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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

Advice

12 replies

ThisHazelTraybake · 01/07/2025 02:06

I’m 31 my partner is 24. I also have a 5 year old step daughter with my partner. We have been together 2.5 years and living together 1.5 years. She works 2-3 days out the week and I work 5-6 days. Neither is home more or less than the other.

My issue is this and maybe I knew better let me know. My partner never really lived by herself with her child. When we met she lived with her dad and step mom and their 3 kids, so a full house. So essentially she didn’t pay major bills. She wasn’t the woman of that house either so her responsibilities were minimal.

it’s been slightly aggravating living with her because she doesn’t seem to understand that she’s the woman of our house now.

i take care of 85-95% of our financials and 85-95% of the home care and 85-95% of the mental load. Example ( dishes don’t get done unless I do them, ask her to, or wait until she finally does them. let’s laundry pile
up until it’s a crazy amount and takes all day to wash and then takes her weeks to fold them if ever just lets them sit in the laundry room. I like my clothes folded and put in the proper place. So we do laundry separately now because I can’t wait weeks for my clothes to get organized. I would try doing laundry as a group activity but she complains and I always have to initiate it and then she will join me never the other way around. She will cook breakfast for her daughter..
leaves the pots on the stove , messy counters, pancake mix everywhere just leaves it for hours. I prepared meals for us a family for 2 weeks she didn’t have to ask me or wonder around evening time what’s for dinner. Never offered to give me break from cooking and then after the two weeks I cooked I took a night off and she ask me “what’s for dinner” why couldn’t she take initiative and think my partner cooked for the last two weeks for the whole family maybe I can cook something tonight.

if it’s her night to cook she waits until 5 or 6 in the evening to think about it and we end up spending money out to eat. Or the classic I don’t feel good and we have pizza which is the easiest thing to make. While when I cook we eat good like steaks , potatoes ,
rice and gravy,pasta , real meals.

if I cook for the family i usually end up doing the clean up also after we had mutiple conversations and we agreed whoever cooked the other will do the cleaning after dinner. If I cook she will let the pots and dishes sit overnight or for days or until I ask her or until the next night when it’s time to make supper again and she will just disregard the dishes and cook anyway and add more dishes and get overwhelmed because there are so many dishes now and ask me to do them so she can cook when she should’ve done them the night before?

i let that go on so many times I got tired of dishes and dirty shit in the sink and counters so I just clean it. It gets left to me almost everytime.
she doesn’t sweep, mop, dust, none of the little things a house needs to stay tidy. Her daughter has her own bathroom and I’ve only seen her clean it 2 or 3 times since we’ve been here in a year.

She even acknowledged to me that she hadn’t been helping around the house much and that made me feel seen you know but that was 2-3 months ago and nothing changed.

its like im their cook, maid, and I pay for everything.

OP posts:
ThisHazelTraybake · 01/07/2025 02:15

She will leave her clothes on the floor in the bathroom, bedroom, living room too if I let her. I don’t know what’s clean and what’s dirty sometimes. Water bottles all on her side of the bed that never get thrown. Will just leave trash directly by the trash can instead of putting it into the trash can. Common sense shit. I have to come behind her and throw away trash and pick up clothes and keep the house in order on a daily basis

OP posts:
Beenaboutabit · 01/07/2025 02:16

You don’t sound compatible.

i wouldn’t be compatible with her either.

You’ve discussed this with her enough times and nothing has changed.

Time to move on.

braintrees · 01/07/2025 05:34

Op, it’s like parenting a teenager who has had a kid at a very young age but Todd not get responsible in the meantime. This relationship is not for you. I feel sorry for the daughter tbh.

Silvertulips · 01/07/2025 05:38

She works 3 days a week, the child is in school. What is she doing with her days?

jeaux90 · 01/07/2025 07:17

OP you have fallen in to the trap of the child parent relationship. You are not her parent. Honestly I would move on. My partners ex was like this, she hasn’t changed.

OchreRaven · 01/07/2025 07:26

Welcome to what a lot of women have to put up with every day!

She won’t change by herself. She knows you will do it and she’s lazy. She needs to care about these things and she doesn’t because someone else will take care of it.

She needs to live on her own and take responsibility for herself. I would breaking it off or at least move out for a period of time. If she’s willing to step up and live by herself and prove she can then you could try again if she shows real change but I think it’s more likely she will run back to her dads.

Lmnop22 · 01/07/2025 20:03

This is what happens when you start dating someone who’s 21 with a 2 year old when you’re 28 with a career.

Hatty65 · 01/07/2025 20:07

She's still carrying on like a teenager. It's not really like you are the cook, maid, etc - it's like you are her Dad!

I couldn't live with this. She needs to grow up, but she's had plenty of chances. I'd tell her I was done and she needs to move out.

I assume she'll go back to her parents, but it's not your problem.

Missj25 · 02/07/2025 21:41

ThisHazelTraybake · 01/07/2025 02:06

I’m 31 my partner is 24. I also have a 5 year old step daughter with my partner. We have been together 2.5 years and living together 1.5 years. She works 2-3 days out the week and I work 5-6 days. Neither is home more or less than the other.

My issue is this and maybe I knew better let me know. My partner never really lived by herself with her child. When we met she lived with her dad and step mom and their 3 kids, so a full house. So essentially she didn’t pay major bills. She wasn’t the woman of that house either so her responsibilities were minimal.

it’s been slightly aggravating living with her because she doesn’t seem to understand that she’s the woman of our house now.

i take care of 85-95% of our financials and 85-95% of the home care and 85-95% of the mental load. Example ( dishes don’t get done unless I do them, ask her to, or wait until she finally does them. let’s laundry pile
up until it’s a crazy amount and takes all day to wash and then takes her weeks to fold them if ever just lets them sit in the laundry room. I like my clothes folded and put in the proper place. So we do laundry separately now because I can’t wait weeks for my clothes to get organized. I would try doing laundry as a group activity but she complains and I always have to initiate it and then she will join me never the other way around. She will cook breakfast for her daughter..
leaves the pots on the stove , messy counters, pancake mix everywhere just leaves it for hours. I prepared meals for us a family for 2 weeks she didn’t have to ask me or wonder around evening time what’s for dinner. Never offered to give me break from cooking and then after the two weeks I cooked I took a night off and she ask me “what’s for dinner” why couldn’t she take initiative and think my partner cooked for the last two weeks for the whole family maybe I can cook something tonight.

if it’s her night to cook she waits until 5 or 6 in the evening to think about it and we end up spending money out to eat. Or the classic I don’t feel good and we have pizza which is the easiest thing to make. While when I cook we eat good like steaks , potatoes ,
rice and gravy,pasta , real meals.

if I cook for the family i usually end up doing the clean up also after we had mutiple conversations and we agreed whoever cooked the other will do the cleaning after dinner. If I cook she will let the pots and dishes sit overnight or for days or until I ask her or until the next night when it’s time to make supper again and she will just disregard the dishes and cook anyway and add more dishes and get overwhelmed because there are so many dishes now and ask me to do them so she can cook when she should’ve done them the night before?

i let that go on so many times I got tired of dishes and dirty shit in the sink and counters so I just clean it. It gets left to me almost everytime.
she doesn’t sweep, mop, dust, none of the little things a house needs to stay tidy. Her daughter has her own bathroom and I’ve only seen her clean it 2 or 3 times since we’ve been here in a year.

She even acknowledged to me that she hadn’t been helping around the house much and that made me feel seen you know but that was 2-3 months ago and nothing changed.

its like im their cook, maid, and I pay for everything.

She sounds like a teenager OP ..
Clearly, she has good points too or you wouldn’t be with her ..
Can you sit her down & show her what you have written here ?
Might be the very thing to get her to wake up & cop on or she loses you ..
Good luck with everything …🤞

lilyflower1803 · 02/07/2025 23:34

That sounds like hell to me OP. You are not compatible! I’ve been in your shoes though, and we have come out the other side and work as a team now, so depends how much the other person is willing to change.

Sunflowers67 · 02/07/2025 23:43

Sounds like my grown up daughter - and I use the term 'grown up' very loosely!
She has just moved back in with me on a temporary basis (she's in her 30's) and its a living hell.
Sounds just like your gf except mine will be moving on again soon - taking her mess and untidy ways with her thank goodness!
Love seeing her, love her to pieces but god do I not want to live with her.

I think you need to have a 'make or break' serious chat - I don't think it will do much good though to be honest. But at least you know you tried before you call it quits.

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 02/07/2025 23:50

Seriously, what are her good points?

It doesn't sound like you like her much.
I don't blame you. Everything you've described would drive me mad.

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