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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

For the first time in forever I am angry. And DH thinks iabu

275 replies

Homemadewhine · 03/01/2015 18:03

I should tell you at we have been married for 9 years, have a 7yr old dd, and a 2 yr old ds. We rarely argue. I do most things around the home, and am even tempered. I also control the issues in our family, be they children's tantrums, knowing when ds needs to use the potty, sorting out dinner etc. DH is a lovely husband and father.

Today we were coming back from an afternoon out, and on the way back through town we needed to stop off whilst DH first posted a parcel, and then at a chemist for me to pick up a prescription for my gran who is staying with us for a few weeks.

We stopped in the carpark of the chemist, I nipped in to pick up the prescription, and when I came out DH and the car (and children) were gone. I had no coat, it was raining, and it's about 15 minutes walk to home. No one had indicated that they were going anywhere.

I walked around the carpark and looked behind buildings in case they were playing a joke on me, then started my walk home. About 300m from home dh pulled up. I told him I was upset and didn't want to get in the car with him.

The children were shouting to me out of the window and I skied and waved at them. DH kerb crawled beside me until we got home saying things to the children like "mummy's REALLY angry this time you can tell by her walk, and the way she swings her arms" dd was shouting at me to "stop being silly and just get in"

Dd then got out of the car and shouted at me, telling me I was silly to care about being left, that I was an adult and could get home so what was the problem. When I told her I was upset she told me that we didn't want me to be her mummy any more. I admit to losing my cool at this point and telling her to leave me alone. I didn't shout this, but I did say it loudly and firmly. DH then tried to get me to engage in what we were sorting everyone outfor tea. I got it all out of the freezer and said I was going upstairs.

Dd was upset with me being angry at DH, and still cannot understand why I am upset, she cannot stop crying and DH did nothing to comfort her.

I have calmed her down, and brought her down for dinner as DH felt it was my issue to resolve. I was annoyed at this too, as at 7 dd should really understand that her words have an effect, and she cannot say upsetting things to people when they are already upset, and then expect that person to be there for them when they need them.

DH still feels I am being unreasonable. He has apologised reluctantly. I am surprisingly tearful over this.

I feel as though I give all of myself to others, make agoodjob of communicating my thoughts, intentions and feelings and am completely abandoned by my family because they fancied doing something better.

Aibu? I am able to take criticism, like I say I am rarely upset or emotional about things.

OP posts:
BathtimeFunkster · 03/01/2015 21:01

Adult women are allowed to "refuse" to get into cars.

LittleBearPad · 03/01/2015 21:05

You can imagine what YesIDid?

I wouldn't have got in the car either. With only 300m to go, wet and cold already with my husband trailing along in the car I would have said I'd see him at home and he would have been shouted at for being such a fecking idiot.

YesIDidMeanToBeSoRudeActually · 03/01/2015 21:06

And her DH has already apologised, Op says so in first post. I just think it's a massive overreaction on her part.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 03/01/2015 21:08

Of course she can refuse to get in a car.
But that hardly describes what happened here does it?

YesIDidMeanToBeSoRudeActually · 03/01/2015 21:08

LittleBearPad, I'm sure you can imagine what the majority of MN would say if my DH kicked a car and threw keys at me in front of the DC.

Holdthepage · 03/01/2015 21:11

Of course you were annoyed OP, your DH was a thoughtless prat. I am sure he thought it would be a funny thing to do, until he saw how upset you were & then he used your DD to make you look like the unreasonable one. You are feeling hurt & he owes you a massive apology.

I can't understand why anyone would think him pulling up in the car 300m from home & telling you to get in would be ok. In your position I would be livid.

It was not your issue to resolve, the upset to your DD was caused by your DH, he is the adult & he is the one who should be sorting out the upset he has caused.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 03/01/2015 21:11

It was an overreaction. DH was at best, thoughtless for "disappearing" to get the car washed without warning imho. But what followed seems OTT.
And it would have been upsetting for the kids.
But you know, we all have our tipping point. It sounds as though OP is under a lot of pressure.

Romeyroo · 03/01/2015 21:19

I personally still don't think it adds up to a happy person married to a good husband and father whichever way you look at it; either the behaviour in the incident (neither of you come off well) or the fact that you explain in the op that you do everything, which does not suggest a balanced relationship. No idea what the actual dynamics are but agree with the posters who suggest trying to build in time for yourself.

HerefordMum · 03/01/2015 21:23

Flip this scenario on its head. Woman decides to optimise her time and maybe makes an honeat error of judgement by going to a nearby carwash. Husband then starts kicking the car and throwing objects at woman. There would be calls of LTB and report him to the police.

MiscellaneousAssortment · 03/01/2015 21:26

yes of course you need to apologise for the keys and flipping out but your dh needs to apologise properly too, and not just put it all on you.

I think you flipped as the one time something really got to you, h acted like a complete selfish prat, failing to do anything to take over as responsible adult in the situation. It sounds like you have to be in control and manage everyone's emotions and behaviours to keep things working, and this occasion is proof of that lonely and undervalued role on your family.

As Bathtime wrote:

Why publicly harass you and make a scene in front of your children when the entire situation was of his making? He sounds really unkind.

MiscellaneousAssortment · 03/01/2015 21:39

Hereford I get that, I really do, and I think often we are too quick to damn the man by assuming he's the clear villian of the piece when there may well be blame on both sides.

The OP has said she knows she wasn't being rational and doesn't know where all the emotions came from, and so I'm looking at this situation with that in mind.

I don't get why her husband just kept on at her making her feel worse and worse, or why he abdicated any parental responsibility and acted like a disgusting weak child, harming his own child in the process?

And where in the reverse scenario does the mum say some weird 'get out get out' thing that she later uses to excuse her just driving off? That 'explanation' just makes it less kind and less understandable.

happywanderingwithdog · 03/01/2015 21:39

OP, do you know what I would do? If everything else is happy in your relationship I would leave all this bickering and judgement on MN, and go chill with DH. Once everything has calmed down you might want to have a chat about how his behaviour made you feel. Tbh I wonder whether he actually gets why you are upset (honestly, I'm not making excuses for him, it's just men seem to behave a lot less considerately sometimes).

But, big but, you need to think about your life, how much you've taken on. Is he sharing the load? Is he supportive? Has he got your back?

But really, are you getting anything positive now from this thread as it's beginning to look like bear bating to me?

Bulbasaur · 03/01/2015 21:55

Flip this scenario on its head. Woman decides to optimise her time and maybe makes an honeat error of judgement by going to a nearby carwash. Husband then starts kicking the car and throwing objects at woman. There would be calls of LTB and report him to the police.

Except you paint it out to be some guy violently kicking and intimidating the woman for daring to leave, which is not what happened. She did not act with intimidating intent, which is miles different than the scenario you're attempting to paint. The two don't even compare.

She didn't kick the car and flip out because the husband left, she kicked the car to get him to leave her alone after she told him to go away. You don't just get to keep relentlessly taunting someone to the breaking point, and then claim they were unreasonable for predictably losing their temper.

While in an ideal world she shouldn't lose her temper like that, but she wasn't set up for success with a husband relentlessly taunting with a child being allowed such disrespect as well.

Her DH needs to understand that isn't acceptable behavior. Really he does, he's just being deliberately obtuse at this point. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that if you upset someone to continue antagonizing them. If something upsets someone and it was unintentional, you apologize and try not to do it again. You don't keep trying to blame the upset person to avoid personal responsibility.

slithytove · 03/01/2015 22:00

She didn't kick the car and flip out because the husband left, she kicked the car to get him to leave her alone after she told him to go away. You don't just get to keep relentlessly taunting someone to the breaking point, and then claim they were unreasonable for predictably losing their temper.

Erm, im not sure. I don't think its ever reasonable to be physically violent despite the verbal provocation. Especially in front of children.

I'm also not sure that her DH was taunting, I'm another one wondering if he was trying to downplay the situation in front of the kids when DD was clearly upset.

Homemadewhine · 03/01/2015 22:01

Happy im reading and wondering the same :) probably the last post on this thread tonight. I often wonder why people post negative things, do they never want to know the final story? I see so many posters driven away and never updating! It's ridiculous really!

Anyway, after we put the children to bed, and before we went to sit with gran, I explained. And I cried. He apologised but couldn't see my point of view. I dried my tears and walked away. I'd have worn myself out trying to get him to understand :( I just wanted a hug :(

He's not come downstairs yet, not even for old so he's obviously in a proper sulk.

I am ALWAYS the one who apologises for any bickering, or tries to make things ok. And I won't today. But I've nowhere else to go :(

Normally yes, he's got my back, and is supportive...though we sometimes have issues over his family trumping my plans or feelings (for family read mum).

They're just little gripes though that I'm bringing up because I'm so bloody disappointed in him right now :(

OP posts:
Homemadewhine · 03/01/2015 22:02

Old = food

OP posts:
Homemadewhine · 03/01/2015 22:05

Dd wasnt upset at the point they were all in the car. She was shouting at me to get in the car, and laughing at DH. She was also saying other things that DH asked her not to say as "mummy is really angry"

She then hopped out of the car Nd had a go at me.

It was only after I raised my voice and told her to leave me alone that she cried.

OP posts:
BathtimeFunkster · 03/01/2015 22:06

Well said Bulbosaur.

It really bugs the shit out of me when people pretend to "flip" the genders and add in loads of bullshit they make up

The flip would be - woman leaves man in chemist with no coat on and doesn't tell him she is leaving. He walks 15 minutes home in the cold and rain not knowing what has happened.

Then just as he approaches home she drives up, insists he get into the car, he refuses, she drives along beside him insisting he get into the car and encourages their child to join in.

He loses his temper.

If that woman posted I would be telling her she had acted like a complete dick and that she owed him a proper apology and needed to take a hard look at her parenting.

Bulbasaur · 03/01/2015 22:07

Sorry, but if he's not "getting it" at this point, it's because he doesn't want to.

In any case, I wouldn't cater to his sulking. He can sort himself out. He needs to know he crossed the line.

In the future, I'd consider not being the one to always apologize. Right now you just broke the "system" that he has gotten comfortable with. Once he adjusts to you having feelings and boundaries he'll be ok again.

BathtimeFunkster · 03/01/2015 22:12

apologises for any bickering, or tries to make things ok. And I won't today. But I've nowhere else to go sad.

Normally yes, he's got my back, and is supportive...

Confused

Those two claims contradict each other.

Someone who has your back and is supportive will not leave it up to you to sort out every row.

It sounds like you really want to paint a picture of him and your relationship that is not borne out by reality.

HerefordMum · 03/01/2015 22:13

Just so we are clear then, there are circumstances when it is acceptable for a man to throw objects at a woman and kick the car she is driving. Good to know!

Bulbasaur · 03/01/2015 22:17

HerefordMum Oh, you and your silly hyperbole. :) Biscuit

Homemadewhine · 03/01/2015 22:19

I accept that bathrobe. He has my back in as much if he can see something needs doing, he'll do it, he's supportive of my business, he doesn't normally undermine me, he stands up for what I believe in. But somewhere, somehow my emotions don't seem to matter anymore :( I have become the person who 'fixes' everyone, and that has obviously extended to myself too.

Hereford, no one is saying what I did was acceptable, but there are certainly times when people of either gender will act in a way which is not acceptable without it being dangerous, criminal, or serious.

OP posts:
slithytove · 03/01/2015 22:24

This
should tell you at we have been married for 9 years, have a 7yr old dd, and a 2 yr old ds. We rarely argue. I do most things around the home, and am even tempered. I also control the issues in our family, be they children's tantrums, knowing when ds needs to use the potty, sorting out dinner etc. DH is a lovely husband and father.

Doesn't seem to match with this
I feel as though I give all of myself to others, make agoodjob of communicating my thoughts, intentions and feelings and am completely abandoned by my family because they fancied doing something better.

Or this
am ALWAYS the one who apologises for any bickering, or tries to make things ok. And I won't today. But I've nowhere else to go

Normally yes, he's got my back, and is supportive...though we sometimes have issues over his family trumping my plans or feelings (for family read mum).

They're just little gripes though that I'm bringing up because I'm so bloody disappointed in him right now

Are you sure there isn't more going on to explain your apparent overreaction? Resentment of your role? Does even tempered actually mean keeping it all in?

Something isn't adding up for me and I think you are unduly upset if this is a one off.

HerefordMum · 03/01/2015 22:25

Bulbasaur, I dont agree he was 'relentlessly taunting' her. He made an honest mistake in my opinion and was trying to down play it in front of the kids. You conveniently ignore the OP throwing things at her husband which would be a 'red flag' to most MNers regardless of his obvious error of judgement re nilping to the carwash. Or is it acceptable behaviour to launch things at your spouse (regardless of gender) due to such issues? how would you honestly advise a woman if this situation was 'flipped'? Genuine question.