I split with my bf of 8 months last night. I know it's most likely the right thing but I still feel pretty rubbish about it.
Not for the first time he has taken a conversation we've had, twisted it and some hours later told me he was upset by it and what I said made him feel bad. He accuses me of things I haven't said (which are the bits he says make him feel bad) and ends up making me feel like I have to apologise even when it's an issue I've raised about something he has done.
I told him that if I make him feel bad then we probably shouldn't be together. A relationship this new shouldn't be this hard work and I can't be with someone where I have to watch everything I say, every day.
He can't take any form of criticism, teasing or requests not to do something simple like waste my hot water. He also says I shouldn't make certain comments. For example, I made a comment on how much I'd spent on food for us this weekend as we'd had 2 expensive meals out. He assumed this was me saying I didn't think he was worth spending the money on and pointed out that he never does it when it's his turn. He does, however, constantly go on about his outgoings being more than his incomings but it seems this is ok!
He tells me he wants someone who will boost his confidence and while I'm all for that, I think he feels I should give him a pat on the head and big well-done when he does anything. He always talks about how he's now looking after his kids 50/50 and doing housework/cooking for the first time. I have given him praise for this but am not the kind of person who feels the need to do this every time he runs the hoover around.
He's made me feel like I'm a really horrible person and everything I say is nasty and meant to make him feel bad (that's most definitely not my intention).
Am I wrong here? Should I be constantly boosting him up and congratulating him for what I think are every day tasks?