How to be a single mum
Hi ladies,
My partner and I are seriously on the brink. When I say on the brink I know it’s not going to last forever and it’s really just a matter of time. We’re not happy anymore, even before baby arrived there was lots of bad arguing and I feel like I’m just going round and round in circles repeating the same argument every few months and now it seems like it’s every few weeks.
We don’t share a bed, which is actually mostly down to mine and babies needs and my partners very loud and disruptive sleeping that makes it harder for baby and I to sleep well which is already difficult enough, other than that, genuinely nothing has changed for my partner at all, if anything he does more for himself now than before baby was here. We have a 14 month old and my partner plays rugby every week, often goes away at the weekend to play away games, he goes to see his friends whenever he wants (granted this isn’t overly often but still has no limitations with this at all), but whenever we argue he CONSTANTLY says I don’t let him do anything? It’s really bizarre, he makes out I’m really controlling and I genuinely can’t comprehend it because he does far more than any other parent i know, and definitely far more than me. This is just one thing, he’s just really emotionally immature and really selfish honestly, he comes home from work at 6 in the evening, has his food and then all he does is the dishes in the evening (bare in mind I do ALL the cooking, and I cook the majority of meals fresh for my son and I AND my partner, that’s 6/7 meals a day but he complains about doing the dishes?), he takes the bins out once a week and every now and then will hoover or sweep up, other than this he doesn’t do much else. And this is just very basic housework, meanwhile I look after the baby 24/7, do all the night feeds because he’s breastfed, spend all day and night looking after our baby and he’s very well looked after and we always do activities, go out for days out etc, as mentioned I cook ALL meals for everyone, and do whatever housework I can manage as well as keep on top of all of the invisible mental load, which to my partner seriously is invisible as he has no idea how much I’m constantly keeping on top of, and I really struggle with it but I get it done. All this considered, he tells me during arguments that I don’t do anything? He genuinely makes things up just to insult me and it’s so frustrating and genuinely upsetting because I just know I’m an amazing mum and I do so well to keep on top of the house and making sure my son has the best life he can! And this is just some of it, I can’t keep arguing about the same things and he really snaps and loses his temper around in front of our toddler too, and when I tell him to leave he becomes more and more angry and I can’t have that around my little boy. I just don’t know what to do or where to start.
I don’t want to stay with him, but I’m on my own. I have no family around me, my parents live abroad and my remaining family live 3 hours away, I have friends but realistically that’s no help, I’m worried about income, having support around me, even just things like I don’t drive so if I start over how would I collect furniture, take my little boy out anywhere that’s not local (I know trains and buses exist but we love going on hikes and weekends away and I’ll be heartbroken to let that go :( ) basically just how do people become a single mum, and what is the financial side of things? How much generally do you get benefits wise? And help towards rent maybe? Just need a LOT of advice 😭
I am now a "single mum", they have an active dad so I don't always feel like one tbh. My ex gives me money towards the kids monthly. With UC you can get housing allowance/rent contribution and money towards childcare if you are working. I still feel like without my ex I am short on money but I do have a part time job. Feel free to message me if you have anymore questions. I will answer the best that I can xx