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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

Confused

14 replies

Chalkybee · 28/08/2018 11:58

This might end up lengthy, so apologies if it does!

I'm so confused in my relationship & I have no idea what to do. I feel stuck Between two crappy situations and no way out. On one had I stay in my relationship - which is making me deeply unhappy, or the other I leave which means leaving my home which I love, moving back into one room at my parents with two kids and one on the way, with no job, no chance of a job as pregnant, uprooting both kids from school/nursery and starting all over from scratch, again. My parents are also heavy drinkers so the thought of staying there again doesn't feel any better than here.

My partner and I always argue but he always wins, so no matter what it is, I always seem to be at fault. I am walking on eggshells not to say something wrong, when I do, like just now he kicks off in front of the kids and makes me out to look awful. My relationship wth my eldest daughter is ruined and him siding with her and talking about how I'm unreasonable, crazy, psycho etc with her just reinforces it. She has zero respect for me and it breaks my heart that we're not close any more. He never apologises for saying horrible things to me yet I'm expected to apologise for everything. Example - he called me a bunch of names last week including cunt and refused to apologise. I just said shut up (meant in a friendly way as you would to a friend) and he got angry and made me apologise. I try and explain how I feel but he never changes. He will only talk to me about it, but I'm not very good at verbalising how I feel and when I say something which doesn't quite match, or I stumble etc, he'll say I'm lying or making it up or don't know what I'm talking about and void my point. So I try and write it down but he won't engage like that. He always puts me down in front of the kids but goes mad if I do the same.

I can't live like this, but I don't want the alternative either. I have a baby on the way, and I'm so worried about everything but he's not there for me emotionally - calling me crazy at the sign of any emotion at all.

I've tried asking him to leave but he won't. I've tried so many times. He even threatened me with leaving recently because 'I'm mean to him' and when I told him to go he wouldn't.

I know everyone will say leave and wonder why I'm with him. And I wish it was really that easy. I left my ex because we didn't get on, and he refused to tackle his drinking - but it was easier then. I was able to survive on the benefits, had a council place for support, a network of friends, a part time job and only one child. Also my ex didn't cope with the break up, and eventually overdosed and died. Many of the friendship network i had blames me for his death and I carry that guilt every day. I can't face being the cause of another family break up and disrupting my kid's lives again. They love us both so much, my daughter has found another dad in my partner and adores him. He's genuinely so great with them too.

When he's nice, he's really nice and we get on like best friends and everything is fine. And that's what allows me to tolerate the other times. He's very sharp tongued and I'm very sensitive and that combination isn't great.

This goes round and round in my head and I only deal with it by pretending nothing is wrong. But when something happens like just now, I'm reminded of everything else.

I guess I just feel so unloved and lonely being with him, but can't see how moving out will be any better - and quite possibly much worse. And I have no one to talk about this to, most of the people I do chat to ignore messages about him now as I'm sure they see it as my fault for staying. I'm also not sure how much of this is me and making it worse for myself. I know I'm not easy to live with.

Not really sure what the point is to this post really, I guess just the chance to share.

:(

OP posts:
bluebell34567 · 28/08/2018 12:07

whose name the house is on?

hellsbellsmelons · 28/08/2018 12:16

What is the housing situation?
Do you privately rent?
It is mortgaged in his name only?

Chalkybee · 28/08/2018 12:32

We privately rent.

OP posts:
Chalkybee · 28/08/2018 12:32

And the tenancy is in both our names.

OP posts:
chitofftheshovel · 28/08/2018 12:34

Sorry you're going through this, I can empathize as my partner can be similar.

I would say absolutely do not move in with your parents - if you do you would be housed and not a priority for council housing. It also doesn't sound like they would be the best influence on your kids and you would be over crowded.

But what to do about your partner...depends a lot on your housing situation now ie whose name any tenancy/mortgage is in. That said I believe that the law would ask him to leave but I may be totally out dated.

chitofftheshovel · 28/08/2018 12:40

X posted.

As private renters I believe (and did this 5 years ago) that you can appeal to the landlords/letting agency to take him off the tenancy.

Just out of interest how old are your kids? Your eldest obviously isn't his but is the youngest? Not that it makes any difference really.

Storm4star · 28/08/2018 12:41

Citizens advice covers your situation I think

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/ending-a-relationship/if-you-were-living-together/your-ex-partner-is-trying-to-make-you-leave/

You can stay where you are and force him to leave, looks like you can do so through the Court. But, you would need to make sure that housing benefit could cover your rent.

Chalkybee · 28/08/2018 12:54

HB wouldn't cover the rent u fortunately as the LHA is far short of actual rental prices. The landlord is our friend and lives next door so I don't know that would work. It would be really messy and he'd put up a good argument that he was innocent.

OP posts:
hellsbellsmelons · 28/08/2018 13:13

Have a chat with Shelter about your housing situation.
They may have an 'out' for you.

helpawomanout · 28/08/2018 13:19

he called me a bunch of names last week including cunt and refused to apologise.

This is actually pretty abusive, especially the making you apologise. Do you feel scared at all around him? Personally I'd give women's aid a call first.

Chalkybee · 28/08/2018 14:08

No, not scared of him, though he has been very aggressive in the past. When he gets like that I tend to fight back, so I'll shout too etc which then leads him to calling me abusive etc - I can't win. I refuse to just allow him to speak to me that way and not stick up for myself but when I do he says I'm abusing him?!

OP posts:
Chalkybee · 28/08/2018 14:10

& if I pull him up on saying something which is quite offensive he'll either call me a snowflake, say he was just joking and I need a better sense of humour and I shouldn't take anything he says seriously, or shut the conversation down saying he won't speak to me while I'm 'like this' - meaning challenging him! 😖

OP posts:
helpawomanout · 28/08/2018 14:21

This is abuse, may not seem like it at the moment but what he's doing is not ok. I'd have a look at this website www.womensaid.org.uk/the-survivors-handbook/am-i-in-an-abusive-relationship/ and see if you think they'll be able to offer advice

Chalkybee · 28/08/2018 23:25

Thank you, I'll look into that link. X

OP posts:
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