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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

Relationship advice

16 replies

3149293C · 27/01/2024 11:48

So I’ve got a situation, Ive (23) been with my boyfriend (29) almost 4 years. We have a 2 year old daughter and another baby on the way, due in July.

Throughout the relationship I’ve always had the same job and I’m working very hard to progress in this, however my partner has had multiple jobs, he’s always managed to get another job fairly quickly after losing the last one but still he must have had atleast 10 different jobs since being together. He lost his last job in December and has only had ad hoc work since. Also to mention he owes me almost £3,000, as I’ve always had savings (which I’ve saved myself) and us moving into our own place I’ve spent a fair bit of money which he always said he’ll pay back and he was paying it back when he was continuously working.

This is where I’m a bit stuck, he owes me this money but has booked a rave with his mates and is getting annoyed with me because with the situation we’re in I don’t think he should be going, as he owes me so much and also has borrowed money to other people recently for a car. I think he should just wait until he’s in a better position financially. All the ad hoc work he’s doing, he’s not paying me anything from it as he ‘needs to save money for the rave’ yet I’m still skinting myself out because I’m having to still pay our bills as everything is in my name so I don’t want to get into debt and I’m getting nothing back towards this at the minute. Every-time I bring this up to him he goes mad at me calling me controlling and I just need some advice really on what I should do.

Another thing is, he tends to drink a lot. Every night he ends up drunk, even when he promises me he won’t drink, every little last bit of his money also goes towards this and he ends up being horrible to me when he is drunk. I ask him to reduce the amount he drinks, for our lives, our kids lives and for his own health but then again he tells me he’s sick of me telling him what to do.

Lastly, like I mentioned I’m working a lot at the minute but yet I’m still expected to come home, do our daughters dinner, do her bedtime routine and then do our dinner, I don’t get to sit down until gone 8pm every night, also to mention I’m suffering a lot this pregnancy with something called hyperemesis so I’m really unwell too, if I ask him to cook dinner I just get back the response ‘I can’t cook’ so if I don’t do it we just won’t eat.

I really need some advice/support as my boyfriend keeps telling me that I’m ’nagging at him’ and ‘ruining his mental health’ and I’m the reason his mental health is so bad, but I genuinely feel like I’m all alone at the minute and I’m suffering with my mental health too and all of this on top of everything in the pregnancy is super stressing me out.

OP posts:
Opentooffers · 27/01/2024 12:12

Somehow you've chosen a manchild to be the father of your 2 DC's in a relatively short space of time, so you probably didn't give yourself time to realise what he was like. Maybe you fell for the misconception that he would change once becoming a parent - that is not what happens usually. This who he is, so you will waste a lot of effort and time and effort trying to change him.
Easier to accept this is who he is and decide if you want more of the same going forwards or not? You won't change him, there is too big a list of problems he has. It's a clear choice between stay and he will drag you down or try and split as amicably as possible.
Don't lend him any more money or have more DC's with him. Get your ducks in a row. Telling him his way of living is not for you is not controlling him, it's just saying you chose now not to live that way but he can go away and do his own thing if that's what he wants, but he choses to do it without his family.

SamW98 · 27/01/2024 12:13

Sorry OP but you’re with with a feckless cocklodger.

You were a teenager when you got with him so presumably you had no or very little experience of relationships before him.

Stop bankrolling his lifestyle choices and get your ducks in a row to pack his bags.

You and your DC deserve better than this immature irresponsible man child.

C00k · 27/01/2024 12:20

It’s really unfortunate that you selected this embarrassment of a person to father your kids, your life is going to continue to be unnecessarily complicated.
You’re already lone parenting, funding and running the house alone, so just formalise everything. Boot him out of the house if it’s yours, sort out co-parenting and he can pay for his kids by CMS.

There’s no need to have a drunken, parasitic deadbeat anywhere near you.

notjustthecandle · 29/01/2024 08:33

bloody hell - awful. sounds awful.

re money… presumably he financially supported the family whilst you were on maternity leave and will do so again?

notjustthecandle · 29/01/2024 08:33

He won’t change
It will make for a tricky 18 years for you OP

notjustthecandle · 29/01/2024 08:34

i struggle not to think

why the heck would you go on to have a second child with him

3149293C · 29/01/2024 08:37

notjustthecandle · 29/01/2024 08:34

i struggle not to think

why the heck would you go on to have a second child with him

Because he's not always been like this the whole relationship and my daughter does absolutely love him to bits and he is a good dad. However with the helping doing bits around the house he lacks,

Plus when he is working he is paying me back money in decent amounts. He has 2 job interviews this week and he is telling me things are going to change when he's working full time again.

OP posts:
3149293C · 29/01/2024 08:38

notjustthecandle · 29/01/2024 08:34

i struggle not to think

why the heck would you go on to have a second child with him

Plus I fell pregnant when we were in a good place, so please don't put the blame on me for having another child with him.

OP posts:
3149293C · 29/01/2024 08:38

notjustthecandle · 29/01/2024 08:33

bloody hell - awful. sounds awful.

re money… presumably he financially supported the family whilst you were on maternity leave and will do so again?

Yes he did and he should be working by the time I'm on maternity leave again

OP posts:
notjustthecandle · 29/01/2024 08:44

3149293C · 29/01/2024 08:38

Yes he did and he should be working by the time I'm on maternity leave again

out of interest

does he say that you “owe” him for when he financially supported the family?

Mitherations · 29/01/2024 08:45

He's not a good dad because he's stressing out the mother of his unborn child by taking your money, drinking too much, basically having his priorities completely wrong. This not only isn't a good dad, he's also a shit boyfriend.

You're already doing it all on your own, meanwhile your mental health is going to suffer. Prioritise you and the DC and let him support himself, he's an absolute dead weight.

HorseRaddisha · 29/01/2024 08:54

I don't understand this owes me part and boyfriend, you live together and have children together he is your partner and your money is family money.
He is very immature and flakey.

Those asking why have another kid, it's easy to get carried away and if you're fertile it happens without great planning. Op herself is very young.

You can either focus on his good qualities and adjust your expectations of him eg
If you know he can't cook then batch cook or have easy meals like heating up soup or a sandwich or the other option is to separate.

Nagging won't change him. He will not change until he wants to.

Mitherations · 29/01/2024 10:46

@HorseRaddisha

It would be foolish not to have "your money" when the other adult in the "family" is pissing every last bit of his his up a wall when he's even earning any.

C00k · 29/01/2024 11:45

@HorseRaddisha hes not. He’s a parasite leeching off the OP, she is choosing to fund, house, and pander to him, sadly. She should absolutely keep her property and finances separate to this demonstrably crap man.

Burntouted · 29/01/2024 14:56

He's not a good father nor partner.

You've picked an irresponsible flaky, manchild, alcoholic, that doesn't do his adaquate share. You chose to sponsor him, and you intentionally brought unnecessary innocent people into this situation. You two probably shouldn't have dated long, moved in together, certainly not had children. One was too many.

Doubt he's actually going to pay you back. If you have evidence, if you want it back, you're probably going to have to go to court to obtain it. Who knows, he may actually have a seperate account with that amount or more in it claiming not to have it.

I think you need to remove yourself and your children from this situation...strictly co parent. Never have more children by him...perhaps don't have more in general..seeing that you're struggling to maintain and survive now. Your and the kids mental health are in shambles... I suggest that if you get healthy and decide to resume dating, only date casually until your child are of age to move. Do not blend families.

Perhaps work on yourself. You're going to have to mature, and become stronger in order for you not to fall back into patterns and a repeating vicious cycle with him. Seeing how you've attached yourself to him for the remainder of life.

notjustthecandle · 29/01/2024 15:00

Mitherations · 29/01/2024 10:46

@HorseRaddisha

It would be foolish not to have "your money" when the other adult in the "family" is pissing every last bit of his his up a wall when he's even earning any.

Edited

this

i’d be squirrelling away as much as possible OP

You will need it for when this inevitably ends because you sure as heck won’t be getting much by way of maintenance from him.

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