Stuck on holiday with a sulking man

[June2025]

I am currently stuck on holiday with my parter and I am dreading him waking up and sulking
he has lost his mobile phone and doesn’t remember any passwords so I understand it’s stressful but I am just dreading the day
I want to head back to the U.K. early so he can sort it because he will be quiet all day unless someone else speaks to him in which case he will be pleasant, but he will be snappy and cold with me
he is also cross because I didn’t want to have sex last night as he was being so horrible
as an aside he also said that as we were passing somewhere it was my special place as it was the land of the slags and then said it didn’t count as he was joking
it’s going to be a long day as we are camping and he will make it clear he is very very cross with me

He sounds quite possibly the kind of sulking bastard who could lose his phone intentionally due to subtifuge.

He clearly didn't want to use his own phone for navigation and not use his own card, maybe it's not just because he's miserly git.

Anything is possible with these types, awful self entitled shits that think they deserve, slaves, whipping boys and sexually unwilling partners.

Mr King of his very small principality.
Free yourself.

He will never change.

If you've got a few hours to spare, read the threads by @jamaisjedors about her (now ex) husband and his sulking. Sulking is part of the repertoire of controlling and abusive men. This is the first thread:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/relationships/3448545-Confronting-DH-about-his-sulking

"it’s my car so I can take myself and the dog off somewhere if he continues"

Why don't you take your whole life away from this horrible man? Life it too short to be in such a draining relationship with such an awful man.

Calls you a slag? Just joking? Dump his sorry arse OP - you deserve much better.

Why do you have to go home? If you've planned and paid for this holiday, have the holiday solo. Drop the twat at the nearest bus terminal/train station and crack on!

Losing his phone is not an excuse to be a dick to you, OP. I lost my phone on holiday last year. I immediately panicked and started to stress. My partner stood up, whizzed around our apartment to look for it, stating he'd likely spot it easier as he wasn't stressed. When we realised it was lost and I said oh no all my cards are in it, and 60 euros, he said okay it's just money, don't worry, lets download the banking apps onto my phone now so you can cancel your cards.

It's okay for someone to stress, and for you to need to say hey, lets do X, Y, Z, I can help' but it's not okay to be nasty!

Seriously, you deserve better than this treatment.

Why do some people assume there is always a bit on the side? There is no indication of this and your reply is rather unnecessary .

You don’t have to be in a relationship with this horrible man

This,

and as others have said a relationship shouldn’t make you feel like this.

My ExH was a sulker.
The absolute joy and freedom of holidays and days out without the sulking is not to be underestimated.
If he does this regularly, leave. Really. Life is too short. I am embarrassed that I put up with it for nearly 30 years.

OP I don't think he likes you very much. He definitely doesn't respect you. I'd be giving him his marching orders when we got home, I couldn't bare living like that for next fifty years.

Im not indulging the sulking though - it’s my car so I can take myself and the dog off somewhere if he continues

You are though and inadvertently enabling it. Where is your boundary for abuse (the sulking, the negging?) - how many hours have you decided is your limit? - how long before you bring up the 'funny' insults? - have you called him on sulking re sex (this is coercion)? Or are you waiting for his mood and your hurt to blow over?

What about a boundary of zero abuse? This requires an instant consequence from you - you get up and calmly walk away (hopefully for good).

You have more agency in this than you think.

Have you ever given him consequences before to shitty behaviour - because your passivity is telling this this is acceptable.

Why is he cross with you when he lost his phone, ffs?

Have a good think about your future with this man, OP. Nothing about him sounds good.

I just… why? Just why?

Do you live with him?

If she does I bet he's living in her house and doesn't contribute as much as he should.

Kick him out of the tent and tell him to make his own way home.

You're done. DO NOT give him 1 more penny or one more thought.

If you do come home early, do it alone.

Tell him if he wants sex, he'll have to fuck himself.

I’m sorry you’re going through this but if you didn’t have this experience you may have carried on the relationship for months or years without knowing what he’s truly like.

Thank goodness he’s shown you his true colours now so you can end the relationship and not waste any more of your life on him.

Hopefully you don't have children with him and you won't ever have to see him again after you dump him.

F

Update the thread when you've left him to it.
Its your precious life

If you were my friend I'd actually drive and pick you up.
Stop enabling

You describe him as your "partner" but in reality he is a pathetic sulk-baby who thinks you are his mummy who will sort everything out for him.

Raise your standards.

Enjoy your holiday and tell him to go home.

Then dump him.

You should not be putting up with some immature, miserable man.

Why do so many adult males have zero control of their emotions in adverse conditions?

OP bin him off when you get home for the 'slag' reference alone. He's testing you and being a prick but the sulking is dyed in the wool of his character and when he's sulking with you over something he has done himself, it's totally toxic.

Jesus, every update makes him drip with shit. Sounds like he needs to be part of that male loneliness epidemic.

Don’t go home early, make the most of being in a lovely place and ignore him. Maybe say I can see you are upset about your phone, you seem to be talking this out on me, I won’t tolerate thisso I am going to go about my day until you can behave nicely towards me.