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Relationships

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Would you stay after 9 years and no proposal?

502 replies

TwoLittleDogs · 26/10/2024 12:24

Long time lurker, first time poster. I don't have any close friends or family that I feel comfortable speaking to about this, hence why I'm reaching out here for opinions and advice. I've been with my partner for over 9 years now, lived together most of that time, brought a house together (no children). I've brought up the topic of proposal and marriage countless times over the years, so he knows its something I have wanted, and he has always given the golden answer that he wants that too, but there has been no plans or action. We also went on a dream holiday a few years ago and I honestly thought he was going to propose then, but he didn't, and I've been growing resentment ever since. Something also happened this week which has just brought me to boiling point on the topic. My biological clock is also ticking, so I know I have to really decide what I want out of life. Any advice greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
AutumnFroglets · 10/06/2025 08:55

Why do you want someone who won't even brush their teeth?
How do you have children without sex?

Why do you want to live with a person who doesn't even do basic housework?

Why are you self harming and sabotaging your own life? Do you hate yourself that much?

teenmaw · 10/06/2025 09:04

Omg op just leave already! 8 more months you’ve sat after posting this, I actually feel anxiety for you. This is not how it’s supposed to be, your married life with children with this man would be hell! You’re dragging him along, go find someone that adores you op this is SO SAD to read! Run away fast and far, someone else can look after this bloody sloth. You’re actually cleaning up after this loser as well. Please, I beg you find some self esteem and self efficacy and get him to fuck. Good luck.

deeahgwitch · 10/06/2025 09:05

As @Genevievawrites
“…Ring the shop yourself
Collect the ring, book the wedding and get pregnant. You only get one shot at life and you’ll cry a little more if you leave it any longer and you can’t have kids.”

However is he really who and what you want @TwoLittleDogs?

Could his inertia re marriage be due in part to the fact that if he marries you his children’s inheritance will be diluted ?
I know of a few people in second relationships who haven’t married for that reason. I’m in Ireland and a spouse has inheritance rights.

Your partner at the moment has a really cushy number- a live in housekeeper.

GeorgeMichaelsCat · 10/06/2025 11:56

GingerBeverage · 09/06/2025 09:09

How are you going to have a child when you don’t have sex?

Even if you got married, how can you have a baby when you don't have sex and he will not address the issue?

RuthW · 10/06/2025 12:13

Has he refused your proposal?

Lanzar · 10/06/2025 12:28

You dont have any emotional intimacy - he is a fraud - he doesnt meet your emotional needs thats why you are frustrated and hurting.

He doesnt meet your sexual needs.

He doesnt meet your physical (basic hygiene) and practical needs.

He doesnt want to be married and raise children (again) - he didnt even want to do that first time around thats why he got divorced and didnt pull his weight raising his children.

He is not a good husband or partner and he is not a good parent - why do you want him for either.

Your future children deserve much better than this. You are very close to giving your future children exactly the traumatic upbringing you had.

Your future you deserves someone who hears you, prioritises you and collaborates with you.

You have had a shit upbringing that has taught you to expect very little, not voice your basic needs or speak up, tolerate too much but stay and tolerate more. Thats because as a child we had no other options but to stay in a bleak and neglectful situation just to survive as a child needs their dreadful parents to put a roof over their heads and a child always has relentless hope that the parent will come through. But they never did.

This is your 'normal' within intimate relationships. Its demonstrated by your child like passivity (I am not surprised he is significantly older than you) and helplessness not to set deadlines and consequences and not to take any action. You blame him all the time. But it is you who is not being accountable to yourself - he is living the life he wants to lead. His actions / non actions are all you should be paying attention to. Make a list of all the incidents over the years that have confused, unsettled, upset or frustrated you - and you will see the culmination and pattern which he has told you by his actions but your have taken no action.

But this can change and is changing.

The process is awareness, anger, acceptance and agency.

You are aware and angry.

You need to accept the situation for what it objectively is - who he is - what he is doing and not doing as well as what you are doing / not doing and how you are feeling. You know the forced marriage and children wont even happen and your gut is screaming at you that both would be very unfulfilling at best and horrendous at worst.

Lastly YOU have agency. You have to be accountable for creating the life you want, nurturing the emotional postive relationships we all need and cutting out the people and circumstances that dont keep to that.

The ball is in your court. Work with a therapist to see you through this.

CurlewKate · 10/06/2025 13:50

I have never wanted to be married,but it’s something my dp and I discussed regularly-still do, actually-just to make sure we’r both still OK about it.

kellygoeswest · 10/06/2025 15:23

TwoLittleDogs · 09/06/2025 22:01

It is a no. I asked him recently and he said he's not heard anything from the shop. I said he needs to call the shop then and ask where the ring is. When we picked out a ring I started looking at elopement options but it died down very quickly - partly on me as work has been horrendous recently and I've had a few work trips out of the country, but it shows he's not going to take the lead or pitch in, and it would all need to be driven by me.

Did he make payment for the ring in front of you? Is it possible he's cancelled the order? It doesn't really add up... he just sounds so unbothered.

Lighttheflame · 10/06/2025 15:36

Oh my darling op, somewhere out there is a man who you'll really get on with, who wants the things you want, who is excited about growing together in love, who cares to give you what you want (and you care to give him what he wants)...

And yet here you are, stuck with this guy who is SHOWING YOU he doesn't want the same things as you. You have to believe him! You've given him ten years!

Please release yourself to find the wonderful person out there that is going to love you the way that you want to be loved. It is not this guy.

You have so much to offer. Go find him xxx

DearDenimEagle · 10/06/2025 15:38

A ring isn’t marriage. By even agreeing to get one, which isn’t even on his radar now it hasn’t arrived, he’s kicking the can down the road. He’s using you for home comforts. He’s like your child. You need to do as has been suggested by so many.
Get out. Find a real man. Or else accept this is your life.

If it’s not a wind up, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
He is doing everything he can to prove he is not husband or father material, not only in enthusiasm or rather, lack of, but no sex? , but still you’re persisting with this mindset. It makes no sense.

TwoLittleDogs · 10/06/2025 15:40

kellygoeswest · 10/06/2025 15:23

Did he make payment for the ring in front of you? Is it possible he's cancelled the order? It doesn't really add up... he just sounds so unbothered.

He made the payment in front of me. The "unbothered" is his general state of being with everything to be honest. I don't think he's cancelled, I think he's just not followed up or collected the ring because it's not a priority in his mind.

OP posts:
OneFineDay13 · 10/06/2025 15:43

I agree with everyone else on the thread say let's set a date and if he acts all vague and gives crappy answers then there is your answer.

What happened to make you reach boiling point?

OneFineDay13 · 10/06/2025 15:46

Just seen some of your other comments OP so you have sent him pictures of rings you like etc and he still hasn't done it? Unless there is a very good reason for that I would throw him back, sounds like he doesn't want to get married.

BuckChuckets · 10/06/2025 15:49

Oh, OP, I wish you'd have listened to everyone's advice 😖 Even if you do get engaged, get married, and decide you want children, how on earth will you get pregnant if you're not having sex.

Personally I wouldn't stay in a sexless relationship, let alone nag them to propose to me.

If he wanted to, he would - and this applies to multiple things in your relationship!

OneFineDay13 · 10/06/2025 15:51

SlowPonies · 27/10/2024 08:37

Ps don’t try to talk at night. Make it a daytime discussion and try to be as business like as possible.

The way we tend to havé discussions re finance and jobs accords them much more respect and priority than relationship issue, which are squeezed into some romantic setting like a restaurant or holiday, in hope it might be a positive influence on the outcome. Ironic when it’s the relationship discussions which shape the success and happiness of our lives.

So approach it like a business meeting, job interview or financial advice session. Print out an agenda with all these questions. Do it on a Saturday morning at your dining table. Good coffee. Insist on getting answers to every point. Push through.

excellent advice

TwoLittleDogs · 10/06/2025 15:51

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 09/06/2025 21:40

I don't even understand why you WANT to marry him, after reading this post.

Don't you think you could do better?

I suppose part of the issue is that I don't really view the world as a "grass is greener" type of person. I'm not envisaging leaving him and then magically meeting the love of my life as I'm well aware that may not happen, and if I do leave I'm very reluctant to let another man anywhere near me for a long time. I'm envisaging leaving him, downsizing, potentially leaving my job and moving to a new area, and living my life forever single. So it's this versus worst case scenario. And the second option is a definite no to marriage, and potential no to kids (unless I could realistically manage as a single working parent with little support network).

OP posts:
OneFineDay13 · 10/06/2025 15:55

HarkALark · 27/10/2024 08:51

I think I would be quite concerned with his inability to communicate on big issues. So you can't sit down to talk to him, and have to send him texts which he can then ignore? What happens if you did have children and needed to discuss uncomfortable things, what happens then?

I'm not sure legally committing to someone like that would be for me. Margins vary, of course! But he sounds quite avoidant and that will only worsen if kids came along.

I agree with this. He sounds a bit hopeless and avoidant! Not really someone ideal for marrying

TwoLittleDogs · 10/06/2025 15:57

OneFineDay13 · 10/06/2025 15:43

I agree with everyone else on the thread say let's set a date and if he acts all vague and gives crappy answers then there is your answer.

What happened to make you reach boiling point?

I'm not really sure what the trigger was at the time, but I think part of it was that I had the important conversation with him back in November and by this time we were in April and he clearly hadn't taken anything I said on board. I also got very upset about the kids thing and the short biological window, which is what I think triggered him suddenly feigning the care enough to go ring shopping. But I really don't understand why that would be the thing to make him go buy a ring over me being upset he hasn't proposed in 10 years. Regardless I'm still waiting and getting older, even if I didn't want kids. Unless he thinks me wanting kids and being on a short time frame for kids is the tipping point of me leaving?

OP posts:
TwoLittleDogs · 10/06/2025 15:59

OneFineDay13 · 10/06/2025 15:46

Just seen some of your other comments OP so you have sent him pictures of rings you like etc and he still hasn't done it? Unless there is a very good reason for that I would throw him back, sounds like he doesn't want to get married.

He's bought a ring now - we went ring shopping in April but as far as I'm aware he hasn't picked it up from the shop yet. It's the event that made me come back to this thread 8 months later...(alongside some events last week that really got me thinking about all of this again)

OP posts:
Sassybooklover · 10/06/2025 16:12

My honest opinion is if a man genuinely loves the woman he's with, and WANTS to marry her, then he will propose in a timely way. You partner is very much aware you want to get married, but after 9 years still hasn't proposed. Personally, I would be seriously questioning if marriage is something he actually wants. The fact he hasn't asked, suggests that he's not bothered by marriage. You need a very honest conversation with him, tell him that you want marriage and children. If he doesn't want those things, then he needs to be straight with you. Tell him, that you feel like he's stringing you along, which if he is, then he's being cruel. You don't want to reach X age childless and no marriage. You need to start being proactive.

TwoLittleDogs · 10/06/2025 16:30

Sassybooklover · 10/06/2025 16:12

My honest opinion is if a man genuinely loves the woman he's with, and WANTS to marry her, then he will propose in a timely way. You partner is very much aware you want to get married, but after 9 years still hasn't proposed. Personally, I would be seriously questioning if marriage is something he actually wants. The fact he hasn't asked, suggests that he's not bothered by marriage. You need a very honest conversation with him, tell him that you want marriage and children. If he doesn't want those things, then he needs to be straight with you. Tell him, that you feel like he's stringing you along, which if he is, then he's being cruel. You don't want to reach X age childless and no marriage. You need to start being proactive.

Thank you. The thing is I have asked him multiple times since the original post and his answer every time is that he does want to marry me. But then I always follow up with "Why has it taken 10 years and me nagging you?" And let's face it, I still don't have the proposal or wedding. His usual is just to apologise, he "dropped the ball" "should've asked sooner" etc etc, but my question still stands, and he still didn't go out on his own volition last year to get me a ring. And although he went ring shopping with me in April, he still has yet to ask even though he knows EXACTLY how I feel. Honestly after ring shopping I was on cloud nine, but now 2 months later and no progress, I've hit breaking point (and he is well aware of this, or should be).

OP posts:
TwoLittleDogs · 10/06/2025 16:46

TwoLittleDogs · 10/06/2025 16:30

Thank you. The thing is I have asked him multiple times since the original post and his answer every time is that he does want to marry me. But then I always follow up with "Why has it taken 10 years and me nagging you?" And let's face it, I still don't have the proposal or wedding. His usual is just to apologise, he "dropped the ball" "should've asked sooner" etc etc, but my question still stands, and he still didn't go out on his own volition last year to get me a ring. And although he went ring shopping with me in April, he still has yet to ask even though he knows EXACTLY how I feel. Honestly after ring shopping I was on cloud nine, but now 2 months later and no progress, I've hit breaking point (and he is well aware of this, or should be).

He also should be very aware of how I feel about everything. I don't know how I could make it any more clear unless I hit him over the head with a hammer. He knows he's wasting my time. He just lacks the ability to do anything proactive in this aspect of his life (he is VERY successful in his career and everyone loves him there). But he now also knows that he's ruined it so I doubt he will be willing to propose for fear of the rejection.
We had another heart to heart while away last week - we had a long drive to the airport so it was a time I could talk to him without him being occupied with something else. I felt it was a really good conversation, I was happy with how we left it and I felt emotionally connected to him. Then we got on the plane, he put his earphones in and didn't engage with me once for the entire flight. There was a point when i tried to talk to him and he took his earphones out and said something along the lines of "Do you just want to talk for the duration of the flight" in a way that shot me down and made me feel like he was annoyed. Any time I wanted to get up to go to the toilet he looked at me like I'd murdered his family. I really tried to stay positive but it just made everything crash right back down to the point I was crying again once we got to the hotel on the other side. We clearly are not on the same page. He clearly is never going to love me the way I want and I don't even think he respects me. He will say otherwise (and does say otherwise) but his actions do not match his words.

OP posts:
MissScarletInTheBallroom · 10/06/2025 16:47

TwoLittleDogs · 10/06/2025 15:51

I suppose part of the issue is that I don't really view the world as a "grass is greener" type of person. I'm not envisaging leaving him and then magically meeting the love of my life as I'm well aware that may not happen, and if I do leave I'm very reluctant to let another man anywhere near me for a long time. I'm envisaging leaving him, downsizing, potentially leaving my job and moving to a new area, and living my life forever single. So it's this versus worst case scenario. And the second option is a definite no to marriage, and potential no to kids (unless I could realistically manage as a single working parent with little support network).

Oh, OP, I promise you, 95% of the grass in the world is greener than this man.

WildCats24 · 10/06/2025 16:53

TwoLittleDogs · 10/06/2025 16:46

He also should be very aware of how I feel about everything. I don't know how I could make it any more clear unless I hit him over the head with a hammer. He knows he's wasting my time. He just lacks the ability to do anything proactive in this aspect of his life (he is VERY successful in his career and everyone loves him there). But he now also knows that he's ruined it so I doubt he will be willing to propose for fear of the rejection.
We had another heart to heart while away last week - we had a long drive to the airport so it was a time I could talk to him without him being occupied with something else. I felt it was a really good conversation, I was happy with how we left it and I felt emotionally connected to him. Then we got on the plane, he put his earphones in and didn't engage with me once for the entire flight. There was a point when i tried to talk to him and he took his earphones out and said something along the lines of "Do you just want to talk for the duration of the flight" in a way that shot me down and made me feel like he was annoyed. Any time I wanted to get up to go to the toilet he looked at me like I'd murdered his family. I really tried to stay positive but it just made everything crash right back down to the point I was crying again once we got to the hotel on the other side. We clearly are not on the same page. He clearly is never going to love me the way I want and I don't even think he respects me. He will say otherwise (and does say otherwise) but his actions do not match his words.

Please don’t have children with this man. His patience is 0.

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