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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:
AnyFucker · 20/05/2014 23:11

If I didn't believe otherwise, I would actually suspect that OP's dodgy partner took over the keyboard partway through this thread. It's quite chilling actually.

Spero · 20/05/2014 23:13

He doesn't see himself as a spare part. He couldn't be arse to see his son, who he hadn't seen for 3 months.

You yourself said if you left him he probably wouldn't bother with the children, you would have to make him.

Sympathy and compassion are all very well but are they what you need right now I wonder.

Some spectacular backtracking.

nincompoopascoop · 20/05/2014 23:13

I just think people get a bit hysterical doin. 'He's been out more than usual' translated to 'he's gay, probably given you an STD and is taking cocaine' within a few posts. I think people jump to an awful lot of conclusions and many on the leave the bastard bandwagon.

OP posts:
Doinmummy · 20/05/2014 23:13

Oh right , well that's ok then. So your main problem is with him being too pally with his young friend and it having an impact on him seeing his son ?

Spero · 20/05/2014 23:14

So what are you now saying about his original decision not to see his son and lie about it?

Doinmummy · 20/05/2014 23:15

Unfortunately , Op people are speaking from bitter experience.

AnyFucker · 20/05/2014 23:15

I know when I am beat. Sad

Doinmummy · 20/05/2014 23:16

And are trying to help you see what might be happening

Spero · 20/05/2014 23:16

Good luck op.

Save this thread and read it in a few months time. See what you think then.

If his ex stops contact again, will you blame her?

basgetti · 20/05/2014 23:16

I think the way he has treated his eldest son has opened your eyes to how he would treat your own children if you were to separate, and so you have decided to stick with him and convince yourself that he's a great guy after all. The backtracking is painful to read.

notmyproblem · 20/05/2014 23:17

Are you the same OP who posted the original? Because, OP, you've gone from sounding like a woman angry and upset and ready to take action, to some kind of doormat defending her DH. Why did you bother to post here at all if you were just going to come back time and again to "explain" his abhorrent behaviour and try to get the rest of us to "understand" him so we can all say "yep poor you, poor him, life's hard, we're sympathetic" to you? When in reality we're all saying "he's a knob, get rid". Not what you wanted to hear I guess?

Despairs....

nincompoopascoop · 20/05/2014 23:18

Spero I stand by the situation re: dss being completely arseholey and can only reason that he was likely to have been back in time, which he thought was good enough but I didn't. By saying I'm not sure how much he'd see our dc if we split, look at it like this: if I moved to my hometown three hours away, that makes contact with young dc awfully difficult, particularly when DH probably has one full weekend off every six weeks at most. So unless I sacrificed my life to stay close by, logistically it'd be very difficult for him to maintain a relationship with the dc.

OP posts:
Doinmummy · 20/05/2014 23:18

I hope all goes well for you Op but please do keep an eye out and remember what's been said on this thread.

ViviPru · 20/05/2014 23:19

Well this has taken a turn for the surreal Confused

How did

"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?"

Become empathising that

"When he is here, he feels a bit of a spare part." and "I don't feel it's fair to persecute him"

Spero · 20/05/2014 23:20

Yes. No where near good enough.

Shameful behaviour from any parent.

So if his kids were 3 hours away he would be unlikely to see them?

What a prince. Lucky children.

Hope I am wrong.

Don't think I am.

Goodnight op.

PicardyThird · 20/05/2014 23:24

I've been reading this from the beginning. I don't usually do Relationships thread posts.

OP, the people posting things about affairs, drugs etc. may be jumping to conclusions. Your dh's behaviour fits with what many people have experienced in those situations. No, it is not a given that that is what is going on with him, and I can understand, from your position, such speculations irritating you. But in a way they are red herrings. Because the absence of an affair or an addiction does not make his behaviour any more acceptable. The extensive ceremonial rites around his nights out (lifts/days spent shopping and preening/hangover recovery) are him demanding, and getting, an inordinate amount of family space and time. It's not just thoughtless and inconsiderate, it's him putting himself at the top of the family pecking order. Likewise his messing around with work plans when a visit with his son is arranged. Likewise his diverting extra money from the family pot for his own pleasure. And the texts about how you are so cool compared to his ex are him testing the water as to the stability of that pecking order. Atm, it seems firmly in place. He doesn't need to be being sexually or emotionally unfaithful for a serious infidelity - to you, to your marriage, to all his children - to be going on here.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 20/05/2014 23:28

So he works 12 hour days then grabs opportunities to go out or work more rather than spending time with his family. DH is a competent SAHD and I work long hours but I am capable of putting my own children to bed!

Do you really feel that he respects you and views you as an equal?
Who gets the final say?
Do you assess his possible reaction before making a comment (e.g. not saying what you feel in case he claims its nagging)?
Do you give up on what you want to keep the peace?
Do you have equal access to money?
How would he react if you said that you wanted more opportunities and time to further your career?

YoureBeingASillyBilly · 20/05/2014 23:28

"So unless I sacrificed my life to stay close by, logistically it'd be very difficult for him to maintain a relationship with the dc."

You're already sacrificing your life for him pet and he's not making the most of you all now. He's telling you loud and clear, he'd rather work away, buy new clothes, go out with his single mates and spend the weekends elsewhere sleeping off his guilt hangover. His son has been given back to him and what did he do? What was his first thought before guilt kicked in?

WilsonFrickett · 20/05/2014 23:31

Fuck me op that selflessness gene I talked about up thread has had a good work out tonight, hasn't it?

Do you like him feeling like a spare part? Because you don't seem to want to challenge or change that in any way. But there you go - he gets to be selfish, he gets to be selfless. There's a fork for every knife, as my DM would say...

WilsonFrickett · 20/05/2014 23:33

'he gets to be selfish, she gets to be selfless,' that should read...

Wantsunshine · 20/05/2014 23:36

3 hours is not that far every other week if he could be bothered. Some people work away during the week due to that commute to work for their family and so away just Monday to Thursday.

He is clearly walking all over you and hopefully you in time will see that before he strays. Although if he does I am sure you could justify it.

badtime · 20/05/2014 23:38

You and your family come last for him, OP.

It doesn't matter what else he is doing, or with whom. He likes it all better than spending time with his family.

You can't deny that. Why would you want to defend him?

nincompoopascoop · 20/05/2014 23:39

spero unless he quit his job and moved away from dss, it'd be very difficult to do. If you can see a way round it that I've missed I'm more than happy to be enlightened.

Youre the night's out have been when the kids are at school/activities/in bed rather than weekends so him not being there hasn't impacted them. They don't even ask where he is, they're just used to it being me.

OP posts:
nincompoopascoop · 20/05/2014 23:40

want he has 1/6 weekends off. Do you think such young children would cope with such infrequent contact? Because I don't.

OP posts:
ViviPru · 20/05/2014 23:41

This is a strange, strange thread. Confused