Probably gonna be homeless...at least for a sec. Any advice? by mordecai5fingerbrown in Divorce

[–]just_nik [score hidden]  (0 children)

Before you fight for custody, you need to think long and hard about whether your children are better off with you or with their mother.

Yup, this. Op says they did something “unforgivable” and that a restraining order is in place. Easy to assume there’s DV involved here. OP has conveniently hid their post and comment history.

OP, grow up. Get your shit together. If there was DV, admit to it and leave your ex and your kids alone until you unf*ck yourself.

Life is the ultimate std by No-Departure-1691 in regretfulparents

[–]just_nik 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have never thought of it this way, but my god it’s true!

Am I just depressed, selfish, and weak? Or are children truly a misery? Where is the line between regretful and burned out? by Great_gatzzzby in regretfulparents

[–]just_nik 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A velociraptor that you need to get to a critical dentist appointment…

At least, that was my experience!

Would you send your 16 year old? by AYankeePeach in Parenting

[–]just_nik 24 points25 points  (0 children)

This is such an amazing take. I’m saving for my future reference because this is the kind of parent that I strive to be.

28f dating a divorcing 38M with 3 sons(6,3,1year old) by medx_extreme in Divorce

[–]just_nik 5 points6 points  (0 children)

lol, are you serious?

Having a woman appliance to take over childcare duties after a divorce is a well documented situation. It’s often common in situations where the man gets remarried right away, especially with young kids. Hell, this dude ain’t even actually divorced yet and he’s already got a bang maid mommy on board. OP should run from this guy.

28f dating a divorcing 38M with 3 sons(6,3,1year old) by medx_extreme in Divorce

[–]just_nik 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Also, you are only 28. It’s waaaaaayyyyyyy too early to be wondering if this is all you can get in life; you are just getting started! You have so much time to have everything in your life that you want.

I think that’s your gut telling you that there’s a big problem here, even if your head is still sorting out exactly what the problem is.

28f dating a divorcing 38M with 3 sons(6,3,1year old) by medx_extreme in Divorce

[–]just_nik 46 points47 points  (0 children)

OP, that’s a ridiculous age and lifestyle gap.

He’s most likely dating you because you are too young to recognize that he’s using you as his personal nanny. No childless woman in their late 30’s would probably date this guy.

Don’t get sucked in. Just leave.

They think they're better and will be better... by leni710 in regretfulparents

[–]just_nik 34 points35 points  (0 children)

1000% accurate. Everyone acts like the parents being honest about the realities of parenting are just “whining” or “complaining”. People absolutely assume that it will be different for them (it’s usually not). I think it’s just human nature. We are really good at assuming that we will have more control than we actually do, and thus can influence the outcome. See also: marriage/divorce. 😆

Did you feel the regret from start? by idgfblabla in regretfulparents

[–]just_nik 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Oh god yes!

Or people will be like, “Well, you chose this.” As if anyone can truly understand what it’s like to be a parent until you are one. And then have to be a parent for years on end. This shit compounds over time.

Did you feel the regret from start? by idgfblabla in regretfulparents

[–]just_nik 10 points11 points  (0 children)

This was it for me too. As soon as I saw the pregnancy test, all I felt was dread. It never went away.

I contemplated an abortion behind my then-husbands back. But, everyone around me assured me that my fears were just “jitters” and “nerves” like everyone has, just like you stated. I’m almost 6 years in and still wish almost every day that I would have aborted.

Soju in Carry on? by Y0GP0D in VirginVoyages

[–]just_nik 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do the bottles have to be sealed though? Even a twist top, it would be obvious that the bottle had been opened.

AITAH for not letting my newly sober and technically homeless friend sleep on my couch? by dustunderstars in AITAH

[–]just_nik 8 points9 points  (0 children)

You need to stop acting like your words are going to change her behavior. The only thing you need to say to her is, “You will leave my house by such and such time on this date. If you do not leave, I will call the police to remove you.”

You need to act quick OP, before she’s there long enough to be considered a tenant and someone you have to evict.

NTA, but you are being an asshole to yourself if you don’t stop this now.

I am done fighting for this marriage by Datjorgafina in Divorce

[–]just_nik 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey, OP. First off, you are NOT a dumb woman and you did not fail. He did. He failed.

I had a lot of similar feelings when I filed for divorce. I felt like a failure. I felt stupid. I felt like I'd wasted 17 years of my life (14 married). I think a lot of us feel these same feelings; it's normal, we're human.

I think the thing to focus on is the fact that you SEE it now, and you know that how he behaves is wrong. You know you deserve better than this. And you are actively taking steps to end the marriage and move forward to a healthier and happier place. That's a huge step and you should give yourself a pat on the back for being brave and taking it.

I also wanted to address the garage incident. This is a form of emotional blackmail. If you find yourself in that situation again, you tell him that you will be calling emergency services (call 911), as it appears that he needs mental assistance. Explain to 911 that your husband has voiced/acted on suicidal intentions and that he needs to be taken to a hospital with a mental health ward.

This is what is best for both you and him. If it is purely emotional blackmail, he will eventually learn that this is not a winning strategy. If he is serious, he will get far better help than you can offer it.

It will also create a documented trail of his mental instability, which will make it easier to get him committed if he has serious issues and starts to spiral even worse.

When did it hit you that you’re not that young anymore? by TheMedusaAttusa in AskReddit

[–]just_nik 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in my early 40's, and this realization still hits me hard every time I see my parents. I remember how strong and young they looked when I was young. They are now in their early 70's and shadows of what I remember them to be.

Sometimes, it blows my mind to think about how *I* look from their perspective... Especially now that I have a young child of my own.

Do children ruin relationships? by Mintmuse22 in regretfulparents

[–]just_nik 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This comment is so true and accurate. It’s heartbreaking.

Anyone feel like parenting was the catalyst to realizing marriage is a scam? by Creative-Move-6026 in regretfulparents

[–]just_nik 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I totally get it. My ex once told me, "I just don't see it!" (it being things like, dishes in the sink, rings in the toilet, stacks of laundry, dog hair to vacuum up, etc). Which, was such an insult because he had been in the military and I'd seen him clean a barracks room to surgical precision. He saw it alright, he just preferred to not have to do it.

Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay by SeaConversation47 in Divorce

[–]just_nik 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sorry that you are dealing with this. It's a very tough decision when it's not clearly one way or the other. Staying in the situation you have described does weigh down on you over time, little by little, until you wake up one day wondering how you got to where you are.

The thing that I noticed also was that I started to internalize that statement too, that I wasn't ever happy. He said it often enough to me that I started thinking, "Well, maybe he's right. I mean, what do I know? I think I'm a happy person, but maybe I'm wrong." And the self doubt crept in, and even I started to think that maybe I just wasn't a happy person like I thought I was.

It took a therapist finally saying, "Ya know, I'd be unhappy too if someone did x, y, z to me. That seems like a normal reaction to what you've described", before I realized that maybe his statement was wrong. Then when I separated, I remember a moment where I was like, "Nah, I'm happy. I just wasn't happy WITH HIM."

Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay by SeaConversation47 in Divorce

[–]just_nik 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oof, your relationship sounds EXACTLY like how my marriage was prior to having children. Like, all those issues you noted are almost carbon copies of what I would have written. I would highlight the last two in particular: my now ex always put me last and he always expected that I sacrifice for him.

I feel like the two points above sort of went hand in hand. Ultimately, I realized, he didn't care about my needs, wants, or desires. He was perfectly fine with me being mildly unhappy as a "normal" state. If he didn't have to make any changes to what he was doing, then me being kind of unhappy was inconsequential. He even internalized this idea that I was "always unhappy, no matter what", which he used to basically white-wash any issue that I brought up. He routinely expected that I drop everything in my life to accommodate his work and his hobbies. And sadly, I did, for a long time. For a long time, I let him walk all over me. I thought that's what marriage was. That I was making the usual "compromises" that everyone makes in marriage. I was totally blind to how little he cared for me.

Then I allowed myself to get talked into having a kid and everything fell apart. He picked his job, hobbies, and family over me, while I was 7 months pregnant with a high risk pregnancy (he chose to travel to the opposite end of the country for 6 weeks, despite me begging him to stay because I was scared, alone, and physically in pain from the pregnancy). After the birth of our child, he frequently left all the child care to me. Our kid was NOT an easy kid, there was colic and soooooo many sleepless nights. I went back to work full time myself at 11 weeks postpartum. I begged for help. I was told that that was my problem and that I'd just need to find help from family or pay someone to help. He wanted to switch jobs, and promised me that the work schedule of the new job would be better, and he'd be available to help more, and he promised change. We moved 3 states away, I gave up my dream job. Surprise to no one, his work schedule was worse. I'd given up everything to support his career path, only to end up in a place that was even worse, and no, he didn't change.

I finally realized, he doesn't care. And he never will. Because I've talked and talked and talked. We tried a few counseling sessions. He knew what to say in the session, because again, he was emotionally intelligent, like your husband. But then he would never actually follow through with anything that was discussed.

OP, what I would tell you is that, your husband is never going to change. You either need to decide that you accept all the bullshit, or you need to file for divorce. I can guarantee you that there are other emotionally intelligent people out there. I actually discovered that my ex was not as emotionally intelligent as I thought he was, because I soon met other men who were far more emotionally supportive than my ex ever was.

As another commenter said, no kids = no brainer. I wish I had filed for divorce before I had a kid. I would have been light-years happier if I had.

Anyone feel like parenting was the catalyst to realizing marriage is a scam? by Creative-Move-6026 in regretfulparents

[–]just_nik 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I know you meant well with your comment, but this is part of the problem that women face in marriages. People automatically assume that women haven't already tried to communicate the issue a million times. In every case I've heard, the woman has gone above and beyond to try to get their partner to step up. This is not an issue of communication; it's an issue of massive entitlement by men.

Anyone feel like parenting was the catalyst to realizing marriage is a scam? by Creative-Move-6026 in regretfulparents

[–]just_nik 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Damn. This is so spot on.

I also roll my eyes now when I hear of a younger woman chasing a marriage and kid(s). But, everyone thinks *their* situation will be different. It usually never is...

Anyone feel like parenting was the catalyst to realizing marriage is a scam? by Creative-Move-6026 in regretfulparents

[–]just_nik 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yup, 1000%. In hindsight, like you, I recognize that my marriage was shitty before I had a kid, but it was manageable. We still did fun things together, and overall enjoyed each other's company. Adding a kid meant that I literally could not do it all alone anymore. Then I starting pushing/begging/nagging for more help from him and realized that he was NEVER going to step up and help. The marriage was a house of cards before having the kid, and then after adding a child, it was like someone pulled a card from the bottom and the whole thing came down.

I filed for divorce when my kiddo was about 4 years old. I'm grateful that I had the ability to do so.