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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

Lost and worried about our future

7 replies

Kef753 · 01/07/2018 07:33

I’m so lost, scared and confused about what to do and worried what effect it will have on our toddler.
My relationship with my partner is breaking down, We’re not happy together even tho I want to be. I’m not sure if we’ll be happier apart than together. We’ve tried couples counciling and it didn’t work. It seems we’re happy for a week or so but eventually the argument starts back up. My OH says I don’t give him the attention he wants and it pisses him off that when he’s out he gets attention from other women and can’t do anything about it. We’re both in our early 30s and tonight he said a 19yr old ‘friend’ came on to him and asked him back to her place but he said no but was really pissed off with me because she would give him the attention he wants but he’s basically stuck with me not giving him any. I do try to make him happy but obviously not the way he wants. We’ve been on the verge of breaking up a few times but haven’t for the sake of our daughter.
I’m just so worried about my future and our daughters if we do break up. I don’t know how I’ll cope as a single mum, how I’ll be able to afford it or what help (if any) I would get? I only work 12-16 hours as I can’t afford anymore childcare costs.
I just don’t know what to do? Am feeling like a failure and if we stay together or break up either way we won’t be happy. It’s hard to know what to do for the best. I just hate feeling like our daughter is the victim in this.
Sorry for the long post!

OP posts:
Gruffalina72 · 01/07/2018 08:25

I'm sorry he's been treating you like that. It is not a normal way to behave in a relationship, and it is sure as hell not how you treat somebody you care about or love.

So, basically, things will be fine if you're doing everything he wants exactly as he wants? Except even when you try to do that you're never able to, because he has such changing and unreasonable demands?

What else are the arguments about? Are they genuine disagreements between the two of you, or are they just him kicking off at you for not having done something he wants?

Does the "attention" he's demanding include sexual demands and expectations he's placing on you?

It is incredibly abusive to be treating you this way, just on what you've said alone. It's not acceptable.

You will cope as a single mum. Without him there your little girl won't be growing up in this toxic environment, learning that this is an acceptable way for future partners to treat her. Walking on eggshells in case his anger gets directed at her (and it will be eventually). Frightened at what her dad is doing to her mum. You would be doing a good thing for her removing her from this.

I expect that you have been taught to accept the way he treats you as normal. Maybe because you grew up seeing it from your own father to your mother, or maybe because he's spent the time you've been together slowly brainwashing you and eroding your sense of what is normal.

If this is the first time someone's described him as abusive, I know that may be a shock. You might be thinking of how lovely he used to be, or the nice things he sometimes does when he's behaving like this. That's fine (it was my reaction to). But any amount of abuse is too much abuse. No abuser behaves like a monster 247 because they would never get away with it if they did. Abusers are not monsters. They do get worse over time.

He is deliberately humiliating you and degrading you. That is abuse.

That is why couples counselling didn't work and would never work. This is how he wants it to be. He's got your bending over backwards trying to comply with his unreasonable demands, and blaming yourself for his behaviour. That's what he wants.

Www.entitledto.co.uk can help you with where you would stand financially.

Www.freedomprogramme.co.uk can help you make sense of his behaviour and what a normal, healthy relationship looks like.

You can speak to Women's Aid on 0808 2000 247 if you're able to call when he's out and want to speak to someone about his behaviour and what your options are.

You do not deserve to live like this. You are clearly a kind, caring person. Life can be so much better for you and your daughter than it is right now.

sunshinesupermum · 01/07/2018 08:29

OMG -he's a child demanding your attention and threatening you with going with other women because you don't give it to him and your toddler's needs come first. I'm so sorry but this is never going to get better.

Gruffalina72 · 01/07/2018 08:30

or the nice things he sometimes does when he's not* behaving like this. That's fine (it was my reaction too).

Frosty66612 · 01/07/2018 08:31

He sounds vile. And I guarantee that story about the 19 yr old is bullshit. He’s just trying to hurt you, guilt trip you and manipulate you into giving him what he wants.

Kef753 · 01/07/2018 10:00

Thank you for taking the time to read my message and reply. I’m not sure if this is abuse or not? Both our parents had/have bad marriages, mine have divorced now but his are still together. Do you think parents can influence their children’s future relationships by how they were when we were growning up? If that’s so then we’re doomed!

Anyway he says I’m still making it up to him after what I did at the beginning of our relationship - just to briefly clarify at the beginning before we lived together I had a male friend stay over in my bed, I know it looks so suspicious but we literally just went to sleep, we didn’t have sex or anything sexual, I had no feelings towards this guy, it was me not really thinking of how it may look and trying to be considerate to a friend. I know it’s unacceptable and not what you do in a relationship, it was a lack of judgement on my part and I feel like a complete idiot and bitch for it. It’s been over 3 years since and he can’t get over it. I know it’s hard because he feels totally betrayed even tho nothing happened and he says he should have walked away back then but stuck by me and I agree, he should have walked away but at the end of the day he didn’t.
I suppose he feels like he has a right to demand more attention because of the hurt I caused him and I feel like I’m in the wrong for not wanting it hanging over my head everyday.

I’m not sure how our future looks and whether our relationship can last, it seems at the moment we just make each other miserable and I don’t want our daughter growning up like we have, thinking this is what a relationship is. Half of me wants to be with him and make it work but half of me wants to call it quits. I don’t know if I’m just scared of being on my own and uncertain of what will happen and I know only I can decide what to do!

OP posts:
eightfacesofthemoon · 01/07/2018 16:59

Get the fuck out now.
This man is AWFUL

Fizzysours · 01/07/2018 17:07

What you did, kipping next to a mate was slightly tactless. On a scale of one to 10 on relationship crimes I'd give it a 2. Threatening you with 19 year olds who 'fancy him' scores 10 on the moron scale in my view. He is trying to bully you. I would laugh at him then take your beautiful daughter to the park if I were you

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