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Where do I start? Do I have the strength?

anpohs

Hi everyone, I'm not really a single parent as I am still married and with my husband of 5 years but I want to leave him. I am South Asian and had an arranged marriage to someone who my family had known for years. We have a three year old daughter and I work full-time. My husband has not worked since 6 months into our marriage due to a chronic illness. So for the last 5 years I have supported us both and pay for absolutely everything. The pressure and stress is getting to me and I can't cope anymore. I don't love him, I never have but I really thought I would give it my best shot. He was desperate for me to have a baby and I kept telling him I wanted to wait until he had a job. I didn't know that his condition would get worse so eventually agreed and had our daughter. I took six months off for maternity and went back to work full-time. He has been our daughter's primary carer while I've been at work. He has to have countless medical appointments and I have to keep taking time-off work to go with him(he can't speak English and hasn't even bothered to try and learn in the last five years) He doesn't get any benefits because he's not disabled and I earn too much for him to get any other sickness benefits. He counts every penny I earn and spend. I resent him because I work for the money but he dictates how I spend it. He has never let us go away on holiday because they cost too much! I earn over 26k a year and I know my limits but he begrudges me everything I buy. Every item of clothing I have bought for my daughter has been with him next to me and his choice. I have never been able to go into a shop and buy my daughter what I want since the day she was born. If I buy her toys, shoes, clothes he'll say he doesn't like them and take them back to the shops. I honestly cannot think of a single item of her clothing that he hasn't chosen. He will go out of his way to buy a bottle of milk which is 10p cheaper or a loaf of bread that is 5p cheaper all in different shops. I can never go to the supermarket alone, he always has to go with me and starts making comments if I choose what I want. I just let him buy what he thinks we need and leave. Even if I go to the shops on the way home from work he will inspect what I bought and want to see how much it cost and then be in a nasty mood with me. I am sick and tired of living like this. He opens all my bank and credit card statements and scrutinisies every item and questions me when I get home. He even sits there with a calculator and my statements counting my spending! I have now changed all my statements to online delivery. He takes my bank card off me every week to withdraw cash and pay the rent and then prints out mini-statements to question me with. If I use a credit card for a purchase I know I can afford he goes mad and tells me I wouldn't last six months without him, that I will end up bankrupt. He acts like he's the breadwinner!
I want to leave him but I'm scared to because of my daughter. He loves her so much and I really can't say whether he'll get violent if I try to leave. He has a terrible temper but has never been physically violent. He looks after her during the day as she hasn't started nursery yet and I don't know if I would be able to afford childcare. That's the only thing stopping me at the moment. I don't have any family that could look after her for me. I don't want to reduce my hours or leave my job because it's the only thing that's keeping me sane. Has anyone got any advice? Please help me because all I do is cry by myself, hidden in the bath because I have no one else to turn to.

Posted on: August 25, 2009 - 11:22am
sparklinglime
DoppleMe

Hi

I have to go out in a mo, and will be gone until this evening.

Just want to say hi.

I'll give you more of reply later, but Louise will have some helpful links, I'm sure.

Take care.

There are answers to this situation, but having the courage to take the first step will be the most difficult.

Posted on: August 25, 2009 - 1:12pm
Louise
Parenting specialist DoppleMe

Dear anpohs

My heart goes out to you. You must feel very trapped, but you can break free and make a go of it on your own, if that is what you want.

A few points: You would get 80% of your childcare paid for as long as it is with a registered nursery or childminder to a maximum of £140 a week. This remains so, even at your salary level. You would have to pay the other 20% yourself, but do not forget that at age three and a half, every child is entitled to a certain number of hours free nursery education anyway. You earn too much for Working Tax Credit but you would receive a very small amount of Child Tax Credit as well as the current £20 a week child benefit. You would also qualify for a 25% discount on your Council Tax as a single adult occupant.

What do you think would be the situation about him continuing his relationship with his daughter? It is likely that he would want to continue regular contact with her and this is something you need to consider carefully. You also need to think about putting her passport somewhere safe if you think he may try to take her out of the country. There are many practical considerations....do you want to conceal where you live from him or are you Ok with this, for example? You need to make a lot of decisions before you take the practical steps, if possible, as then it will be straightforward. Are your bank accounts in your sole name?

The way you say your husband is treating you comes within the Women's Aid defintion of abuse. How about getting some support from them so that you can make the move? http://www.womensaid.org.uk/landing_page.asp?section=000100010024

Also there is a fabulous course to support you inot independence, see this website http://www.freedomprogramme.co.uk/

Keep posting and we will support you through this :)

Posted on: August 25, 2009 - 1:24pm
sparklinglime
DoppleMe

Hi anpohs

Hope you're doing ok.

Posted on: August 26, 2009 - 12:06am
Anna
Parenting specialist DoppleMe

Hi there anpohs

Thank you so much for having the courage to share what you are feeling at the moment, you sound as if you are a very capable woman who is feeling trapped and manipulated.

As Louise says, if you want to leave you can. It would be a very good start to visit your local Womens Aid to talk to someone there who can talk you through all your options, including if you want to work on your marriage or if you need support with moving out and benefits etc.

Your daughter is still young, I believe it is always better for them if we are going to end our relationship early on in their lives rather than later. She won't understand it, but I think that you will feel free if you leave him and you will have a fab relationship with your girl.

If you are on 26K then although you won't be entitled to Tax Credits, you will still have enough to get by. You will be able to buy your daughter all the clothes you wish and yourself!

It will be a massive change to go from a 2 parent family to a one parent family, but I have every faith that you can do it and it sounds as if you would be so much happier.

What is more important? For your daughter to have a healthy, happy mummy who works and feels good about herself and the choices she makes? Or a mummy who does what Daddy says and is incapable of spending her own money as she wishes without being told she is wrong??

Keep in touch with us, we would love to know how you are, you are not alone, we are here to support you through whatever decisions you make, or to think through any questions you are pondering. :)

Posted on: September 1, 2009 - 4:29pm
Bubblegum
DoppleMe

HI anpohs.

I don't know if this would be of any help to you ?

Karma Nirvana.

Best of luck. : )

Posted on: September 1, 2009 - 8:46pm
Anna
Parenting specialist DoppleMe

Thanks bubblegum, great site.

How are you today anpohs??

Posted on: September 2, 2009 - 9:35am
Bubblegum
DoppleMe

Anna.. you should read Shame by Jaswinder Sanghera, she is the woman who set up Karma Nirvana, an amazing book that bought tears to my eyes at times.

Hi anpohs, you deserve what is best for you and your daughter.

: )

Posted on: September 2, 2009 - 7:07pm
Anna
Parenting specialist DoppleMe

Hi bubblegum, just had a look at the book on Amazon, i got to read the first 10 pages, I didn't want to put it down! It does look good, I have added it to my wishlist, so that I don't forget about it.

I love your words, they are simple yet SO clear, I hope you hear them anpohs


Quote:
You deserve what is best for you and your daughter.

Posted on: September 3, 2009 - 12:39pm