Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

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

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

571 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:
Blossoms217 · 30/05/2026 14:56

Heard or saw? There’s a huge difference there. My partner saw this but with his dad, it’s not affected him at all as an adult he actually laughed it off now but everyone’s different and I think because so much has happened within your family. My partners dad never lived with them since he was 3 so different. Hope you are ok, you’ve not deliberately hurt him in fact you’ve tried to avoid this x

Costatesco · 30/05/2026 14:57

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

mrsbowes · 30/05/2026 15:13

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.

Are you also a teenage boy?

SpecialAgentMaggieBell · 30/05/2026 15:19

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

True, but why is the 11 year old also storming out with his brother? And why is it a consistent pattern? The way he's reacted to his mum tells me it's the kid not the parents.

SpecialAgentMaggieBell · 30/05/2026 15:20

mrsbowes · 30/05/2026 15:13

Are you also a teenage boy?

railing?

Are you a porn addled incel?

ItsNotMeEither · 30/05/2026 15:26

Oh dear, that's something NO teenager wants to see, regardless of divorce or not.

Honestly, you need to give it a couple of days, take him out for coffee and have a chat. While remembering that right now, this is also the very last thing he ever wants to speak to you about.

I'd be just factual, you've met someone and while you haven't kept them a secret, don't want to introduce them until you're a bit more sure that the relationship will be long term. Don't even mention the sex or what they saw.

Do mention that you know they're already dealing with a lot, just being a teenager and dealing now with divorce and both mum and dad navigating new relationships. I'd probably also ask them or strongly suggest that you offer to find them a counsellor to meet with semi regularly. just to develop a bit of a relationship with them, for times when they may want someone apart from mum or dad to speak to.

Thank goodness your ex seems to have handled it in a pretty matter of fact way, that will help. Never mention to your son what he actually saw.

Ifallelsefails · 30/05/2026 15:34

mortified48 · 30/05/2026 06:16

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

Can't you leave a key in each door lock to prevent anyone coming in or is it a yale type, if that's the case get a chain put on the doors?

After yet another row with his dad he probably just wanted to get back in his own home, but there was worse going on there 🙈 and you were tied up when he needed you?

You've all been through a lot, adults struggle to re-adjust & children need support cos it's really hard on them too. What they say/share can be totally different to how they feel and how things make them feel.

usernamemustnotcontainspecialcharacters · 30/05/2026 15:41

So funny

ThatLilacTiger · 30/05/2026 15:48

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

I'm struggling to understand how you can post so many times when you can't even read.

DearDenimEagle · 30/05/2026 15:49

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

She didn’t find out he’d let himself in till afterwards . He’d let himself in at 9. She found out at 11.15 when she read the 11pm text from her ex to tell her about it.

McGregor33 · 30/05/2026 15:58

I walked in on my parents having sex multiple times when I was younger. I pretty soon learned how to knock when I was a teen!!

You weren’t supposed to have your children, it’s an unfortunate event that he has walked in on this, but it’s certainly not your fault.

Your an adult, your allowed to have your own personal life and you didn’t exactly intend on your son walking in, you waited until he was supposed to be away.

Im sure at his age he knows he wasn’t dropped on your doorstep by a stork and that you’ve had sex hence why he exists. It’s unfortunate he’s upset, but maybe now he will realise he can’t just run away from his dads- that would be my main concern here and now he’s seen something he doesn’t like, he’s ran back to the place he was running from!

SnowFrogJelly · 30/05/2026 16:00

Fgs it’s not the OP’s fault.. give the boy a couple of days he’ll get over it

Ponderingwindow · 30/05/2026 16:01

My teen has ASD and sometimes prefers difficult conversations start via text. So I might text him. Depends on the teen of course. I would want to be in the same house so the me conversation can easily become in person.

He is old enough to understand why you have a boyfriend and why you kept your life separated to protect him.

Pansykavalier · 30/05/2026 16:04

Honestly, some of the comments are completely OTT. Worse things have happened. Her son will get over it. Just move on already.

Naunet · 30/05/2026 16:23

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.

🤣 What a ridiculous over reaction. What do you think happened in the cave days?!

babyproblems · 30/05/2026 16:27

Im in the minority but I think at 14 he knows what sex is presumably and that you and his dad are no longer a married couple.
Yes it was unfortunate that he saw you, but equally once he’s gotten over the shock, I think you should sit down and apologise and explain that you are not married anymore and that you have a boyfriend which is completely normal. I don’t see why there are some posts expressing extreme sympathy when his dad has done worse imo and has let your entire family unit down. It’s far worse in terms of life chances for his dad to have moved on so quickly yet you are being held to much higher standards. It’s cringeworthy for you and shocking for him but he is 14 and I think old enough to understand you are a woman free to do as you please! Like his dad has…

Iceandfire92 · 30/05/2026 16:32

Not the point of this particular post, but if parents/parents and their partners are walked in on so often by their DC as many others have posted about, why do they not just simply install a lock on their bedroom doors? Surely that would be the most logical solution?

Isitsixoclockalready · 30/05/2026 16:34

It's not ideal but it's not like something like this has never happened and the world isn't going to end. If it were me, I'd text him, apologise and say that he doesn't need to even reply or acknowledge your text but that it won't happen again and that you hope that you can both move on.

Costatesco · 30/05/2026 16:34

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Costatesco · 30/05/2026 16:35

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

ThatLilacTiger · 30/05/2026 16:36

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

For not reading the thread or for spamming it with needless hate?

Costatesco · 30/05/2026 16:36

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Costatesco · 30/05/2026 16:36

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

ThatLilacTiger · 30/05/2026 16:45

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ANiceBigCupOfTea · 30/05/2026 17:15

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.

Jeepers I can smell the internalised misogyny from here.
At a certain age we all learn our parents have sex and while this can be very embarrassing (and in this case it certainly is) it's not traumatic or weird or bad. She didnt have a kinky dungeon set up in the living room, she was getting a bit frisky on the sofa.

Being railed? Really? Female sexuality is not dirty or bad. Let's not act like it is.

This is an embarrassing incident, he'll talk it over with his dad (who should have been watching him) and it will all be fine.

Im truly sorry if something has happened in your life that has made you react so strongly to this and if you need help I hope that you can get it.

Swipe left for the next trending thread