Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

I don’t think I can live with my partner anymore

100 replies

ThisElatedMintDreamer · 11/02/2025 15:12

Hello Mumsnetters!
Just looking for a little advice or a moan - not sure which.
I have been living with my partner for just over a year with my child from a previous relationship. However, as much as I love him I just don’t know if I can continue to live with him and I’m starting to get easily irritated.
A few reasons as to why:
He eats everything in sight, and will gorge on full packets of biscuits in one sitting. My child asked for a certain packet of biscuits in the weekly food shop, they’ve had one biscuit out of the pack and my partner has scoffed the rest. He barely ever contributes financially to the food shop, and when he lived on his own he would only buy food that he would need for that day eg a microwave meal.
He never puts lids back on anything, which means when I come to use the bubble bath/milk or any liquid they end up spilling everywhere.
He constantly rams clothes into the washing machine to the point that the door will barely close. He will then continue wash after wash to proudly announce the basket is empty but there is nowhere to dry the clothes, and the clothes that are dry he will just throw on the bed for me to sort.
He never washes dishes, but will fill the sink with cold water. This leaves me to get up on a morning and wash his dishes from the night before.
If there is packets of food in the fridge, he will just rip them open to use and then leave them open in the fridge. I’ve tried explaining that we have bag clips to seal things, or if he actually uses the ‘pull me’ tab they will restick but it falls on deaf ears.
He shaves/trims his beard and will just leave all his hairs everywhere.
He never cleans his toothbrush and there will be toothpaste all over the sink/mirror after he has brushed his teeth.
He drops and breaks everything, but will not pay to replace items.
He never closes the back door, and will happily leave it open all day if he has let the dog out.
He will put the heating on in the morning and leave it on all day, and falls asleep with the television on rather than turning it off when he knows he is tired but doesn’t pay towards the heating/electrical bill.
He has point blank said he refuses to learn how to drive, but expects me to be a taxi driver to him and his child when it is his days and never offers petrol.
He does pay half towards household bills (barring gas and electric) but that is where it stops. He won’t pay towards days out, the rare takeaway, or anything financial in the house (our fridge broke and I had to pay for a new one). He also never contributed to anything when we moved into our house eg paint, wallpaper.
He offers to help with housework, but it normally ends with me having to reclean his idea of clean.
Sorry it is a long post but I am at my wits end! No amount of sit down discussions seem to get through to him. Other than the above he is a lovely person, and is nothing but caring towards me and my child. However, I just feel as though since we have moved in together I’ve became a mother to him rather than his partner. He was a very capable adult when living on his own. I’m also pregnant, and I’m beginning to worry about the fact I’m going to have to deal with this behaviour and a child and a newborn. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do other than tell him we will have to live separately?

OP posts:
Stripeyanddotty · 11/02/2025 15:14

Why are you subjecting your child to this shit show????

Iamallowedtodisagreewithyou · 11/02/2025 15:15

Yes I'd just live separately to be honest, I already do.

It's lovely, the house is calm, clean and cosy and tidy and things are where I leave them and I only have to buy a small amount of food for just me. Life couldn't be simpler to be honest.

OverthinkingOlive · 11/02/2025 15:15

Get fucking rid of it

SociopathicGorilla · 11/02/2025 15:16

Get rid.

olderbutwiser · 11/02/2025 15:17

God almighty, and you are having a baby with him?

End this now. Good luck getting maintenance from him, given he is mean as well as a slob.

Daisyvodka · 11/02/2025 15:20

He's not a lovely person, he expects you to clean up after him like an unpaid maid. That's not a lovely person, it's someone who has a likeable personality and says the right things but ultimately sees you as an appliance. How on earth did you even find him attractive enough to get pregnant by him? Don't you think your child deserves a father whose capable of parenting - parenting isn't cuddles and kicking a ball around, it's a load of practical stuff too, as you well know!

TwistedWonder · 11/02/2025 15:20

What the fuck is there to live about this lazy skanky scuzzy waste of space freeloading cocklodging scum bag? And why are you subjecting your child to live either this tramp?

Please tell us you don’t own the house together?

This won’t get better - hes showing you that he doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself. He’s not kind and caring - he’s a useless piss taker and you’re teaching your DC that this is how women are to be treated by men.

JFC he must have a 12 inch cock made of solid platinum to tolerate living like this.

SoScarletItWas · 11/02/2025 15:22

Well it all seemed a straightforward ‘kick him back out’ until you drop in right at the end that you’re pregnant.

Yes, your fears are realistic. You need a proper ‘come to Jesus’ about expectations and roles before the baby arrives. But if he hasn’t changed before, I expect he’ll get worse after baby comes and he’s not the centre of your attention.

TipsyJoker · 11/02/2025 15:22

He is taking the piss. Why doesn’t he pay half the gas and electric? He uses it. Why do you ferry him about in your car when he doesn’t give you money for fuel? Why are you accepting this behaviour? What are you teaching your child? Kick him out. He’s a disrespectful cocklodger. You confirm he was able to manage his own home before living with you, so he’s capable but he’s decided he doesn’t have to now because you will do it. He sees it as your job because you’re the woman. Kick him out. Show your child that this is unacceptable behaviour. Otherwise they will grow up to either be with a partner like him or be exactly like him. Oh and btw, he’s not a lovely person because a lovely, caring person doesn’t sit on their arse and take the piss out of their partner. They support their partner and set a good example to the children.

Pigeonqueen · 11/02/2025 15:24

Oh wow I was thinking what on earth are you doing and then I got to the part where you’re pregnant 😳😳🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

He needs to shape up or ship out.

username299 · 11/02/2025 15:24

You need to remove yourself from the floor as he's mistaken you for a doormat.

He's treating you very disrespectfully and if you don't get up, he'll carry on.

Cattenberg · 11/02/2025 15:26

I feel tired just reading this. I wouldn’t want to subsidise this man and I couldn’t be bothered clearing up after him either. If he was a very capable adult when living on his own, then he is not lovely. He is lazy and no doubt thinks that women are there to look after him.

LadyKenya · 11/02/2025 15:27

This sounds like a dreadful situation to have to endure. I could not imagine having to put up with all that, plus a newborn. What do you want to happen OP?

LadyKenya · 11/02/2025 15:30

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do other than tell him we will have to live separately?

I highly doubt it.

TomatoSandwiches · 11/02/2025 15:32

You've been daft getting pregnant with this man, really bloody stupid.

There is no advice, he won't change and he isn't nice, he doesn't even pay his way properly and you've been putting up with it for some silly reason so why would he change op?

Best thing to do is sack him off and get him out of your house and claim child maintenance from him.

Ffs.

DaisyChain505 · 11/02/2025 15:33

Raise your bar for the love of God.

FatLarrysBanned · 11/02/2025 15:35

Don't worry, you'll have the baby and he'll really step up when he sees you're delirious from lack of sleep, your vag feels like it's gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson and your tit's are being chewed to pieces...

He's a nob and won't change, but you know that, dont you? Why on earth did you allow him to come and live with you?You must have known what he was like from when you lived apart.

Send him back to wherever he came from. Youll be saving yourself from years of pain and resentment.

Donttellempike · 11/02/2025 15:36

ThisElatedMintDreamer · 11/02/2025 15:12

Hello Mumsnetters!
Just looking for a little advice or a moan - not sure which.
I have been living with my partner for just over a year with my child from a previous relationship. However, as much as I love him I just don’t know if I can continue to live with him and I’m starting to get easily irritated.
A few reasons as to why:
He eats everything in sight, and will gorge on full packets of biscuits in one sitting. My child asked for a certain packet of biscuits in the weekly food shop, they’ve had one biscuit out of the pack and my partner has scoffed the rest. He barely ever contributes financially to the food shop, and when he lived on his own he would only buy food that he would need for that day eg a microwave meal.
He never puts lids back on anything, which means when I come to use the bubble bath/milk or any liquid they end up spilling everywhere.
He constantly rams clothes into the washing machine to the point that the door will barely close. He will then continue wash after wash to proudly announce the basket is empty but there is nowhere to dry the clothes, and the clothes that are dry he will just throw on the bed for me to sort.
He never washes dishes, but will fill the sink with cold water. This leaves me to get up on a morning and wash his dishes from the night before.
If there is packets of food in the fridge, he will just rip them open to use and then leave them open in the fridge. I’ve tried explaining that we have bag clips to seal things, or if he actually uses the ‘pull me’ tab they will restick but it falls on deaf ears.
He shaves/trims his beard and will just leave all his hairs everywhere.
He never cleans his toothbrush and there will be toothpaste all over the sink/mirror after he has brushed his teeth.
He drops and breaks everything, but will not pay to replace items.
He never closes the back door, and will happily leave it open all day if he has let the dog out.
He will put the heating on in the morning and leave it on all day, and falls asleep with the television on rather than turning it off when he knows he is tired but doesn’t pay towards the heating/electrical bill.
He has point blank said he refuses to learn how to drive, but expects me to be a taxi driver to him and his child when it is his days and never offers petrol.
He does pay half towards household bills (barring gas and electric) but that is where it stops. He won’t pay towards days out, the rare takeaway, or anything financial in the house (our fridge broke and I had to pay for a new one). He also never contributed to anything when we moved into our house eg paint, wallpaper.
He offers to help with housework, but it normally ends with me having to reclean his idea of clean.
Sorry it is a long post but I am at my wits end! No amount of sit down discussions seem to get through to him. Other than the above he is a lovely person, and is nothing but caring towards me and my child. However, I just feel as though since we have moved in together I’ve became a mother to him rather than his partner. He was a very capable adult when living on his own. I’m also pregnant, and I’m beginning to worry about the fact I’m going to have to deal with this behaviour and a child and a newborn. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do other than tell him we will have to live separately?

What on earth do you love about this???

Starlight1984 · 11/02/2025 15:36

This can't be real. Nobody can be this desperate. Can they....?

EuclidianGeometryFan · 11/02/2025 15:37

You cannot change him.
Let that sink in.

No matter what you do or say, no matter how many discussions, rows, promises and apologies there are, he will never change.
This is who he is.
It never ever works to try and change someone else's behaviour.

So you should split up with him for your own sanity.

MounjaroOnMyMind · 11/02/2025 15:38

God. I can't imagine putting up with this for one day.

If you want to keep the relationship going then tell him to move out. You will get along much better living apart.

icantgetnosheep1 · 11/02/2025 15:38

Wow! He's landed in his feet hasn't he. Does he actually work? Sounds like a bit of a freeloader and I can only see things getting worse. Have a long hard think about what it might be like once the baby arrives.. personally I'd get shot of him.

MostlyHappyMummy · 11/02/2025 15:40

Mentioning the pregnancy at the end - good touch but made it even less believable

TwistedWonder · 11/02/2025 15:43

Starlight1984 · 11/02/2025 15:36

This can't be real. Nobody can be this desperate. Can they....?

I had jo idea that women really put up with men like this until I joined MN.

Every time I think the bar has got as low as it can get and has reached subterranean level , along comes another thread about a useless freeloader and a woman willing to be in a relationship with such a creature and despite his gazillion red flags, he’s always ‘kind. caring and a great father’ - apparently.

Crayfishforyou · 11/02/2025 15:50

He won’t change. No matter what you say.
He. Won’t . Change.

Swipe left for the next trending thread