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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

when to say enoughs enough :(

21 replies

Makingdo · 21/04/2008 22:27

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Elephantsbreath · 21/04/2008 23:20

I think we have a tendency to want to change our partners ( lord I know I do) but the place to start is ourselves. There is that wisdom about 'picking your battles' and it might help you to do that right now. Since you are pregnant I would suggest he's doing well in the important bits; good dad, good worker. Personally I would turn a blind eye to his habits - as long as he smokes outside the house - for the time being, and concentrate on creating harmony in your household.

People say counselling/ relate is helpful. I think you might you do well to attend something like this, on your own perhaps as you do sound unhappy and that always aggravates a tendency to bad temperedness (oh yes speaking from personal experience). You have a lot on your plate but I get the feeling you should focus on finding some personal calm, happiness from within... sorry if I'm being a dreadful hippy!

I wouldn't walk away from your marriage right now, it's not a good time when pg when you are likely to be all over the place anyway. Take care.

Makingdo · 21/04/2008 23:25

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Elephantsbreath · 21/04/2008 23:33

I think then he is being incredibly selfish. What an arse. Sorry. Does the house belong to you? (Doing a sharp about turn thinking practically)

Makingdo · 21/04/2008 23:36

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Elephantsbreath · 21/04/2008 23:53

I don't think that putting up with him is a solution. You need things to change but rows hardly ever change anything, if anything they feed into furthre rows.

Is relate/ or similar an option? What do you want to happen - him to leave for a few weeks to give you a breather? It could be a good thing if its possible for him to stay elsewhere, give you both a chance to calm a bit, think about what matters to you both?

Is he really smoking his drugs indoors when your dc's are around. That's horrible, really bad for their health and yours. Is he irresponsible in other ways?

It sounds like you try to compromise - to keep the peace - but I don't think it's an answer I really don't. You deserve to be happy. You deserve a happy relationship.

Elephantsbreath · 21/04/2008 23:55

Its late I gotta sleep. take care xx

Makingdo · 21/04/2008 23:56

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Makingdo · 22/04/2008 00:02

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Makingdo · 22/04/2008 00:31

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Dragonbutter · 22/04/2008 00:39

sorry, don't know why i did that.

Makingdo · 22/04/2008 00:41

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Dragonbutter · 22/04/2008 00:42

bit lonely way up there is inverness?

Makingdo · 22/04/2008 00:44

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Dragonbutter · 22/04/2008 00:49

there's bound to be other younger mums around though?
will DH be back tonight? Can't be many places to go in inverness at this time of night?

Makingdo · 22/04/2008 00:51

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Dragonbutter · 22/04/2008 00:57

It's hard to be confident and arrange meetups if you're not feeling very good and have other issues, but friendships take a while to develop enough to be able to talk about these sorts of things so it's worth doing some groundwork and getting to know the others.

For what it's worth, I don't think there is a length of time you wait for things to improve. They won't just get better. You have to work at it together and it sounds like your not communicating with each other well. Have you told him how it makes you feel that he doesn't feel bad smoking around you?

Makingdo · 22/04/2008 01:04

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Makingdo · 22/04/2008 01:10

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Dragonbutter · 22/04/2008 01:14

I don't know what to advise. I really have to go to bed now but I hope you can work it out. It sounds like he's gone off to give you space tonight. Get a good nights sleep.

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 22/04/2008 07:58

Aw hon.
It's very difficult to be with someone who doesn't put you first. I don't have any real advice, except that you might think you can't do it alone but you certainly can. However, counselling is the first step, if he'll do it. My DH is a smoker and a weed smoker, and likes his cans, but he doesn't smoke around me because I'm preg FGS! It was a struggle but now he gets that smoking round me = smoking round the baby.
He sometimes gets on my nerves when he buys weed when we are skint, but again we talked about it and he's agreed to stick to £10 a week on a friday and if he runs out, tough. It's all about compromise.....I can easily spend that much on magazines/chocolate/whatever.
I think you have a relationship based on love, yes, shared children, etc, but the start of it was forced by your pregnancy. Maybe you didn't have enough time to set the groundrules? If I had moved in with DH immediately we would have split up by now, I know you can't change a person but you can change their habits if you start from the right angle! We were together for 2 years before moving in together so had a good basis. I know that's not so helpful to you but what I mean is maybe you need to go to counselling to talk about what you both want to be the basis of your relationship - to try to go back a few steps?
I don't know, if you love him it's worth a shot, but if you are only with him because of habit and fear of being a single parent, you need to know you can do it alone, if that's what you have to do...
Good luck, keep us posted xxx

Makingdo · 22/04/2008 09:26

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