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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to have zero empathy for DHs 'mid-life crisis'

455 replies

nincompoopascoop · 18/05/2014 22:42

I'm currently five months pregnant with dc4, who was a surprise, though we always planned on having dc4 at some point. Our other children are aged 6, 3 and 2 and DH also has a son from his previous marriage who is 8. Recently DHs behaviour has changed and I think it's a because he's made friends with a young (male) colleague who has expensive cars, clothes, holidays, night's out etc.

As examples - in the past three months DH has had seven nights out. More than he's had in the past three years. Now, while I have no problem with him going out per se, I think he's massively taking advantage of my good nature. He's arranged them and told me after the fact, expected lifts to get there, spent the day before shopping for a new outfit/getting his hair cut, stayed the night at his friends house 'so he wouldn't wake us' and not surfaced until the following evening because he's so hungover. Obviously its irrelevant now because I'm pregnant, but I haven't had a night out in four years and DH would be livid if it took days to have one.

He's volunteered for extra work which has meant working away with his friend, again - telling me after the fact. He and his friend have then been sitting in the hotel bar drinking the extra they've earned, while the kids and I are left home without a second thought.

His friend has made some - what I consider - really disrespectful comments about me. We're moving soon to closer to this friend and he joked to DH that he should leave us where we are and houseshare with him 'because he's fun and not just a freeloader' and then in the same conversation 'i guess I see why you'd pick her though, she does have a cracking arse.' DH hasn't pulled him up on this, which is out of character.

The final straw for me has been with regard to my dss. We've spent a great deal of money and time in court to achieve a court order as his mum was obstructing contact. As a result, we haven't seen dss for three months now. Finally last week we received good news and the first scheduled contact weekend is this weekend coming. However, DH came home from work on Friday saying he'd volunteered to go away (several hundred miles away) for a few days with work as of Tuesday, but it could end up oveerunning. I asked what that meant for dss and he said he'd tell exW/court he had no choice. His only concern was whether he'd get in trouble with court, not that it meant he might not see dss for several more months! You won't be surprised to hear that the friend has also volunteered to go...

Aibu to tell him to get a grip and realise he needs to face up to his responsibilities at home rather than making decisions like he's a single man?

OP posts:
Spero · 20/05/2014 14:25

O I fell for that 'good father' shit well and proper.

O he plays with her! look he is swinging her about for five minutes! she is laughing! isn't that lovely!

But did he ever put her to bed, read her a story, pack her lunch, wash her clothes, take her to parties, organise her parties, buy her clothes, buy her shoes, change her bed sheets, go to her parent's evening at school, know who her friends were, go and see her at school plays, pay for her outside school activities....

not without a shed load of nagging, lots of eye rolling and clear wish to be anywhere else.

Good fathers are THERE FOR THEIR CHIlLDREN. PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THEIR LIVES.

sorry for shouting, but as you can see this makes me very angry, primarily because I was stupid enough to be duped for years.

YoureBeingASillyBilly · 20/05/2014 14:26

Your tone has changed quite a bit from your previous posts OP. you dont have to say anything to use here but please be sure you arent just brushing this under the carpet and carrying on as normal. Your recent posts seem to be trying to convince us (yourself?) of how wonderful he is. I think it might be a goo idea to go back and re-read your thread from the start.

coppertop · 20/05/2014 14:29

"DH can't (won't/hasn't) put the two youngest to bed"

Yet you still think he's a good parent?

If I were to tell you that I'd never put my own children to bed, that I was poor at arranging or organising anything for them, but that I played with them, would you be thinking that I was a good mother?

Spero · 20/05/2014 14:32

It's your life op, you can piss it away any how you like.

just please don't have any more children with this man unless he can demonstrate that he is going to do a lot of things differently from now on.

sorry, i don't want to be unpleasant, there is always a danger of unhealthy projecting when you have been through a similar situation yourself and you are just desperate not to see anyone else make the same mistakes.

But obviously, its your relationship and you have to make your own decisions. I think coming back to this thread and re-reading it would be a good idea.

It was sobering and horrible to re-read some of my old diary entries for e.g. and remind myself that I was making the same complaints for years and years and just sticking my head in the sand.

AnyFucker · 20/05/2014 14:47

It makes me very sad to see the backtracking displayed by the OP on this thread. Sad

YouTheCat · 20/05/2014 14:48

Me too, AF.

WilsonFrickett · 20/05/2014 14:54

What do you get out of your perceived 'selflessness' I wonder? Because it must be feeding some very deep need within you to have let it encompass so much of your life. Your partner and the father of your children can't put them to bed, and you are happy with this, because after all, you're the planner, the unselfish one, the one who won't go to the toilet if your poorly toddler won't let you.

You seem to only value yourself in relation to what you do for other people. That's a fine quality in a parent, I guess (at least until they are old enough to become entitled adults) but in a partner, it enables the other person to be a complete knobber.

But what I say doesn't matter I think. You posted in a temper last night, now your selfless side is taking over and you're desperately smoothing over the cracks...

AnyFucker · 20/05/2014 14:56

Co dependency. Google it, OP.

YoungBritishPissArtist · 20/05/2014 14:58

This man is treating you like a piece of shit on his shoe, OP.

What are you going to do about it?

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 20/05/2014 15:02

The whole scenario reminds me of two of my Dad's workmates. One of whom was a married philanderer and the other certainly didn't seem to be. They both got posted away on various projects philanderer has yet another affair and the other chap just happens to meet someone else whilst he is away and that's the end of his 21 year marriage.

You know a man by the company he keeps.

Later philanderers wife sadly dies and he fell apart. Childlike and needy not looking after himself etc. until he married the OW who mothered him.

Spero · 20/05/2014 15:04

I think Wilson has it.

But as a good rule of life I would Pay Attention to what I write late on a Sunday night when the children are in bed and I have a bit of quiet time to let the thoughts come...

WhereYouLeftIt · 20/05/2014 15:42

"He isn't a useless father, he is great at playing and being fun"
All well and good, OP. But do you remember also saying that if you were to split, "unless I made all the effort I doubt he'd see them". He has to have his children handed to him on a plate to even manage to be a Disney Dad, and even then he's never put the two youngest to bed.

And I felt so sad when you posted "he can only go to work happily and chat with his friends about us all if we're in his life. It'd be a very different (and lonely) existence to come home to an empty house and have days off all alone. He hates being alone ...". Once again making clear that you and the children are not people in your own right to him, but lifestyle accessories to keep him company when he chooses to have you around rather than Twatmate.

punter · 20/05/2014 16:13

He is your fourth child already.

shebird · 20/05/2014 16:31

OP you sound like a lovely lady and sorry for being harsh but there is a big difference between being a 'cool wife' and a doormat. How your DH is behaving is totally selfish and unreasonable not to mention controlling. Ok so you are a cool wife and you don't mind him having a night out but you do mind

Him going out and not returning until the following evening hungover
You do mind him volunteering to work away so he can go on the lash with his friends
You mind that he spends the extra money he earns on himself and booze
You do mind him missing his DCs birthday party and not seeing his DSS
You do mind being taken advantage of
You do mind that he does not consider you or his DCs in any of his actions

He needs a serious wake up call and by calling his behaviour a mid life crisis just does not excuse him for acting like a selfish pig. Please confront him before you have this baby as life will be even harder and it will be too much to cope with then.

QuintessentiallyQS · 20/05/2014 17:42

"It's just not often enough imo but we're working on that."

Rubbish, no "work" is needed, other than a conscious decision on his part to say "Yes, I want to spend time with my child".

I fear that the real reason OP is backtracking is that she knows if they split, her children are likely to be at the very bottom of their fathers list of priorities, and it will become blatantly obvious when they are no longer living together.

shebird · 20/05/2014 17:52

Your DH needs to realise that when you commit to sharing your life with someone and commit to having children you give up all rights to suit yourself and do as you please.

falulahthecat · 20/05/2014 17:53

Never mind OW - how close is he to this male colleague?! Sorry to say but a close gay friend of mine was approached by his male Cousin(!) who is supposedly happily married with 3DCs - and even if he's not having an affair, he seems to have a serious, and misguided case of 'hero-worship' going on. Unfortunately he can't have it both ways, he can have a vacuous life of relentlessly going out, working late, spending money on materialistic crap and being hungover or he can have a loving wife, happy home and meaningful experiences.
Did he not get all this out of his system in his 20's?!
You're being far more understanding than I would've been, I find it especially disrespectful that this is going on when you're pregnant and CAN'T go out yourself, regardless of whether you want to or not.
To sum up - YANBU!!!

ViviPru · 20/05/2014 17:55

On one hand the denouement of this thread is so frustrating I could eat my own head.

But on the other, it's evident the OP while conflicted, is fundamentally not stupid. I suspect it's all sinking in and will have an effect in time.

falulahthecat · 20/05/2014 17:56

WhereYouLeftIt You've summed it up there.

The very fact you feel the need to defend him, OP, shows that there are some emotional aspects of this relationship that aren't healthy. Yes you love him etc. but you cannot defend this behaviour. You know this deep down, otherwise you wouldn't be here.
Cake Brew

QuintessentiallyQS · 20/05/2014 17:58

I also feel that this is a "bromance" with a tipping point...

falulahthecat · 20/05/2014 18:03

SlimJiminy This mans name didn't begin with "An" did it? I worked with a complete sleaze bag who'd previously worked in the city, cheated on his wife all whilst going through chemo, divorced her, then got back with her because she offered to 'keep him' when he lost his job. Silly woman.

Spero · 20/05/2014 18:07

Its a constant source of amazement to me that some people seem so afraid of being single that they will take anything - even someone who would shag around when they were having chemo!!! - than be on their own.

I hope op isn't one of those.

Itsfab · 20/05/2014 18:10

TBH I am surprised it took so long for the OP to change her tune and defend her husband but surely that just shows how bad her husband is behaving.

nin - you sound very secure and capable when you talk about how you would manage without him, the children and yourself would be happier without him and he is the needy one. You also say you don't really mind him going out but...

What is it you want from this thread and your life? If you do nothing he will carry on as he is and eventually the children will realise their father doesn't give a toss. Or else he will leave you for OW or OM and you will have spent years with this twat and be exhausted.

How on earth can he keep a straight face when he says he would hate you going on a girls night out when he is out? Does he see girls all over men and think you would be or is he judging you by his own low standards?

Cushioney · 20/05/2014 18:14

Similarly if he had an OW or OM it'd massively affect hisccareer and I really don't believe he'd do it

I just don't understand how you can be so certain there is no one else. If he is going on the pull with twatmate there is a good chance he has had a one night stand if not more

SlimJiminy · 20/05/2014 18:19

No falulahthecat it didn't. We're oop North and to my knowledge he's only ever worked in this region - school, uni, previous jobs, etc (amazing what you can find out from LinkedIn!)

Awful that there are so many utter bastards out there treating their wives like this though. Can't believe she took him back.

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