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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

DH doesn’t want children. Is he just scared?

126 replies

Rhodora · 12/06/2022 19:53

I am wife number two and I have been with DH for six years. DH and his ex wife were separated when we met and their divorce was finalised almost a year to the day after we first met. He was not innocent in the split but there were faults on both sides and in the end life got in the way and neither focused enough on each other. DH lost his job when the bottom fell out the housing market and so he took a job as an HGV driver to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table and the bills paid. This sadly meant working away a lot and leaving her for days on end with the children.

DH has four children with his ex wife who were 5, 4, 2 and 5 months when they first separated. He saw his children every weekend after they separated. Around 20 months after we met and 22 months after they separated his children told him they didn’t want to see him anymore. He hasn’t seen them since but still pays for them and sends money and cards for birthdays and Christmas.

On our third date I told him one day I wanted to be a mother. I made it clear l wasn’t planning on telling him he was father nine months down the line but equally I was 31 and didn’t want to get to a point in the relationship where we decided on a future together and find we were worlds apart on that point. He said he wasn’t against being a father again.

Fast forward to now and he is working in construction again. He goes from looking at what private school (public school in England) we would send our child to, to talking about fostering or adoption to then saying he doesn’t want children. I think he’s scared of being hurt again but he seems to forget that I have seen the damage to a child when parents split acrimoniously in my mother. Because of this I couldn’t and wouldn’t ever stop him seeing our child even if our relationship failed. Is DH just scared?

OP posts:
mumlife18 · 12/06/2022 21:05

I think we need to consider @Rhodora has feelings. I’m sure we have all been there with someone. Marriage isn’t always the easiest to walk away from. Lets be honest but also spread kindness x

MintyGreenDream · 12/06/2022 21:12

Construction doesn't pay enough to send 4 dc to private school

Unanananana · 12/06/2022 21:12

mumlife18 · 12/06/2022 21:05

I think we need to consider @Rhodora has feelings. I’m sure we have all been there with someone. Marriage isn’t always the easiest to walk away from. Lets be honest but also spread kindness x

Kindness?! Where was his kindness when he abandoned four children? The OP is mug enough to believe his bullshit so she deserves to be handed the reality without sugar coating. Either that or she will be yet another of us single mothers with a feckless ex. The 'D'H has already proven himself to be one.

Graphista · 12/06/2022 21:15

I'm guessing everything you "know" about his situation with the 4 he already has is from what he has told you and nothing else?

Even what he said when you said you most definitely want to be a mum was non committal shinola!

He said what you wanted to hear in a way that he could wriggle out of later!

He's led you on, abandoned his small kids and somehow convinced you he can be a decent father despite all evidence to the contrary!

He walked away from those kids cos it was too much trouble for him to help them work through dealing with their parents separating and a health condition - which is standard really basic parenting!

You're now late 30's, I'm guessing he's a similar age or older, this means that even IF he shaped up and you try to have a family together then chances are you will face challenges - getting pregnant, staying pregnant, having a healthy pregnancy and birth, having a totally healthy child (especially if his genes mean likelihood of certain conditions are higher)

How is he going to cope with that? The clue is in his past behaviour - in all likelihood when the going gets tough he'll get going!

I'd rather be tough on op now and open her eyes than all "be kind" and she ends up an unwilling single mum possibly to a child with a disability and the current husband has scarpered!

AnneLovesGilbert · 12/06/2022 21:16

mumlife18 · 12/06/2022 21:05

I think we need to consider @Rhodora has feelings. I’m sure we have all been there with someone. Marriage isn’t always the easiest to walk away from. Lets be honest but also spread kindness x

No we have not! I don’t know anyone who’s either abandoned their children or married someone who did.

If you know you what children you’re insane to marry a man who’s already binned off a handful of very young ones and says he doesn’t want more.

Next you’ll be banging on about the sisterhood or some other trite bollocks. Kindness isn’t absolving people of responsibility for their epic fuck ups.

Oblomov22 · 12/06/2022 21:16

WTF? I can't believe I'm reading this from OP.
You must know waft is really going on here, you just don't want to face it.

Onwards22 · 12/06/2022 21:17

How old is he?

I’m sorry but when someone says they don’t want kids they usually mean it.

He already has 4 DCs so having any more is a lot.

It sounds like he doesn’t want anymore but doesn’t want to lose you either.

Time to think about what you really want and if it’s kids with him then you need to start trying.

I personally couldn’t be in a relationship or have children with anyone who doesn’t see their own children on a regular basis.

Purplefoxes · 12/06/2022 21:18

I get the impression OP you are only now beginning to realise he has fed you a complete fairytale about his children and what went on before. Children say all sorts of funny things, mine at 5 had said he hates me when I've told him off and has screamed at me. But it doesn't mean I disown him because I know it will blow over !!!! Parenting is hard, very hard but it takes more than one little incident for a normal parent to walkaway! Have you ever spoken to the mum or do you only have his version of events? It sounds like he didn't want to be a parent anymore and decided to take the easy route and ditch it all on the mum, pay the minimum financial contribution whilst he gets to live the single life. It takes a special kind of b*stard to walk out on small children, especially 4 of them and leave the person you once loved to shoulder all of that responsibility alone. The kind you really really don't want to be having kids with. Please open your eyes. You've spent enough time on this Peter Pan and his fantasy story already. He's shown you who he is, believe him!

mumlife18 · 12/06/2022 21:21

AnneLovesGilbert · 12/06/2022 21:16

No we have not! I don’t know anyone who’s either abandoned their children or married someone who did.

If you know you what children you’re insane to marry a man who’s already binned off a handful of very young ones and says he doesn’t want more.

Next you’ll be banging on about the sisterhood or some other trite bollocks. Kindness isn’t absolving people of responsibility for their epic fuck ups.

Not at all what i was saying. I was saying that some people are being overly harsh on comments so just to tone down how they were saying things. I wasnt agreeing with the situation or egging her on WITH HIM.

mumlife18 · 12/06/2022 21:23

Unanananana · 12/06/2022 21:12

Kindness?! Where was his kindness when he abandoned four children? The OP is mug enough to believe his bullshit so she deserves to be handed the reality without sugar coating. Either that or she will be yet another of us single mothers with a feckless ex. The 'D'H has already proven himself to be one.

I just think kindness would not go a miss. I agree with what you are saying but It’s not how I would personally word it. You are entitled to your own opinion just like i am

RedPlumbob · 12/06/2022 21:26

Why the fuck would you want a child with a man who is a deadbeat to FOUR children who he left when they were actually babies and little more than babies!?

The mind boggles.

As for the ADHD and sweets comments, I’ve got no fucking words. What a waste of space.

Purplefoxes · 12/06/2022 21:27

I'm also wondering if from the incident OP describes whether perhaps he is actually not allowed to see his kids by court order. Might be a giant leap to make but it all sounds a bit odd and fishy. The incident with the car sounds like there might have been violence involved. The courts don't generally leave the kids with the violent parent....I'd be checking up on him, not sure where you live OP but hopefully they have stuff like Clare's Law to check for past domestic abuse etc. There is definitely more to the reason he doesn't see his kids and I would be doing some serious digging if I thought I might stay with this person let alone have kids with them ..

Octomore · 12/06/2022 21:28

Someone who has blinded themselves to the reality of a situation like this is not going to benefit from lots of posters pussyfooting around the truth. The OP needs some fairly straight talking.

I mean, the red flags she's manage to miss aren't exactly subtle!

RedPlumbob · 12/06/2022 21:28

mumlife18 · 12/06/2022 21:05

I think we need to consider @Rhodora has feelings. I’m sure we have all been there with someone. Marriage isn’t always the easiest to walk away from. Lets be honest but also spread kindness x

Giving the OP a short, sharp reality check IS a kindness.

Or in 18 months she’ll be back here, crying cos her DH has fucked off and left her holding the baby, as if it’s some sort of surprise.

Figgygal · 12/06/2022 21:32

Hes a shit dad already
Dont hitch your wagon to him and let him be absent in another kids life

RedPlumbob · 12/06/2022 21:32

As for private schools, the local ones in my Midlands city are 12k per year in fees alone, without adding in travel, food, uniform, trips, extra curriculars, keeping up with the joneses… and your DH thinks he could fund FIVE lots of that? Is he a high 6 figure earner? Or is he just deluded?

Dery · 12/06/2022 21:40

“It takes a special kind of b*stard to walk out on small children, especially 4 of them and leave the person you once loved to shoulder all of that responsibility alone. The kind you really really don't want to be having kids with. Please open your eyes. You've spent enough time on this Peter Pan and his fantasy story already. He's shown you who he is, believe him!”

This.

aSofaNearYou · 12/06/2022 21:40

Given you made it clear you wanted kids he's taking the absolute piss to expect you to accept this now.

Also, are you saying his children decided they didn't want to see him when the eldest was under 10? Too young to decide, surely?

Eelicks · 12/06/2022 21:40

He's stringing you on until you're timed out.

ThirtyThreeTrees · 12/06/2022 21:41

I don't believe you are as naive or stupid as you are making out.

Do you really think it's a good idea to have a child with a man who just abandoned his 4 children?

BadNomad · 12/06/2022 21:51

He's proven himself to be a shit father. He shouldn't have any more. Don't encourage him. You will be extremely selfish to pick him to be father for your child. Children deserve better.

whatwasyournamesorry · 13/06/2022 04:58

Sounds like you're quite well off
Financially

Fight the ex. Get visiting rights . Get a lawyer

He gave up early didn't he

PearPickingPorky · 13/06/2022 05:13

Rhodora · 12/06/2022 20:22

He would pay for his four children to go to private school if his ex wife wanted them to.

Your husband earns enough, after tax, to forgo between £50-100k every year from "construction"?

What do you spend that extra £50-100k per year on now, out of interest?

MsTSwift · 13/06/2022 05:28

He sounds like a real bullshitter with his witterings about private school for 5 kids in a construction workers salary / E numbers.

Actions speak louder than words - talk is cheap.

pictish · 13/06/2022 05:42

Oh this is an onsla

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