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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Trivial marital issue but I don't quite know what to make of it.

38 replies

SquareFrances · 11/09/2015 21:13

I think I need the brutal candour of AIBU to tel me to get a grip.

As background my husband and I have previously argued about how much he goes out. He was going out every Friday night as well as working late and doing sporting activities on other nights. Saturday night he wouldn't go out but would be knackered. We came to a compromise that he could go out on Friday nights but Saturday nights we'd have a date night and having one night a week that was just us took priority over a Friday night out if the other nights were busy.

Sorry, I hope I'm not being too long-winded.

This evening my son lost his beast quest cards, I rang my husband to see if he knew where they were and he didn't answer.

At home, for some inexplicable reason, all hell broke loose, my 7 year old said he wanted to run away, my five year old said other things and the two year old screamed. my friend popped over and the five year old let the dog into the road and my 7 year old departed for a long-planned sleepover. I rescued the dog and then my husband rang, just as the hullabaloo ended.

I asked him where he had been - perhaps accusingly, I didn't mean it that way but I was mega frazzled. He said he'd been in a meeting. He got home, was angry that I'd doubted him, said that I ruined his fun, he has plans to go out with the fathers so was only going to be back for half an hour. I found out that actually he had been in the pub. (He didn't tel me this), he says that although he's been a dickhead for lying about the meeting he's angry with me still for ruining his night and sulked a bit and said he wasn't going to go out. I told him he had to as he'd said he would, he agreed but asked why if been so accusatory on the phone, I really don't think I had been too too bad but said that itched been a tough day he said that I hadn't actually had that hard a day. He's really pissed off with me.

When i found out he had been in the pub (I was using his phone to check cinema listings for tomorrow and saw the internet page saying 'does coke hide alcohol breath?) I just laughed. I have tried to be really upbeat.

But I don't know, I actually feel really upset. He said that I shouldn't have asked him where he was like that, I said he usually texted to say when he was coming home and that was why I had. (The texting to say what time he expects to be home is something I asked him to do as it varies so much).

He's really cagey about his phone. I'd asked to borrow it to check listings and he just hang around all the time and dos the pin himself instead of telling me it - it has changed. How do I get is back on an even track, have we both behaved really badly? Or is he actually being a twat. I've tried to give a fairly even-handed account.

Sorry for such a long post.

OP posts:
SquareFrances · 11/09/2015 21:15

Oh god no one is going to read a post that long but basically my husband is due to go out tonight with his friends around here and said he'd been held up in a meeting at work when actually he'd been in the pub in London.

Do I just need to get over that lie? (I found out, he didn't admit it - he got stroppy about me doubting him).

OP posts:
Novia · 11/09/2015 21:20

Well I don't blame you - I'd be seriously fucked off too, more because he lied than anything else! It's the principle of it.

catfordbetty · 11/09/2015 21:22

My husband is not allowed to have any pin numbers or passwords that I don't know. If he wants to keep secrets, he better keep them in his head. My motto: trust but verify.

SquareFrances · 11/09/2015 21:22

Thanks Novia, the way he's acting is making me doubt myself.

OP posts:
cremeeggboycotter · 11/09/2015 21:22

I read it OP.

Sounds a bit off. Either he doesn't trust you not to snoop or he's hiding on his phone to hover so much. He doesn't trust you to be honest and say where he is, he needs to explain why that is imo.

YAWBU if you snapped at him though most partner's would get why and write off, he is BVU to sulk and act like one of the kids.

SquareFrances · 11/09/2015 21:23

That's kind of how I feel - Catford, trust to God but keep your powder dry kind of thing. (Not that I am a believer)

OP posts:
Griphook · 11/09/2015 21:25

No yanbu, I'd be annoyed if someone lied to me, it's pretty crap of him really, what else does he lie about

Wearyheadedlady · 11/09/2015 21:26

Why does he go out to the pub so much when he has a family? I don't know, this seems a bit crappy to me. I don't think you were out of line, but you obviously took him by surprise and have made him feel a bit guilty. but probably not enough to be conciliatory. Sorry I'm not being much help here. Can you cross off tonight and have a calm chat about it tomorrow when you are all rested (and he is sober)?

SquareFrances · 11/09/2015 21:27

Thanks cremeegg - (feels wrong shortening it to that as you're presumably not a fan).

He says he thinks I snoop. I don't but he was against me watching porn and said I was a slut. (I hate porn for the exploitation not because I feel it's cheating), he knows the pin to all my devices and uses them all the time. When I went on his and checked after the porn argument there was bloody loads of it on his phone. Since then he's been even more protective then he was before.

OP posts:
phoolani · 11/09/2015 21:27

I'm not sure I quite understand the series of events fully, but... I'd be furious about the lying. And, really, is that what his real lie is? Honestly, I don't know - that really could be all he's lying about, right? - but once he starts lying, he could be lying about anything. That's where my mind would be going now, but then I'm a suspicious person.

SquareFrances · 11/09/2015 21:28

Thanks Grip and Weary, I think he does feel guilty but he's validating it by making me feel shit and like I've ruined his night.

You're right, it won't be resolved tonight.

OP posts:
scallopsrgreat · 11/09/2015 21:28

Why have both of you behaved really badly? It sounds like you were a little short on the phone because things were kicking off at home and he was nowhere to be seen.

He lied outright and is sulking.

Remind me again how you behaved really badly?

You sound like you walk on eggshells around him a bit. Is that true?

Hiddlesnake · 11/09/2015 21:29

I'd be seriously pissed off. More about the lie than actually being in the pub.

scallopsrgreat · 11/09/2015 21:30

He's sounding worse and worse.

OwlinaTree · 11/09/2015 21:30

He goes out pretty much every night of the week? When does he parent? It sounds like he was quite happy to leave you to parent while he enjoyed himself. That's why he lied because he knew that was out of order.

scallopsrgreat · 11/09/2015 21:31

So when is he going to engage with family life?

SalemSaberhagen · 11/09/2015 21:31

YANBJ. The lie would piss me off.

Catford he isn't allowed? Did you accidentally type husband instead of son?!

SquareFrances · 11/09/2015 21:32

I know Phoo, that's sort of how I feel. But there's nothing I can do about it, he doesn't ever admit to lies, they just come out in the wash.

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catfordbetty · 11/09/2015 21:33

Salem

No accident.

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 11/09/2015 21:34

He called you a slug, he checks your devices and he goes out loads but you never do?Have I got that right?

Because I think you know the answer to this one.

ohmyeyebettymartin · 11/09/2015 21:35

Did I get this right: he was angry at you for doubting him, but later it turned out that he had been lying (so you were right to doubt him)?

If so, Angry

SquareFrances · 11/09/2015 21:36

He does engage at the weekend and he's got better at coming home earlier in the week. I think he's genuinely a workaholic.

He would say that he always supports me going out etcetera butbthatbindont reciprocate. I think it's a matter of scalle.

Anyway, thank you everyone I do feel more like I have a legitimate reason for being fucked off. Which conversely makes me feel better. Wine and Flowers to you all.

OP posts:
SalemSaberhagen · 11/09/2015 21:38

May I ask why? Do you not trust him? I wouldn't dream of demanding access to my DPs private things, and he would get pretty short shrift if he ordered me to surrender my passwords. If it works for your relationship that's the main thing I guess, it just sounds a bit unhealthy to me.

SalemSaberhagen · 11/09/2015 21:39

That's to Catford, by the way

RandomMess · 11/09/2015 21:39

Sounds like there is a whole heap of stuff that isn't healthy in your relationship.

Secretive about his phone, lies to go out to the pub rather than being home helping with the dc, reckons looking after the dc when it goes pear shaped isn't hard FFS! He's being an arse.