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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to ask my DH to stop cracking his fingers/knuckles?

35 replies

punter · 03/10/2012 21:52

He will do this most of the evening when we are watching the tv. he says he cannot understand why I get upset about. I have told him it makes me feel sick and I do not want to stay in the room. He says it should not bother me and that everyone does it(!). He will crack his finger separately, 10 cracks, and then start all over again for about 5 or 6 times. It is driving me mad!

OP posts:
AnnaLiza · 03/10/2012 21:53

YANBU!!!
My DH does is in the middle of the night if/when the baby wakes him up! I hate it!

McHappyPants2012 · 03/10/2012 21:55

its a very hard habit to break, i have tried many time.

tara0202 · 03/10/2012 21:56

aaaarrrggghh! YADNBU! I HATE THAT! My brother does it and I once threatened to throw him out of my house! Yuk! (Sorry for shouting, I really hate cracking knuckles and fingers - especially when people do it in sequence on purpose!)

Woofsaidtheladybird · 03/10/2012 21:56
Hmm I'm a knuckle cracker. And neck, hips, knees and back. It feels weird and very uncomfy if I don't do it. I always feel very awkward and even more uncomfy if someone gets touchy and tells me to stop as that means I will begin to ache. Not arthritis linked. Can understand how ick it is. Sorry on behalf of all the knuckle crackers out there Blush
Wolfiefan · 03/10/2012 21:57

Is he doing this to wind you up? My fingers hurt sometimes and cracking them once helps but I can't believe doing this repeatedly is good for the joints.
Or take to farting loudly?

PuggyMum · 03/10/2012 21:58

My DH bites his nails. The noise makes me so mad my nose could bleed. Cracking fingers is the same and I would have to leave the room.
I give DH a warning look. Then say next time I'm leaving the room. Then I leave!

lottiegarbanzo · 03/10/2012 22:38

He doesn't need to understand why you dislike it, he just has to believe you.

Surely it's easy to explain as your version of fingernails on a blackboard? Is he being deliberately obtuse? Or trying to annoy you?

CatWithARabbit · 03/10/2012 22:44

Oh boy, my DH has spent years telling me I am being unreasonable, he 'HAS' to crack knuckles to relieve pressure. I can't stand it!!!! Hence much tutting and sighing on my part.
Still doesn't work
Nothing works
GRrrrrrrrrrrr

CatWithARabbit · 03/10/2012 22:45

Oops , so, YNBU

Empusa · 03/10/2012 22:47

You'd love me, my entire spine clicks (loudly), as do both wrists, and my knuckles click even without trying. It always feels so much better after it clicks.

lottiegarbanzo · 03/10/2012 22:49

Having to do it and having to do it in front of people are two very different things. Do these obligate public knuckle-crackers also fart, pick their noses and teeth and scratch their arses in public, and feel this display is equally necessary?

I used to crack my knuckles and suspect that for many people, like me, it is a learned habit, that can be unlearned.

lottiegarbanzo · 03/10/2012 22:54

Oh, I have joints that crack naturally sometimes but that's quite different from the deliberate, one finger or hand at a time performance. There's no anticipation or fuss.

MoreBeta · 03/10/2012 22:55

DS2 does it age 10 and it is interesting to read people saying they have to do it to 'releive pressure'. It is exactly what DS2 says. He genuinely feels uncomfortable and he often appears to stretch and twist his back on some days.

Empusa · 03/10/2012 23:09

"Having to do it and having to do it in front of people are two very different things."

I find it is actually painful not to do it. Especially my spine and wrists. I'm not going to shuffle off out of earshot in order to relieve the ache/discomfort/pressure.

Giglet · 03/10/2012 23:57

YANBU!

My DH begs me to walk on his spine to crack it. I hate it and it feels grim when the cracking starts.

Disclaimer: I only use one foot and do not press to hard!

bissydissy · 04/10/2012 01:21

I'd cut his fecking hands off

Naoko · 04/10/2012 01:29

Oh you'd hate me, every joint in my body does this. And no, I can't leave the room, it's too frequent for that to be reasonable. In my defense, I'm severely hypermobile and if I don't do it I'm in agony and lose the ability to move/walk/sit/chew/write etc (depending on which joint) I really, really cannot help it. I appreciate the noise goes right through some people but what else am I supposed to do :(

Empusa · 04/10/2012 01:31
Naoko · 04/10/2012 01:34
Naoko · 04/10/2012 01:35

noise, of course. Accursed autocorrect.

squoosh · 04/10/2012 01:41

The sound of someone cracking their knuckles makes me want to have an Exorcist stylee breakdown. Cannot.stand.it.

Definitely couldn't live with someone who did this. Each crack would drain an inch of my love away.

Slightly melodramatic but probably true.

punter · 04/10/2012 07:20

Thanks - most of you seem to agree with me that it is awful, squoosh has put into words what I feel. If it is a habit that can be unlearned then I would like to hear suggestions! Meantime I will accept one round of cracking on the basis that it may be necessary to relieve pressure and leave the room after any further repeat performances. Can't say that will do much for our relationship though.

OP posts:
MoreBeta · 04/10/2012 09:24

Naoko - what does 'hypermobile' mean?

DS2 can push his thumb back so it touches half way up his forearm. Is that hypermobile?

Naoko · 04/10/2012 09:38

It certainly could be, MoreBeta! Is he very flexible in general? When he stands up straight, do his knees overstretch (so go past 180 degrees?) If he straightens his arms, do his do that? Can he put his hands on the floor without bending his knees? None of that's conclusive, but if he can, it certainly points in that direction. If you're worried about his joints beyond the clicking (if he gets pain etc), it's certainly worth mentioning to a GP, because if he is it's good to catch it early - physiotherapy can be a great help.

snigger · 04/10/2012 09:42

Aaahhh, shudder.

DH cracks EVERYTHING.

Toes. Really? How can that be necessary?

I think he's just lining up his excuses so as to chain me into a life of servitude the moment he hits retirement with his achy joints and a disinclination to bend down.