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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH wants to be a teenager, no time for me… aibu?

641 replies

Turtleneckhead · 26/08/2026 19:01

DH is off work for the 6 week holiday. I’ve had 2 weeks off where we went on holiday for a week and another pottering around. we are ttc and he has 2 kids from a previous relationship that live with us week on/week off.

DH has hobbies in the evenings on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays and Fridays. Obviously on those days on the weeks his kids are here I have to stay in and make sure there’s an adult in the house.

Dhs other hobby is video games. On Saturday and Sunday he played on it all day, and I mean all day. This week his kids are on holiday with their mum so he’s had no responsibilities. Monday was our anniversary, he video gamed all day whilst I was at work, gave me my gift and card, and then went to do his hobby until 9:30pm.

Today when I arrived home from work, he said “let’s spend tonight in my office” (his office being where his computer games are). I feel so sad that he doesn’t want to spend time with me.

And then on our anniversary night he said “turtleneckhead, I want one day where I am a total teenager. I want to game all day until the early hours of the morning. No responsibilities, no having to come down for dinner. I’ll pay for you to go to a spa that day”

Aibu to think this is very incompatible behaviour with marriage? Or am I controlling?

OP posts:
MongoosePerfume · 26/08/2026 19:28

Seriously op, this is bad.

stop looking after his children and enabling him for a start. And do not bring a child into this.

LovelyLass5 · 26/08/2026 19:28

he will be a shit dad, he will have no time for you or your kids when you eventually have them. Run. Run fast!

StylesSluttyShorts · 26/08/2026 19:27

Run, now.

RosieHosie · 26/08/2026 19:27

Hmm, I wonder why he split with the mother of his children 🤔 He sounds like a nob.

emptygoosenest · 26/08/2026 19:26

He can't even be bothered to look after the kids he has, so no don't have anymore with him. He appears to be a poor father and partner.

47YO · 26/08/2026 19:25

OMG you’re actually married to this man? 😬

Sorry OP but your taste in men is 💩.

Stop looking after HIS kids.
Stop TTC.
Start divorce proceedings.

TheMadGardener · 26/08/2026 19:24

Now you know why his relationship with his ex broke up. She probably got fed up with parenting him as well as their kids.

You're his housekeeper, free childcare and bedwarmer. Please don't have a baby with this man. He's not going to reduce his hobbies and his gaming to help look after the new baby - he just won't. I expect if you ask his ex she'll tell you she did 99% of the parenting, housework etc when they were together.

Ditch him and find someone who's actually an adult and ready to be a father. You might hope your partner will change but he won't.

ProfessorRedshoeblueshoe · 26/08/2026 19:24

He married you so he can continue to opt out of parenting. What a dick.
DO NOT HAVE A CHILD WITH THIS MAN

GladBiscuit · 26/08/2026 19:23

Do not have a baby with this man, instead you should run! He treats you like free childcare, please put yourself first OP.

Ultravox · 26/08/2026 19:23

What have I just read? Do not think of having a baby with this selfish manchild! Good god even my 18yr old son would be more responsible.

outerspacepotato · 26/08/2026 19:21

Stop ttc immediately. This dude can't be bothered to parent the kids he already has, much less any more. He's found a bangmaid nanny to take care of his kids for him while he goes to his hobbies and games. He wants to be a teenager again.

You're basically single parenting his kids who are there for custody time with their dad, not his wife. Is this Prince paying child support, be abuse he's sure not spending half his time with his kids.

Do better for yourself.

Turtleneckhead · 26/08/2026 19:21

his kids are asleep when he goes out, I’m just in the house as they obviously can’t be left alone.

im more bothered about the time he spends on video games and as a poster mentioned, the complete lack of time he spends with me

OP posts:
Freeme31 · 26/08/2026 19:21

Can’t believe you and you alone think it’s normal to look after his children 4 nights a week. You need to start going out yourself these 4 days and hopefully you will meet an actual “adult man” not this irresponsible child-man you are with. Do yourself a favour get rid of- he has shown you who he truly is - and you his “nanny”. You must know you deserve better ?

Yupstillhere · 26/08/2026 19:19

What's the point in your relationship, you hardly see him. He's immature, you can do better than this. He's selfish.

Miyagi99 · 26/08/2026 19:18

No idea why you’re TTC with him, he doesn’t look after the ones he has now.

Fidgety31 · 26/08/2026 19:18

Why do you want to have a baby with a dead beat dad ?

seriously is this your level of expectation from a man?

Helpwithdivorce · 26/08/2026 19:17

The first thing I would do is be permanently unavailable to look after his children. The second thing I would do is leave

Shloopie · 26/08/2026 19:17

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri evenings he was at one of his hobbies and all day Sat and Sun he played video games. And you looked after his kids. He doesn't seem to give much of a fuck about any of you.

OP, it is wild that you're tolerating this. Wild!

RemindMeIn15Minutes · 26/08/2026 19:15

Don’t look after his kids for him. Don’t have a baby with him. In fact, get a divorce.

CloudyWithAChanceOfCustard · 26/08/2026 19:15

Fucking hell! He saw you coming OP!

Why on earth are you being so passive in this relationship? Find your gumption and tell him to pack his bags! He’s using you…completely and utterly! And you’re letting him!! 🤯

There is only one positive thing in your whole post…that you are ‘trying’ to conceive! Meaning…you haven’t YET conceived with this arsewanker. Ffs stop ‘trying’ and get rid of him.

Rhaidimiddim · 26/08/2026 19:14

Do Not Have A Baby With This Absolute Loser Of A Man.

His existing children come to your house to spend time with him, not you. Stop providing him with free childcare, start insisting - if your DC's are here, he be here for them.

Please open your eyes - he's not interested in spending time with you or with his existing children or with any new children he brings into being. At this point he just wants a woman to be his maid, nanny, housekeeper and shag while he continues to live his best teenage life.

If getting you pregnant so that you can't (so easily) leave him is what is required to lock you in as his free childcare, he'll spawn another kid with you. And spend just as little time with it as he does with the existing one and you.

MeAndMyGhost · 26/08/2026 19:14

Don't have a child with this man.

Princessdebthe1st · 26/08/2026 19:13
  1. Stop trying to conceive immediately and get yourself on some really reliable contraception.
  2. Stop allowing him to opt out of parenting his existing children 6/7 days that he is supposed to be responsible for them. Just make yourself unavailable by not being there.
  3. If, by any miracle, he steps up and demonstrates he can actual be a parent (highly unlikely) then consider counselling before you conceive to ensure he has a basic understanding of what being a responsible parent in a partnership actually means.
  4. If he doesn’t step up (likely) then think about if you want to end up being a single parent. Because that is what will happen regardless of your are still married or not.
  5. Think about asking his ex why they divorced (I reckon the whole of Mumsnet could have a fairly accurate guess).
Winter2020 · 26/08/2026 19:11

Why are you trying to have a child with someone who is busy all the time and leaves you to look after the kids he has already got? Why?

What a miserable time you will have!

oustedbymymate · 26/08/2026 19:10

Fuck me. Stop ttc with this man child. You are better than this