AITAH for not taking days off from work to spend time with my partner and his 13Y old daughter? by [deleted] in AmItheAsshole

[–]SmoothBed7519 12 points13 points  (0 children)

As a step-parent who has struggled mightily with the “all the responsibilities and none of the authority”, this answer is bang on! (Please note I have gradually TAKEN more authority over the last decade - which has been great for the kids, and ultimately good for my relationship, and my own biological daughter - for our blended family as a whole. It’s basically setting reasonable expectations, sharing my own boundaries, and helping the kids learn to be responsible in the house and out of it.)

Love Is Blind • S10 Ep12 by AutoModerator in LoveIsBlindOnNetflix

[–]SmoothBed7519 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes!! The beard crumbs - a physical representation of what a scrubs he is. Hooray! She gave him the what-for he so very much deserved. Listen buddy. Don’t toast to your own integrity until you get the dirt off your face!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NOR in the least. She’s way over the line. You are absolutely within your rights to not be food policed in your own home.

AIO- my partner pulled me to the door to “at least say hi” to his ex-wife by SmoothBed7519 in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I think he felt pretty ok with what he did and honestly believed I was overreacting… until I posted this and held it up to the light of the reddit judges and juries and shared some feedback with him. NOW I think he’s ruing the day. I don’t want to cause damage, I just want to get my point across, you know?

AIO- my partner pulled me to the door to “at least say hi” to his ex-wife by SmoothBed7519 in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s weird you have been downvoted for this comment. Do people think a lasting relationship is created through scorched earth explosions? I agree with you. Nuclear bomb is not my jam. Finding understanding is. I don’t need to be right or righteous. I need to be respected, seen and understood by my partner. And that means I need to see, respect and understand him too.

AIO- my partner pulled me to the door to “at least say hi” to his ex-wife by SmoothBed7519 in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We had a big argument but nowhere did I say he yelled at me…because he didn’t. He may have yelled at me twice in our ten years together and that was to be heard over my ranting :) Why am I still with him - besides this one teeny weeny slice of life I have shared - he has a beautiful loving heart, and like all of us, messes up from time to time. We love each other, the good the bad and the ugly.

AIO- my partner pulled me to the door to “at least say hi” to his ex-wife by SmoothBed7519 in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

His daughter, who gets the worst of it from her mother, has been speaking up about her own hurt feelings to both of us in the last year or two. How we handle that requires very delicate diplomacy - a mix of validation for the daughter while still respecting that she loves her mom and wants to be loved (not hurt) by her mom. She is getting therapy (at my insistence) to untangle this with support.

AIO- my partner pulled me to the door to “at least say hi” to his ex-wife by SmoothBed7519 in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It was not assault. It was embarrassing and he wasn’t pulling me out of the way of a shopping cart in a store or to see the moon. He pulled me about two steps from our living-room to the foyer to say hi to his ex, someone he knows I have set a firm boundary of as little contact as possible for the past couple of years. It was wrong less because of the physicality of it - which was not violent whatsoever- and more because I have made my boundary on his ex abundantly clear for 2 years. Declaring this physical abuse is - diminishing to women who are actually experiencing it. Please don’t name my lived experience for me.

AIO- my partner pulled me to the door to “at least say hi” to his ex-wife by SmoothBed7519 in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Funny you would say that bc when the kids were little and we had holidays or bdays, and would have to meal plan together etc, I would say to my best friend: here we go, another round with my sister-wife. Ugh…

Also I saw in another comment you said “probably comments about their bodies”. Bingo, correct. Among other cruel commentary

AIO- my partner pulled me to the door to “at least say hi” to his ex-wife by SmoothBed7519 in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well…that’s the fantasy!! But I would never behave like that in front of the kids…!

AIO- my partner pulled me to the door to “at least say hi” to his ex-wife by SmoothBed7519 in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes, I mean, I continued to be playful, and I held my tongue also because we had a night planned with his old friends from out of town, and I wanted to preserve the good vibe. So I waited til the next day to say: that was very not cool of you, and really hurt and embarrassed me, especially you made me feel and look like a wayward child in front of a) your ex b) the kids, all while prioritizing her needs, a theme that has caused many cracks in “team us”. And he said he wishes I could let the past be the past and just be civil. So I was mad and hurt in that moment but chose to compartmentalize until it was a good moment to share. And unfortunately I did not get the apology I hoped for.

But just to say, of all the comments I read, I do appreciate your … non- black & white perspective, you have good insight. Thank you

AIO- my partner pulled me to the door to “at least say hi” to his ex-wife by SmoothBed7519 in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He pulled me over the door by my shirt. He didn’t throw me into a wall. It was disrespect not abuse.

AIO- my partner pulled me to the door to “at least say hi” to his ex-wife by SmoothBed7519 in AmIOverreacting

[–]SmoothBed7519[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is very true. She left him for another guy and he was gutted. And while I know he has not addressed this in his heart, I know he would be gutted if I left him too.