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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

Miserable situation

70 replies

Shayanne90 · 13/11/2021 12:53

Hi, I have a gorgeous little boy who will be 3 early next year. I really just need to vent a little, get my feelings out there.
His Dad has caused me no end of awful problems in the 5 years of us being together. He is an alcoholic (life time drinker),ruined a large part of his life etc but currently sober. About a month ago his Dad came to stay with us and before and during his Dads week long stay partner was drinking 10 cans a night or so (and during day) with his Dad. He threw this off as a bit of fun because his Dad was here and it was “fun”. I knew there was something about to happen as he is under obligations by social services to not drink, and to not be around us when he is drunk because frankly he is violent and dangerous. A little while after his Dad left he kept buying drinks despite my protestations and him insisting it was fine and he wouldn’t cause trouble. Shortly after he became severely verbally assault I’ve, threatening and intimidating. He was drunk and kept ordering me upstairs to sit in our bedroom and “enjoy my night”, every time I came downstairs worried for my son he would yell and shout. This escalated on his part to screaming and shouting in my face when I was holding our child, threatening me, insulting me, and basically forcing me to stay in the bedroom. He bathed my son, also against my wishes as I told him he was drunk and incapable - cue more screaming and yelling. Honestly I was terrified for my safety and my sons. He bathed my son who cried all the way through then brought him upstairs and stood over him shouting what an “effing” this that and the other he was and how he was doing his head in. Terrifying for my son I’m sure. I feel so guilty and trapped. I can’t forgive him and he’s bought me an engagement ring?? I’ve lived apart from him before at the request of social services and have my own place - but he basically stops me from going there and I’m scared to leave. Even so, if I did go to my house, whenever I’m away he rings me every 5 minutes and refuses to give me peace. I also live in a small place which I love but it isn’t exactly hard for him to know where I am/see me. Also we have animals (that I care for) - I feel he’d neglect our animals if I left and where I am living with him is legally his house. My son is now newly enrolled at a nursery near my partners house which he loves. Partner doesn’t work, hardly helps with our son, sits on video games all day. I do not want to leave my son on his own with my partner, at all and I’m so depressed that his behaviour has made me feel so awful. He has a long history of domestic violence, criminal damage caused by jealousy, and 4 other children (he only sporadically sees one of them when he’s with his Mum). We are going to see our families for Christmas and I just know he will start drinking again. This is a nightmare, I’ve had 5 years of his psychological torture and I don’t know where to start or what to do. I can speak to women’s aid to get advice - that’s the plan but it’s just getting the couch it age together to do it.

OP posts:
altmember · 13/11/2021 13:12

You need to get out and go back to your own place before social services take your child into care. If he comes round there you need to get a non molestation order against him. You also need to make sure any contact he has with child is supervised (not by you, someone neutral ideally, otherwise it'll have to be at a contact centre). You won't have any trouble getting a child arrangements order to formalise this.
I know you're scared, but you need to stand up and protect your child from this excuse of a man.

Bananalanacake · 13/11/2021 13:16

Could you get police to escort you to your house if you are scared to leave.

WoolyMammoth55 · 13/11/2021 13:18

OP if social services have required you to live apart from him then that's what you have to do.

Forget the animals, forget everything except your son and the fact that social services might remove him from you if they feel he's in danger.

You know that is true, you say yourself above that your son was scared and you felt you were both in danger.

Get your boy safe and keep him with you. That's all that matters.

Best of luck Flowers

category12 · 13/11/2021 13:32

Speak to Women's Aid. Go into a refuge and work out what to do from there with your social worker and support workers.

You might be able to get your animals fostered in the meantime - some of the animal rescue charities do fostering schemes for pets of people escaping domestic abuse. www.womensaid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Links_leaflet_Oct_2011.pdf

Maybe with SS help, you can be moved and swapped to an address he doesn't know about?

If you're not living in your own place and it's social housing, you're at great risk of losing the right to it. So please take action soon, before events take you further down.

Altmember · 13/11/2021 13:38

@category12 OP says she has her own place, but presumably that's siting empty while she's staying at her partner's home instead. She doesn't need women's aid or a refuge, she just needs to get out and go to her own home.

category12 · 13/11/2021 13:45

[quote Altmember]@category12 OP says she has her own place, but presumably that's siting empty while she's staying at her partner's home instead. She doesn't need women's aid or a refuge, she just needs to get out and go to her own home.[/quote]
Yes, I'm aware she has her own place. But since he knows where it is and poses a threat to her, she may be better going to a refuge, and looking to get moved to another address.

Shayanne90 · 13/11/2021 14:33

I’m not at risk of having my child taken into care so can people not suggest that please, because it is untrue. I’m not being blind about that either, I have never been seen as anything other than a protective factor for my son. I understand that failure to protect constitutes a certain failure on my part but social services don’t just swoop in and abduct your child. I know myself as I’ve had extensive involvement with SS since I’ve been with partner (because of him).

OP posts:
Shayanne90 · 13/11/2021 14:37

SS do not require us to live apart - they have asked that and I did it for 6 months then they returned me to my partners house because my own place was a flea pit (unliveable in) at the time.

OP posts:
Shayanne90 · 13/11/2021 14:43

Oh and I’m not involved with social services anymore, the case is closed. I’d 100% prefer to get help from Women’s Aid than them.

OP posts:
Bonbon21 · 13/11/2021 14:45

You know exactly what you need to do.
Protect your son.
And if you are any kind of mother you will move heaven and earth to do it.
Your partner is scum and you need to get him out of your lives... 4 other kids, domestic violence... and you are worried about Christmas???
Are you for real???

Moretodo · 13/11/2021 14:54

Social services haven't asked that you stay away from him yet.

If police were called on that evening where he was shouting and swearing a, call would be put in to social services.

The situation you describe is completely unacceptable and damaging to your children and yourself.

You say you feel guilty and trapped. This is a codependent relationship, and is a dangerous relationship.
Go to Al Anon and get support, start working on yourself and getting your head straight around this stuff.
He is not going to change, it's up to you.

Moretodo · 13/11/2021 14:55

www.al-anonuk.org.uk/

Shayanne90 · 13/11/2021 14:59

Am I for real? Yes unfortunately I am. I don’t see how it is so baffling that I’m due to spend Christmas with my family and his family who know nothing about this. And when there’s alcohol about - he will drink it.

OP posts:
Shayanne90 · 13/11/2021 15:01

Don’t question my abilities as a mother - you don’t know me and it isn’t easy to just “see the light” when you’ve been brainwashed and squashed.

OP posts:
ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 13/11/2021 15:02

Just go home. It's not a flea pit anymore is it?

Helpstopthepain · 13/11/2021 15:02

I’ve been the child in this situation. Please for the sake of your son get away from this man.
If he comes to your place call the police.

Shayanne90 · 13/11/2021 15:03

“Social services haven't asked that you stay away from him yet.“

Yes they have and I did, yet here I am.

OP posts:
Helpstopthepain · 13/11/2021 15:03

He won’t change btw, he isn’t who you want him to be.

nimbuscloud · 13/11/2021 15:03

Your son will end up with a fucked up life just like his father and grandfather.
I feel very sorry for him.

Shayanne90 · 13/11/2021 15:09

I would leave soon if I thought he was reasonable and wouldn’t cause a massive problem. If the police get called social services will get involved which is a living nightmare AND he perpetually threatens and rings me up drunk blaming me and accusing me about everything he has done. There is the option of trying to sneak off and just going home and locking the door - but I am so mentally fragile there’s a huge chasm between what I want to do and what I feel I am capable of mentally. My sons nursery? He needs to be at nursery and I need the break but he’s at a nursery now that he lives just down the road from my partners house.

OP posts:
Eloise12 · 13/11/2021 15:10

Go home, ring the police if he turns up. The current situation is damaging your child.

Shayanne90 · 13/11/2021 15:12

Who said anything about my sons Grandfather being fucked up? Listen, I give my son the best life I can, I try incredibly hard, I give him a lot of love, he’s happy and smiling all the time.. please just stop trying to make me feel bad I don’t need it.

OP posts:
Eloise12 · 13/11/2021 15:13

Change nursery as well. You need to do this OP or your son will be taken into care

Dery · 13/11/2021 15:14

You’re right, OP, you have been squashed and terrorised by this man into feeling you can’t escape. You can but you may want help to do so.

So what would help you get away from him for good? It sounds like Women’s Aid and going to a shelter may be the best thing for now. That way, he wouldn’t know where you were.

You’ve mentioned being worried about the animals you house. A poster on another thread who fled to a shelter said that Women’s Aid found another family to foster her pet. Some arrangement like that may be possible for you. But your son and you must be the priority.

nimbuscloud · 13/11/2021 15:15

He is being harmed
You just can’t or won’t see it

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