Dear Coleen,

TREATED SO BADLY BY PARTNER

I HAVE known my boyfriend for 16 years.

We started sleeping together when I was 16 and he was 25. When I was 17, I became pregnant with our child who is now six.

When I told him, he left me and had nothing to do with me or our baby until she was 18 months old and he came crawling back.

I took him straight back for our child’s sake and now we have two more kids and I’m pregnant again.

During our relationship he’s never taken me out.

We never do anything as a family and he’s never bought me a gift for birthdays or any anniversary. But he’s always buying himself new motorbikes, cars and so on.

I think I’m starting to hate him. He has gone overseas for our friend’s wedding after telling me we weren’t going right up until the day before. Then he just went off himself, leaving me and the kids at home. Any advice? future and what you want for your kids.

If you really don’t want to leave him then you have to stop putting up with his behaviour.

And if you’re not happy, then show him the door but remind him you’ll expect child support payments in the post.

Stop making excuses for him and don’t stay with him because it’s all you’ve known or because of the kids.

What’s important for the children is that they have a happy, stable, loving home.

You’ve given this man everything from the age of 16, so you need to start thinking of yourself.

You’re still a young woman with your whole life ahead of you.

Yes, it’s daunting and it’ll be challenging, but you don’t have to go it alone – speak to your family and close friends and get their advice and help.