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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

Questions for those of you with really decent partners

158 replies

Easipeelerie · 04/03/2024 22:39

What characteristics do they have? If you knew them when they were very young teens/ twenties) what were they like? Could you tell they we’re going to be good long -term partners?

OP posts:
Toblerbone · 06/03/2024 09:11

Kindness can be seen in small actions - noticing I'm stressed and offering to do something that would normally be my job. Giving me hugs because he knows I like them (even though he's not a very huggy person himself). Feeling that he's on my side. It's also an absence of malice - my DH would never deliberately do or say anything to upset me. Whereas some people (men and women to be fair) seem to quite enjoy saying hurtful things.

geewhizzpop · 06/03/2024 09:15

I think that 'respectful' looks like this:

Valuing my opinions.

Validating my feelings.

Listening to me.

Retelling information or stories about me accurately.

Checking our calendar before booking things.

Being able to disagree with me in a way that doesn't make me feel humiliated.

Making decisions about finances together.

(my DH doesn't do any of the above)

K0OLA1D · 06/03/2024 09:20

Known him since I was 18, he was 19. Got together about 6 months later. We're 33 and 34 now. 2 dcs loads of pets and a house.

He was and still is kind, funny and would do anything for anyone. He's hardworking, supportive and unjudgmental.

We're still very happy 14 years later.

SwordToFlamethrower · 06/03/2024 09:25

Kind. Empathic, tends to my needs with enthusiasm. Respects my boundaries, asks for enthusiastic consent, does his share, eager to learn, lots of fun, bit of a misandrist, dotes on his dd and me. Surprises me often, writes beautiful heartfelt messages in cards, considers me in everything he does, great in bed, never shouts, doesn't get angry in general, listens and seeks to understand, enjoys my company and spends all his time with me, doesn't drink or smoke. Up for a laugh, thinks I'm made of magic.

gannett · 06/03/2024 09:41

chimichangaz · 05/03/2024 22:30

Slightly derailing this lovely thread for my own purposes!!

As someone who's been divorced over 10 years, from a selfish husband and who's just started dating again - did you all have a physical attraction early on?

I've had a couple of dates with a guy who seems nice, but isn't my type. There's no 'spark'. How long does it take to find out they have all these wonderful qualities and does any of that matter if you don't have a connection?

In my experience (personally and among acquaintances) every case of "suddenly seeing someone in a new light" and developing an attraction that wasn't there initially has been a case of starting out as friends, usually in a wider group. So over time they gradually got to know that person better, and that's what kickstarted the attraction. I think if you're meeting someone new in a purely dating context and you haven't felt a spark within a few dates, it might not happen. Two dates might be too soon to tell for certain (and "not my usual type" doesn't necessarily preclude attraction!) but at some point the idea of having sex with him has to be exciting.

gannett · 06/03/2024 09:49

datcherygrateful · 06/03/2024 08:50

Alot of us are saying 'kind'- what does kind look like? What does 'respectful' look like?

Respectful is something that's immediately apparent in the first conversation you have. Doesn't talk down to you, doesn't talk over you, takes you seriously, doesn't dismiss your opinions or tastes. Even if you disagree it's a disagreement of equals. An easy example - I'm mixed-race and there have been several issues around race that DP, as a white man, had never thought about before. I'm used to white people, even well-intentioned ones, sometimes reacting defensively - he didn't, even when he didn't quite get it immediately and had to process new ideas.

Kind is less immediate because to me kindness to me involves knowing me very well, and specifically knowing my weaknesses and the things that make me frustrated or anxious. And then supporting, reassuring, giving me the grace to be kind to myself.

But I would say that someone's kindness to other people can be evident from the off. The old litmus test of how they behave to waiting staff, cleaners, bus drivers, of course; how they talk about people generally (no unthinking snobbery, classism, racism, misogyny, homophobia etc); how they behave among people they know (a month after we met, DP went round to his friend's house to batch cook two weeks' worth of food for her as she'd just given birth). Look at how they make other people feel, not just how they make you feel.

Secondstart1001 · 06/03/2024 10:07

chimichangaz · 05/03/2024 23:23

@ComtesseDeSpair thank you, that's helpful. I definitely don't feel a sexual attraction to him; he's easy to talk to and has some interesting stories. But I don't feel that's enough.

It was a blind date, and I haven't dated for a long time. He's also quite keen which makes me feel under pressure!!

But I've loved reading this thread because it does give people like me, whose marriage ended up being very unhappy, hope that there are some good men out there.

There is hope! I was in very unhappy marriage and I’ve contributed to this thread about my new found happiness with DP of 4 years now! You should start your own thread to get more feedback on this! Good luck xx

tryingtohelp82 · 06/03/2024 13:21

So many points people have covered but a BIG one is not having a sleazy bone in their body. Finding me attractive and wanting to be sexual yes. Perving on other women, porn obsessed, following womens pages, liking photos etc. These men will never be satisfied and it's so disrespectful, why would they want to make the woman they love insecure. They have fragile egos that need constant lifting from any woman possible.
The ones who haven't been sleazes have been great partners.

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