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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

Help me not to make the same mistakes again but also to have self esteem

4 replies

tarte · 19/10/2021 10:54

Long story short.. I am in a relationship with a man for the last 18 months. I began the relationship a year after my exh walked out with affair partner.
I always put him first throughout marriage to keep him happy and prevent angry outbursts.he was a useless husband and father .... deeply unhappy and unfulfilled.
So here I am gloriously happy in an equal and mutual relationship.
My issue is that after my breakup I soughtcounselling and realised that in my marriage, my communication skills were shit , probably because everytime I asked my husband to do anything I was a nag , when I made a joke he took insult to it , when I stood up to him he roared at me and the kids so I belittled myself to keep the peace.
I find myself now almost testing my present boyfriend or unintentionally setting him up to fail. For example, he has his kids on one of the weekends that I am free. He can see me on one of the nights but it's his closest friends birthday on that night and I'm wondering which he will choose . We only see one another eow and a night on the alternate weekend. He hasn't spent any time with his friends really since restrictions lifted as he has been with me or his kids so I know of it was me, I would go to my friends party. I can't join him as we have no accommodation in that city so he will stay at a friends house.
I understand logically that it would be entirely natural to go to his friends birthday night but at the same time , I find myself regressing into old ways. I will see him at some stage over that weekend so it's not like I won't see him for a week !
Any experience or advice here ??

OP posts:
AryaStarkWolf · 19/10/2021 11:00

Acknowledging that this is an issue with you is a good first step anyway. Tell him to go to the party and mean it and don't make him feel bad about it, fake it till you make it

pog100 · 19/10/2021 11:05

Talk to him openly about it? I don't think the second guessing is good for either of you. From what you've told us, telling him to go and enjoy himself, and actually mean it, would be the healthiest thing but knowing that you will miss him will probably stroke his ego.

tarte · 19/10/2021 11:07

I have asked him to let me know his plans a couple of times so he said he would later. I also said not to be worried of he wants to meet friends , to go and enjoy it but I also need to organise my free time with friends. Fake it till I make it is good advice!

OP posts:
AryaStarkWolf · 19/10/2021 11:09

@tarte

I have asked him to let me know his plans a couple of times so he said he would later. I also said not to be worried of he wants to meet friends , to go and enjoy it but I also need to organise my free time with friends. Fake it till I make it is good advice!
You could take the decision out of his hands and say "look, you should go to your friends Birthday, I've already organised a night out with my friends so there's no problem"
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