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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

Teenage son saw me having sex and now won’t speak to me

367 replies

mortified48 · Today 05:55

Utterly mortified. Bit of background… been divorced for nearly two years after a horrendous marriage. Thanks to good friends helping me with an exit plan, I managed to get out and am now in my own lovely little home. Two DS, 11 and 14 who I share custody with my ex 50/50. Eldest son doesn’t always see eye to eye with his dad who lives about 20 mins walk away.

So yesterday was changeover day and as kids are on half term, they went back to their dad’s at lunchtime and I’m not due to get them back now until Weds (we use a 5 5 2 2 schedule). I was working Fri afternoon and suddenly my eldest appears in my house (he has a key) as he’d had a row with his dad and didn’t want to go back. DS and Ex have a decent relationship but they clash quite a bit and I’m very close to my son. I had a good talk with him and when my ex arrived to come get him, had a talk with him too, calmed the situation and they went back to my ex’s house.

Later that evening my boyfriend of one year came over for some food and a film. It’s worth mentioning here that my kids haven’t met him yet. They’ve bumped into him once, and I talk about him, but more as a close friend I guess. The reason for that is I’m not about to introduce them to someone unless I know they’re going to be sticking around. Ex got a new girlfriend straight after the split and has been with her for 22 months now. At the beginning the kids struggled a little with this, it was quite soon after the split; my ex did the same thing and didn’t introduce her to them straight away incase it didn’t work out. The kids were recently introduced to her properly, and seem ok with it, although it’s a little awkward for them as she’s a teacher at their school. Anyway.. I certainly wasn’t going to introduce my boyfriend to them when they were in the throes of adjusting to dad’s new girlfriend and going on holiday with her and her kids etc.. it’s a lot for them to take in still. So I’ve kept it as mentioning my boyfriends name quite a bit as a friend and then when im sure the relationship has a solid future, i figured this would make it easier to introduce him to the kids.

Back to last night.. boyfriend was round watching a movie, and at about 9pm we got frisky in my living room and then again in the bedroom and then made some food. My phone was in a different room charging. When I went to get it around 11:15pm , I saw a text from the ex at 11pm saying that (unknown to me), my eldest had had a row with him and had run to mine around 9pm, let himself in and saw me having sex 😣 and had got such a shock he ran back to his dads in his socks(!) and now isn’t wanting to speak to me because he feels lied to. I had NO idea he was even in the house and only found out when I went to get my phone from the other room at 11pm. Ex had also texted at 9pm to say DS had rowed with him and was running to mine but I hadn’t seen this. Ex didn’t appear to have tried to stop DS running to mine.
i immediately tried to get in touch with DS as I could see he was still online, but he said he didn’t want to talk and turned his phone off. He’s really upset. I think the “feeling lied to” is probably because I haven’t introduced my boyfriend to him yet and he feels kept in the dark (which he hated when it happened with my ex’s girlfriend at the beginning of their relationship).

Utterly mortified and need advice how to handle this. I’m so close to DS, and he’s never not wanted to talk before and is obviously very shocked and embarrassed and upset. Help!

OP posts:
Costatesco · Today 05:56

Your poor boy

shhblackbag · Today 05:59

Let the boy breathe. That is a lot. I wouldn't particularly want to talk if I were him either.

Overtheatlantic · Today 06:02

You can’t force him to talk. I would just leave it and get advice from a professional like a child psychologist; it seems like there’s potential for this to cause him harm and to damage your relationship with him long-term.

Costatesco · Today 06:02

In his family home a young teen boy has, in one fell swoop, discovered a man in his home, in his mum’s bed and seen you having sex . There is no escaping fact that this is going to have really disturbed him. What will your ex say when he discovers why his son is so upset?

HedgehogsOnTheWall · Today 06:02

Ach let him stew. On the plus side maybe he'll think twice about storming out of his dad's in future!

NowWhatBih · Today 06:02

I’m so sorry!

mumonthehill · Today 06:06

I think try and keep this calm and in perspective. Yes your ds will be embarrassed and mortified but he also perhaps needs now to have a gentle conversation about your new relationship. I would apologise that he saw it, explain that you were trying to keep it all separate but you are allowed a new relationship. It is such a shame he saw it and yes it is his home but it is yours too and he was meant to be at his other home.

ThejoyofNC · Today 06:08

If he has form for coming home randomly and had already done so once the day before, I don't understand why you allowed this to happen at all. The poor boy is probably feeling devastated. You need to prioritise getting their mental health in good shape.

mortified48 · Today 06:09

Costatesco · Today 06:02

In his family home a young teen boy has, in one fell swoop, discovered a man in his home, in his mum’s bed and seen you having sex . There is no escaping fact that this is going to have really disturbed him. What will your ex say when he discovers why his son is so upset?

the ex tried to play it down with ds, explained that mum deserves to have a relationship and be happy etc… obviously ds wasn’t meant to be at mine last night, hence why my boyfriend was round. I don’t live in the family home, that was sold last year, got my own place now not far from dads own place

OP posts:
piscofrisco · Today 06:09

I would go round and see him and have an honest conversation about why you didn’t tell him about your boyfriend. Apologise for not telling him and empathise with his feelings about how he found out (clearly it’s highly embarrassing all round but at 14 I’d be surprised if he didn’t have some idea that adults have sex even if it’s hard to see your mum in that context), but actually you are entitled to have a life-in the same way his dad has. You are choosing rightly to keep it away from the DC for now, and you can say that to him and explain why-but I don’t think you need to apologise for actually having a relationship and all that comes with it.

PrincessOfPreschool · Today 06:09

Yeah he needs a bit of space to process and may never want to talk about it with you. I wouldn't if it were my parent.

jackstini · Today 06:10

Firstly, this is not your fault - you had no idea he was there - although note to leave key in lock/put chain on!

You felt you were doing the right thing not introducing yet, but should have let kids know he was a boyfriend

DS will be in shock, and maybe presume it was a 1 night stand

He was also not in a great mood anyway or he wouldn’t have come running to yours

He needs some time to process this and might not want to face you for a bit if embarrassed

Just let him know by text you’re sorry he walked in on that, you will answer any questions he has when he’s ready or equally not talk about it until he wants to. And you love him

Costatesco · Today 06:12

He is walking distance from home when he stays at his dad’s

He has a key

You took one hell of a risk

ThejoyofNC · Today 06:13

jackstini · Today 06:10

Firstly, this is not your fault - you had no idea he was there - although note to leave key in lock/put chain on!

You felt you were doing the right thing not introducing yet, but should have let kids know he was a boyfriend

DS will be in shock, and maybe presume it was a 1 night stand

He was also not in a great mood anyway or he wouldn’t have come running to yours

He needs some time to process this and might not want to face you for a bit if embarrassed

Just let him know by text you’re sorry he walked in on that, you will answer any questions he has when he’s ready or equally not talk about it until he wants to. And you love him

You want her to lock him out of the home where he goes to feel safe? That is absolutely terrible advice.

plumclafoutis · Today 06:13

jackstini · Today 06:10

Firstly, this is not your fault - you had no idea he was there - although note to leave key in lock/put chain on!

You felt you were doing the right thing not introducing yet, but should have let kids know he was a boyfriend

DS will be in shock, and maybe presume it was a 1 night stand

He was also not in a great mood anyway or he wouldn’t have come running to yours

He needs some time to process this and might not want to face you for a bit if embarrassed

Just let him know by text you’re sorry he walked in on that, you will answer any questions he has when he’s ready or equally not talk about it until he wants to. And you love him

Very sensible post. No teenager wants to think their parent has sex, why would they, so it is a bit of a shock. Give him space and he will get over it.

Costatesco · Today 06:13

mortified48 · Today 06:09

the ex tried to play it down with ds, explained that mum deserves to have a relationship and be happy etc… obviously ds wasn’t meant to be at mine last night, hence why my boyfriend was round. I don’t live in the family home, that was sold last year, got my own place now not far from dads own place

You told ex what had happened?

mortified48 · Today 06:13

ThejoyofNC · Today 06:08

If he has form for coming home randomly and had already done so once the day before, I don't understand why you allowed this to happen at all. The poor boy is probably feeling devastated. You need to prioritise getting their mental health in good shape.

He’s never done that before yesterday. My home was locked up but he has a key and was utterly silent, I didn’t hear him come in. I’m not sure how to have prevented it other than never have my boyfriend over

OP posts:
Iocanepowder · Today 06:14

Give him space. I heard my mum having sex with her new bf in the living room while I was upstairs. I was also 14. I had been on my way downstairs to get a drink and heard them so ran back upstairs. I couldn’t even bring myself to sit on the sofa the next morning.

mortified48 · Today 06:14

Costatesco · Today 06:13

You told ex what had happened?

In the thread I explain that it was my ex that told me he’d seen me

OP posts:
Starlight7080 · Today 06:15

Really you all need to address why he is falling out with his dad so much. And running out of the house as a reaction. But also if you are having sex in the living room knowing this happens often why didnt you lock the front door???
Its common sense

mortified48 · Today 06:16

Starlight7080 · Today 06:15

Really you all need to address why he is falling out with his dad so much. And running out of the house as a reaction. But also if you are having sex in the living room knowing this happens often why didnt you lock the front door???
Its common sense

The house was locked up, he has a key for the back door

OP posts:
Evilkineavel · Today 06:19

I wouldn’t have had sex in the living room in your circumstances and the bedroom door would have been tightly closed.

you’ve been very foolish.

SparklyGlitterballs · Today 06:20

Well, it's very unfortunate what has happened, but it's happened and now it's a case of dealing with the aftermath. Give DS some time to deal with his feelings and then have a chat. Allow him to talk, though he'll probably be embarrassed and may clam up. Explain that you haven't lied. You've been quite open about having a good friend. Point out that you weren't going to tell him you were intimate with this friend because firstly he's a child and secondly because that's private. You can go on to say that, like his dad, you weren't going to introduce the friend to him or his brother until you were very sure he would be sticking around, as you wanted to protect them. Reassure him that him and his DB will always, always be your priority, and this fella won't be moving in anytime soon. DS will have lots of strong feelings about this. Partly because he didn't realise the man was anything more than a friend (though deep down he may have suspected) and also because he saw you in the throes, and no kid wants to acknowledge that their parent has sex.

Glowingup · Today 06:21

Obviously mortifying for him but it’s not going to damage his mental health. And normally it’s not great to have secret relationships away from your kids, even though Mumsnet seem to think that’s ideal. Prevents stuff like this for a start. And kids aren’t stupid and will be annoyed when they find out their parents have had a boyfriend or girlfriend for the past year or so but just didn’t tell them.
Also maybe worth telling him to ring the bell/text if he’s going to unexpectedly come back from his dad’s just so you know. Sounds a bit dramatic all the storming out and running to mum’s.

Hibernationistheplan · Today 06:22

I’d just message him, tell him you are sorry he saw it, and you are there if he wants to talk, but understand if not. Then leave it there and carry on as normal. You can’t undo it. It wasn’t your fault.

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