Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Update incoming: AIBU to expect a birthday present

33 replies

Thinkingof2026 · 23/01/2026 06:48

So some of you may have read my thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5474719-to-ask-if-this-is-what-long-marriage-looks-like?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Just by means of an update, he's still not talking to me nearly 3 weeks now

And yesterday was my birthday

He got a generic happy birthday card from the DDs and that's it.

My DD11 got up early and decorated for me and sung me happy birthday with an apple turnover she'd made in school the day before.

She asked me in the sweetest voice "have you not got any presents...did you not ask for anything?"

So yeh, he's left me with the emotional load of dealing with that too.

Add this on top of the fact that my mum had a stroke in September, my dad died in October, my mum has had multiple hospital admissions since then due to complications so ive also "lost" my mum, or at least the version of her that was my mum

DD11 is ASD and im dealing with a lot with school with her and ive "taken on" my brother who is also ASD and needa a lot of suplort who was previously supported by mum / dad

But yeh, obviously "D"H needs are a priority and im a terrible person for not prioritising them.

I thought he would get me at least a token gift from the girls. A packet of fruit pastilles, a keyring, anything. But no, that was too much effort for him.

Im done

Im getting my ducks in a row

This is the end.

To ask if this is what long marriage looks like? | Mumsnet

Married 8 years, together 18, two children (11 and 7). Husband works shifts and is often exhausted. I used to work shifts but recently got promoted to...

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5474719-to-ask-if-this-is-what-long-marriage-looks-like

OP posts:
Billybagpuss · 23/01/2026 07:01

next year will be a happy birthday.

How in line are your ducks. Do you have somewhere to go or can you ask him to leave?

Redcandlescandal · 23/01/2026 07:01

Good for you OP. Better times are ahead. 💐

Pumpkinlit · 23/01/2026 07:00

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

gamerchick · 23/01/2026 06:59

Thing is, stonewalling is actually listed as domestic violence. I'm not sure why you don't think it's abusive.

It's a bad environment to keep kids in, this is what they're learning about relationships.

WeMeetInFairIthilien · 23/01/2026 06:56

Happy Birthday for yesterday. Give your lovely DD an extra squish this morning.

Treat yourself to a fabulous present.

Weight loss.

About 12 stone of useless, horrible STBExH

Pumpkinlit · 23/01/2026 06:55

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Pumpkinlit · 23/01/2026 06:54

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

HappyLittleTreeFriend · 23/01/2026 06:54

I don’t have any awesome advice here but didn’t want to read and run, hoping the Mumsnetters who have gone through all this will be along to help shortly but Happy Birthday to you OP for yesterday 💜 how lovely of your DD to decorate and make you something, she sounds like a caring child. I hope you can take a deep breath, as you say get ducks in order and move on from your relationship - you don’t deserve to be treated the way you have been treated and I think it’s awful that your husband did nothing for your birthday not even to make it nice so it was normal and nice for the kids.