Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

No Valentine gift not even a card.

456 replies

lilypoppet · 13/02/2018 13:19

Me again. At Christmas you were all kind enough to reply when my DH have me chutney for Christmas. Today he said he realised he hadn't got me anything, so did I want to go to the cinema tonight instead? Only it'll have to be this afternoon because he needs an early night before work tomorrow. I've got him a card and a Yoga mat I know he really wanted. I even went out in the rain and carried it back from cliick and collect. I am so sick of his disrespect. AIBU?

OP posts:
Rachel0Greep · 14/02/2018 00:08

...but for Christmas, birthdays etc I provide a list of four or five acceptable gifts and he picks one. Sometimes he picks 2. We also have set price limits for prezzies. If you smile and pretend you like the chutney you'll keep getting chutney because he thinks you like it.

Completely agree. Have seen this over and over on MN 'I make a fuss over his birthday etc etc'
Stop right now. OP, think long and hard, is there more to this? If he is rubbish at choosing gifts but otherwise a good partner, well, choose your own gifts.
If, however, this is symptomatic of something deeper on your relationship, it may be time to take action, whatever that action might be.
And whatever else, stop smiling bravely and pretending things are okay when they clearly are not.

RealityHasALiberalBias · 14/02/2018 00:08

I don’t think op’s husband sounds selfish or twatty at all.

In the chutney thread OP said she helped pick out the present for the MIL, and that the rationale behind spending more on her was that she does a lot for their kids.

So people get nice presents when OP helps pick them out, or they say what they want (she said they knew that MIL liked Moulton Brown). Her husband clearly can’t shop well for presents - lots of people can’t. Yet she expects him to second guess what she wants and gets all martyrish when it doesn’t materialise.

He’s also only working part time, so he suggested a £10 budget for their Christmas presents to each other, which she agreed to. It seems to me like he felt they should just do some token thing for each other, while prioritising kids and family, which seems reasonable.

He obviously has a completely different concept of the value and appropriateness of present giving to partners, but she refuses to have an adult conversation about it, instead getting upset after the fact.

She set herself up for failure with this Valentine’s debacle - gift giving is hardly standard. Valentine’s Day to a lot of people is a bit of fun for teens / young people / singles when you send a card with a funny poem anonymously to someone you fancy.

Giving a yoga mat seems completely bizarre. As is the nonsense about trudging out in a howling gale like Wenceslas’s page, to click and collect. And all the stuff about smiling bravely at Christmas. Give me a break. This isn’t a big drama, it’s just poor communication.

My husband and I get nice presents for our families, because they like to do presents (we think it’s all a bit pointless). But we don’t do presents for each other, because we’ve discussed it and we don’t really want anything that we wouldn’t just get for ourselves. We make each other nice meals instead. But we couldn’t have come to this agreement if we hadn’t discussed it.

The only discussion the OP appears to have had is the one where her husband made a suggestion about budgets and she agreed. How the hell is he supposed to know that she doesn’t really agree and actually expects bigger and better presents, even at random times like Valentine’s Day?

Maybe he thinks gift giving is pointless, but does it for the people he knows expect it, like the kids and the MIL. If OP isn’t going to be clear about what she expects, it’s hardly reasonable to then get all “woe is me” about it.

Gift giving is fraught enough as it is without people treating their loved ones like they’ve failed a test they didn’t even know they were taking.

Rachel0Greep · 14/02/2018 00:09

...in your relationship...

alltoomuchrightnow · 14/02/2018 00:16

DP just told me I'm not getting anything tomorrow 'not even a card' . He's not well, he's not been out for a few days. I know he's had enough notice. But I'm not bothered. V Day isn't for couples, it's for single people to send an anon card to someone they fancy. My 'gift' would be if he starts feeling better.
He is a decent generous partner year round, for eg he rarely gets anything for my birthday (he's not even been here for the last few) but he will buy me random gifts at any time of year (always practical stuff, never frivolous..which isn't really me, but I certainly don't use it as mark of our relationship!) I do not measure us in terms of gifts or card or flowers. (he's bought me flowers once ever..... he couldn't find a vase so put them in an old urine jug thingy that belonged to his grandad..seriously! but I thought it was hilarious)
I just see a supportive generous partner who does not show that with Hallmark moments..

Butterymuffin · 14/02/2018 00:17

The situation does bring to mind the saying about how madness is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.

nursy1 · 14/02/2018 00:41

Valentines chocolates already eaten. Feel a bit sick and full of regret. Lucky escape OP!
Seriously Valentine’s Day. Pah...it’s when the birds pair up for spring. Go for a walk together tomorrow and watch them. I’ll be doing about 10 miles after that pig out. Cards and gifts just making money for Hallmark and Moonpig

Cornishclio · 14/02/2018 00:49

DH and I haven't celebrated Valentine's Day for years and we have been married for 35 years. We mutually decided this after our 5th wedding anniversary as it is only 3 days after my birthday. He a,ways gets me a birthday present and Xmas present and flowers on our anniversary though.

I agree you need to tell him if you are really bothered. I think not getting a proper personal gift for Xmas would bother me more especially if he makes an effort for his mum. I think I would have been inclined to shame him at Xmas by telling his family he bought you chutney whilst MIL sported her expensive M and B toiletries.

Definitely return the mat or use it yourself and don't buy him presents if the reason you give them is to get something back. They mean nothing unless they are given willingly without expectation of a reciprocal gift.

RealityHasALiberalBias · 14/02/2018 01:12

Anyway, despite my stupidly long post, I still think this is actually a wind up.

lilypoppet · 14/02/2018 06:52

I know some of you think it's a joke, but I actually find it really painful that he hasn't bothered.

OP posts:
bluebells1 · 14/02/2018 06:52

Well, this is not the first time. So why don't you fucking talk to him?

bluebells1 · 14/02/2018 06:56

@reality, yes. If you check her old threads you can see that this is an ongoing pattern. She is deaf to the suggestion of An adult conversation with her partner.

lilypoppet · 14/02/2018 07:07

Because telling someone you want them to buy you a proper present is seriously unromantic. It just sucks the joy out of the occasion.

OP posts:
heron98 · 14/02/2018 07:13

I have never ever given or received a Valentines present or card. I think it's a load of mumbo jumbo and always tell my DP not to bother.

AgathaF · 14/02/2018 07:14

Because telling someone you want them to buy you a proper present is seriously unromantic - yes, that's true. But phrasing it a different way such as "I feel upset that you don't bother with valentine/birthday/xmas/etc" sounds better and is at least communicating.

I get that you're upset, but you're handling it badly. Not speaking over it, instead of communicating like adults is ridiculous. This pattern is going to repeat year on year if you don't actually address it properly.

lilypoppet · 14/02/2018 07:16

I suppose I was hoping for something that made up for Christmas ... And I keep expecting him to appear with a big bunch of flowers. But he's just getting ready for work, that's all.

OP posts:
DayKay · 14/02/2018 07:19

But if you don’t ever say anything then he’ll think you’re ok with it. Just like so many posters have shown you that they would be.
Say something! Say ‘I’m really upset that you don’t seem to make an effort to make occasions special for me”. Have a conversation about it.

Lemonyknickers · 14/02/2018 07:21

How does he know he even has to make up for Christmas, you haven't spoken to him, and evidently don't plan to. Just martyr yourself on the altar of crap gifts, or I don't know, you could perhaps TALK TO HIM

howthelightgetsin · 14/02/2018 07:23

But I hardly know anyone that takes Valentine’s Day seriously, so how is he to know unless you explicitly spell it out what you expect?
We don’t do Valentine’s Day but I do expect birthday and Christmas presents (or a day out or something special planned in lieu of a present). One year my DP didn’t do much for my birthday - just stuff he’d picked up from the supermarket on the way home. I told him I was upset and since then he’s always tried harder. It wasn’t unreasonabke for me to expect something but it would have been unreasonable for me to expect him to be a mind reader.
And honestly if he’s crap at presents just stop bothering so much.

Lennythelion14 · 14/02/2018 07:31

Lilypoppet you sound like a woman who enjoys playing the hard done by victim. Grow a pair, sit your fella and TALK. plus maybe accept him the way he is. Non romantic and not a great present giver. But if it affects you warn him, write a list of what you want and tell him to get you one or two items off it. Not romantic but better than being a silent martyr, banging your chest. But remember COMMUNICATION is vital and men aren't mind readers. They don't usually notice childish sulky behavior.

YellowMakesMeSmile · 14/02/2018 07:35

Maybe he doesn't want to subscribe to your materialistic side? It's very obvious you have one given everything seems to revolve around gifts rather than the actual relationship.

FranticallyPeaceful · 14/02/2018 07:36

I’m pregnant so a bit irrationally emotional but OH woke up, ignored me saying happy love day, checked his messages and messaged somebody else, didn’t open the gift I gave him and didn’t even speak to me and then went to shower.

I didn’t get anything either.

I was never into Valentine’s Day but he always was so I got into it for him, but now nothing. Ah well. My kids made me cards!! Smile

HarveyKietelRabbit · 14/02/2018 07:38

Why would you think he'd do something to make up for Christmas? You didn't tell him there was a problem!!

Stop being a martyr with all your 'smiling bravely at SIL watch' and going out in the cold to buy a mat 'to see him smile' and communicate!

AgathaF · 14/02/2018 07:40

Is there a reason you're not talking to him about this, a reason you didn't tell him you were upset at Christmas?

AnotherDunroamin · 14/02/2018 07:43

Because telling someone you want them to buy you a proper present is seriously unromantic. It just sucks the joy out of the occasion.
Right, but not telling him, then getting a present you don't like, then coming to mope to some strangers on MN is pretty unromantic and non-joyful also. If you start by telling him that gifts are important to you, and suggesting a particular thing that you want, then after a couple of Christmasses / Valentine's where you've had to ask he'll probably do it without prompting.
You're really the only one who can do anything to fix this OP; there's not much we can do apart from offer the suggestion to communicate, which you've decided to choose not to do.
We don't really do gifts for adults in my house but if there's an ocassion where o really want to receive something then I ask for that specific item. Because only teenagers think romance involves mind reading.

SparklyMagpie · 14/02/2018 07:46

You sound so bloody miserable

Swipe left for the next trending thread