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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be furious with DH over party

336 replies

SilverBirchTree · 03/01/2018 10:43

Been with DH for over 4 years and currently in the middle of our first ever fight.

We have 3 month old DS and it’s been a rocky few months. Massive trouble breast feeding, and health scares with the baby including an ER visit. In the same period of time we moved house and we now live in an area that is completely new to me and 30-45 minutes drive from family.

I have been looking forward to having him baptised. I was so worried and unwell myself at the time of his birth, so missed the initial joyful ‘the baby is here’ time. I saw his baptism as the event for me to quietly celebrate my beautiful baby and how far he’s come.

My mother lives down the street from our family church. We’ve had family weddings, funerals, baptisms there for decades. Mum offered to organise the baptism then serve tea and cake at her house afterwards. Perfect.

DH said no. He wanted the baptism to take place in our new community. He made a little speech about how we’re adults and we need to throw our own events, how his parents shouldn’t have to drive so far to get to it etc. He said he’d do most of the work. I very very reluctantly agreed to have it in our new area and host our parents and siblings at our new home.

Once it was booked DH tells me that actually he needs to invite all his aunts, uncles and cousins. A week later he says that tea and cake isn’t enough- it has to be a cooked lunch. And his grandparents are too old to eat on their laps so it has to be a sit down lunch. Plastic cups are no good, we have to rent glasses etc etc etc. meanwhile he has done sweet FA to make it happen. I even had to repeatedly remind him to tell his grandparents the time.

Then at Christmas he took to bed with a migraine. The reason - he is so stressed about the party, he won’t be able to ‘help’ anymore. It’s up to me. Oh, but his mother (a whole other story) will ‘help’ instead.

I’ve spent the week beside myself with stress (made worse by Baby induced lack of sleep). I am furious that he insisted we turn down my mum’s offer to host and then left me high and dry with his family’s demands and the mental load of trying to please them all.

Today I finally cracked and accused him ruining something that was important to me. We had a full argument with raised voices and me crying. He continued to spout his views about hosting our own events like a broken record, seemingly not caring that I’m the one doing to heavy lifting to meet his directives.

He’s now off sulking and probably texting his mother about how mean I am.

AIBU? Any advice on what to do now? I’m new to arguing with a spouse and not sure what happens when neither party is willing to apologise.

OP posts:
Cantuccit · 03/01/2018 11:06

Let. It. Break. Let it be a total disaster. Do NOT help. This is NOT your responsibility.

Then have your Mum organise a second occasion that runs properly to ram the point home.

^ This.

I think this a watershed moment in your marriage, OP. He will be watching how you react to this and how much more he can get away with.

It's no co-incidence that this is happening now you've got a baby.

RatRolyPoly · 03/01/2018 11:07

I agree with Shimshim and I think "make the best of it but don't bust a gut" was what I was getting at. I wouldn't turn this into a point-scoring opportunity as that really isn't the way to handle arguments in an otherwise functional and enjoyable relationship! Any reasonable partner will learn his lesson from this without needing you to rub his nose in it too much. Bet he's not finding "being an adult" such a doddle right now!

Trinity66 · 03/01/2018 11:07

*I should say that DH is a good person, a great dad, and usually very rational.

That’s why I don’t know how to deal with him when he is like this, it’s a rare occurrence. Thank god!!*

Which is why you need to make him understand that you won't allow him to treat you like that, before you know it he'll be expecting you to do everything

pictish · 03/01/2018 11:08

Ya soooo nbu! Tell him that this is what he wanted, insisted upon even and that he said he would see it through...and that he is tripping if he thinks he can can just hand the reins over to you because he's bored now.

What a selfish arsehole. Tell him that as well. Lazy bastard.

TheVanguardSix · 03/01/2018 11:08

Let it break?

It's a child's baptism. Can't really let it break.

BattleaxeGalactica · 03/01/2018 11:10

Stand back and leave him to it. No comments. Do nothing. Let them all turn up to no party and let him explain why. Then have the celebration you want.

Paintspotsonthefloor · 03/01/2018 11:11

If I were you I would call your mum and let her know what has happened. Is there any way she could step in last minute and provide at least some of the food? Then you stick to the venue dh wanted but the pressure is off you to provide the food.

I'm sorry your dh is making this so unpleasant for you. I can empathise, sadly.

RatRolyPoly · 03/01/2018 11:13

Aw come on, the guy's clearly bitten off more than he could chew. Sure, he's trying to weasel out of it now but he's likely panicking. He's not the first person to think all that grown-up woman's work stuff like party hosting and event management is super easy and that he could pull off a spectacular do on his very first try without having a breakdown breaking a sweat. More fool him, but don't hang the guy!

Obviously it's shit for the op but it's totally salvageable.

Butteredparsn1ps · 03/01/2018 11:14

I can follow your DH's argument about wanting to start your own traditions, but you don't want having-a-row or DH always getting his own way to be your new traditions.

Establishing new family traditions is a grown-up thing to do. requiring grown-up teamwork, and grown-up expectations. Your DH is falling a long way short of grown up.

But. You are where you are. What needs to happen for the baptism to go ahead this weekend? what reliable help can you corale? do you have a local service that could do your food for you? If you are in the UK I would be checking out M&S / Waitrose / Cook websites.

Howsthings1234 · 03/01/2018 11:15

Ok if I were you I would try to put the argument to one side for now.

The event is this weekend so that leaves you two days. Unfortunately it sounds like cancelling is not an option so now I think you have to just grit your teeth and make it happen. Call your mother and his mother and ask them both to help pull it off. Perhaps see if they can come to the house tomorrow to help tidy and sort out the table setting etc and delegate food. Ultimately remember it's about family spending time together and celebrating the brith of your beautiful baby. Certain both mothers will want to help you make this a success.

Once the dust has settled you can have a calm discussion with your husband and I'm certain he will apologise and realise his mistake.

grannytomine · 03/01/2018 11:16

Let. It. Break. Let it be a total disaster. Do NOT help. This is NOT your responsibility. Except that the OP wants the Baptism to be a lovely event, it being a disaster isn't going to be a good solution.

OP tell him either he pulls his weight or you change the venue.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 03/01/2018 11:16

Agree with cancelling it and reverting to original plan.

Wait for things to calm down, then sit down and as someone else suggested, explain to him that if he can't cope with the stress of organising it, how the hell are you supposed to do it with a newborn to look after?

BUT suggest you work as a team to get it done. Forget a sit down lunch, you'll end up cooking it! Get a load of sarnie platters in from M&S or Tesco.

While I know a lot people are saying 'He's a dick!' this doesn't actually help you solve the problem. Get through it, then see how things are afterwards. Good luck!

SilverBirchTree · 03/01/2018 11:17

Thanks all for your advice, I really appreciate it.

OP posts:
GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 03/01/2018 11:17

Sorry contradicted myself there, meant to say if he won't agree to going back to plan A, suggest a compromise...

RatRolyPoly · 03/01/2018 11:17

If you're in the UK I'm pretty sure most big supermarkets will do you platters of sandwiches for X number of guests for collection. We phoned our local Sainsbury's who did us a sandwich buffet for collection the next day when food fell through for something we were organising.

RatRolyPoly · 03/01/2018 11:18

Ha, X post about sarnies.

Ohforfoxsakereturns · 03/01/2018 11:19

Call your mum in.

It sounds like with all the best intentions, your DH can’t cope and is unreasonably expecting you to bail him out.

It’s not beyond repair, as long as he stops with his demands of how things ‘should’ be. Things are as they are and that’s what you need to deal with.

Call your mum.

This is why us women carry the mental load, and this is why people are saying ‘let it break’. You won’t trust him to see a meaningful event through to its conclusion again. You’ll take the reins for the next one (which he will probably insist upon).

Don’t let this one break as it’s important to you. But do not let this set you up for life.

TheLuminaries · 03/01/2018 11:19

Number one priority - inform everyone that due to your DH's illness the event is being scaled down/relocated - then you have brought yourself a bit of space. Ask your mum to help and make sure you publically thank her for stepping in when your DH was taken ill. Inform your DH you will not cover for him again.

VeganIan · 03/01/2018 11:19

I'd call your mum and let her save the day - there are times you just need your mum and this is one of them. Stuff being an adult - it's not like your DH is managing it particularly well, is it now?

AgathaF · 03/01/2018 11:19

He’s now off sulking and probably texting his mother about how mean I am - after saying that you both need to be adults and host yourselves? Wow!

It's booked and happening, so how to make it as easy on you as possible. Buffet lunch of finger foods after the service. Some nice paper plates and cups. Can you get any of your family to help with preparation on the day? Order an online shop for the food to be delivered on the morning or night before.

Then a serious discussion with your manchild once the day is over about joint decisions etc, etc.

TheVanguardSix · 03/01/2018 11:20

OP I doubt you need relationship counselling. Shit hits the fan when a baby is born. You're both knackered, tense, learning as you go. It's big, huge stuff having a baby. It's not a pampers ad or a sweet little baby shampoo ad with some annoying, twinkly, doe-voiced version of head, fucking shoulders, knees and toes. You're in the trenches. You'll get through this. Flowers

My worst rows with DH have occurred in the months after we've had our babies.

You're both tired and not yourselves and planning a baptism is a big deal. It's stressful. Both of you had good intentions but it's all gone wrong and your DH- yes, he's dick about this but I'm sure he's a good, loving person and not a dick!- took control and got in over his head.

Stop. Breathe. Regroup. Sit down. Talk. Hug. Plan again. Plan small. You can do this. You'll get through this together and have a wonderful christening.

LostMyMojoSomewhere · 03/01/2018 11:20

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Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

AgathaF · 03/01/2018 11:21

Alternatively, can you all go to a local pub for lunch after the service?

nocampinghere · 03/01/2018 11:22

ok if it is this weekend you can't really cancel or move it so it sounds like you'll have to do the best you can.
so...
tea, cake, sandwiches back at your house. Order as much in as you can (M&S or pret a manger do sandwich platters).

i sympathise with your dh's sentiments re wanting to host your own events in your own community (rather than get your dm to host it in hers) but he clearly took on more than he could manage. i'd be furious too.

grannytomine · 03/01/2018 11:22

Good idea RatRolyPoly, I've seen the Sainsbury's sandwich buffets and they look nice. I would order something like that and maybe do some new potatoes as something hot makes it feel more like a meal. Then have something like a big gateau. I think Sainsbury's do glasses for hire as well, I'm sure my local one does anyway if you are buying wine from them. Hopefully he will get a grip and not leave you to it but mum and MIL helping is a nice tradition in itself (I helped with my GCs Baptisms and so did the other gran and it was nice all working together.)

I hope you have a great day after all the drama, I love Baptisms, beat weddings hands down in my book.