AITAH for telling my bf I am frustrated that he quit his job?

Throwaway. For context me (24F) and my bf (25M) have 2 young children together. My bf is somewhat of a job hopper. He’s had idk, 4 or 5 jobs this year? And there have been stretches here and there where he’s been unemployed, for most of last year he was also unemployed. He doesn’t live with us. I am the primary caregiver to our kids and I also provide everything for them. He does help when he can, but he’s also terrible with money. He never seems to have money even when he works. I’ve tried to be patient and understanding but I’ve just recently started feeling so resentful that I am basically a single mother doing everything and he only helps when he can.

So basically this past Wednesday after work my bf told me his managers had a conversation with him about his no call no shows. He started about a month ago and had already missed 3 days, they told him he can’t miss any more days or he would be fired. He had, at this time, already started feeling sick, and the next day when I was going to take him to work he said he really didn’t know if he could bc he really wasn’t feeling well. And ultimately he decided not to go, assuming he would most likely be fired. He asked me if I was disappointed. All I said was that I didn’t know what to say, I didn’t want to make him feel bad. I bought him some cough syrup and orange juice and took him home.

Two days later he informs me that his job let him know he still had a job, but he told them he still quit. I was frustrated and let him know. He said it was fine because he had an interview with another place. I told him I thought it was great he found something else but why did he want to sit around for a few weeks with no job? When this other job wasn’t even a sure thing yet? He replies he wouldn’t have been able to work anyway bc he was sick.
He went on to say I was complaining bc of this and also from the previous week when he didn’t work much. I had asked him why he hadn’t been called in and how much longer that could be sustainable. I told him to not give me attitude and that I had a right to be asking/wondering what was going on, and that I had been more than understanding when he wasn’t able to help with our kids expenses.

I told him he needed to do something self reflection and I was sorry if he didn’t like what I was saying but it was the truth. And that, I felt, on some level he was okay with doing whatever bc he knew I would pay for our kids expenses even if he didn’t. I said maybe it’s unintentional but it didn’t mean it wasn’t still happening. He got upset and asked if I really thought that was the truth or if it was just a criticism I wanted to give him?
I told him it is the truth bc at every job he has he always no call no shows, and I know for a fact it isn’t always bc he’s sick, but bc he just doesn’t want to go. He always ends up wanting to quit or gets fired and I have to lick up the slack. It makes me frustrated bc I am the one who takes on most of the parenting load by myself.

He said I am basically saying he doesn’t care about anything. To which I replied that wasn’t at all what I was saying. Just that I wanted him to try harder even when things get hard and that I am very frustrated that he quit again. And he tells me well you’re not saying it in the right way. I tell him what way would be right? I thought I was being gentle and I could’ve been a lot more rude/let my emotions take over and dictate more of what I was saying. I told him I’m sorry if I was too blunt or if I was mean, it wasn’t my intention but I was just very frustrated. Throughout the text conversation he just keeps saying he doesn’t want to have this conversation and he’s done talking about it. and eventually leaves me on read and hasn’t answered for hours.

Now I’m wondering was I too harsh? Was I the asshole? Maybe I should have waited to have the conversation with him when he wasn’t sick. Idk, the topic came up naturally so I just told him how I felt.

15 thoughts on “AITAH for telling my bf I am frustrated that he quit his job?”
  1. NTA! Your bf has to consider that you have two young children to tend to and this is his wake up call. But it would also help to speak to him once more after he’s recovered.

  2. NTA, please move out and put him on child support so you can garnish whatever paychecks he manages to earn. It doesn’t sound like being in a relationship with him provides you and your kids with any more help than you’d get from the occasional child support check.

    Either he has an underlying issue like depression or ADHD making him so incapable of sticking with a job, or there’s something going on in the category of substance abuse that he’s hiding from you. But none of those things is actually your problem. He was grown enough to get you pregnant, he’s grown enough to figure out that if he wants to keep his family together a steady job and doing his share of the parenting are minimum requirements, not optional nice to haves. 

  3. Your a single parent. Get used to that fact. He can bugger off and get his life together if he wants to be part of his kids lives. He is choosing to be a hobosapian and you are enabling it by giving him change after chance and you will end up having g him to the core by the end.

    End it now. Be a good single mum. The trash can take itself out.

  4. Here’s the reality that you have to accept. You are the stable person in this relationship, you are the only one that your children can count on, and you are the only one that you can count on. He’s a mess, just quits because he has an owie, meanwhile there’s two kids dependent and only you, because he can’t be counted on. My question is, it sounds like you can do it on your own, why are you taking on an adult man-child when you already have two kids to care of. Yet here you are walking on eggshells, wondering if you were too harsh with the poor princess you call a partner even though you’re the one making sure that everybody has a roof of their head is fed and making steady money. Youth is wasted on the young. It makes me really sad to see you twisting yourself into a pretzel over a man that needs you more than you need him. You deserve better.

  5. You say you don’t live together so how does he support himself during these periods of unemployment?

    You are a single mom and he should be nothing more than the father of your children. You’re better off without him.

  6. Is this how you want to spend the rest of your life? Because he isn’t going to change

    You’re taking care of him and his kids. Who is making sure you have what you need?

    Let him figure out how to be an adult on his own. Don’t give him any more money or rides. You’ve supported him for way too long and you need to stop

    You will have more money and more time once he’s out of the day to day of your life. Don’t do anything else for this man

    NTA, and not too harsh. He has two children and needs to take care of them

    And don’t let him move in with you

    Don’t give him an allowance

    It’s not your job to take care of him

  7. Put him on child support and walk…RUN away. Thank goodness he doesn’t live with you. Never allow this man to visit your bed again. You don’t need more children with him.

  8. Hes not a partner or parent; hes a parasite. 

    Stop considering his feelings and consider your kids.  They deserve better (so do you)

    Dump him.  Apply for child support. 

    Rock being a single mum without the dead weight.

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