Struggling to live with partner

My partner has moved in with me and my daughter. Prior to this, the only person I had ever lived with/shared a home with was my family growing up and then my daughter when she was born (I was a single mum from the get go). 

I remember before he moved in I was quite apprehensive how I would cope because I am someone who *needs* my own space/alone time and even though I have my daughter, I managed this when she was at school or staying over at relative's homes etc. I had a good routine with housework, my home was always very clean and tidy, everything had its place etc and I was able to pursue my special interests etc. 

I've really struggled with him living with us for various reasons. Because he is home quite a lot due to working from home and working shifts ie he is not in work everyday I feel I don't have enough time to keep to my routines and pursue special interests. I can't fully be myself when he's home i.e. I cannot stim freely. He has a lot of his own stuff, which I really struggled with at the beginning, my home is quite small and there isn't enough space for all our stuff. I really don't like it when he moves my things or tries to change things around. Now the flat is usually quite messy and cluttered which I hate. I also find that the cleaning routine I had before he moved in has gone out the window. For some reason I don't like cleaning/tidying when he is at home I find it distracting. I feel when he is at home I can't do anything and I also find it frustrating that everything just gets messy very quickly. 

I also find him quite loud, like he has a very loud voice or will be singing in the kitchen and I am very sensitive to noise particularly if I'm stressed or overloaded. He is also the sort of person who will have the tv on all the time as background noise, even if no one is watching it which I don't like. I don't mind a bit of good music but it really annoys me having some random show on when no one is watching. 

I feel like our relationship is quite strained because I find him being here quite frustrating and stressful and a lot of it is probably ASD related although no all of it (sometimes I feel like we don't have a lot in common, don't have particularly interesting conversations etc)

I've decided that I will end the relationship and ask him to move out. I feel bad because he is otherwise a good person. He keeps saying he loves me and I feel he is close to my daughter. But I don't think I can carry on much longer. I long to have my flat to myself and miss the days when it was just me and my daughter (I've never struggled when it was just her and me, I think mother's love overrides a lot of difficulties). 

Has anyone else struggled when a partner has moved in? I can't see me living with anyone else again tbh. I clearly need my own space.

Parents
  • I really understand what you are describing and am sending friendship and care. My home is a precious safe space where I have complete control, something of huge importance in every area of my life. I am in a beautiful relationship but although we see each other every day and spend most nights together we don’t live in the same place, we each own our own home outright and alternate somewhat randomly between the two.

    We had a boundaries discussion when embarking on our relationship and one of mine was that we weren’t going to live together for the foreseeable future, this is all working incredibly well for us.   The tidiness and clutter thing you described is a biggie for me too, my home is beautiful, tidy, clean, organised,  and I invest hours and hours keeping it so. Also I’m obsessed with the patterns I create with shape and colour using art and books and coectibles in it, something I would have to in part sacrifice were we living together. Good luck Four leaf clover

  • Thank you for your message. It's validating to know I'm not the only one. I do think the big mistake was him moving in, I much preferred it when we alternated staying over at each other's homes too. I think I will ask him to move out and see if he still wants to have a relationship. But if not, I think that will be the end of the relationship as it has become almost unbearable for me. 

    Like you said, my home is my safe space and I like/need to have the control. I feel like at the moment I have no opportunity to decompress because I have nowhere to go. 

Reply
  • Thank you for your message. It's validating to know I'm not the only one. I do think the big mistake was him moving in, I much preferred it when we alternated staying over at each other's homes too. I think I will ask him to move out and see if he still wants to have a relationship. But if not, I think that will be the end of the relationship as it has become almost unbearable for me. 

    Like you said, my home is my safe space and I like/need to have the control. I feel like at the moment I have no opportunity to decompress because I have nowhere to go. 

Children
  • I’m glad my reply was helpful, it does us good when we find others who share our experiences and fears and loves and problems. Your original post was helpful to me too as a reminder of why I set this boundary, we are very in love and invested so I do sometimes get the thought that we should join our resources and get a place together but you pointing things out as you did clearly reaffirms my decision. Thank you xxx