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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be absolutely fuming at DH for applying to University without telling me?

68 replies

MultipleMama · 27/11/2014 16:23

Found out yesterday that DH applied for University (start next Sept) to study his Masters in Finance (which is not the problem) months ago and didn't tell me (the problem). The course he has applied for includes studying a semester abroad ranging from Europe to China. Yet he could do the same course for slightly less credits and only have to spend a week abroad at a partnered company.

We young DC, one currently in NICU. So all this has blown up at the wrong time. I am absolutely livid that he has made these decisions without even consulting me and without even considering how him studying away for months will effect them!

He's lied on a few occasions on where he's been, and turns out he's been an hour away at a center taking exams for his application form. Also while our DS was critically ill in NICU, he told me work called and "begged" him to go in and sort out a situation even though he was/is on paternity leave, only for him to tell me yesterday that he was actually at a center taking his GMAT exam!

He slept on the sofa last night because I can't look at him without wanting to hit his inconsiderate ass. I don't want to talk to him. I'm so friggin' hurt that he couldn't bloody trust me to handle his news (he applied a few weeks before we found out problems at our 20 week scan) and felt he had to hide it until his conscience and guilt finally caught up with them!!

AIBU and overreacting or should I just accept it and deal with it how do I deal with it?

So bloody mad.

OP posts:
OneDayWhenIGrowUp · 27/11/2014 19:06

MultipleMama, I just had a look at some of your other recent threads. It sounds like things are way more complicated than the initial post here in AIBU shows. It sounds like both you and your DH are, quite understandably, really struggling to deal with everything that life is throwing at you at the moment. I honestly cannot imagine the strain of dealing with all the things that you have written about. So well done & respect from me for being able to still basically function at the moment!

I hope you are able to get at least a bit of decent rest tonight and are able to talk things through with a calmer head on tomorrow. Find out the details - is he bringing this up as a suggestion to discuss (you know what the answer is there, heh) or has he actually applied and is he presenting it as a fait accompli. Take things from there. Sleep well!

Castlemilk · 27/11/2014 19:47

You aren't overreacting.

This isn't just a 'situation to overcome'.

What it is is proof that no, he actually isn't the man you think him to be.

You love him, yes? Would you do this to him? Would you have had this going on in your life at this time at all, with your child in NICU? No.

I wouldn't be able to get over this simply because I could not face carrying on with a man who could lie, lie, lie to me like that.

He is not the man you think he is. Don't trust him again: be warned.

Castlemilk · 27/11/2014 19:53

Oh and if you stay with him it goes without saying that there should be no study abroad. Because that's why he's done this. Presenting you with a done deal as he KNEW that a reasonable discussion between you as equals would obviously conclude with the fact that he couldn't go away and leave you to pick up all the shit for a quarter of a year alone, and so the obvious answer is to do the company connected course.

He doesn't want that, probably because now things are tough, having a three month break to look forward to sounds lovely. So, when it comes to being a partner to be relied upon, he's fallen at the first hurdle. Lied to you so that he can get what he wants at your expense. A man who would do this should be dropped. Today a course, tomorrow an OW.

And, your child so ill, and he was all the time giving energy to this.

Total dealbreaker.

FishWithABicycle · 27/11/2014 19:59

YANBU
Lying to you
Leaving you to cope without him while he was on paternity leave and your baby was in NICU to take this exam
Choosing a course involving that much time away from home
all completely unacceptable. Its like he doesn't even recognise you as a real person. he certainly doesn't respect you or consider you as a life partner. why are you with him?

morethanpotatoprints · 27/11/2014 20:06

There isn't much that would be a deal breaker for me but this certainly would.
Once a liar always a liar, you can't trust him now.
ltb, my first ever.

HaroldLloyd · 27/11/2014 20:08

You are not over reacting, and don't let them make out that you are.

RhiWrites · 27/11/2014 20:13

I think the worst part is the lie about being begged to go into work while your baby was in the NICU. That was really bad.

The rest of it is a sort of escalation of the original lie but that was a real betrayal. Ask him how he'd feel if the situation had been reversed. And also ask what he thinks he can do to rebuild your trust. Because this is a situation of his making - it should be his job to come up with a solution.

mimishimmi · 27/11/2014 20:23

Is it possible that he applied without telling you because he was unsure if he would be accepted? You YANBU to expect him to tell you if he did get in though. I recently applied for a course and didn't tell my DH - as it was I was not accepted (90+ applicants for 20 spaces) but if I had been, I planned to tell him then. I didn't tell him I'd applied because I've had a bit of an issue with him making sarcastic comments about my intelligence or lack thereof.

PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom · 27/11/2014 22:10

Oh goodness OP. I've followed some of your threads about your twins, and your youngest son. I am sorry to hear that this is happening on top of everything else.

Honestly, I agree with the poster who says he is running away. Whether that's because he's an arse who is showing his true colours, or actually he's so traumatised by everything in the last year or so that he's acting irrationally and turning to a crutch of believing he can step away from it (like if someone started drinking) is hard to tell.

maras2 · 27/11/2014 22:36

You are not BU whatsoever,but please stop discussing your private life with your MIL.She will always side with her little boy no matter what an idiot he is.I hope that your baby gets well soon.

Chandon · 28/11/2014 07:03

Your mil needs to stay out of this

FannyBlott · 28/11/2014 07:24

YANBU but I you have discussed applying in the past, I think it's fine to not tell you until he sends in his actual application but the fact he lied about where he was and when your son was NICU is not acceptable at all.
Sounds like you are both going through a tough time but that doesn't mean he can just shut down and pretend it's not happening, what if you did that too? You've to support each other through this, he can't just fuck off.
If going abroad isn't going to work for your family then he needs to apply for a course elsewhere. It's entirely reasonable in your circumstances to ask that of him.

mix56 · 28/11/2014 07:59

He has always wanted & planned to do this, he decided to start the application & exam taking to see if it was possible.....see what the options were. & it went on a roll.
He hasn't changed his mind, whether you have twins, or quads, whatever, his intention is to continue the plan, unbelievably.
Totally unfair & selfish the way he has gone about it, & IF you can afford it, & IF he gets accepted, the only way it can happen is for everyone to go on a sabbatical, or no one does; He can just do the alternative local course, & too bad if its not the "ideal".
The guy clearly does have issues, & as you say, better talk to you not his therapist, what a cop out.
Has he realistically thought how you will stay at home managing? then waltz back in after 3 months....

mix56 · 28/11/2014 08:01

or just waltz off in another direction, with his Masters
Sounds like he is preparing to run

Whocansay · 28/11/2014 08:19

If he was the devoted father that you say, there's no way he'd be going away for 6 months. He'd find another way, or delay.

I suspect he wants out of the marriage and is too much of a coward to tell you.

I can't believe he and his mother think this is perfectly acceptable and you should just suck it up. The arrogance is astounding.

I know you don't want to leave, but really think you should see a lawyer to protect yourself and your children. Just in case he does want to leave.

QTPie · 28/11/2014 08:32

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

MultipleMama · 28/11/2014 13:41

We talked, we screamed, we cried, we hugged, I missed the simplest affectionate touches like holding my hand. We're not back to how we were, and I doubt we will be; things happen and people and views change. One day at a time...

Okay, so he filled in the questionnaire form, and a few week before our 20 week scan he received the application form. He's filled some off it in, but hasn't sent it as he planned to talk to me. He sat 3 exams and sent in those results and received a phone call inviting him to an admission test based off his GMAT score, which he booked for January. He has til May to send it the application, and until June to finish the exams.

He says he had every intention of telling me but wanted to wait until they got back to him, but then things with DS kept cropping up and he didn't know how to tell me and didn't want to burden me with something that wasn't important (when compared to DS), and then things just kept snowballing until he'd dug himself a hole, and he didn't wanted to admit that he got himself into this mess and pride got in the way.

When I asked about the phone from work, he said felt out of control and wanted to get away from everything and pretend that everything was normal, he regrets lying when he could have told me truth there and then and it weighs on his mind - he says he's talked to his therapist about the incident also. He says that's why he's been offering to stay with DS overnight and spending more time with DC as often as possible because he feels guilty and wants to make things right.

I asked about the studying abroad and he said it was wishful thinking on his part, and ticked the box on impulse as a "lets see what happens" but that he never had any intention of studying abroad without talking to me, and he didn't want to leave his kids, but he did admit he would love to study abroad as it has the opportunity of a double degree program, and a chance to explore new opportunities job wise.

He told me that he feels so out of control and the one thing he could always control or understand was his numbers and his career, and he felt that everything was just changing too fast and he needed something to hold on to, something no-one could take from him. Very selfish but I understand.

So. Here's where are now, I haven't forgiven him for the lies because that hurt me a lot, we are to go to a therapist together because I admit I'm not coping well either and I haven't been making an effort to talk to him just left it to his therapist. I want him to talk to me, about what's in his head and I want to be included, I love hearing how about his day at work and I love watching him talk excitedly about all the dreams he has. I haven't seen that since Fee was born. And that's more important than anything else, currently. He has my full support to sit the rest of his exams but he is not to send in the form until we're in a better place and have fully discussed all options.

So yeah, thanks everyone for your input and advice :) Just to note; he and his mum get on but they're not very close, she doesn't agree with some of his life choices and he keeps her in the dark about a lot of things. She's just one of those people who believe, you deal with it and leave emotions til later. I didn't talk to her about my private life, I just mentioned I was pissed off because he had been lying about applying to University and she saw it as a trivial thing.

OP posts:
mix56 · 28/11/2014 14:40

Sounds like you are in a better place. So hope you manage to accept & put it behind you....
Didn't he know that having a family means that you often feel like you are no longer in control, Men are such .......Children........grrrr

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