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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

A thread to moan on until I’m rid of exP

999 replies

UnimaginativeUsername · 17/03/2018 20:30

(Ex)P and I are separating but we have to live together until we sell this house (due to finances). So I thought I’d start a thread to help me get through the next few months.

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UnimaginativeUsername · 03/06/2018 21:02

Thanks @LetMeGo66.

Glad you and your DD had a great time at your family event @shitwithsugaron. Your ex is a dangerous idiot. I can see why you’re worried about him having your DD. Someone here might have some useful advice about how to handle that.

Lying to people to make out he’s hard done by is ‘idiot ex 101’. Anyone who matters will see through it.

Ex went out on Friday and Saturday night (no warning or even a check that I was available to/happy to provide the required childcare services obviously). At least it’s quiet when he’s not here. I have bigger behavioural fish to fry this weekend though, so I will put that argument off for next week when I do have non-negotiable plans on Friday night (nothing special but I’m not changing my plans for him) and on Saturday night too (a fancy meal to celebrate DS1’s 18th birthday). Obviously I’m going to inform him that I’m going out with just as much notice as he gives me.

Today has been frustrating because ex is an enormous arsehole. He sulked because I took DS2 swimming at a local leisure centre (and he wasn’t invited). It meant that I got to spend some nice time with DS2, rather than having ex monopolise his attention.

Ex took him to his last swimming session with his old squad (he starts with the new squad tomorrow). It turns out that he’s just been dropping DS2 at swimming and then going to shag Mandy because he has absolutely no idea that DS2 has been having issues with his asthma at swimming for several weeks now. I did, because I MN while he swims watch DS2’s sessions when I take him. And I’d already discussed it with the nurse at his asthma review last week (which I organised and took him to).

I know this for two reasons: 1. The man who has been insisting that it’s vital that DS2 showers immediately after swimming using the special shampoo and body wash that I bought him wasn’t there to remind him to do it today so I had to get him to have a shower after dinner; and 2. Ex keeps saying that he thinks the GF diet is making DS2’s asthma worse. No ex; it’s not. He’s been needing his blue inhaler more for several weeks and the nurse thought it was almost certainly due to pollen issues. I know this because I pay attention to his asthma (and can tell you what his peak flow readings are); ex does not because he only likes to appear like he’s interested in his health rather than actually do the work associated with it.

I wouldn’t care that he’s obviously just been dropping him at the pool except that ex would have totally had a go at me if I’d done the same. But he loves one rule for me and another for himself.

Then we had to discuss the new swim training schedule. Ex asked if I had put the session times in the shared diary. I have not. He tried to have a go at me for not sharing information with him, except I have shared the information about the new training times and places with him at least 3 times. He just hasn’t bothered to take any note of them, because clearly he thinks it is my job to make sure he knows what they are, not his. Hmm

We’ve negotiated that he will take him on Tuesdays (how he’s going to manage this without a car, I’m not sure). He did try to pull the ‘we’re still all living in this house’ card when I pointed out that we should do the schedule as his contact with DS2 will be.

Honestly, he thinks he gets to have his cake and eat it. Arsehole.

And I need to renegotiate DS2’s bedtime with ex (who is stupidly rigid about it). It needs to be 9pm at the earliest, possibly 9.30. He has activities that don’t finish until 8 (and which require him to shower and change afterwards) 4 days a week. But ex seems to think that I’m being ridiculous by wanting to change his 8pm bedtime. I’ll just do a 9.30 bedtime once we’re in the new house because ex is only having him overnight two nights a fortnight (and I’m pretty sure it won’t even be that immediately as he hasn’t made any sensible plans that would enable him to have DS2 overnight).

This is what happens when someone takes no responsibility for the boring bits of being a parent. Magical bloody thinking. Well he doesn’t get to rely on the magical creature who somehow makes it all work any more!

OP posts:
RandomMess · 03/06/2018 21:10

He really is a parent at all is he...

RandomMess · 03/06/2018 21:13

ISN'T

UnimaginativeUsername · 03/06/2018 21:14

The sad thing is that he thinks he’s a totally excellent parent. He thinks he’s a better parent than me. Hmm

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RandomMess · 03/06/2018 21:32

That's because he's a narcissistic knob end

shitwithsugaron · 03/06/2018 21:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

UnimaginativeUsername · 03/06/2018 21:35

Yes.

At least he’s my ex now. And at some point I’ll only have to see him when he drops off DS2. Or not, as he might but a car and drop him off without even getting out if I’m lucky.

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UnimaginativeUsername · 03/06/2018 21:47

Also in the ‘ex is a wanker’ files: he has not in any way acknowledged that it is DS1’s 18th birthday on Tuesday. I’m absolutely certain that he plans to ignore it entirely. This is a good illustration of how ex has been a completely shit stepfather, even if he thinks he’s amazing yet hard done by (and the problem is that DS1 is terrible and I just don’t appreciate how hard it is for him).

Ex’s parents have sent DS1 a card (which will contain a cheque) because they are nice people. Ex will not so much as say ‘happy birthday’ and will resent any celebrations (even if he’s not part of them).

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UnimaginativeUsername · 03/06/2018 21:48

In fact, he probably doesn’t even remember that it’s DS1’s birthday.

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shitwithsugaron · 04/06/2018 08:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

iwantanewusername · 04/06/2018 09:34

Ahh UnimaginativeUsername your ex really is a wanker! I'd say I can't believe he is behaving in this way, but actually it sounds about right from all that you have said! As shitwithsugaron says - at least he is an ex and soon you'll be rid of him!

He probably won't remember/acknowledge DS1's birthday but it sounds like DS1 wouldn't care either way. I hope you have an amazing time celebrating his birthday though!

shitwithsugaron I'm glad you had a good time the other day, sorry to hear ex is an idiot, I also see why you're worried about leaving your DD with him! There's just no need to drive whilst drunk, completely idiotic.

We have a viewing tomorrow evening, ahhh! So excited and nervous hehe.

UnimaginativeUsername · 04/06/2018 10:41

You’re both right. DS1 won’t care (he will just see it as further evidence that ex is a complete arsehole). It’s more that I feel bad for ever having been in a relationship with someone so awful, and for subjecting DS1 to the sort of person who cannot/will not even politely acknowledge it’s his birthday. Ex appears to lack basic human decency. Sad

But it is absolutely one for the, very long, ‘thank god he’s an ex’ column. I think the ‘oh, he’s a lovely man, I’ve made a mistake’ column is pretty much empty. Grin

Good luck with the viewing @iwantanewusername. I hope it goes really well.

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TryingToForgeAnewLife · 04/06/2018 20:34

My STBXH had a go at me for not reminding him about a school meeting. I reminded him that the day he left for the OW was when l stopped doing wife work. Twat.

UnimaginativeUsername · 04/06/2018 21:21

It’s annoying, isn’t it?

The arsehole also tried to steal my swimming goggles yesterday. They were sitting on the kitchen table and he picked them up and said ‘oh, goggles’. I pointed out that they were mine and he tried to claim that he had a pair like that years ago (must have been before I met him) and he thought they’d (miraculously) materialised on the kitchen table after I’d taken DS2 swimming. Hmm

They’re prescription goggles too. I need them purely so I can see at all in the pool (so I have to keep them on all the time). I have terrible eyesight so at least I know that him stealing them would result in him not being able to see and probably getting a headache.

Somehow he doesn’t seem to understand that if he wants a pair of goggles, he’ll need to buy them himself.

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UnimaginativeUsername · 04/06/2018 21:27

I missed out the ‘my’ in his ‘oh, my goggles’ exclamation.

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UnimaginativeUsername · 04/06/2018 21:42

And ex has decreed that bedtime can be 8.45 at the latest. Hmm. I pointed out that DS2 cannot have an 8pm bedtime when he doesn’t get home til 8.30 4 nights a week, and he needs some time to wind down after activities. I would imagine that having 15 minutes if reading would be very helpful for DS2.

I told DS2 that his bedtime can be 9 in our new house, but that his dad might choose an earlier bedtime when he stays with him. Ex is not dictating this stuff to me, especially when he’s so stupid and rigid about it.

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RandomMess · 04/06/2018 22:01

He is such an arse, I really do think as the years go by DS will want to reduce contact with him...

UnimaginativeUsername · 04/06/2018 22:15

Possibly. I hope, for DS2’s sake, that ex manages to be a decent father in the easy weekend dad role he’s going to play. He is fine at ‘Disney dad’ stuff so long as he’s interested in it. I’d like them to have a decent relationship - but DS2 does recognise that his dad is not entirely reasonable.

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RandomMess · 04/06/2018 22:22

Sadly if Ex really is a narcissist then it will spur as DS2 matured and his is own opinions and interests etc. Be wary of encouraging a relationship if DS2 shows reluctance and there is evidence of Ex being like this towards DS.

Just read some of the tales on here where mners are still suffering the fall out from having a narcissist for a parent Sad

UnimaginativeUsername · 04/06/2018 22:23

Yes. I have a narcissist for a father, so I’m aware of the dangers. Sad

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RandomMess · 04/06/2018 22:31

Ahhhhhh Sad he choose well, pre trained and everything!

UnimaginativeUsername · 04/06/2018 22:32

Yes, indeed. Sad

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shitwithsugaron · 05/06/2018 08:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

UnimaginativeUsername · 05/06/2018 09:13

Poor old DS1 has an exam this morning. He always gets one on his birthday. His dad and stepmum (who is lovely) are coming down on the train today and we’re going to go out for some dinner and to the pub (where DS will refuse any alcohol).

Ex is taking DS2 to swim training instead and feeding him frozen GF pizza. DS2 was invited to the birthday dinner but it’s only his second training session with his new team so he needs to show up really.

Ex’s mum asked me to send her photos and to say happy birthday to DS1 for her (and his dad). And my sister wants to FaceTime him with her wee ones (who are hilarious on FaceTime because they’re little kids) later. So I think DS1 will be feeling loved and appreciated on his birthday.

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UnimaginativeUsername · 05/06/2018 09:14

What does your divorce solicitor think about the equity split @shitwithsugaron. It must be so frustrating knowing he’ll just gamble it away. If he’s going to do that, he should just give you all the equity and cut straight to the having none bit!

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