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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

Red flags? Or being paranoid.

149 replies

Heidi5764 · 06/08/2020 18:25

I will try keep this as short as possible. After a 10 year relationship from the age of 18 and a DD who is now 5, I was single for around 5 months before I met current partner.

Weve been together just over one year, and as soon as lockdown hit and we couldnt see each other I started to view the relationship differently. Then we split briefly for a couple of weeks because I wanted space, now were back together.

So, am I being paranoid because of my last relationship or are these actual red flags??

He booked a night away last weekend friday night - saturday night, on the Friday I took my little girl to the beach where she unfortunately got stung by a jellyfish, her leg swelled up and it was quite traumatic she was screaming hysterically and I felt sick with worry being on our own. Whilst I was putting her in the car and she was hysterical I drove us to the nearest pharmacy (dont know the area too well), anyway I managed to get her leg looked at and got her some medicine. So just before this happened he said he had managed to finish work at 3:30 rather than 5 so he said lets go soon, so I managed to rearrange times with the ex and he agreed to pick DD up earlier. However, my little girl got stung so I was later, the whole time she was screaming and i was extremely stressed he kept ringing and saying when sre you ready, then he messaged me to say were going away cant your ex take her the pharmacy! Which was nearly the final straw of me telling him to stick it!

Then when I eventually told him I was ready (because I was not leaving my little one until I knew she was perfectly fine) he drove us there in a really sulky mood saying he always has bad luck etc etx. I wanted to tell him to turn the car round I really didnt want to go away with him.

Then I recently went on a day trip with my little girl and her dad to a theme park which I probably shouldn't have done. But since I mentioned I was going he is obsessed with my ex, hes told me because I went he now wants space.

Hes obsessed with hating my next door neigbour too as hes a guy and hes had random bbqs and asked me and my little girl if we wanted any food over the fence.

Then my little girls dad has her a lot at the moment as I am working, so he has her friday night so I can go to work on a saturday as it works well for me. And he constantly kicks off that it's not fair and ita affecting his life that he cant see me on a sat night, but it's ok when he has his kids on a sat night!! He says he hates my ex because of it and he even said he was going to send him a message via facebook and tell him he needs to be changing his days! Which would cause absolute chaos between my ex and I, and it's only recently that weve started to get along well.

Hes also 10 years older than me (40) and I'm thinking that age gap at the moment is quite big.

Sorry for the rambling post, hes currently not messaging as he wants space to figure out if he can deal with me praising another man (because I say my ex is a good dad) and whether he can deal with being second best to my ex (which is ridiculous)

Do you think these are red flags or me being overly paranoid and reading too much into every situation?

OP posts:
kimlo · 06/08/2020 18:37

get rid, it's really not worth it. He has issues that aren't your fault.

Extraction20 · 06/08/2020 18:40

Omg, op! He sounds awful! This sounds really stressful for you. Is your anxiety not through the roof? He sounds like a horror. I seriously think you'll feel nothing but relief when it's over. Don't wait for him to finish his strop, this is your moment.

HundredMilesAnHour · 06/08/2020 18:41

Definitely red flags. It's all about him. This will only get worse. You deserve much better.

kerfuffling · 06/08/2020 18:43

Tell him to get stuffed. He is not the man for you.

Wavescrashingonthebeach · 06/08/2020 18:43

Massive big shouty red flags. Run for the hills as fast as you can.

Aquamarine1029 · 06/08/2020 18:45

Fucking hell, op, this guy is a total arsehole. Please tell me you're not actually thinking of staying with this loser. Dump and block immediately.

Heidi5764 · 06/08/2020 18:47

I left a few months back but missed him terribly, I know this sounds really sad but we have such a good social life together, I'm scared to loose that. He ckme into my life and its always been fun fun fun and weve experienced so many good times. For the first 10months I thought this man is too good to be true has the loveliest of personalities and wants a fun relationship like me.

We got one year in and he blamed COVID and being out of work as a reason for his behaviour. But now hes back to work full time and life is pretty much normal and its happening again.

OP posts:
Kudostoyou · 06/08/2020 18:47

You are definitely not being paranoid here, this guy is showing his true colours. I would be especially concerned about the jellyfish episode and the thing about the neighbour is very strange. Do yourself a favour and leave this relationship x

blacksax · 06/08/2020 18:50

You need to stay on reasonably good terms with your ex because he's your dd's father. This new boyfriend does not get to decide how you do that, nor does he decide how you and your ex co-parent your child.

The hills are that way >>>>>>>>>>>>>

Extraction20 · 06/08/2020 18:53

Op, it is horrible being lonely and it's great going out with someone all the time, but if you give yourself a chance, you will recover from this. He sounds like a massive trouble maker. You've got a lot of positive things happening, and they will grow even more.

kerfuffling · 06/08/2020 18:53

He hates your next-door neighbour talking to you because your neighbour is a man?

Since when did he get to decide who you can and can't talk to? It won't be long before he begins to accuse you of cheating with the NDN.

NotaCoolMum · 06/08/2020 18:54

That’s the problem- he’s great for the fun times but not for the boring real life things!! Get rid op!

Heidi5764 · 06/08/2020 18:55

@Extraction20 my anxiety is through the roof, I've got lots of at the moment as I'm doing a PhD and have major deadlines and he knows that but still messages me constantly obsessing about my daughters dad and causing issues that arent even there. I left my daughters dad for a reason and took me a long time to leave and I would never go back there

OP posts:
TwilightPeace · 06/08/2020 18:55

Follow your gut instincts. Don’t stay with a negative toxic person just out of loneliness or boredom.

Aquamarine1029 · 06/08/2020 18:59

Come on, op. You know what you need to do. He's controlling and abusive. Is this what you want your daughter to be involved with? Get rid.

DisappearingGirl · 06/08/2020 18:59

He sounds really controlling. You have a good relationship with your ex and a good relationship with your neighbour - why does he get to spoil all of that and isolate you? Unfortunately I think controlling behaviour tends to get worse rather than better. It doesn't sound like he cares much about your dd either. I would leave.

WellIWasInTheNeighbourhoo · 06/08/2020 19:00

He's fun time guy who doesn't really want a partner with a child or an ex. Which is what it is, but at 40 it's a massive red flag. 10 years younger than you & I'd think well that's the price, but 10 years older- ugh who can bothered man children aren't very attractive long term.

thisisbobbins · 06/08/2020 19:00

He's awful and I would absolutely listen to those red flags.
He's resentful of you being a parent and threatening to interfere in your co-parenting arrangements. He sounds incredibly immature and neither you or your daughter deserve that man child in your life.

footprintsintheslow · 06/08/2020 19:13

These aren't red flags, they are giant bill boards saying 'leave the bastard he's a cock'.

Walk away with your dignity now! You can do this. X

CosSam1 · 06/08/2020 19:22

Total moron. Bin him off

Heidi5764 · 06/08/2020 19:25

The strange thing is he is always trying to involve me and my DD in days out with his kids, so I dont think hes resentful of me being a parent.

What really angered me further was that when I got to his mums late (he was waiting there for me after the jellyfish incident) she had a face like thunder with me, as if she thought how dare you keep my son waiting 2 and a half hours!! I couldn't believe it..

I think at 30 I'm not too old to have a family (and once I've got my PhD in about 4 years its defjntley something I may think about) but I think we will both be jb different chapters of our lives anyway at that stage, so this in itself is probably a reason to leave.

Beside all this, and this is where the hard part comes in is I do think we have this amazing spark, but then most of our dates involve alcohol and fun dates so majority of people are going to love that arent they. I said to my best friend a while ago j think hes a fun partner but not a 'I need to do real life with partner'

OP posts:
Fairycake2 · 06/08/2020 19:49

He's an absolute twatt. Bin him off then iI would recommend you stay single for a while to figure out what you want from a relationship. I'm making myself do it to ensure I don't fall for a total pratt again just because I'm lonely!! It's been tough at times but I'm definitely looking at my boundaries and working on recognising red flags. MN has been great at helping me with this. You've got this OP 💐

category12 · 06/08/2020 19:53

Dump him, OP. Massive red flags.

Spannwr1971 · 06/08/2020 19:57

Yuk! More red flags than high tide on shark beach. Find a sweetheart who adores you. He sounds like a bully, and self centered.

HansBanans · 06/08/2020 19:58

He sounds quite possessive OP. I'd definitely call things off if I were you