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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have icecream in the freezer? DP says I am addicting dc to sugar

140 replies

accessorizequeen · 24/06/2012 09:35

This is an ongoing saga in our relationship but basically dp has no self control at all so if something's in the house he'll eat it every day. If there's cream for a recipe and I don't use it for a couple of days, it'll be half gone. He's repeatedly asked me over the years to not have anything like that in the house (butter, cream, icecream, choc, crisps, baking anything is tutted at). When it was just us, I think I complied a bit more or we argued about it or I hid stuff I can't really remember.
But we have 4 dc (8, 5, 3yo dts) and most of the time there is stuff around although imo they don't eat much crap and I think (I could be wrong) that they have a fairly good diet with plenty of fruit, veg, wholegrains, protein and I'm happy to provide some snacks/treats. I stopped buying biscuits at dp's request some months ago, as he was eating most of them and he said he'd prefer the kids had better snacks. Now he's asked if he can throw out the (virtually full) 2.5L tub of icecream I had bought to keep for emergency puddings. Because he will eat it all otherwise, and I am not helping him and I don't care about him and I am getting the dc addicted to sugar as he is.
I don't know where to go with this, I'm really angry at him for telling me basically that I don't care about my dc's diet when I do all the grocery shopping and the vast majority of cooking too. I've found it difficult for years that he whinges about me having cream in the fridge to make custard etc, that I can't have a spare pack of biscuits when visitors come but most of all that I feel as though it's up to me to make up for his complete lack of self control. I have a problem with sugar too, I have been on weight watchers for a month and what's letting me down some of the time is wanting choc every day but I'm trying (and succeeding largely) to have a small amount and plan for it. Last night I had a bowl of the delicious iceceam as I'd planned for it. Then this morning he starts on about throwing it out.
We are having problems in our relationship and I'm struggling to feel much for him right now (getting over extended period of depression & anxiety). I'm not trying to hurt him but he sees it that way - I don't care enough to get this stuff out of the house. But he's a 40 year old man, why the hell should I remove everything that I and the kids like a bit of during the week because he can't control himself? He's so bloody weak and will admit he is but I'm fed up with the guilt every time I want to do some baking with the kids! If he had his way, I wouldn't have any pudding at all in the house, how the hell do I do that with 4 dc? Why can't they have pudding some nights? Last night it was jelly, sometimes it's banana and custard, or icecream and sprinkles and I made cake last week which I suspect he's thrown the rest out.
Opinions?

OP posts:
CherryBlossom27 · 24/06/2012 09:39

I'd speak to him and ask him if you can keep stuff in the house but hide it from him? I think it's reasonable to have some treats in for the kids and visitors and it's not your fault he can't control himself around sweet food.

I don't think your kids are going to become addicted to sugar as long as they have a balanced diet and they do some exercise.

I have asked my DH to hide crisps/chocolate from me as he take forever to eat a box of chocolates and if he's not there I'll just dip in and start eating them.

HecateAdonaea · 24/06/2012 09:41

i think your partner has got massive food issues and needs help. if he can't control himself, this is HIS problem and it's not fair of him to avoid taking responsibility for it by trying to make you his keeper.

He can't make this your fault. It's not. Don't let him.

He needs to get some help. At the moment he is fooling himself that it is somehow your responsibility/duty to prevent him from binging.

BBisTitanium · 24/06/2012 09:41

Your DP sounds immature and pathetic. He needs to get a grip!

Catsmamma · 24/06/2012 09:42

somebody has isshoooos

he is so BU!!

AND throwing cake away?? Leave the Bastard!! Seriously!

VickityBoo · 24/06/2012 09:43

Agree, why should you not buy what you want to feed your 4 children and yourself just to please one person who has no self control?

NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown · 24/06/2012 09:47

I think before you brand him as being 'weak' and having no self control you should do a bit of research on emotional eating/binge eating. It sounds like a mental health problem to me.

fuckityfuckfuckfuck · 24/06/2012 09:48

Agree with hecate, the issue is his but he's seeking to blame you. In noi way is having ice cream in the house unreasonable Hmm If he can't stop himself eating it, that's his problem entirely. And yes, it's far more damaging to the dc to see parents having a damaging relatioonship with food than being allowed a bowl of ice cream now and then. I wouldn't put up with this actually. Being told off essentially because he can't control himself. Making his issue into somehting you're somehow to blame for. No no no.

Rockpool · 24/06/2012 09:50

You have a problem with sugar.

You go to Weight Watchers.

He has a problem which he is trying to deal with sorry YABU.

Why do you need emergency puddings?Why do you need puddings at all if you're overweight.

Sorry to be harsh but you're putting your head in the sand.

Sugar is highly addictive,causes weight gain and isn't good for your dp,you or your dc.Kids don't need to be continually surrounded with sugar.

I can't believe he's trying so hard and you're doing nothing to support him when you even have a problem yourself.

Sorry to be harsh but ditch the shit,you don't need it.

fuckityfuckfuckfuck · 24/06/2012 09:50

Ands I have every sympathy with people with food issues. I am/was one. But what's not on is blaming other people for daring to have this food in their own house. If he has all that much of a problem then tbh he's capable of buying the stuff himself if he can't get it at home. But somehow I bet he'd blame you for that as well.

maras2 · 24/06/2012 09:51

He sounds such a big baby.Of course you should have ice cream in the freezer.It's the law < fact >.

redyam · 24/06/2012 09:51

Can't you get a box that can be locked up, and you have the key? Then there's no way he can get at it.

Bestb411pm · 24/06/2012 09:56

Yanbu, he's a grown man who shares, not dictates his living space with five other people.

I sympathise that will power is hard, but that's tough titties if the house is reasonably stocked with primarily healthy food. If he can't choose to have a piece of fruit over half a carton of cream that's very much his problem.

I think my argument would focus on teaching your children about moderation instead of making treats a forbidden fruit.

You said you're having a bit of a rough patch, so it might be hard to tolerate at first, but if you could both support each other and maybe encourage him to follow your weight watchers plan with you, he might learn a some self control and the meaning of moderation.

As an aside frozen bananas/yoghurt can be a good alternative to ice cream. If the freezer had a couple of those stashed it's easier to make a good decison if he finds himself tempted.

McHappyPants2012 · 24/06/2012 09:58

i have my emergency icecream for that time of the month. But i don't generally keep treat things in the house as the kids will just eat and eat it till it gone.

OP I would compromise on this, say well come to WW with me and learn how to control your eating and in the early days not keep temptions in the house

nannyl · 24/06/2012 09:59

I think that you are not being unreasonable

agree that there is nothing wrong with kids having a pudding sometimes

he needs to control himself

how about labeling food.... "ice crem, for DCs on wed / fri" Butter, for mac cheese on tues, cake on thurs? biscs "for when X comes round for coffee on wed am"... a complete pain yes, but might he be able to control himself better if he knows that you plan to need / use it asap, and HE will be hindering YOU if he eats it....

Birdsgottafly · 24/06/2012 10:07

We are having problems in our relationship and I'm struggling to feel much for him right now

This isn't really about food. It could be any issue around addiction (he has a sugar addiction). What has happened is that you have stopped taking his needs on board.

Snowboarder · 24/06/2012 10:10

I think people's reactions might be very different if he had a problem with alcohol and was asking you not to keep it in the house.

He has a serious problem, he needs to deal with it and will be much more successful if he has your support in doing so. I'd get him some counselling booked ASAP.

The hard thing about food addiction is that whereas if you are an alcoholic you can tell people you 'don't drink', you can't 'not eat.' He has to get this one sorted before your children start being affected by it.

Rockpool · 24/06/2012 10:16

But the op goes to Weight Watchers so clearly isn't managing her relationship with sugar properly either.

My dc have treats but I don't feel the need to have mountains of crap in the house or a stock of "emergency puddings". Kids don't "need" puddings so not having one is hardly an "emergency". Sorry but op I think somebody needs to tell you how it is.

If you're overweight having sugery stuff in the house is going to keep you over weight.Your dp is being the sensible one.

HecateAdonaea · 24/06/2012 10:17

I think possibly people's reactions would be the same if he was asking her not to keep it in the house and blaming her for his addiction and demanding she control him rather than him getting help for what is, at the end of the day, his problem.

The problem here is less his addiction and more his apparent desire to make her responsible for it.

Rockpool · 24/06/2012 10:18

Life won't end if you have a house not stocked with sugar.To be honest op you sound as if you have more of a problem than your dp.< Friendly smile> not trying to be nasty, just honest.

MarysBeard · 24/06/2012 10:22

Why do you need puddings at all if you're overweight?

You can actually have puddings and lose weight/be slim. The idea is to be able to control your portions and the TOTAL amount of calories, a pudding on its own does not make you fat!

In fact, if you don't allow yourself the foods you really like you will be more likely to fail in losing weight, as you feel very deprived and binge.

I agree that he needs to see a GP and have some kind of therapy for this.

I have an issue with certain foods - sausage rolls, guacamole, pork pies - whereby if they are in the fridge I cannot leave them alone, but it doesn't affect my whole life or that of my family adversely if we only have them in occasionally. My DH is like that with some things too - mainly certain cakes or peanut M&Ms!

Whereas not being able to leave butter, sugar or other normal things you would just normally have in the cupboard alone is a big issue which affects the OPs family, and he needs some help.

MarysBeard · 24/06/2012 10:24

Life won't end if you have a house not stocked with sugar.

It would for me. I love to bake and it's also part of what I do for work. I have six or seven types of sugar in the cupboard at the moment.

JosieZ · 24/06/2012 10:25

I would hide the icecream in a carrier bag or something, ditto the biscuits and buy him bags of peanuts, nuts, raisins, dried bananas as they are filling and some of them sweet but don't give you the hit that sweets etc do so aren't so addictive and less likely to be scoffed so fast. Eat the nice stuff when he isn't around.

I have a severe sweet tooth and this is what I do as I scoff sweet stuff in a oner.

Rockpool · 24/06/2012 10:25

But sugar is addictive and makes you put on weight.

DesperatelySeekingPomBears · 24/06/2012 10:27

Actually rockpool children DO need puddings. Children require a high calorie, high fat, low fibre diet, the complete opposite of an adult, particularly young children.

Besides which, if the children never get access to anything that is perceived as a treat, how will they learn to balance their own diets as they grow into adults? You sound like you have a problem with food, if you don't mind me saying so, there's nothing wrong with pudding...

Rockpool · 24/06/2012 10:29

Desperately do you have a link for that?

My dc do have puddings 2 or 3 times a week,it's just the world doesn't end if we don't have 1 in the house.