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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

He doesn’t want kids and that’s not all...

175 replies

MissyEmRain · 04/11/2018 10:56

Been with partner for three years now living together for two. I have a nine year old son.

First year we were together DP was absolutely wonderful..., great with my son, talked of definitely getting hitched and having babies. I was 31 at the time and not in a major panic for any of those things.

As we enjoy alternate weekends where my son goes to his father, DP starts to suggest a reluctance to have babies ‘yet’ as we’re still getting to know each other and having fun etc. I have a second smear come back as needing treatment so I feel okay in waiting a bit longer anyway.

DP starts hinting that DS living with him wasn’t easy to begin with and he felt my parenting was lapse and I needed to be more hard on him etc let him go out to play by himself.

I have a conversation last year about getting on with babies or getting engaged or whatever and DP is coy about the engagement thing saying he’s not old fashioned and wouldn’t mind being proposed to. I ask him to marry me and he laughs it off and we talk about having a child and that is now a definite NO. Said the thought of it terrifies him and will never want them.

He’s strict with my son which is not necessarily a bad thing in itself as my sons dad is useless and let’s him do whatever he wants

Honestly this man is a good bloke, he wants the best for my son (but can be hard on discipline as he was raised by a tough single mum) he comes from a big family where he had to help with child rearing, so I understand he can’t be bothered with having kids and he’s already lost one long term gf because he didn’t want children and she did.

I’m now 35. I consider him the love of my life, my best friend. He doesn’t really want to do much with my son, but my son doesn’t want to do much with him either so we don’t really have family time. My son is happy, well adjusted and his behaviours much better since we’ve lived with this man. He’s a loving funny kid. I wanted more of a step dad figure but my OH said he simply cannot be the ‘perfect stepdad’ as he finds it too difficult but he does try. I was a step mum for many years too and I understand it’s not easy to begin with.

At 35, I’m struggling with the concept of leaving just to find someone else. I’d be fine single, I’ve done that before as a single parent and I can cope. I also have inheritance money to get my own place. He’s told me if I want to leave and find someone who can play daddy for my son, marry me and have more babies I’d better go. The marriage thing we can’t even discuss anymore as he feels women just try and trap men and he doesn’t know any men who are happily married or happy fathers.

When he talks about the future he discuss ‘his’ house or whatever, as I haven’t got my name on anything, he makes decisions without consulting me and I find it hard to say anything. He then tells me to ‘man up’ and say what I want.

OP posts:
Mix56 · 05/11/2018 12:23

Do you an income?

MissyEmRain · 05/11/2018 12:26

I work part time so I’m not on a high wage, I earn very low

OP posts:
Mix56 · 05/11/2018 12:34

well that needs to change, start looking for a full time job.
then you can look at rental properties.
You know this is going to end badly, so start making a financially safe solution for you & your DS

Sandbox · 05/11/2018 12:34

Go to the council, declare homelessness due to relationship breakdown, ring local hostels to see if they have room for you, ring women’s aid and ask for help. Emotional abuse is still abuse.

If you think you can’t get away now what’s going to change?

Jux · 05/11/2018 12:50

Ask him what else he's lied to you about, and why he has done so so consistently and repeatedly for so long. Ask him if he expects you to trust him again, and if so why.

TeaForDad · 05/11/2018 13:09

When you do something be sure to tell your son first. If he feels you are in it together, and you're prioritising him, that must be good for your relationship.
Also make sure he doesn't think that it's his fault.

Horrible situation which is entirely your partner's doing.
Go live with just your son and rebuild that relationship. Maybe a new partner will come, maybe not, but you 2 should be your priority.
(Flowers)

Pinkmonkeybird · 05/11/2018 13:44

It sounds like there is no future in this relationship at all as he seems to have changed the goal posts. Also, you may say he is your best friend etc, but your son is the priority here. He's only young once and I can assure you that having been a step-child of a man who clearly didn't want (my siblings and I) to spend family time with...it has long lasting effects. I always felt my mother chose him over us and when their marriage ended she said if we had told her that we didn't like him, she wouldn't have married him. Fact is, we did...but she didn't listen to us at the time.

You and your son deserve better than this, whether you are on your own for a while or until you meet someone else who actually wants to actively be part of your son's life.

LightningOne · 05/11/2018 21:34

Have you ever questioned him why he initially assured you of marriage, kids etc. and now has done a complete U-turn on it all? Was it just something he said to get you to become attached to him in the early phase and now you're hooked, reveals his true self or did he genuinely want the family life back then?

MissyEmRain · 05/11/2018 22:15

Yes we have spoken about it and he said he just enjoys our free time when my sons at his dads and doesn’t want to give that up by having our own baby
The marriage thing he’s changed his tune about as he’s scared I want half his house

OP posts:
MissyEmRain · 05/11/2018 22:16

He’s just a very selfish man, but not in the abusive worse way I’ve seen men behave before him. He just wants what he wants, and he is honest with me at least. He just says he loves me but that if this isn’t what I want then it’s up to me to leave

OP posts:
PerverseConverse · 05/11/2018 22:23

Ah the old, he's not abusive because he's not abusive like my previous husband/boyfriend/partner. The only level of acceptable abuse is no abuse. This man is emotionally abusive and controlling. Please try to see that and get out of there. It's his way or the highway. He's a coward who won't end it so he's manipulating you into doing his dirty work for him. When you (hopefully) do he'll either shrug you off like you meant nothing, quickly move on, get married and have a family, or he'll rage about how this is all your fault and he doesn't understand why you are throwing away your relationship. If it's the latter DO NOT TAKE HIM BACK!

Italiangreyhound · 05/11/2018 22:36

Yikes OP he sounds awful. You are worth more. Flowers

Yourarejokingme · 05/11/2018 22:40

So you've went from a grade 10 to a grade 7 bastard then and didn't notice to start with been there done that, not pretty.

he's abusive and you need to end it. sooner rather than later.

GreenTulips · 05/11/2018 23:00

If he doesn't want kids and doesn't want marriage - is GeV leaving his house to the tax man instead?

MissyEmRain · 05/11/2018 23:12

He always ‘jokes’ about leaving his house to his brothers which makes me feel like shit as it’s clear this will never feel like mine/my sons home
Italiangreyhound your name is like a sign, I was looking into what dog I should get when I move out and they look amazing
Its exactly that, I didn’t see this coming as my last ex was SO bad

OP posts:
MissyEmRain · 05/11/2018 23:14

Really noticing things now my heads not in the sand/clouds
Tonight he told my son to stop calling down from his bedroom about the fireworks noise because ‘it’s eight o clock now and it’s my time.’ I understand a need for boundaries and your own space and an adult ‘evening,’ but my son only wanted to say something to me!

OP posts:
Haffiana · 05/11/2018 23:39

Why on earth would you allow a man who does not even like your son to discipline him? I would rip the bollocks off any man who didn't totally love my sons if they ever, ever attempted to have any say in their upbringing.

Seriously - how did it get so twisted that his 'helping you with discipline' has become a reason for you to admire this man? How did it become a plus point in a man who does not actually like your son?

What your son needs is for his Mum to show him that he has value above every other relationship in her life. That is where he will learn self respect - you need to give it to him. You need to show him that he is your first, your most important priority.

That is how your son will learn that he has worth and value and that is what will give him the self -respect he needs as he grows into an adult. Then he will not need to fuck up the lives of his future girlfriends because he is a broken, controlling, self-centered, sad man who deep down will always feel worthless because he always came second.

Re practical steps - you know, everything is possible for you if you put your mind to it. It is simple although probably not easy, but you can do it. You just have to want to enough.

MissyEmRain · 06/11/2018 07:04

You’re right. In the beginning he was relucatant to discipline my son at all which was fine but as time went by and my son obvs is no angel and takes out his frustrations at home (like any kid) my partner said he needed to say certain things. I felt like this made him more of a stepdad by getting involved, because it also went alongside doing family things together and he kept reiterating how he wanted the best for my son and to raise him better than his dad was/is doing.
Now the spending time together part has fallen away but the discipline has not which is the shitty situation I’m in now.

OP posts:
MissyEmRain · 06/11/2018 07:05

This has crept up on me to be honest and I saw it as my son not liking anyone who tells him off but I can see now it’s more than that. I just didn’t want to see it

OP posts:
MintyT · 06/11/2018 07:27

I think you deserve more, you are both damaged and you will damage your son. A stepdad who doesn't want to be a stepdad or include your son in his life other than to strict with him, his father can't be arsed to parent him properly. You, I'm sure do know you need to leave and be with your son in a loving safe home where he can call downstairs excited about fire works. Come on get cracking find a short term flat, the look to buy a home.

anniehm · 06/11/2018 07:47

You need to be honest with him, say you want more - be explicit. Tell him that you are thinking of walking away from the relationship.

Nanny0gg · 06/11/2018 08:05

Tell him that you are thinking of walking away from the relationship.

That's fine, And then he tells the OP that if she feels that way, she might as well go now...

She needs to get herself sorted before she says anything as she's not in a financial position to just walk away. Go and get some advice first.

YoumeandlittleP · 06/11/2018 08:17

What he's doing to you and your son is a form of abuse though, just not a violent one.

My step dad was the same with us as kids. It started off with him saying that he needed to set boundaries for me and my DB and then things progressed from there over time. He was sneaky about it and did a lot when my mum wasn't around. He made my DBs life hell and my mum could not see it. It really screwed him up, the quiet manipulation, veiled behind a need to discipline because that's how he was bought up. In the end he became violent towards me and I left home but by that point he'd worn my mum down that much that she didn't do anything to stop him. It has impacted on both mine and my DBs lives and he especially has NEVER forgiven my mum for letting him do what he did to us.

I'm not trying to make you feel bad but hopefully you'll find the strength to get your son out of that situation as soon as you can, for his sake.

MistressDeeCee · 06/11/2018 08:26

The amount of times you mention "discipline" in respect of your son and this man is utterly shocking.

Get rid of this pig of a man and do the right thing by you and your son. He doesn't want you anyway, you are just not listening to and accepting that fact.

ShatnersWig · 06/11/2018 08:50

Ok OP I'm going to be blunt here.

Aside from this thread, and another on the same day, you had a thread on 1 June entitled "Is he stalling on getting married" and another on 5 July "Scared to go through another split". On both of those threads we all told you to leave. On the latter, I told you he was a fucking abusive wanker, which he is from what you were telling us. You said that you had realised what needed to be done and were emailing estate agents.

So why are you still there?

We all told you to reach out to your dad and sister whom you got on with - why haven't you done that? You say you're on a low wage but what happened to the £75,000 inheritance you had in July? We all said you should use that to rent somewhere.

You have known for months and months that you are in a shit relationship even without us telling you. You've had the finances to leave at any time in the last six months but haven't.

Come on, OP. Wake up and smell the coffee, get off your arse and get you and, more importantly, your son, out of this mess. Unlike many others, you actually have the ability to do it TODAY.

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