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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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To not move on from how DH handled my birthday

363 replies

Desolee · 09/10/2016 13:15

On Monday I came back from a ten day work trip - time difference where I had been was plus five hours.

Tuesday was my birthday. In the morning I was up at 6, made DH coffee and DD breakfast before leaving for work by 7, birthday unacknowledged.

That night DH had taken DD to a rehearsal before I got home from work. They should have been home by 9, but DH detoured via the supermarket and they arrived home at 10. He'd previously waited outside DD's rehearsal in the car for 1.5 hrs, 5 mins drive from a supermarket, though I guess he will have been taking work calls for some of this. By 10 my body clock said 3am and I'd fallen asleep, but was fully clothed, not in bed.

DD who is 14 had spent the previous few days trying to organise presents and cake as she thinks birthdays are important. However DH's action on getting home was to send her to bed, unfed. (I hadn't made dinner as birthday person never previously has in our house.) Apparently she was very tearful at this point. He roughly woke me up and told me to go to bed. I was initially confused, asking what about DD, then upset and hurt when he said she'd just gone to bed. He didn't offer me even a cup of tea and when he didn't acknowledge my birthday or, in fact, me at all, I went rather tearfully to sleep in spare room, thinking both of them had ignored it.

Next morning he left for a work trip at around 5am. After speaking to DD who was still upset and hearing from her what happened the night before I sent him short message to say unilaterally cancelling my birthday was hurtful and cruel to both of us. A few hours later got a response to say it was crossed wires and he thought I'd fallen asleep for the night.

He came back on Friday night. No attempt to make anything up or reference to the missed birthday. Yesterday he spent out at his hobby though he did do some lifts for DD. Today we should have been going to visit DS 1.5 hours drive away. DS has decided he needs his car at uni so DH was going to drive it up then both drive back in my car. I said I didn't want to go and could he go with DD and get train back and I'd collect them from local station. I wanted to see DS but couldn't face spending the day with DH. I really don't like driving DS's car so couldn't propose the arrangement in reverse. Anyway in the event he has rung DS to say we now can't be bothered to go and poor DS is coming down on the train to retrieve his car.

DH has apparently told DD I am sulking over my birthday. I don't think I am sulking - I genuinely think I am entitled to feel hurt over this. It isn't specifically about cake, which I very rarely eat, or presents - we're not short of money and within reason I can have whatever I want so would never be waiting for nice make up or boots or a specific book or whatever. I just feel so sad that this is the amount he cares about me and DD's feelings. However am I making too much of it?

For full disclosure I'm in my mid 40s so it wasn't a significant birthday. My parents are away and both of my sisters and two best friends also forgot my birthday so perhaps this is skewing my reaction?

OP posts:
mysistersimone · 09/10/2016 13:59

I'm so disgusted in this. I don't understand why your son is being highlighted, as he's at uni he's an adult and can collect it himself if he wants it. No biggy.

I think you should say to your daughter you've rescheduled your birthday. Make a date with her, plan something lovely you both like. Go to a venue and provide a cake, like Frankie and Bennys, and get them all to sing. Fuck it, if he can't be bothered then help your daughter to make the fuss she originally wanted. You know what to do when its his birthday now. Tosser

KC225 · 09/10/2016 13:59

Belated happy birthday OP. It sounds like an awful week. Your DH seems emotionally cold. How is he usually? Do you spend time together as a couple as I agree this does seem cruel. Feeling overlooked on your birthday is a hurtful. I know what you mean it's not all about the presents or grand gestures but a general acknowledgment of you on your day. What would you need to happen now to make things better?

I agree with the poster who suggested you and your daughter doing something lovely for the day. She seems thoughtful and deserving of a shared treat.

Ignore the comments about your son. Had you written a post saying you had come back from a 10 day work trip, have jet lag etc and now DH is away but my son expects me to deliver his car to university they would have been calling him entitled and immature.

I hope you get this sorted OP.

loobyloo1234 · 09/10/2016 14:00

Did your DH get you anything for your birthday OP?

The problem with MN is the OP has asked a question, and then rather than drip feed like so many people are told not to do she has told the whole story re her DS etc, but posters then have got on her case for something she wasn't asking if she was BU for (phew) But frankly, that DS part was irrelevant

Your DH sounds like a selfish twat! It was your birthday

Desolee · 09/10/2016 14:02

And I was asleep on the sofa when he sent DD to bed. By the time he woke me up she was asleep and I only found out when she told me the next morning that she hadn't gone of her own accord. I would never have let him otherwise. I was not entirely with it because of jet lag but I don't do things like that to my DC. DD is suggesting we should leave, get a small house and she will go to a different school (no fees) to give you an idea of her feelings to him at present.

OP posts:
nicenewdusters · 09/10/2016 14:04

This thread is fascinating. Nobody has disagreed with the central fact that the husband here has behaved like a complete wanker. Nobody has made any excuses for his behaviour - there aren't any as far as we can see. But so much is being asked of the OP. Why didn't you do this, say that, agree to x, y z?

I'm sure most of us on here are female. Look how quickly we look to the female to appease, to forgive and forget, to move on without any issues having been addressed. The OP, tired, jet-lagged, having missed her family and looking forward to her birthday is dumped on, from a great height, by the person she should be able to trust. But there are so many expectations on here of what SHE should have done to make the situation better and not worse.

YouTheCat · 09/10/2016 14:05

Tbh, your ds sounds equally selfish, expecting his car delivered and only sending a whatsapp message. Couldn't even be arsed to moonpig a card.

Your dh was a twat over this. It was his job to make sure your dd had eaten as you weren't there anyway.

With your busy schedules, I still don't see why he couldn't even wish you a happy birthday and suggest a meal out when you had more time.

bimbobaggins · 09/10/2016 14:06

I agree with others, I totally agree that you wouldn't want to spend time with your miserable dh. Your son is an adult who so I don't know why people are focusing on that. . It sounds like you had horrible time and think you should book something nice for you and dd

Lweji · 09/10/2016 14:08

The key issue is whether this is normal behaviour for him.
Is he usually this thoughtless and even nasty with DD?

WhereYouLeftIt · 09/10/2016 14:08

That is a whole shovel load of crap from your husband. Not just towards you, but also your daughter (not feeding her before rehearsal, dragging her to supermarket when she was needing fed/wanting to see you and he could have shopped whilst she rehearsed, sending her to bed upset/hungry, ignoring her for DAYS re your birthday) and your son (telling him 'can't be bothered' is pretty poor).

What is his behaviour normally like? Because it's a lot of shit to be dishing out from a standing start.

And no, I wouldn't have done the trip to your DS either. A whole day of pretending everything was OK is not possible.

nicenewdusters · 09/10/2016 14:09

Very sad that your dd thinks she'd rather live in a separate house to her dad right now. Perhaps he should be told this, and perhaps you'd rather live in it with her?

Matchstickbox · 09/10/2016 14:09

Happy birthday op.
He's being a knob.
But I'm kinda hoping there's a surprise or something when your ds gets home and it's just a ruse!

If not he's a very big knob and you should go out with dad for some fun.

RandomMess · 09/10/2016 14:10

It is awful that your H refuses to see his error and unkindness in his dealings with DD and you. He should be able to apologise so you can all move on!

DoctorTwo · 09/10/2016 14:13

I hate it when women get the blame for men's bad behaviour. It's just crap crap crap.

Same here. He was an arse and I don't blame you for sleeping in the spare room.

Blu · 09/10/2016 14:14

Your H had behaved in a horrible way, and poor Dd has been implicated in it against her will.

Ok, the circumstances around your day were tricky but he could have:
Had flowers ready for you on the breakfast table
Made coffee for you, not vice versa
Left you a lovely supper to come home to
Woken you up nicely , him and Dd singing happy birthday
Arranged for you all to go to visit DS for a family birthday lunch , or suggested in the first place that DS come on train for the same at home.

Actually his behavioir has been quite shoddy even without the birthday factor .

KarlosKKrinkelbeim · 09/10/2016 14:15

Nice newdusters is spot on and I'm so glad to see a few people at least who don't feel the urge to kick the op for having not responded perfectly to some pretty insensitive behaviour (a generous description) from her dh.
I think one thing that would indisputably help you and dd feel happier is doing something nice for her to show you appreciate her efforts. No solutions to the rest and much depends on whether this was product of stress or typical of your dh. I hope not the latter.

DoctorTwo · 09/10/2016 14:16

And what nicenewdusters said in her post at 14.04.

DoctorTwo · 09/10/2016 14:18

Karlos beat me to it and was far more articulate. :o

motherinferior · 09/10/2016 14:18

What Blu said.

My partner has learned sometimes painfully over the years that Fuss on a birthday is a nice thing.

RichardBucket · 09/10/2016 14:20

I didn't think you were being unreasonable until I read that you and your daughter want to move out of the house because of this?! It all sounds very melodramatic and immature.

Mummyoflittledragon · 09/10/2016 14:20

Ok your dds saying that but she's 14. Teenagers can be overly dramatic and I'm not accusing her of such. What you haven't said is, is this typical dh or out of character? I don't just mean the birthday, I mean also the treatment of dd, the accusations about your behaviour as sulky for not getting over it and not delivering the car etc.

If it's a one off, I'd chalk it up to being a massive dick and get over it .... eventually. But if he's like this constantly, I'd seriously consider what your dd wants.

Agerbilatemycardigan · 09/10/2016 14:22

Happy belated birthday OP Flowers

It was my birthday on Wednesday and I posted how everyone had forgotten, including all 3 of my DDs. I'm not a high maintenance person, and would've been happy with just a text, but had nothing.

I think your DH sounds like a selfish dick tbh.

Flyingbellycopters · 09/10/2016 14:23

Desolee you have every right to be desolate. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY though.
Birthdays are major in my house always have been because I love birthdays. With the age you are, similar to me, you have traditions like cake and not cooking. Same as us family meal out cake and candles. I have an exH who still goes with kids to get cake for me and vice versa. We made promise to the DC when we split up we would still all be together on birthdays and Christmas.
Go out with your daughter and have a lovely night or day out when your husband goes away.
But before he goes - make up. Tell him he's a twunt. Get an apology. Don't let him go when you're not speaking. Sounds like you don't see each other much so when he gets back make some time for each other.
And ignore everyone about DS. I'm assuming he's only been away couple weeks and he's a teenager. He wanted his. Car not his mum at weekend!

DistanceCall · 09/10/2016 14:25

Sounds like your husband is resentful of you for some reason. And he sounds rather nasty, to be honest.

What was his reason for sending your daughter to bed without any food???

Lweji · 09/10/2016 14:30

I didn't think you were being unreasonable until I read that you and your daughter want to move out of the house because of this?

Did you actually read that?
Only the daughter wants to move out, and quite frankly, if that's his normal behaviour, she has a point.

ToastDemon · 09/10/2016 14:35

I'm glad some sensible people have pointed out that it's hardly a heinous crime not spending the day doing a massive favour for an adult son.
YANBU at all.