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Should I leave my boyfriend?

NightOwl's picture

Help! I am in desperate need of advice.

I am currently in a relationship with a man who has a two year old son.
I have absolutely no interest in children, If anything I've always felt extremely awkward around them and I am unsure if I ever want any of my own.

This situation is tearing me apart, I am in my early 20's and feel very uncomfortable playing this role. From the offset I explained to my boyfriend that I've never been fond of children and that him having one would be a huge issue for me and one I could never guarantee I would get over (meaning that we could break up over it as I did with my ex)

I find myself dreading his son coming to stay (every other weekend). we only have a one bedroom flat so his son has to share a room with us which means that from about 8pm when he puts his son to bed on the Friday and Saturday of every other weekend my bedroom is off limits to me, my boyfriend won't even let me tip toe in to retrieve a phone charger or a book as he says I'll just wake him up, in fact if I even go to leave the living room I get constant reminders to stay quiet and not turn the light on etc. this also means his kids bed is constantly in the middle of our bedroom, there are plastic light up stars on the walls and a painted Disney character, I feel like it's not my room at all, I spend 0 time in there, my boyfriend has said he'll paint the walls but nothing has happened.
I feel so resentful of this situation, I hate sharing a room with this kid, I feel like I can't move around incase I make any noise and wake him up if I want to use my phone for anything my boyfriend turns the sound and screen light down, I understand that this child needs to sleep but I feel like a guest in my own bedroom, if his child wakes up crying he puts him in our bed and it makes me soo uncomfortable, I move to the very edge of the bed and lay awake all night.

I hate myself for feeling so resentful of this poor toddler, I don't let anything show infront of him and he's actually rather fond of me but I can't reciprocate, I feel I will always find him to be a nuisance and not an addition,

His dad Is no help, used to not drain the bath out after bathing his son and would just leave all the toys in there, he'd leave his bottles all over the place, in the kids bed, under the bed, wherever it fell, by the time I'd find it it'd have gone off solid milk inside which as my boyfriend works and I don't would be my job to clean out, he'd also leave the kids toys strewn all over the floor and forget to bin nappies. He's picked up on all of this since I've voiced my disconcert.

Not long ago I mentioned him having a child still being an issue for me and he just got angry and told me to 'get over it', he couldn't understand my view point in the slightest. We recently broke up over this situation but got back together on the same day on the condition of him making a few changes re the state of the bedroom, his lack of discipline in areas I feel VERY strongly about - how his child treats my pets, but I feel like this will always remain an issue for me.

My boyfriend regrets becoming a parent soo young and I think he resents it, he doesn't show much interest in playing with the child. He hate the early mornings that come with parenthood an has on a few occasions expected me to get up amuse the child so he can sleep for an extra hour (the kid likes spendin time with me but he's there to spend time with his dad) I have said this and that I don't see why I should have to get up early, it's not my responsibility, he's very easily irritated by the child so even if he gets up and let's me sleep for another hour it doesn't take long before I'm asked to watch the child so he can step outside for a cigarette I de stress before he kills him.

I have said I probably won't want any kids and my boyfriend has said he's happy with just his son, this offends me, I can't help feeling like he was happy to have one with his ex but not with me.

I don't know what to do, I'm putting up with a lot because my boyfriend works and I don't so I feel i ought to be grateful and just go along with this (I have a mental illness and it makes holding down employment difficult, I'm starting to look for work but I'm terrified) but for now he pays the bills.

I just think they'd be better off with somebody who actually likes children, when his child plays up or starts crying I don't think "aww maybe he's tired" or anything remotely sympathetic, I just think I can't wait for him to shut up, and yes I guess I am jealous that I would never be my boyfriends main priority, my ex had a kid so I haven't been somebody's main focus in a relationship since I was 18, I'm sure that must be better than this.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

tessa12's picture

This isn't even a close one. You sound miserable, please make plans to get your own place, and break it off, for good, no makeup sex, nothing. Couple deal breakers. 1. You're not sure you want children. 2. You're not having fun in this role. 3. Your BF doesn't help much with the child, leaving it all to you. I don't think you resent the little boy, you resent your BF. 4. He doesn't want anymore children. You're very young. Many young women in their 20s don't want children, but for many, something happens in their early 30s, and they often change their mind. Good luck. xo.

Orange County Ca's picture

Some people are not cut out to be parents. There is no shame in it and its far better to recognize it than it is to force yourself to become a parent and screw it up and hate yourself to boot.

Tell your boyfriend you make a mistake, take the blame so there is nothing to argue about or try to change your mind. "I've learned I just don't like children, not just your's but none of them. I'm not cut out to be a mother and I'm sorry I got you involved before I realized this".

Then leave as soon as possible. Go to Mom's, girlfriends whatever to make the split as quick as possible then get your own place after you're out and have time to look around. For now you'll need to look to the welfare agencies for help while you look for work.

You have many years, several decades, during which you can have children. It's possible you'll change your mind. Or not. Either way is perfectly acceptable.

Willow2010's picture

I'm so confused here. One....You don't like kids at all so you date a man with a VERY small child. And it sounds like you have done this before.

Two...you told your BF this and he still stays with you. He is an idiot.

Yes...you need to run and you need to STOP dating men with kids.

Jsmom's picture

Leave now, this will only get worse and it is clear you don't like the situation. You are not married and have no children with him, leave now, while you still can.

Honestly, if you feel this way about a toddler, can you imagine how you would feel about a teenager?

Disneyfan's picture

Get a job, move out and stop dating men with kids.

Why do you need strangers to tell you this? :?

NightOwl's picture

Thank you all for your comments, they have been a tremendous help.

I have to say reading what I'd written back to myself it does sound like there is an obvious choice to make - to leave. I didn't even mention the good qualities my boyfriend possesses, partly because I was having and emotional rant but I guess also because no matter how great he may be it could never out weigh the bones of the situation. I think I keep waiting to feel differently about the child and each time I have a pang of dread I'm consumed by guilt so I try harder to make it work, but I'm done with feeling like a bad person because I can't accept a child that's not my own.

My ex and I did break up mainly because he had a child, about a year after that I went on a few dates with a guy before he told me had a child and I called things off.

I had gotten to know my current boyfriend (as a friend, though I liked him far more than that) for a few months before he told me he had a son and by that point I liked him soo much I foolishly agreed to give it a try (with the warning that it may not work out)

I moved out of my dads house to live with my current boyfriend about 5 months ago (first time I'd ever moved out) I was uncomfortable with the idea as I was unemployed and unsure when I'd be able to work but my boyfriend had assured me he was fine with that, he just wanted me with him.

Obviously us living together has magnified the child situation - he shares a room with us when he's here and the time spent with him is far more concentrated, also if I made plans to see my family on a weekend my boyfriend has his son he'd get very annoyed at me and say I was just trying to get out of seeing him (to a degree he was probably quite correct) but it only adds to the pressure.

My own mum never wanted kids til she was in her mid 30's so it may be the same case for me, I reckon I'm not ready at this age and not being able to step up now has given me doubts for the future, but it may just be under these circumstances.