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AIBU?

Wibu to have given DH an ultimatum over WOW?

55 replies

Moominlandmidwinter · 25/03/2013 19:24

This could be long, so sorry in advance.

Feel utterly fed up and down in the dumps.

Am currently on maternity leave after having DD4, aged 6 months. Going back to work in June. DH works 4 shifts per week, 2 evenings, and 2 days. Before I went on mat leave, he assured me that he wouldn't leave me to do all of the housework, cooking etc. This has gone out of the window. He does do the school run, but won't do much else, as he uses the excuse that he 'works for a living'. He spends his non-working time either playing World of Warcraft, or watching TV whilst lying in bed. One morning per week he plays badminton.

Today, I felt as though it was the final straw. The DCs were falling out, DD2 has had a tummy bug so have done 6 loads of washing in 2 days, inbetween breastfeeding and looking after the baby, I've worked my backside off to stop the house looking like a shithole. The baby started crying, wanting a cuddle, I was in the kitchen, washing up after lunch. His lunch was still sitting on the table, uneaten, as he was in the middle of a 'raid'. He continued to ignore the baby, I saw red, and turned the PC off at the base. He went ballistic. I told him that I'm sick of clearing up around him, and being ignored for up to seven hours per day, and that he needs to choose between World of Warcraft and our marriage.

DH then stormed out of the house, and drove off, leaving me with the DCs. He knew full well that I was going to leave in 10 minutes to go to a breastfeeding support group at our surestart centre. Going to such groups has been a bit of a lifeline for me, as I actually get some conversation, and it's the only social life I have these days.

2 hours later, he was back. He made a half-hearted attempt at making up, by showing me wine he'd bought for our trip away with family at the end of the week. I told him I wasn't sure if I'd be going (considering staying home with baby). This send him upstairs in another mood, and he went to work without saying goodbye.

So WIBU in turning off the PC? For the ultimatum? For brushing off his non-apology?

OP posts:
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LemonPeculiarJones · 25/03/2013 22:27

So he thinks you should stop bfing your child to free up time for him to play games?

He sounds ignorant, deeply ignorant and stupidly selfish.

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FierceBadIggi · 25/03/2013 22:29

I read this thread in reverse and was trying to guess what WOW stood for - working on the weekend was what I came up with. Horrified to hear it's a bloody game. Dh and I spend a fair bit of time online, but in the evening, when dcs safely tucked up. He may not be a knob, but he is behaving knobbishly.
And he would put the potential long-term benefits of you bf the wee one as less important than him having his fecking housework done?

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McNewPants2013 · 25/03/2013 22:29

When DH was addicted, and I mean he did 23 hours DT to DT. I uninstalled the game ( eveonline) it took him around 20 hours to redownload it.

Gaming does affect relationships, it almost led to me to divorce my husband.

When his game play creeps back up, I do remind him that he isn't a single person like his corp mates and he has commitments and responsibilities.

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Rhubarbgarden · 25/03/2013 22:33

He'd rather you stopped breastfeeding your baby than help you with the housework? Blimey.

If my dh said that he'd find his belongings in a bin bag on the pavement.

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pigletpower · 25/03/2013 22:33

Well fuck the family break away at the weekend.He takes all kids except baby.If any of the family ask why,tell them the truth before he tells them a pile of bullshit.Tell them exactly how many hour he plays on this shit and the fact that he ignored his own child whilst playing.You could probably get a good price for his gaming gear on ebay.In fact, start an auction to show him how serious you are.

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Xales · 25/03/2013 22:36

He thinks you should stop breast feeding to fit in the housework!

That says all you need to know.

Selfish wanker.

I think you should carry on breast feeding and cut down the time on doing his washing, his ironing, his cooking, his cleaning.

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dreamingbohemian · 25/03/2013 22:51

Was he at all specific about in what way, how much he will cut down? Or was it a generic 'I'll cut down'?

Because as any addict will tell you, a generic 'I'll cut down' doesn't mean jack.

It's fair enough to give him a little bit of time to think about what he can realistically commit to as a lower amount -- perhaps when he is away, as he probably won't be playing then? But I think you should be very clear that you want a specific answer very soon.

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WhereYouLeftIt · 25/03/2013 22:58

" He did wind me up a bit by saying that I have long enough over the week to get the housework done myself, and that if breastfeeding DD is taking so much time, I should consider stopping."
If he really believes that, then he needs to prove to you that it can be done. He needs to take a week off work and show you how it's done. You might want to make it easy for him, you could go away for the week with DC4, so all he'd have to manage would be three DC and all the housework. You would look forward to coming back to a spotless well-oiled machine of a household Hmm ...

The breastfeeding comment is beyond fuckwittery however.

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coppertop · 25/03/2013 23:21

My guess is that he's trying to keep you on side long enough to convince you to go on the trip. He doesn't want to either miss the trip himself or have to answer any awkward questions about why you're not there.

When you get back, the WoW will be around 4 or 5hrs a day. If you question this he'll tell you that he has indeed "cut down" as promised, as he's no longer on there for 7hrs a day. His assurances about the computer will be as empty as the assurances he gave you about doing his share of the work when you went on mat leave.

The comment about the baby bf'ing is the sign of a very selfish man indeed.

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SirBoobAlot · 25/03/2013 23:22

He told you to stop breastfeeding because you aren't doing enough housework? And what exactly does he think will happen then? That baby will start getting herself a sandwich when she's peckish?

The man is a complete twat.

I'd be uninstalling the game once he'd gone to bed, frankly. He won't 'cut down'.

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WhoWhatWhereWhen · 25/03/2013 23:27

Ha !! what's his character called and what realm is he on, I'll "tell him to get some chores done"

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ChocolateTeacup · 25/03/2013 23:35

WhoWhatWhereWhen - Ha !! what's his character called and what realm is he on, I'll "tell him to get some chores done"
Same!!

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MrsTerryPratchett · 26/03/2013 00:22

OMG I have an image of the poor man yeah, right being accosted by various characters, telling him to stop being a knobber.

Can anyone go on CoD and tell my DH to wash up?

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Moominlandmidwinter · 26/03/2013 04:52

Ha ha! Think he would get suspicious if I start asking about his realm etc. Good idea though!

The breastfeeding comment was a response to me explaining that I do need some time for r & r too, as apart from all of the housework, I have to look after the DC, and spent 9 months pregnant and sometimes find bfeeding draining. He said that surely when I'm bfeeding, I'm 'having a rest' as I'm sitting down. True to an extent (as I do get to mnet at this time), but I'm nourishing another person! It's hardly 'me' time.

Could start a whole new thread about the breastfeeding thing. He was pointedly asking me at what point does breastfeeding become more about benefitting the mother emotionally than benefitting the baby. She's 6 months old, ffs, not 10. She has absolutely thrived on breastmilk, and I have no intention of stopping for a good while yet.

OP posts:
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edwardsmum11 · 26/03/2013 05:32

Yanbu, I used to play these games before my son and was addicted. Hubby still plays and our rule is only when our son is sleeping and mostly it works, although I have caught him playing at times.

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Lueji · 26/03/2013 07:18

So, if you stop breastfeeding you'll have more time?
How about if he stops WOW?

Personally, I'd get on the game myself, get to it first when he's home and let him get on with family life by himself.

How exactly has he agreed to cut back? It seems too vague to be taken seriously.

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AThingInYourLife · 26/03/2013 07:34

He really sounds like a right cunt.

He wants you to stop breastfeeding your baby so you can be his skivvy?

He considers that as he "works for a living" he should not care for his children or do any housework?

He thinks you do not "work for a living" despite being on maternity leave from your job?

WoW is just the thing that's showing of his chauvinism to full advantage.

He could be an addicted gamer without the misogyny.

But in his case he actually genuinely believes that your home life is unimportant for a big man like him.

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weegiemum · 26/03/2013 07:53

We have a "screen time after tea" rule. Half an hour on weekdays. An hour on weekends. For us and the dc clearly this does not apply to my sitting down MN time through the day .

My girls like to play on the pc, ds on the ps3 and dh plays Runescape. We have an agreement that he plays it on the 2 nights he's away with work a week, we can agree on it on other nights, never on Friday or Sunday nights!

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Altinkum · 26/03/2013 08:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Skygirls · 26/03/2013 08:33

This is how bad it can get... Show your DH this article
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/05/korean-girl-starved-online-game

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LemonPeculiarJones · 26/03/2013 09:19

OP he sounds like a prick. Whether he plays WoW or not.

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Velve · 26/03/2013 10:00

I'm a gamer myself and I have to say WoW was the single most addictive game for me. You waste so many hours on it and lose all sense of time. I realised this, though, and stopped. I still miss it sometimes as it was a great way to escape but that is exactly what it is, escapism
Gaming should only happen after other duties have been performed, in your free time. You OH is not pulling his weight at all then huffs and puffs when confronted. How childish is that.
YANBU at all.
He also sounds deeply stupid in his assumptions about breastfeeding. And I only have one child (needy 6 month old) and I barely keep up with the housework, but my OH, thankfully, understands that. Your H sounds like he is really not listening or observing.

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wanderingcloud · 26/03/2013 10:07

I agree with posters saying Wow is irrelevant really as he's being a selfish idiot. Yanbu to lose your temper and turn it off, you're only human and it sounds like you hit breaking point. The bfing housework thing is utterly ridiculous. What an idiot.

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anklebitersmum · 26/03/2013 10:24

I had one like this. I got rid. Swore he'd change time and time again and didn't. Last straw was the neighbour waiting on my doorstep saying

"your son nearly drowned this afternoon in my pool. He hadn't noticed he'd gone & didn't notice I was stood with a wet boy at the door either"

He took the all entitled view that 'he worked full time' too. Obviously my 20hrs a week was chopped liver but that's a different thread Grin

Playstation not WOW but it needs nipping in the bud now before you end up where I was..divorced.

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JCDenton · 26/03/2013 10:48

"Gaming should only happen after other duties have been performed, in your free time."

That's hit the nail on the head. I hate leaving thing undone, so I save it for when I have all the chores done and everyone is happy.

Also, 7 hours a day? I think I've been hitting the games hard if I top 7 hours a week

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