll ever venture into another relationship!

SomeBerryJam · 22/09/2017 21:25

The cocaine trails on my kitchen surfaces.

Indigo90 · 22/09/2017 23:14

Fanciedachange - I think we were married to the same man!

Puggirl007 · 23/09/2017 07:35

Fab thread, here's a short list as the full version would take hours to type:

Sleep disorder - taking literally hours of fidgeting to fall asleep then barely sleeping

Picking bleeding clots from nose and wiping the ensuing nose bleed on duvet (refused to see a specialist). Waking up he had dried blood all over his fingers and bed linen

Investing a huge amount of time in his particular hobby which became so all-consuming (out doing it/looking on internet afterwards/ multitude of WhatsApp groups) it pretty much finished us off

Sleeping in separate beds - even when we got on I felt very lonely

Zero Sex although allegedly trying for a baby. Funny how the sex stopped when the threat of having a baby became real and 2 miscarriages made things even more real

He slipped off to spare room every night citing the fact I had to get up earlier than him and I disturbed him (see points re sleep)

After 2 miscarriages he asked was I sure I had been pregnant and it hadn't just been a scab (he was a 45 yr professional man holding down a very responsible job - still not sure why he would have said this🤔)

I went to relate appt on my own - he was busy with aforementioned hobby

Looking at porn and going covert ops about it so I had to snoop around for evidence which I would find then beat myself up about. Apparently it was my fault though as we didn't have much sex. (See point re trying for baby...)

Having to scrub wank stains off the mattress and telling myself it was ok, normal behaviour and we had a good marriage (felt like I was going slightly delirious at this point)

This hugely contributed to destroying my confidence, self-esteem and will inevitably make me loathe to trust any man again

Lying - we was a stellar liar. Complete poker face, I think he actually believed the lies himself. His phone was constantly by his side, locked and face down. Apparently he had no secrets and nothing to hide though🙄

Money - splashed £££ when he chose to on said hobby but moaned relentlessly about how much shopping cost, did we really need X, once I borrowed 50p for the car park and he asked for it back a day later. He had just lent a family member thousands of £.

Isn't it funny how, when you look back, you cannot compute how you spent such a huge chunk of your life with someone and feel like you didn't really know them and were just scratching the surface. The excuses you make and lies you believe. I think he changed over time or maybe just found something he liked more than me? I could do with some serious therapy to get over the whole experience. I have forgotten how to listen to my gut instinct.

AgnesNitt1976 · 23/09/2017 07:57

Sitting on his laptop all day whilst I'd end up cleaning his house through boredom

Snoring

Trying to get me to dress like his deceased wife would dress, I'm over 20 years younger

Selfishness

Lied about his age

Was closed off at times

Ropsleybunny · 23/09/2017 08:05

Bad moods, controlling behaviour, shouting at me, wanting sex all the time and sulking if he didn't get it, wanking beside me in bed, putting me down in front of others, telling me I was stupid, punching holes in the living room door, going out but not letting me go out.

operaha · 23/09/2017 10:09

Lots to say!!! Can't stop laughing about the guy that knelt to put his socks on

Annandale- I left mine on Easter Sunday and each year celebrate with the same friends and family that were there that first day!!! It sounds so cold but it was a long time coming the abusive fuck, they were so relieved, we just partied the night away. Easter Sunday will always be my favourite day of the year and my now husband joins in too!!!

There was a thread like this a few years ago..... I was a year or so in to my split then, I'm not scampi man's ex but oh how I laughed
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/2163729-twatty-things-I-dont-miss-about-my-ex

Fanciedachange17 · 23/09/2017 23:25

Indigo We probably were! He's on his 3rd wife now at age 43

Wheelycote · 24/09/2017 08:14

I love that this thread is still going!!!!

OP posts:
Wheelycote · 24/09/2017 08:19

I genuinely think I may stay single forever now😂😂😂😂

OP posts:
mirrorfear · 24/09/2017 08:24

In the end just the sound of him breathing irritated me.

I haven't seen or heard from him in twenty three years, the other day I was in the queue to pay at B&Q and I realised that I was stood next to him. I just looked the other way and he didn't notice me. It was very very weird.

Wheelycote · 24/09/2017 08:27

Ooo mirror that would've been weird. Did he look the same??

OP posts:
Jenwen22 · 24/09/2017 08:32

I don't miss the verbal abuse.
I don't miss the financial abuse.
I don't miss the snide little "it's a joke!" Put downs.
I don't miss him telling me when I could go out and which friends I could see.
I don't miss having to constantly defend him to my family and friends.
I don't miss his ability to turn the house into a shit hole in the space of an hour.
I don't miss getting in from working FT and having to do the housework and cooking because he just sat on his arse smoking weed.
I don't miss feeling shit about myself every day.

To be honest I don't think theres anything I do miss about the bastard

Mulch · 24/09/2017 08:35

Leaving the tap running when brushing teeth.
Eating haribo as a meal.
Not cooking when his turn and filling up on haribo.
Borrowing money and cigs.
Can't hold down a job.
Spends hours dreaming grand plans and never doing anything.
The way he kisses.
His family

saggymaggyx · 24/09/2017 08:39

Starting an argument over nothing or just before I go out with friends.
Asking to transfer him money all the time
Waking me up to have sex
Doing things on his terms.
I could go on!

Mulch · 24/09/2017 08:39

His flat feet slapping around the place

mirrorfear · 24/09/2017 09:35

Wheely. He was fatter and older but his face still looked the same but with wrinkles.

Topsyturvey10 · 24/09/2017 09:38

Besides many other things the fact he never, ever apologized even when in the wrong. He just couldn't do it, couldn't utter the words.

Much like the difficulties he experienced when trying to say he 'loved' me. Couldn't say that either. Said it less than 10 times in 15yrs. And I married him. Thought it would get better, I thought it was me?? NB I can apologise and also say the L word.

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 24/09/2017 12:42

Well we have not split but ....

The insistence on having lie ins
The weed addiction
The mercurial temper and egg shell walking
The anger with me , the DC , other drivers
The unintelligent arguments
The complete refusal to get a job
The complete refusal to discuss future finances
The way he 'rests' all weekend when I have been at work all week
The way it makes me angry and turns me into someone I don't like

echidna1 · 24/09/2017 13:32

stopfuckingshoutingatme.............time to leave; no-one deserves that continual crap. And besides, what is it teaching your DCs?

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 24/09/2017 13:50

I know .... problem is he has nowhere to go . I am scared it will be worse basically

I manage to let it not brother me and keep busy and then it crashes down

I have been vile to him and DC today fucking hate
Myself

TheBadgersMadeMeDoIt · 24/09/2017 13:58

Whenever my DH pisses me off and I catch myself wondering if I should have married his predecessor, I remind myself of the characteristics that led to me ditching him in the first place:

  1. Irritatingly childish sense of humour.
  2. Was always late. For everything, no matter how important. And he never apologised - just offered up some lame excuse.
  3. Paid way too much attention to other women. I don't think he'd ever have actually cheated, but if an attractive woman walked past, his head would turn until it was practically on backwards.

DH has his faults but at least he never makes me feel insecure or unimportant.

notbeingfunnyxyz · 24/09/2017 15:01

mulchthat made me laugh "flat feet slapping around the place"GrinGrin

demirose87 · 24/09/2017 15:28

Starting an argument over absolutely anything and everything
Accusing me of cheating constantly and fancying other guys
Making up stuff all the time and being a fantasist.
Saying our youngest DD wasn't his ( doesn't see her
His idiotic family.
Last one's tmi but he smelt really bad " down there".

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