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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to refuse to go home ?

117 replies

Shaz1410 · 30/05/2018 15:45

Husband of 12 years, refusing to share the household responsibilities and children’s homework. He says he will do whatever he feels like whenever he feels like, I have had enough of this as this always turns out that I’m doing way more than him and I’m always exhausted! I have told him he needs to have some responsibility but he refused and said whenever I tell him to do something he will try and do it but would not have a responsibility of any household chores. AIBU is not going home ? I need we need time to ourselves to think.

OP posts:
happypoobum · 30/05/2018 17:12

Actually OP I think you should go home - properly home, where you have support from family and friends.

Ditch this loser - who the fuck does he think he is? I am outraged on your behalf.

Do you own or rent? How old are DC?

userabcname · 30/05/2018 17:14

Yanbu. And, erm, truck- are you the OP's husband....??

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 30/05/2018 17:14

Could you book time off work and take the DC home (as in your home country) for a bit to get some headspace?

truckdrive · 30/05/2018 17:18

KatnissK, No - I don't know the OP.

However, I don't make generalizations about people. I get people trying to wing me up all the time with my job. And I get people being lazy. I still don't throw stuff in their direction.

Now... who wants to hold there hand up and say they'd be okay with stuff being thrown on the bed they were sitting/lying on? Who would be cool with their partner doing that?

The guy should probably do a lot more in the house. But his lack of house work doesn't mean he should be physically intimidated.

PollyPelargonium52 · 30/05/2018 17:21

This is why I do not miss living with a partner. No thank you.

It is enough to let the gardener in for a wee and to find the toilet seat left up. I have trained ds to always put the seat and lid down with me in this house lol.

Bliss it is!

Pannacott · 30/05/2018 17:26

Truck hard of thinking. Likes to make up other people's posts as he goes along. Far easier than living in reality.

IWannaSeeHowItEnds · 30/05/2018 17:27

'Physically intimidated' Grin.
My dh would be under the patio by now!
Another vote for ltb. Your life will get better without a lazy arse h to clear up after!

Pannacott · 30/05/2018 17:27

Shaz, it sounds like a nonsense of a marriage. He sounds horrible to you. You deserve better, you know this.

Hillfarmer · 30/05/2018 17:28

Hi OP,

Your H sounds awful and the way he speaks to you demonstrates his lack of respect for you. I’d go further and say it’s not lack of respect but total contempt.

Ask yourself, does he speak to other people like this? Does he talk to his work colleagues like this? No, didn’t think so. It is you he directs this nastiness towards.

As for him demanding you apologise for your ‘violent behaviour’ - then he is either being a total prick or he is attempting to gaslight you.

And he is an arch-sulker. Because of this, I would not suggest you try to ‘out-sulk’ him, as I think he would win through callousness and his own righteous anger. He knows you have no reserves of energy (or useful friendships or money) to win on that...I think he would emotionally blackmail you regarding the children if you tried to ‘withdraw services’ from him.

Instead, understand that a person who treats you with contempt and hatred, does ACTUALLY despise and hate you. ‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them’ -is a Maya Angelou quote often used on here, for good reason.

Do not kid yourself. Don’t exhaust yourself fighting battles you won’t win.

Do whatever you’ve got to do in the house for you and the children. If he’s on ‘no speaks’ , well fine, that’s up to him.

Then tomorrow, research family solicitors and make an appointment with a couple of them. Pick the one who tells you they have experience of obstructive, hate-filled, border-line abusive or actual abusive spouses....get them to tell you where you stand in the event of a split.

Then - without telling him you have seen a solicitor or scouted your legal position - sit him down and tell him that you feel his attitude to housework etc is a deal- breaker for you and that you won’t continue being married to him if he is determined not to carry his share of family life....which includes day-to-day chores and sorting out the children. Tell him you do not want your children brought up in a miserable Home where one parent treats the other like a skivvy.

His reaction will be telling. If you just get more anger (which seems likely) that tells you that he doesn’t see why he should put any effort into your marriage and more particularly, is not at all bothered that you are unhappy.

If he is devastated, tells you that he never realised you are this unhappy, that he loves your dearly and he would do anything to save your marriage and bring your children up in an atmosphere of loving partnership from now on...well that’s nice, you can work from there.

He should love you OP -which means he cares about your wellbeing and happiness as much as his own. You are not there solely to maximise hiswellbeing and happiness! Yes, everyone has arguments,however, you are not talking about marital tiffs here but a long-term controlling strategy that he has decided on, which you have had absolutely NO say in. And expects you to obey him! That is not how reasonable people conduct relationships.

His behaviour towards you is shocking OP. You know that, don’t let your lack of nearby back-up stop you from considering a different future.

And you’ve got us now!

Bluelonerose · 30/05/2018 17:31

Op you don't have a dh you have a dc.
Start treating him as such and he'll soon start pulling his weight.

Lunde · 30/05/2018 17:31

OP you are obviously married to a teenage boy judging by the "I don't want to and you can't make me" sulky behaviour!

It would be easier to parent alone that with such a manchild!

bakingdemon · 30/05/2018 17:34

Does he take responsibility for anything like dealing with insurance/utility bills/council tax/parking permits? Or is that all on you as well?

I'm with the other poster who suggested you stop doing things for him - don't do his laundry, just cook for you and the kids, don't pick up his mess. Next time there's a Parents meeting, ask him to do that and tell the kids that he's going to do it too.

It seems like he's a child who objects to being "told" to do things, so can you try phrasing things as "please can you clean the bathroom/it would be great if you could cook dinner tonight" and when he complains about being "told" you can say "I asked you, and I said please, I did not tell you"

5foot5 · 30/05/2018 17:43

Now... who wants to hold there hand up and say they'd be okay with stuff being thrown on the bed they were sitting/lying on? Who would be cool with their partner doing that?

If it came out of the blue, or during a discussion where I thought I was putting forward reasonable arguments, no not OK.

If I had been deliberately provoking and mimicking my partner and they made an obviously threatening gesture - still not OK.

But when I had been provoking and winding them up and they made a gesture out of exasperation and annoyance that clearly wasn't deliberately aimed at me or at all threatening like - er - throwing a handbag on the bed, I would probably be OK yes. Why? Because no doubt I would have go the reaction I wanted when I started behaving like that (not that I ever would). Which is no doubt how the OH feels now. Even better that he can now try to spin this to try to give himself the moral high ground.

bertielab · 30/05/2018 17:45

I'd sort myself out with a friend or colleague at work to stay there for a few weeks. In the meantime -where do you want to live? move there and find a job there and divorce him. He doesn't want you, marriage, children or a partnership -he wants a servant.

IWannaSeeHowItEnds · 30/05/2018 17:47

You probably could 'train' him but why the fuck would you bother?

VivaKondo · 30/05/2018 17:52

But when I had been provoking and winding them up and they made a gesture out of exasperation and annoyance that clearly wasn't deliberately aimed at me or at all threatening like - er - throwing a handbag on the bed, I would probably be OK yes.

Me too.
And actually I’m pretty sure that truck would have a very similar reaction if he had a person in front of them acting with such contempt, winding them up again and again, mimicking them, taking the mick and actually being (passively) aggressive themselves.
But it’s easier to just look at one bit of the behaviour, twist it a bit and make the victim (who usually struggle to defend themselves) the person responsible of it all. Such an easy way to change the subject and make it all about something else isn’t it?

Shaz1410 · 30/05/2018 17:55

He’s not physically abusive, unfaithful or a bad person. I want this marriage to work, I just want him to know that this is serious and that he has to make amends to make this marriage work. Hence why I thought if I stay away a few nights he would realise I’m not just saying but mean it. I can afford to stay in a cheap hotel for a few nights.

OP posts:
Coyoacan · 30/05/2018 17:56

Now... who wants to hold there hand up and say they'd be okay with stuff being thrown on the bed they were sitting/lying on? Who would be cool with their partner doing that?

I think it is perfectly clear that there was no threat to the man in this case, however it does show that the OP is totally frustrated with her dh's selfishness and inability to listen. It is time for serious changes to be made and personally I vote for LTB, but maybe that is because I personally couldn't stand to be in a relationship with that type of person and housework is a lot easier the less people there are in a house.

Shaz1410 · 30/05/2018 17:56

I do thank you all who has taken the time out to reply, it really means a lot when I don’t have anyone nearby.

OP posts:
YouDancin · 30/05/2018 17:57

OP this sounds awful. Have you considered doing NOTHING for him? Cook and launder only for yourself and the children? Leave him to fend for himself and walk out of the house as he walks in several nights a week. Come back after the children should be in bed?
Take back some control?
He is totally unreasonable.

Shaz1410 · 30/05/2018 17:58

All those saying that if I left him he will be doing all the chores himself, that’s not true, he has been in situation like this before when he split from his previous partner and his dear sister would cook for him every single day!

OP posts:
Shaz1410 · 30/05/2018 18:00

If I don’t do anything the house would stay a mess, yes tried it but can’t really not cook as I cook for a few days and we all eat. Even if I didn’t cook his dear sister would.

OP posts:
YouDancin · 30/05/2018 18:02

Let his sister have him then.
Does she live close? Is she an idiot as well?
:(

Ryder63 · 30/05/2018 18:11

He’s not physically abusive, unfaithful or a bad person

But he's mentally abusive and is not a good person for treating you like a skivvy - and taking advantage of the fact that you have no support network nearby.

I want this marriage to work

It's not really a marriage atm though - it's far too unequal for that. More like master and (unpaid) servant.

If you can find a decent cheap and safe hotel or B+B - go! as long as your DC aren't worried you won't come back.

Ryder63 · 30/05/2018 18:14

His dear sister is an enabling twat then Angry no wonder with women like this, men like this behave as they do.

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