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Relationships

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

373 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:
RenovationNightmare · Today 06:50

mortified48 · Today 06:13

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

What could you have done? Well you could have put a key in the lock or put the chain on.
If he'd already returned earlier in the day that's what I'd have done.
Now he's seen what he's seen, so it's about moving forward and not banging on about what you could have done.
I'd give him some space initially then once he's processed it, I'd try to have a conversation with him.

cauliflowercheeseplease · Today 06:51

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.

But why? DS wasn’t even supposed to be there, mum is fully entitled to a night doing her own thing. It wasn’t done on purpose, DS should be spending time with his father regardless of arguing with him.

can’t keep running back and forth when one parent says or does something a child doesn’t agree with.

of course it would’ve have been nice to walk in on your parent having sex but it was her free night.

Nowthatshuge · Today 06:53

Lairymary · Today 06:45

It's not terrible advice, by simply locking the door, it would have saved a lot of embarrassment. He could have rung the doorbell to alert her of his presence, and yeah there would have still been a certain level of embarrassment, but nothing in comparison to hearing your mother in the throws of passion and seeing mum flesh on strange man flesh. OP has a right to have her own fun in her own house without children barging in when they're not supposed to be there. If he has form for arguing and running back and forth between the houses, it's the first thing I would have done, as I would have seen it as always a possibility if someone else has a key to the house.
Edited to address that "he doesn't normally, go back and forth". If someone else holds a key, it's always a possibility. The door would still be locked from the inside!

Edited

These posts make me really sad. My kids live with their dad some of the time, it’s a short drive away so they ring sometimes and ask if they can pop back to grab stuff, I always say ‘you don’t have to ask to come to your own home’
i see it that it is not on my kids to have to manage the fact that their parents aren’t together. While I am, and all parents are, entitled to a life of their own, just because someone is single doesn’t mean they suddenly are no longer a parent when their kids aren’t with them, I think of it in a way that while it’s important for me to build a life of my own, I had kids with the intention of being with them all of the time so no, I don’t plan to have time where they are not my responsibility, ever. It’s not that hard to manage both.

A671090 · Today 06:54

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.

I agree with this.

and your son also needs to stop flouncing!

SamClamsDisco · Today 06:54

Costatesco · Today 06:13

You told ex what had happened?

jesus christ. where is the reading comprehension.

Miyagi99 · Today 06:57

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.

I think I would have left my keys in the door at least! I always do this if things are hotting up as we have family nearby who just walk in (they’re welcome to at any other time!).

ClaredeBear · Today 06:58

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.

I agree with this approach. Mortifying for you both, OP, but drawing a line under it with a heartfelt apology, acknowledging his feelings, then proceeding as normal will help him far more than beating yourself up about it and drawing it out. You can’t always be there for them and sometimes you mess up a bit. I hope things are back on track soon.

Miyagi99 · Today 07:00

ThejoyofNC · Today 06:13

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

He only has to knock! Same as leaving the keys in the door by accident.

Costatesco · Today 07:00

mortified48 · Today 06:14

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

I’m impressed that he felt comfortable enough to be open with his dad

Costatesco · Today 07:00

mortified48 · Today 06:14

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

No, you didn’t

Costatesco · Today 07:01

Miyagi99 · Today 07:00

He only has to knock! Same as leaving the keys in the door by accident.

I don’t want my children to have to knock to come in to their own home 🤷‍♀️

Lairymary · Today 07:01

Nowthatshuge · Today 06:53

These posts make me really sad. My kids live with their dad some of the time, it’s a short drive away so they ring sometimes and ask if they can pop back to grab stuff, I always say ‘you don’t have to ask to come to your own home’
i see it that it is not on my kids to have to manage the fact that their parents aren’t together. While I am, and all parents are, entitled to a life of their own, just because someone is single doesn’t mean they suddenly are no longer a parent when their kids aren’t with them, I think of it in a way that while it’s important for me to build a life of my own, I had kids with the intention of being with them all of the time so no, I don’t plan to have time where they are not my responsibility, ever. It’s not that hard to manage both.

I get that and I appreciate that. My view is that by locking the door, it's protecting her kids, and literally a temporary pause in gaining access to their home to save embarrassment. Im curious what you would have done in this situation?

Costatesco · Today 07:02

I just can’t fathom the risk you took. Sex in the living room when your child was walking distance away from your ex AND he has a key.

mortified48 · Today 07:02

Costatesco · Today 07:00

No, you didn’t

I really did! I said my ex texted me to tell me DS had seen me

OP posts:
Happytaytos · Today 07:04

Ignore all the pearl clutchers OP. You did NOTHING wrong. You invited your boyfriend round when yiu expected the house to be empty of kids. Your son chose to come back without warning.

He will get over it, and hopefully learn a life lesson about running away not always being the best option!

GetOnBoardDeckers · Today 07:04

Costatesco · Today 07:00

No, you didn’t

She did, in her post she wrote

“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”

usererror99 · Today 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

Miyagi99 · Today 07:05

Costatesco · Today 07:01

I don’t want my children to have to knock to come in to their own home 🤷‍♀️

You might do if you’re in the middle of having sex, I bet he wishes he’d knocked!

chirrupybird · Today 07:05

All you can do is explain that you didn't want to say anything until you were more sure about the relationship and you were just trying to protect him by not telling him too soon. It's a shame he found out this way but you are entitled to a life just as your ex is. It sounds like your ex has done the right thing and not thrown you under the bus (as he could have done) so that is good. Can you go to your ex's and have a chat with your DS before he chews on it too long?

Costatesco · Today 07:05

mortified48 · Today 07:02

I really did! I said my ex texted me to tell me DS had seen me

Apologies

Costatesco · Today 07:06

Miyagi99 · Today 07:05

You might do if you’re in the middle of having sex, I bet he wishes he’d knocked!

i wouldn’t have sex in the living room knowing my teen boy had a key and literally hours before have let himself in following a spat with his dad

ChiliFiend · Today 07:07

Costatesco · Today 06:13

You told ex what had happened?

It's all in her original post? Her ex was the one who told HER what had happened, because her son ran back to his house.

Costatesco · Today 07:07

ChiliFiend · Today 07:07

It's all in her original post? Her ex was the one who told HER what had happened, because her son ran back to his house.

I have apologised for that error

Happytaytos · Today 07:08

Costatesco · Today 07:06

i wouldn’t have sex in the living room knowing my teen boy had a key and literally hours before have let himself in following a spat with his dad

Aren't you just the perfect human.

Costatesco · Today 07:10

Happytaytos · Today 07:08

Aren't you just the perfect human.

And that’s your benchmark for a perfect human being?!!