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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu to get divorced because dh won't do the dishes?

99 replies

arethereanyleftatall · 12/12/2016 12:00

Just that really. Would you ever consider it good enough grounds for divorce if your dh never ever did any housework, regardless of circumstances? You like everything else about him.

OP posts:
Crumbs1 · 12/12/2016 17:33

It seems a big step from I promise to love and to honour....for better for worse, till death do us part ....to except you don't do the dishes. I can't believe a marriage is that shallow that a conversation about equity isn't possible without ending in divorce.

user1480946351 · 12/12/2016 17:42

It's also a big step from love and honour to you will clean up my shit day after day while I sit on my arse.
Why is the woman who is supposed to honour and get nothing back? Would you?

NiceFalafels · 12/12/2016 17:49

I can't get past only 2 hours cooking. What do you eat?

I do an hour or an hour and a half a day

Somerville · 12/12/2016 17:52

Crumbs OP seems concerned that her husband will continue to refuse to lift a finger to the point that he would rather split up than concede. It is his commitment to his marriage vows that I would question, rather than hers.

Madinche1sea · 12/12/2016 17:56

Well if he only works 35 hours per week, then what planet is he on?! I thought you were going to say he does double that! I only do pretty much everything in this house because I'm a SAHM and DH probably does a 60-70 hour week, plus a lot of overseas travel.
Yes your DH needs to step up in this case, for sure.

WhereYouLeftIt · 12/12/2016 18:13

"I'm thinking I'd rather just do the extra work than upset our 2 dc by divorcing."
So really, you’d rather induct your two children into continuing this lifestyle when they become adults? If your raising a girl, she’s been conditioned by your example to be her husbands skivvy. If you’re raising a boy, he’s going to expect his wife to skivvy for him. Is that what you want for your children?

”He's a great father.”
No, he isn’t. Because he is modelling behaviour that will turn his daughters into skivvies and his sons into incapable fuckwits. That is NOT a great father!

Arfarfanarf^"Have you sat him down and said something like
i am losing love and respect for you. Every time you treat me like your domestic appliance you are telling me fuck you, you are not my equal. I think if he doesnt care how you feel and expects full maid service then that's a reasonable reason to say actually you know what? I did not sign up for this."^
^^ This is the crux of the matter. Can you respect him, when he treats you as his maid? Can he possibly respect you if he can treat you like this?

yellowpostitnote · 12/12/2016 18:23

This was posted elsewhere here recently and I thought it was very helpful. I'm not sure where it's from:

"This checklist will help you to take stock of the daily chores of family life and how you, as a couple, are coping with them. Indicate how you are handling each of the listed household tasks by labeling it with a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, as follows:

We’ve discussed the issue and have come to a comfortable decision about who should handle it.
We’ve fallen into a routine and it’s okay with me.
We’ve fallen into a routine and it’s not okay with me.
We are in the process of settling this point.
We are fighting about this issue.
In the area of household chores, are you comfortable with:

who makes the food shopping list?
who does the food shopping?
who does the meal preparation?
who purchases children’s clothing?
who organizes clothing for the next season?
who does the laundry?
who repairs clothing and sews on buttons?
who decides who will do what household chores?
who decides the acceptable standards for household order?
who waits for tradespeople (electrician, plumber, carpenter, etc.) to show up?
who balances the checkbook?
who prepares the taxes?
who decides how the house will be decorated?
who does the decorating (painting, wallpapering, picture hanging, etc.)?
who takes out the trash?
In the area of chores outside the house, are you comfortable with:

who looks after car maintenance?
who chooses the type of car the family drives?
who makes minor repairs (a broken screen door, a rusty hinge, a loose stair tread, etc.)?
who takes charge of whatever yard work needs to be done?
who fixes mechanical items around the house?
who talks with tradespeople about work that needs to be done?
who does house maintenance tasks (like cleaning gutters, painting, etc.)?
who cleans the garage?
In the area of child care chores, are you comfortable with:

who knows where everyone else is at a given time?
who finds the babysitter when you want to go out?
who has more undivided time with the kids?
who keeps track of when medical and dental appointments are needed?
who takes the children to the doctor, dentist, etc.?
who puts the children to bed?
who gets everyone up and out in the morning?
who oversees children’s chores?
who helps with homework?
who buys the children’s birthday and holiday presents?
who plans children’s parties and events?
who helps children buy presents for their friends?
who drives the children to lessons, friends’ houses, etc.?
who oversees the children’s hygiene?
who finds appropriate day care for young children?
who attends parent-teacher conferences?
who keeps in touch with teachers?
In the area of relationships with family and friends, are you comfortable with:

who writes letters or e-mails extended family?
who keeps track of extended family birthdays?
who buys gifts for extended family members?
who helps out when a family member or friend is ill?
who knows something about the families of children’s friends?
who arranges couple social events?
who makes sure that family friends get enough attention?
The more 1s and 2s on your list, the more likely it is that you and your spouse feel satisfied with yourselves and each other. As 3s, 4s, and 5s predominate, clearly there is more work to do!"

arethereanyleftatall · 12/12/2016 18:23

I do do more cooking, but it's mostly when the dc are at home too after school, and I've already included that time as childcare, so didn't want to include twice.

OP posts:
arethereanyleftatall · 12/12/2016 18:37

Yellow - I do every single thing on that list, bar one - the garage!

OP posts:
BagelGoesWalking · 12/12/2016 18:47

or if he's to hang the washing up, he'll lay it on our underfloor heating all over the place

That's just ridiculous Shock How can he possibly do that and think "oh well, that's ok". What about getting some airers (if you don't have them already). I can't believe a "proper" adult would think that's ok.

My OH has recently started to piss me off. He is out of the house longer than me (I'm not working) but I'm not talking a f/t job or anything like, but he's started leaving his mug & plate from his breakfast on the table near the laptop. Just pick it up and put it in the sink (at least!). He's stopped doing a lot of stuff recently as I'm not working. I already did most things anyway but it pisses me off to be treated like a maid.

Crazeecurlee · 12/12/2016 19:07

That's actually really sad OP.

MillionToOneChances · 12/12/2016 19:25

Doesn't your DH (or you) Have Any commuting time? If you're going to confront him - and I think you should - best to be clear about the facts.

arethereanyleftatall · 12/12/2016 21:51

Update; had a calm chat; he says he's going to help at weekends. Fingers crossed!
Thanks so much for all the good advice.

OP posts:
Arfarfanarf · 12/12/2016 22:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SantaPleaseBringMeEwanMcGregor · 14/12/2016 19:05

Divorcing over just dishes and housework is madness. That's why you get rid of a roommate, not a loved spouse.

If you love him and everything else is great, you find a way to work it out instead, be it he hires a cleaner, you divvy up the chores, or he does something else to balance out all the housework you're left with.

If you're truly at the point of divorce over dishes, then there's more problems than just dishes.

Lweji · 14/12/2016 19:11

That's a question I'd ask him.
Tell him he has a choice: he does his share or he goes.

Lweji · 14/12/2016 19:13

Sorry, rushed in and missed the update.
Still... "help" at weekends?
He's still not taking responsibility over it and skipping the day to day grind. Hmm

melj1213 · 14/12/2016 19:28

Honsetly I' am surprised at everyone being so hard on the OP's husband so quickly (though I really shouldn't be) ...

The OP admits that neither of them really did housework before, has always had a cleaner and basically nothing has changed ... so why are people surprised? Were people expecting the husband to get married and suddenly realise that he should actually do some washing up, when he's never done it before, without some sort of prompting/sit down discussion to talk about the change in housework priorities?

I'm a huge Real Madrid fan and when I lived in Madrid I went to games every weekend, when I got with my ex he was surprised that I wasn't going to forego football games just because he didn't enjoy going ... I was more than happy to go and do things with him for the rest of the weekend and if there were away games he'd get me for a whole weekend, but for 3 to 4 hours on a weekend afternoon I would be at the football like always. He was astounded that I wasn't suddenly going to change my behaviour once we got together, despite the fact he knew before we did that it was my big passion, and was one of the many factors why he became an ex

Lweji · 14/12/2016 19:30

The OP admits that neither of them really did housework before, has always had a cleaner and basically nothing has changed ... so why are people surprised? Were people expecting the husband to get married and suddenly realise that he should actually do some washing up, when he's never done it before, without some sort of prompting/sit down discussion to talk about the change in housework priorities?

The OP seems to have done all that. Why isn't her husband supposed to?

melj1213 · 14/12/2016 20:06

The OP seems to have done all that. Why isn't her husband supposed to?

I'm not saying they aren't supposed to, but the OP has taken up that role by choice - if her partner has decided that changing that habit isn't important to him, then that warrants a sit down discussion about changing priorities, not thoughts of jumping straight to divorce because he continues to behave as he always has, without any sign that that is a huge problem for the OP

Lweji · 14/12/2016 20:16

Clearly he has chosen to keep having a maid, just an unpaid one.
The OP hasn't chosen to take on the maid role. It's one of necessity or she wouldn't eat or have clean clothes or dishes or a clean home.

Rather, he has chosen not to take that role. He knows what needs to be done, just as the OP did. He's not a child.

Trumpity · 14/12/2016 20:21

I've recently divorced my husband. This was one of the major reasons. I felt resentful.

And to the people who say "you knew what he was like, why did you have children" etc. My husband never used to be like it. He used to cook / wash up, help tidy and clean.

The change was gradual, but seemingly irreversible.

Theladyloriana · 14/12/2016 21:44

I too am in the process of divorcing my husband with this behavior as a major factor.

It cuts deeper than 'just' not doing the dishes. It's entitlement and disrespect.

I calculated I spent something in the region of 3000 hours just picking up after his mess over the course of our 8 yr relationship.

.

gunsandbanjos · 14/12/2016 22:00

Can I add that being South African doesn't give you an excuse to do hee haw in the house.
My partner is South African and pulls his weight. He grew up with domestic help too, still able to do his share.

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