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A mum-of-two has opened up about the path her life has taken, and how it’s nothing she had ever imagined, including being in a lacklustre, sexless relationship.

She says she now has a choice to make, but has no idea what to do.

The woman prefaced her heart-wrenching confession by saying she absolutely loves her two children ‘so frigging much’.

“Before settling down I had my own small house and a professional job,” she explained.

“I dated like a hobby and waltzed around seeing friends, going on lots of holidays and daydreaming.
If a relationship went south I had no issues in ending them, deleting them and moving on.

“As I was on my own all through my twenties I had friends of all ages for adventures. A close friend in her sixties to go to Rome with. Other women in their twenties to go bar hoping with. Colleagues in their forties to go wine tasting with.

“Life was full of options and opportunities. If things didn’t work out I could always book a holiday, change jobs, migrate abroad, join the circus or whatever. So much freedom.”

She says she spent a decade living this free, joyous life. But she says she always wanted a family – to meet a ‘steady and stable man who was financial solvent with no children so we could marry, combine assets and have children with’.

“I met my partner during my dating sprees. He sold me a dream that wasn’t quite reality. He was steady and stable but not financially solvent. He hid debt from me and I didn’t know until he moved in. Sex life was and is horrendous! Erectile dysfunction.

“He then lost his job and I was about to kick him out but lockdown struck. F***king lockdown. Sent me a bit crazy tbh. My dad died during lockdown. I nursed him for four weeks whilst he died from pancreatic cancer slowly  in front of me. Trauma.”

She says during this time, her partner was amazing, and suddenly his poor finances didn’t matter.

“We were in this bubble together. Living together with no one else. It was like life would always remain like this in lockdown. With the absence of real life and just me and him, all flaws in the real world became irrelevant to our temporary lives.

“His debts didn’t impact. We weren’t exactly going anywhere. He got a new job and paid his share of bills. The fact we had nothing in common didn’t matter either. For that time we had everything in common. All we had was each other and Netflix.

“I then became pregnant. A baby to add to our bubble.”

But then lockdowns ended and the world began to open up. And she realised that life outside of their bubble was vastly different.

“We emerged from lockdown with me heavily pregnant and with a man I actually had little in common with and would never have chosen as a life partner. Then everything happened so quickly. I bought us a bigger house for our new family. We had our baby.

“We got a dog. I came off maternity leave and got pregnant again (whilst he tried out Viagra). We were then juggling decorating a new house with two babies and a dog.

“I am not the passenger in my own life but my god. It’s like I just woke up one day with a partner, two kids and a dog.”

“It feels like this happened in a blink of an eye, before I could even think through wtf I was doing. I feel like I’ve been asleep for the past five years and living on auto pilot.”

The mum-of-two says in contrast, her partner has everything he ever wanted.

“He has been a fantastic father. He really has. He is in his own words ‘living the dream’. This is all he’s ever wanted. He’s 50/50 in child rearing and the mental load. He probably does more housework than me if I’m honest. He does the weekly food shop with the toddler in tow every week. He spends his weekends taking the toddler swimming, mowing the lawn, running errands and cooking family roast dinners.

“He brings me a coffee in bed Saturday mornings whilst I have a lie in with the baby and then heads off with the toddler for the morning of swimming, shopping errands. He’ll then come back for us to do something as a family. He’ll have the kids whilst I go out with friends no questions asked.”

But she says their relationship is one of convenience if nothing else.

“We have nothing in common. Literally nothing. We don’t laugh. We don’t cuddle. We don’t have sex. We have different sense of humour. There is little there. Our commonality is shared family values but that’s as far as it goes.

“We did couples counselling when I was pregnancy with number two as I was unhappy with our relationship. It didn’t do anything. There is no spark.

“Now I feel trapped and I’m suffocating. We have two little ones. The baby is six months old. They are as attached to their dad as they are to me.”

“I adore them. I really do. But this is not the life I had envisaged for when I have a family. I spent my twenties having fun and really building a solid foundation to NOT be in this position when I eventually settled.

“I am living a life I did not want or plan. Anything I do now is not the life I’ve wanted. It’s the opposite.

“I did not want to be a single parent but I knew life could happen. That’s why I wanted a man also financially solvent. So if this shit hits the fan no one is dependent on the other and the kids would be provided for. If I end it with my partner he’s homeless. Nowhere to go. I then face a life of financial hardship as I’d have to pay for the house and kids and his maintenance would be minimal due to his financial issues. So I’d have 18 years of juggling the books and raising two kids.

“If I stay then I have decades of shit sex with someone I have literally nothing in common with.”

She says she now finds herself in a painful dilemma, and has no idea what to do.

“If it weren’t for lockdown this relationship would have ended. He’d have been a brief relationship from the past I’d barely remembered. I’d have continued to waltz around in my Mini Cooper visiting friends, holidaying in the sunny destinations and having hot dates with various men.

“Now I’m looking at a lifetime of single parenthood or settling for an unsatisfactory relationship.

“I can’t waltz off this time. I have two tiny people who depend on me to make the right choices for them. But what is it?”

What advice do you have for this conflicted mum? Let us know in the comments below. 

  • You’ve got to decide yourself to live your life how you want. You can’t let others make this decision for you.

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  • You have restless feet syndrome and should never have settled down. Unfortunately you’ve made your bed you’re going to have to lie in it until yes, the kids aren’t financially dependent, because money dies sound like a pretty big issue for you. You also come across as a bit cold. You didn’t fall in love with him, the sex wasn’t good, you couldn’t even laugh together! You picked him out because you thought he was financially stable. Sounds like you were looking for an investment property not a partner in life.

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  • If your relationship is unhealthy then you will end up miserable and resent your partner even if he does all of the good things for the kids. Don’t feel guilty for wanting to leave. Your partner will find his feet if you split, share your assets and work out an arrangement with the kids that suits you both. Having children is a blessing. Maybe some counselling could help too on your issues surrounding your circumstances.

    Reply

  • You may still be in mourning over your Dad passing and were so busy with family you couldn’t really come to terms with it. Maybe see a psychiatrist or councillor to see why you’re feeling this way. The way I read your story, I don’t think you’re saying the children ruined your life but having a husband who is more an acquaintance than the love of your life is the issue. I hope you can get things sorted for your sake

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  • It’s quite sad to see stories like this. I never understand how a person can think having babies is life ruining. Each to their own I guess

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  • Parenting regret is a legitimate thing. It’s a hard thing to admit to and usually comes with a wealth of criticism. Kudos to you for having the courage to say what many parents think.
    The best advice I can give you is it’s better for kids to have two happy single parents than live in a home with two unhappy, tense parents. If he’s fully hands-on, and it works with your schedule, 50/50 custody is a viable option. Not only will you no longer be living with someone you’re not interested in, but you will get some free time back during the days he has the kids.
    There’s no shame in ending an unhappy relationship. You matter too. If you split, you can downsize your house, take your kids on some of the travel adventures, and have more time to reconnect with friends. Your partner might also end up happier because he can meet someone he meshes with better, and so can you.
    Maybe you should seek therapy for yourself and work out how it would look if you split now while your kids are young enough to adjust, or keep going and end up hating each other and your kids living in that situation.

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  • Your life isn’t ruined. This inst about you. It is about how a selfish woman was irresponsible dating and had careless sex, and will ruin two childrens’ lives if she doesn’t start thinking of them first.

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  • Each stage in life comes with challenges and joy. You can’t change the stage in life you’re in, but you can look to how you deal with life under the current given facts. I would really suggest psychological support

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  • Insanity is genetic
    you get it from your kids

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  • She definitely needs counselling on her own to address her issues. Life it seems has been so easy for her, and in a sense she makes it all about herself.
    Maybe accept gratitude that you have such a understanding, helpful and non abusive partner whom cherishes his family. Work on seening more of the positives whilst going through counselling.

    Reply

  • The grass isnt always greener. Honestly right now you may feel unhappy because things aren’t how you imagined them but sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

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  • The family part sounds great, if you’re happy to continue to provide for your family then cool too. What about a somewhat open relationship if your main issue is lack lustre sex. Can you both make that work to continue to provide your children a loving home and family with both parents present together.

    Reply

  • I think you need to look at getting yourself some counselling and then you might have to make some tough decisions. I wish you all the best.

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  • She sounds very self centred. Life isn’t just one big party, it’s hard work and sacrifice and it’s all hitting her now because she was so spoilt before. If she didn’t like the guy, lock down or no, they could have separated, or at least not had unprotected sex.

    Reply

  • If I were her, I would be getting some counselling for herself, as well as making sure that past natal depression hasn’t started to happen. Make sure you are as happy as you can possibly be before burdening your children with your problems as they will see them in your behaviour. Once you are happy with yourself will be the time to make radical decisions that you can then carry through that will hurt no one.


    • Your advice is spot on and i agree, she needs to seek counselling first.

    Reply

  • Try separating from him first, still live in the same house, different bedrooms, for the kids sake and because he’s helpful with the kids and chores.
    He must disclose his finances to you, do you think he gambles?
    Share all finances 50/50 if you are both working.
    Good luck.

    Reply

  • So sad. I don’t think there’s any one right solution.

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  • It’s not that you’ve ruined your life having a family, it’s that you’ve trapped yourself with the wrong man. You may have to make the hard choice and leave.

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  • I really don’t know what to suggest. It just seems such a sad situation for everyone involved.

    Reply

  • Seeking professional advice would be an appropriate action indeed.


    • Personbally I think that happiness and satisfation is something you need to find within your self, not in the circumstances

    Reply

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