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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

What are your dealbreakers?

84 replies

SadVillageGirl · 18/12/2018 19:22

I always seem to set my bar really low and every time one of my dealbreakers are broken, I stick with the relationship regardless. I always seem to minimise the harm or the effect and then find it hard to end the relationship. What are your minimum standards as I think I need to reset mine!!

OP posts:
pallisers · 18/12/2018 22:49

Oh and I would never be with anyone who wasn't clearly THRILLED to be with me.

SadVillageGirl · 19/12/2018 06:11

Pallisers my best friend says the same...that a man should feel happy to be with me.... but he never smiles, never wants to hold my hand (says it hurts his thumb) never wants to put his arm round me (says it twists his back - he's 6ft I'm 5ft 2)....

OP posts:
Sittinginthestaffroom · 19/12/2018 06:39

bobbybanana there really is. You have to reregister the birth of your child if you marry the father because the child goes from illegitimate to legitimate. I’ve just done it. Made me feel like id been a dirty slapper. in 2018 it’s ridiculous.

ExceptionFatale · 19/12/2018 06:55

@PerverseConverse I loved seeing that denying science and anti vaxxers makes your list Star Maybe it goes without saying but I'm going to say flat earthers for sure (I guess that falls under denial of science though...) This reminds me of a conversation I had with a dear friend a few days ago; we were discussing responses we've gotten when telling people we're atheists (I/We live in the US) and we've had our share of "But how do you know the difference between right andvwrong?" type of replies, which warrants a face palm and a response that if the only thing keeping you from serial murder and punching kittens is because you think you're being watched and are afraid of punishment...that's not actually morality at all and actually chills me to the bone! Anyways, I've derailed enough - you can always PM if you'd like to talk Smile

Moshimonster666 · 19/12/2018 11:01

Really interesting reading these as I need to enforce some of these too! Does anyone have a recommendation for a book on deal breakers? x

pallisers · 19/12/2018 14:11

Pallisers my best friend says the same...that a man should feel happy to be with me.... but he never smiles, never wants to hold my hand (says it hurts his thumb) never wants to put his arm round me (says it twists his back - he's 6ft I'm 5ft 2)....

You REALLY could do a lot better than this. cut your losses. Tell him you deserve a lot better but you wish him well and move on. Then maybe take some time on yourself before getting into another relationship - lots of online resources for working on your boundaries and expectations.

SadVillageGirl · 19/12/2018 14:44

Thank you Pallisers Thanks

OP posts:
JupiterDrops · 19/12/2018 14:58

Man child (incapable of cooking/washing/cleaning/ managing finances and taking on 50% of household admin and chores)

Sexist, racist, homophobic

Unintelligent

No ambition/lazy in terms of career

Unkind

OnlineAlienator · 19/12/2018 22:04

Anyone controlling, and that includes being a miserable, sulky, grumpy shit so ppl have to walk on eggshells around them

Poor financial management - get a bit sick of bailing them out.

Smoking

ConfusedDH · 19/12/2018 23:20

Smoking
Excessive drinking
Drug use
Gambling
Lying
Lack of integrity
Racism
Homophobia
Lack of trust
Incompatible sex drive
Lack of respect or common decency
Excessive vanity
Irresponsible attitude to money

PsychedelicSheep · 20/12/2018 13:57

As is this one

Boundaries After a Pathological Relationship https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1523368829/ref=cmswwrcppapiii_8-5gCb6ARAC7N

MargoLovebutter · 20/12/2018 14:04

It is all very well asking what other people's deal breakers are, but if you have a healthy sense of self-esteem, you don't need to ask what other people's are, because you have your own.

I don't mean this horribly, as I have suffered terribly from these issues myself.

If you can afford it, I would recommend therapy (what I am doing) to try and understand more about why you sub-consciously pick arseholes who treat you badly.

Folf · 20/12/2018 14:12

Bigotry, racism
Cheating
Porn, drug, or alcohol addiction
Chauvinism
Laziness
Bad hygiene
Controlling/abusive behaviour.
Selfishness.

Moshimonster666 · 20/12/2018 15:28

@PsychedelicSheep thank you. I will look at those xx

SummerGems · 20/12/2018 15:54

Tbh I think there are two types of dealbreakers and this is where the difficulty can lie.

The first are the things which would mean you wouldn’t date them in the first place and so it’s easy to enforce those because you don’t have the other parts of their personality to consider iyswim.

The second are dealbreakers which would or should make you want to end the relationship, but if they happen alongside other traits which you already know to be good then it’s not always that simple.

So e.g. for me I would never date a man who smoked, did drugs, had children or children they didn’t see, had a history of violence, was a bigot in any way, or had any kind of history of mh issues.

Within a relationship I would end it with a man who was violent, took up smoking or drugs, was controlling and showed poor financial skills/judgement.

But while I e.g. wouldn’t start to date a man who had any kind of mh history, it wouldn’t be as simple to end a relationship with someone who was diagnosed with any kind of mh during the course of the relationship as that relationship would already be established iyswim?

So on that basis, the dealbreakers you see going into a relationship may well change as that relationship develops hence why it can be so difficult to end things once they’re more established, whereas if you’d known from the outset you likely wouldn’t have gone there in the first place.

busybarbara · 20/12/2018 19:13

Interested in cricket or snooker
Not 6 foot or over
Labour voter

RandomUsernameHere · 20/12/2018 19:32

Cheating
Drug taking
Being mean

MulticolourMophead · 20/12/2018 19:40

Most of these would also be deal breakers for me, now.

But most of all, I want to be respected in the relationship.

The one thing that really showed me how little I was respected by my ex was when he was calling me names during sex, yet still expected me to be enthusiastically participating..........

Hen2018 · 20/12/2018 19:41

A lot of the above and...

Religious
A Tory (no excuses accepted for either of those)

And, following recent experiences...

No one who went to boarding school, or certainly not from a young age. :-(

Hen2018 · 20/12/2018 19:43

Oooo! And no to anyone who wears nice smart trousers/a suit and a tie with a SHORT SLEEVED SHIRT!

Nenic · 20/12/2018 19:47

Controlling
Drinks too much
Labour voter

WhyDontYouComeOnOver · 20/12/2018 19:55

Pretty much everything that's been said as well as anyone who likes sport, cycling or travel. Someone who drinks or smokes. A non-animal lover.

I never, ever thought I could be with a non-reader but DH doesn't read and he's awesome.

poglets · 20/12/2018 19:58

@PerverseConverse

Your list is magnificent! I think I'll print it out and put it on my fridge. ❤️

PerverseConverse · 20/12/2018 20:37

@poglets add ex-priests to that list Confused
I tried online dating for a while but have happily resigned myself to being single. Too many fuckwits out there.

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