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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

Is it mean to not cook for Stepson after Relationship breakdown?

182 replies

JennaSays84 · 27/01/2025 17:50

Hi all,

This is my first post here but posting because I’m in a difficult situation and not sure if what I’m planning on doing is mean, but I’ve reached my limits.

I’ve been in my relationship for 6 years now which has been verbally and emotionally abusive from about 2 years in. Some physical in the beginning too. He has tried to change but I’m finding it hard to stay in the relationship because he says sorry but carries on. I get called names, nothing as bad as it used to be but I still get snapped at and punished for pulling him up on it. He likes to bang his fists about a lot and shout and swear too.

Last week for example I told him I really wasn’t happy with the way he’s just spoken to me again, can’t remember exactly what it was but think he called me a retard. He went and slept on the floor in the living room, I tried to speak to him but he told me to shut up and get out. Then text me each day from work saying he loves me and wants things to work etc. I’ve made with clear he only means it if he stops but it happens most days and the way things are I can’t see things getting back to good again. So now this has gone on for a week and a half, him sleeping away from me, I think he’s trying to punish me because he says it’s all my fault things are like this.

Lastnight he shouted at me because he’d had a drink, I picked him up from the pub like he asked and I was sat outside waiting for 10 mins when I told him I needed to back quickly. So he ranted at me, slammed my car door really loud and told me leave his dinner (I’d been hanging on for him to get home so I could finish cooking). He told me to leave his uncooked dinner on the side because he doesn’t want me to do anything for him. I knew he was ‘starving’ because he’d told me, normally I’d still cook for him as I always do, still caring and cooking for him and his son no matter how he speaks to me. But lastnight, I thought why should I. He’d already locked himself away in his man cave ignoring me, so I did mine and the children’s, left his on the side. Petty I know, but I’d reached my limit after he’d spoken to me like dirt in front of his son. Well he’s not spoken a word to me since, not looked at me, nothing.

I’ve started looking for my own place for me and my kids.

I do most things in the house as well as working full time, cooking, cleaning washing. I cook separately for his son as he has hobbies late til gone 7pm. I get up early to make sure he’s ready for school, iron uniform and do his packed lunches. I feel really taken advantage of, even though he says I used him ( he was in a much better paying job than me in the beginning) but isn’t now, he’s using this as the reason I’m leaving, which isn’t true, it’s because I’ve had enough of the emotional abuse.

But I’ve decided I won’t be cooking dinner for us together regardless like I usually do, I’ll make myself a sandwich or something. But he will call me all kinds if I don’t make his sons, but make my own kids dinner. I’d do them all together but my kids eat hours earlier due to him not being home too gone 7. I just feel like why can’t he do it? Is it mean if I stop cooking for his son, stop doing his packed lunch and ironing his uniform til I leave? I’ve no vendetta at all, it’s just I’m exhausted, feel so down and struggling through the sadness I feel and need him to know I will be leaving and it’s something he’s now going to have to take charge of from now on.

OP posts:
MyNewLife2025 · 27/01/2025 18:13

I think it really depends on how how is your step son.

But more to the point, you are living with an abuser.
And whilst I get how important it is to stand up for yourself, id concentrate on leaving and making it as painless as possible to you and your dcs. If that means cooking for his son, so be it.
Because the most important thing just now is for you to stay safe, whilst you put everything in place to get out.

TheseBootsAreWalking · 27/01/2025 18:13

Whatever you do OP will never be good enough or valued by this type of man. Ever. So stop these inner believe that you can change this man, you cant, his reactions are not a reflection on who you are, but only on who he is. He is showing all of you who he feels you should be treated. Listen to the others here, the kids, yours and his, do not get to pick this scenario, and have to stay in it because you are waiting for this man to somehow have a personality transplant. He wont. You are putting this pressure on yourself by staying .

TallNeckedGiraffe · 27/01/2025 18:14

@ whaddayawannado

What about her own children?

allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld · 27/01/2025 18:15

@JennaSays84 how soon can you move out?? look for somewhere online tonight. dont wait any longer because this situation is not going to improve.

SometimesCalmPerson · 27/01/2025 18:16

You’re so entrenched in this mess you can’t see how bonkers any of it is.

You ask if it’s out of order to exclude one child when you’re feeding the others as if there’s a chance it might not be. Of course it’s out of order.

It’s also out of order for you to keep your own children in this situation.

FuckedOverByBuilder · 27/01/2025 18:17

This is so tricky and I think your feelings are completely valid and I understand them

I think the stepson seems quite young so I guess I'd look at it from his perspective. He will realise that things aren't being done for him as they were and it sounds like his father will get angry and cross about it. Will the stepson take some of the blame or blame himself as the reason his dad is suddenly angry about doing things for him?

Don't use the child as a weapon, however reasonable your feelings and intentions are. I would grey rock the husband, continue as you are with the children and make a plan...fast.

MyNewLife2025 · 27/01/2025 18:17

whaddayawannado · 27/01/2025 18:11

Put yourself in that child's position for a moment.

Right - now you know why you need to carry on feeding and looking after him.

You might have a point if the child is like 4yo.
Anything over 8yo can sort something out if they need to (even if just sorting out cereals and milk).
After that, surely, his FATHER should ensure he has a nice cooked meal no?

Doggymummar · 27/01/2025 18:18

You make one meal, once for everyone, except your husband. Chilli spaghetti bol whatever in slow cooker everyone helps themselves. If they want something else they make something else, this really isn't the issue here. And you know it.

JennaSays84 · 27/01/2025 18:20

You’re right, I’ll carry on. Things have been this way for months and I’ve carried on looking after him regardless. Just feeling particularly low today and something has to give .

He wouldn’t leave him without, I’d get made to feel awful though and abuse for it. I’ll carry on as normal. Just made his packed lunch too. Mine get lunch at school. Sorry, this sounds really silly and petty now, I know. The way I was looking at it was…he has 2 biological parents. I do everything for him…I can’t do much right though, but yes I’m looking for the easy way out by not doing dinner, just feel like I’m having the mick taken out of me, you know?

OP posts:
OneDenimRobin · 27/01/2025 18:21

You’re trying to leave an abusive relationship where there has been physical violence. Honestly, getting you and your DC out safely should be your priority. Leaving is the time when you’re at the most risk. I understand what you’re doing from a ‘I’m not taking this anymore’ point of view but when he realises you’re really leaving the violence could flare up again. I would be avoiding any arguments right now.

SometimesCalmPerson · 27/01/2025 18:23

You feel like that because this man is taking the piss out of you. You need to take your children and leave.

Iloveyoubut · 27/01/2025 18:25

What’s happening to you is horrific. But please, please don’t take it out on his child. That’s brutal.

YourWildAmberSloth · 27/01/2025 18:25

Respectfully OP, you are going about this the wrong way. Staying with an abusive man but refusing to cook for his son makes no sense. You need to prioritise your children and remove them from the situation by leaving. If you refused to cook for DP I would understand that more, but it feels like you are punishing his son instead.

Iloveyoubut · 27/01/2025 18:28

MyNewLife2025 · 27/01/2025 18:17

You might have a point if the child is like 4yo.
Anything over 8yo can sort something out if they need to (even if just sorting out cereals and milk).
After that, surely, his FATHER should ensure he has a nice cooked meal no?

Are you joking? I really hope you are. Fuck me! An 8 year old ships fend for themselves because their dad is an arse? Anything over 8? Anything? Are they not even human in your eyes? I don’t care what is going on in a household… you look after the kids that have no choice other than to be under the same roof as you. End of!

JennaSays84 · 27/01/2025 18:30

Why does he have to fend for himself? This is what I mean, is it just the woman’s job? That’s the way he sees it too. That’s why I’m expected to do everything while he sits there watching me plate his son’s food up.

OP posts:
OwlInTheOak · 27/01/2025 18:39

I would keep doing things for the stepson whilst you're there. He's likely going to have a hard enough time going forwards, and I think the message that someone cares is important regardless of whether you stay in his life or not after.
It's quite a hard message for a teenager that someone he's lived with for 6 years doesn't care about him as an individual just because of his dad's behaviour.

JennaSays84 · 27/01/2025 18:41

I do care about him a lot, so I’ll carry on. Thanks for all the replies, that’s answered my question x

OP posts:
JLou08 · 27/01/2025 18:41

I am really sorry you are going through this. However, you are allowing a man to treat you this way and you are punishing a child for it and that is awful, there is no excuse for it. Isolating one child is also abuse, no matter if they are biologically yours or not. You don't owe the child when you separate but whilst you are together and he is under your roof you treat him the same as your own children. The poor child already has a rubbish excuse for a father, you treating him this way is going to cause him more emotional damage.

LuluBlakey1 · 27/01/2025 18:42

Leave as soon as you can. That's what matters most.

I wouldn't punish a child because his father is a piece of shit.

And when you leave, never speak to this man again about anything other than his children. Just disengage from him completely - let him get on with his shitty life away from yours- and never ever allow him in your home.

WoolySnail · 27/01/2025 18:42

How old is your step son? @JennaSays84

CleanShirt · 27/01/2025 18:43

Edit - misread OP

Mrsttcno1 · 27/01/2025 18:43

JennaSays84 · 27/01/2025 18:30

Why does he have to fend for himself? This is what I mean, is it just the woman’s job? That’s the way he sees it too. That’s why I’m expected to do everything while he sits there watching me plate his son’s food up.

I don’t think this is a “who’s job should it be” situation, you have bigger problems, and definitely focus on leaving, but in the meantime personally I couldn’t feed my kids and deliberately exclude another child who lives in that house.

Can you imagine how that feels for a child?

Emma6cat · 27/01/2025 18:50

Please get out of this situation once and for all.

SometimesCalmPerson · 27/01/2025 18:50

JennaSays84 · 27/01/2025 18:30

Why does he have to fend for himself? This is what I mean, is it just the woman’s job? That’s the way he sees it too. That’s why I’m expected to do everything while he sits there watching me plate his son’s food up.

Out of everything else he does, is watching you feed his child really the worst thing?

These are your words.

has been verbally and emotionally abusive from about 2 years in. Some physical in the beginning too.

I get called names, nothing as bad as it used to be but I still get snapped at and punished for pulling him up on it.

He likes to bang his fists about a lot and shout and swear

he called me a retard. I tried to speak to him but he told me to shut up and get out.

I think he’s trying to punish me because he says it’s all my fault things are like this.

Last night he shouted at me because he’d had a drink

So he ranted at me, slammed my car door really loud

This stuff is not normal. It’s not ok for children to live with. You need to leave him.

Miaowzabella · 27/01/2025 18:52

How old is the son and why can't his dad cook for him?

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