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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to want to throttle my husband

36 replies

Minnieheehee · 13/05/2011 11:04

Both of us work full time and I have just come home early from work to yet again find his cereal bowl on the drainer and the flipping milk on the side. Whilst I happily do most house things,especially cooking etc I am now wondering if I have made a huge mistake, are husbands like puppies and need training? We've been married 3 months, and I have asked him to do more...it just never seems to happen and then I end up doing it anyway! He never ever did stuff at home and his mother thinks I am a genius to get him to clear the table after dinner. He is lovely most of the time, but this is really hacking me off- first baby due August and have visions of him saying 'yes in a minute' when I need help with baby. Tips? Advice? Expected prison sentence for GBH with a cereal bowl?

OP posts:
redexpat · 14/05/2011 11:23

Don't leave it to pile up, because he wont notice it, and ultimately it'll be you who wants cereal when there are no more clean bowls left. I take the supernanny route and discuss what exactly needs to be done, when it needs to be done by, and agree on who does what and have displayed it in the kitchen. Don't say 'well darling I manage to do all of that before I leave the house' because it just feels like you're telling him that he is rubbish. Tell him HOW you do it and say 'I find this way works well.'

If that doesn't work then start piling the dishes on his side of the bed.

veronicadoll · 14/05/2011 11:40

it is a dogs life for the female in a relationship. not matter how much 'training' women always seem to get the crap jobs; proper cleaning up, changing beds, no break from the kids, clearing crumbs, putting socks together. the males seem utterly incapable. or they know the female cant stand the chaos so they do half a job! yes thats true. good luck. it takes many many years to drill it into them and theyre so arrogant they dont listen

A1980 · 14/05/2011 12:57

YABVVU

Once again there is the gender bias. Had man come on here saying he wanted to throttle his wife for the same there would be an outcry and lectures on domestic violence.

Pedallleur · 14/05/2011 13:08

Just put the dirty bowl back where you know he'll go for it. If he's happy using it, less washing up. My partner often doesn't change the toilet roll but then I probably do soething that niggles them. Bit of give and take?

Needanewname · 14/05/2011 13:10

get him trained now, it will only get worse!!!!!

Honeybee79 · 14/05/2011 13:10

YANBU. You really need to sort him out now before the baby arrives. I speak from bitter experience (see my thread from last night about wanting to take DS and leave)

lazarusb · 14/05/2011 13:17

My DH is great around the house. He does everything but ironing.
I told him when we first got together that I wasn't going to wait on him and if he wanted a domestic goddess he should be looking elsewhere. Make it clear to him - crystal clear - what you expect from your partnership. Dh's mum was still making his bed when we met, she complains that she did everything for her Dh & Dcs and never got any thanks...there is no way I want to be a martyr to the housework! Grin

QuackQuackBoing · 14/05/2011 13:35

If my partner told me off and made me feel bad for leaving ONE cereal bowl in MY OWN kitchen, I woudl leave

I assumed the cereal bowl was the tip of the iceberg

Jilkh · 14/05/2011 18:09

Actually, I had a similar problem. This might be a long-winded response, so take it or leave it.

With us, the whole 'chores war' turned out to be a misunderstanding based on (1) the gender divide (2) completely different love languages - basically a storm in a cereal bowl!

Bear in mind your husband's mind is probably wired up so that he genuinely doesn't see the stuff that doesn't bother him - like the milk carton. Also, remember that he may be unaware of the need to keep being chivalrous now you're married. You may need to be a bit patient and clever in letting him know what's expected. Here's the mental obstacle: You're a woman and so was his mum! You're trying to get him to treat you differently, as if you're his wife, not his mum. BUT in nagging at him, you run the risk of reinforcing his inclination to think women are all mothers/maids. So you have to talk to him about chores in a way he's never talked about them before. Preferably, in the context of lots of bedroom activity (otherwise he may do the chores but he'll do them very sadly, and you'll have won the house battle but lost the relational war).

To start off, you might need to just tell him again how you feel - at a time when he's listening, NOT straight after work. All men are cave men at that time. When talking about the issue, realise that to your husband, it's just a bowl and a carton of milk - you're trying to tell him it makes you feel disrespected, unloved and mad as hell WITHOUT sounding neurotic. This is very difficult, but your husband might as well start learning 'women' language at some stage. Just be aware of the potential absurdity of your position - even when you explain the emotional significance of this whole issue, it will probably seem ridiculous to him for a while and he might be exasperated and dismissive. Instead of mud-slinging back, you need to keep laughing and flirting and agreeing that there's a big difference in your perspectives, but nevertheless, this is the place you're coming from.

Resentment can just mushroom if not sorted out at the start so we found it really important to address stuff, no matter how stupid it sounded at the time. It's worth avoiding the '3 years on' scenario where you've developed a reputation for 'nagging' and he's resentful that this 'petty' stuff has eclipsed your admiration for him.

And maybe he'll never change, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love you - I wish I'd remembered the zillion other ways my husband bends backwards to try and make me happy before I blasted him over leaving his shoes on the stairs!

Bottom line, keep it short, focus on the positives (especially his manhood) and make sure he knows you are at least 90% more interested in his strengths than his failings.

The sisterhood will probably hate this, but marriage is always going to be about give and take, isn't it?

lazarusb · 14/05/2011 18:29

Marriage is about give and take. It should also be about listening and meeting one another halfway. Don't nag, just tell him clearly what you'd like him to do. If he doesn't do it, remind him. You both make the mess why shouldn't it be shared when it comes to tidying up?

cricketballs · 14/05/2011 18:37

is your DH an only child? Just asking as mine is and I had a real battle at the start of our marriage/living together as his mother did EVERYTHING for him! It is a case of letting him know the boundries/training him/throwing something at him!

After 16 years, my DH is under no illusion that I am not his mother and he has his chores to do as well.

You need to be firm with this asap otherwise it will just become harder and harder

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