troubled in Greenville
Oct 1, 2007, 08:02 AM
OK everyone, I need all the input on this I can get.
I'm involved with a man, (for 2 years) and he cannot seem to make time for me.
He has 2 small children, ages 7 & 4, and they live with their mother, 2 hours away. I have no children. I met the children 3 weeks after we started dating, which retrospectivley, was too soon. But we were so excited about our new relationship and the prospect of new love!
Boy, have things changed! My boyfriend, age 41, gets his children every weekend, every holiday and the entire Summer. We both are professional and work long hours, leaving no time for "us". I began complaining about this, and resisting the every weekend visits early into the relationship. We have broken up before, but the break-up didn't last due to me practically begging him to come back to me. I love him, and his children, but I feel like he and I need some time for "our" relationship to develop before I become a co-parent.
And I say co-parent, almost jokingly, because anytime I have any comment on the children's behavior, (that is not full of praise), or his parenting skills (also not full of praise), I get kicked to the curb! He is ultra-defensive, and will be angry at me for days anytime I speak up. He says I don't understand what it's like to be a parent, and I don't. But I am very caring, I'm a RN, but a strong disciplinarian too, since my father works for the Marine Corps.
This relationship is wearing me down, and making me loose my self-worth because I'm always the bad guy because I want time for me too!
HELP!
I'm involved with a man, (for 2 years) and he cannot seem to make time for me.
He has 2 small children, ages 7 & 4, and they live with their mother, 2 hours away. I have no children. I met the children 3 weeks after we started dating, which retrospectivley, was too soon. But we were so excited about our new relationship and the prospect of new love!
Boy, have things changed! My boyfriend, age 41, gets his children every weekend, every holiday and the entire Summer. We both are professional and work long hours, leaving no time for "us". I began complaining about this, and resisting the every weekend visits early into the relationship. We have broken up before, but the break-up didn't last due to me practically begging him to come back to me. I love him, and his children, but I feel like he and I need some time for "our" relationship to develop before I become a co-parent.
And I say co-parent, almost jokingly, because anytime I have any comment on the children's behavior, (that is not full of praise), or his parenting skills (also not full of praise), I get kicked to the curb! He is ultra-defensive, and will be angry at me for days anytime I speak up. He says I don't understand what it's like to be a parent, and I don't. But I am very caring, I'm a RN, but a strong disciplinarian too, since my father works for the Marine Corps.
This relationship is wearing me down, and making me loose my self-worth because I'm always the bad guy because I want time for me too!
HELP!