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

573 replies

mortified48 · 30/05/2026 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:
ShillyShallySally · 30/05/2026 13:35

Honestly I think the flouncing to mums is totally unacceptable from both parties. Really easy for dad to let mum pick up the pieces isn’t it. I wouldn’t allow a 14 year old to flounce off into the night.

TheOliveDreamer · 30/05/2026 13:40

Your words and actions have not aligned. Leave it a few days then have an honest chat. I'd imagine that he feels grossed out but also underlyingly not that important.

mrsbowes · 30/05/2026 13:43

Poor you and poor him!

Some of these responses blaming you for having sex or not being glued to your phone while your kids are with their other parent are very OTT.

Your son will probably never want to talk to you about this. I would send a text though just apologising for not telling him about the boyfriend and apologising for him seeing something he shouldn't have and saying you will talk/listen if he wants to but equally you can both just pretend this never happened.

MysticChevron · 30/05/2026 13:46

Your is ex is the unreasonable one here. Why the hell is he rowing with your son and letting him flee into the night? Stop blaming yourself for your ex’s shitty parenting. You’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.

StrictlyCoffee · 30/05/2026 13:49

HedgehogsOnTheWall · 30/05/2026 06:02

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

This was my thought

Costatesco · 30/05/2026 13:51

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katepilar · 30/05/2026 13:53

ThejoyofNC · 30/05/2026 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.

It was the same day.

CieloElmers · 30/05/2026 13:55

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Don’t be ridiculous, DS was supposed to be at dad’s. Should she also not walk around in her pants just in case her son comes home?

She is allowed a life when she doesn’t have her kids, totally understand why DS is mortified but OP didn’t do anything wrong!

Costatesco · 30/05/2026 13:56

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Notmyreality · 30/05/2026 13:58

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You’ve clearly got me there.
If only there was some place where kids
could go during the week say between the hours of 8 and 4 that would get them out of the house so they wouldn’t be exposed to the non-stop sofa shagging.
Oh well.

whitefluffydog · 30/05/2026 14:01

Only in the UK lol
I am laughing my heart out reading

CieloElmers · 30/05/2026 14:02

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Why she would still be naked and son probably still mortified? I would die if I saw my parents at it, of course, but OP still didn’t do anything wrong she thought the issue with DS and her ex was resolved. Take the stick out your ass perfect parent!

JJWT · 30/05/2026 14:04

I fear you'll get shamed on here so just wanted to say not your fault at all and souds like ex handled it really well. Ds needs to learn that you are entitled to live your life.

Nervousb2b · 30/05/2026 14:05

I think people have given you a slightly unnecessarily rough ride here.

Obviously it's not ideal but I don't see how this is your fault. He'll be in shock for a bit, nobody likes to think their parents ever have sex (I'm in my thirties and if I saw my mum at it I think I'd be scarred).

However, I think the real issue here is how your son feels the need to run home from his Dad's because of disagreements. That needs sorting in a calm and approachable way (definitely after the shock of seeing you has died down).

Don't beat yourself up, it really isn't your fault. You're allowed a sex life after a divorce and it sounds like you were trying your best to protect your children from a new man in the house etc.

Sending you a hug, it must be a rough spot to be in but it'll fade - everything does with a bit of time.

Sunshineandgrapefruit · 30/05/2026 14:08

He is 14 not 4. Yes obviously mortifying but he needs to understand you have a life and he can't just reun away from his dad and come to you without speaking to you first. You could have been out, could have been throwing a party. You are entitled to adult time in your own home and didn't do anything wrong. Your son needs Sto take some responsibility here. Have a 'phone me or ring the doorbell in future' conversation.

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 30/05/2026 14:10

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He didn’t let himself in hours before following the spat. He let himself in DURING literally for the first time ever as per OP saying he had never run away from his dad’s before.

Gloriia · 30/05/2026 14:14

'I think people have given you a slightly unnecessarily rough ride here. Obviously it's not ideal but I don't see how this is your fault'

She has a dc whom has form for turning up unexpectedly and she's shagging in the living room? Yes it's her fault, she needs to lock doors and leave keys in. For whatever reason this ds seems to frequently get upset at his df's and comes home.

When sharing a home with kids one needs to shag in bedrooms with doors shut.

Costatesco · 30/05/2026 14:14

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Parentingisharder · 30/05/2026 14:16

Poor kid, not much can be done now. You’ve hurt him

OneFineDay22 · 30/05/2026 14:31

usererror99 · 30/05/2026 07:05

Honestly…. It’s a bit (very) grim to be having sex In the living room in the house that you live in with your kids whether they are there or not on the sofas they sit on and the shared space they call home and relax in. Save it for the bedroom next time

I think this may be the crux of it for the DS. Teenagers can be quite squeamish about sex and their parents in particular, and I think if anyone had seen someone having sex on our sofa it’d probably make us feel a bit of something about sitting there the next day, even though we’re all grown ups and we get it.

I remember my friend often finding evidence of her mum’s sexual activity round the house and it made her feel gross. They’re not adults, they shouldn’t have that stuff pushed in their faces (and again, full grown ups wouldn’t like to find evidence of that stuff either).

But obviously, Op, it was an accident on your part!

I think all you can really do is let him
calm down and try to talk to him. Tell him you’ll make sure you stick to your room from now on, so if he wants to come home from his dad’s he can. But he obviously should leave your room alone/knock.

Tell him you’ll keep your phone on full volume from now on too. Just things to make him feel secure that it won’t happen again.

Again, just to say - you’ve done nothing wrong, but of course he’s going to feel weird about it especially at first! A lot of teenagers don’t even think their parents still have sex. It’s something they did when they were younger, something they did to have kids - naive, but there you go!

Latteapparel · 30/05/2026 14:36

Nervousb2b · 30/05/2026 14:05

I think people have given you a slightly unnecessarily rough ride here.

Obviously it's not ideal but I don't see how this is your fault. He'll be in shock for a bit, nobody likes to think their parents ever have sex (I'm in my thirties and if I saw my mum at it I think I'd be scarred).

However, I think the real issue here is how your son feels the need to run home from his Dad's because of disagreements. That needs sorting in a calm and approachable way (definitely after the shock of seeing you has died down).

Don't beat yourself up, it really isn't your fault. You're allowed a sex life after a divorce and it sounds like you were trying your best to protect your children from a new man in the house etc.

Sending you a hug, it must be a rough spot to be in but it'll fade - everything does with a bit of time.

Is one year a new man though?!

Avie29 · 30/05/2026 14:45

Don’t make a big deal out of it, its just sex, is it gross to see your mum having sex- yes, but i would not say it’s traumatic, everybody has sex and in a few years he himself will probably be having sex 🤷🏻‍♀️.
As for the “feeling lied to”- you are his mum, an adult- you are allowed to have secrets, you are allowed to have a relationship and you are allowed to have sex, i would apologise that he had to see it but i would also explain that if he hadn’t run out of his dads unexpectedly he would not have seen it.

Costatesco · 30/05/2026 14:46

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BrentfordForever · 30/05/2026 14:47

Happytaytos · 30/05/2026 07:21

The teen let themselves in.

They're the one in the wrong.

😂

poor teen is wrong for going through the effects of a broken home plus seeing his mum in God knows what positions in the living room?

SparklyLeader · 30/05/2026 14:48

He is truly traumatized. Not kidding. He needs a therapist or counselor that specializes in teenage boys to work through this. Do not leave him alone to work through this by himself or worse with the internet. Maybe a hypnotist to see if the images in his head can be scrubbed. You need to find outside professional help for him, RIGHT NOW.

You talking to him will NOT help him. When he looks at you all he sees is some guy railing you. How is he supposed to talk to you with that image on repeat? Stop dragging your feet, get him professional help. Your son is actually traumatized.