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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want to stroke his back every night

209 replies

Achyarms · 11/02/2025 21:25

Any time I watch tv (after putting two very small children to bed) my husband comes in and perches on the sofa and indicates I need to scratch/ stroke/ tickle his back. If I have energy I will do it for a while. If I ever say no I’m tired he’s gets grumpy/ angry.
if I say yes, then whenever I stop because my arm is tired (say about 10-15 minutes) he immediately gets angry and demands I keep going. He won’t stop asking. Sometimes I have to leave the room and go to bed to get away from him saying keep going over and over again.
i don’t think I’m being unreasonable but maybe I’m not being very loving? I don’t know what other people would do?
makes me want to not give any back tickles it never ends well he’s always pissed off. I’m tired I just want to watch tv and relax.

no he doesn’t give tickles or massages in return and the one time I asked he gave such a shite attempt

OP posts:
BountiesAreUnderrated · 11/02/2025 21:29

Does he have ASD? My Dd who does requests what she calls tickle strokes and it's to help her regulate. It's so stressful for me. I do as much as I can for her but it makes me itch, sometimes all I need is my personal space so I fully understand OP. You are not being weird, but possibly neither is your DH. You are completely entitled to say no and your DH needs to accept that. For me it's less easy, I'm responsible for DDs well being as her mum so I just have to suck it up a bit. Solidarity though.

TuesdayRubies · 11/02/2025 21:27

Wow. That's ridiculous. YANBU in the slightest. How ridiculously needy of him. When watching telly with DH I occasionally
ask him for a foot massage but if he says no because he wants to concentrate that's obviously fine - to hassle you like that all the time for a back rub is awful. Is he jealous of the attention you give the children? It would really give me the ick.

iwantavuvezela · 11/02/2025 21:27

Buy him one of those electric massager things and let him manage his own.

SoloSofa24 · 11/02/2025 21:27

Are you married to a cat?

Believeinmarmite · 11/02/2025 21:26

Ew no! This is not an attractive trait and worrying that he gets in a huff when you say no.

HappyMamma2023 · 11/02/2025 21:26

He sounds like a child.

Catza · 11/02/2025 21:26

Your husband is weird. It's ok to ask but it's not OK to get angry

Funykeudfh · 11/02/2025 21:26

Great reverse on what women often do to men 🤣 just do it for a bit if you want to then say I'm done - moan all you want but that's it for tonight mate. The end.

Runningoutofthyme · 11/02/2025 21:26

This would give me the ick 🥴

it’s a ltb vote from me

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