Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think he should have forgiven me by now?

69 replies

brownrabbit · 19/12/2018 09:41

Ok, will try and keep this brief. Haven't posted on here for ages but am so frustrated that I need some perspective!
Sunday morning, DH wanted sex, I didn't. I was happily reading my book, DCs were downstairs but inevitably come up as soon as we get to it, and are getting suspicious about locked doors. I said this, he got in a huff, went downstairs complaining that I was treating him like another chore etc. It is true that he wants sex more than I do generally.

Bit later, I followed him down, tried to make up with him. Can't remember exact conversation, but I ended up saying "surely I don't have to always agree to it". He flew off the handle, effing this and that, telling me I was accusing him of being a rapist, which obvs I wasn't. I told him he was being ridiculous, which definitely didn't help. He does get very sweary when we argue badly, tells me to eff off and that he can't speak to me. It's true that there's no point trying to talk to him in that mood, but I hate not being able to talk things through.

Now three days on and he's still barely speaking to me except when kids are around. I got really upset last night and was crying - he was working and I was in another room, but he came in and said it wasn't helping that I was getting upset. He doesn't want to talk, be affectionate at all, just wants to be left alone.

I understand that he was hurt and that he probably feels rejected, but I'm also hurt by the way he spoke to me. I've also been making a big effort to be nice to him, and not getting much back in return.

Whenever we argue he makes me feel that I'm being totally unreasonable, and just shuts down and refuses to talk. Most of the time we do get on really well, but I find his extreme reaction in arguments really hard to deal with - his family all talk to each other like that, but mine don't and I don't think it's right.

Rant over!

OP posts:
Hont1986 · 19/12/2018 10:41

Have you apologised to him? And listened to how he is feeling? It sounds like you just want him to apologise for getting sweary during the argument but not discuss the reason for the argument itself.

You have a major problem in your marriage and you don't seem to want to acknowledge it. This isn't a one-off "she rejected me" vs "he was angry at me". This is your husband telling you that he is unsatisfied with the state of sex life. What are you doing to resolve that? If your solution is 'he puts up with it and doesn't express any dissatisfaction', well, that got you to this point.

TruckLoadOfSubtleGlitter · 19/12/2018 10:44

Why the fuck should she apologise to him?!

And he made it loud and clear how he was feeling.

He was feeling like a controlling arsehole m.

Hont1986 · 19/12/2018 10:49

She should apologise to him because she told him his feelings were ridiculous when he said he was unhappy with their sex life.

Can't see where he was controlling. Confused

isupposeitsverynice · 19/12/2018 10:50

i really don't think not fancying a morning shag with the kids downstairs constitutes a major marital problem. your husband's attitude sounds like a problem, and i don't think yabu, but i don't have any useful advice i'm afraid op

LoadOfUtterBoswellocks · 19/12/2018 10:50

Christ, he's not entitled to sex, it's not a god-given right!

jessstan2 · 19/12/2018 10:52

You have to meet in the middle somewhere.

I don't have a lot of time for people who are petulant because they don't get what they want when they want it but do understand disappointment. I don't think you necessarily need to apologise but make some special time for the two of you (if you want to, I am assuming you love your husband and do enjoy sex sometimes).

It takes two to tango, consideration on both sides and some compromise is necessary.

CmdrIvanova · 19/12/2018 10:53

She didn't say his feelings were ridiculous, she said the leap from "I don't have to always agree to sex with you" to "you're a rapist" is ridiculous. Which it is. And the former shouldn't even need to be said. The correct response to 'I don't fancy a shag this morning' is 'shame, I really fancy you, want a cuppa?' Not a mega sulk.

UpstartCrow · 19/12/2018 10:55

I couldn't carry on having sex with the kids trying to get in the room either.

Whenever we argue he makes me feel that I'm being totally unreasonable, and just shuts down and refuses to talk. Most of the time we do get on really well,

Lets put this another way; we get on really well as long as I agree with him, then he makes me feel that I'm being totally unreasonable, and just shuts down and refuses to talk.
Does that ring true?

LovesLaboursLost · 19/12/2018 10:57

She should apologise to him?! Jesus Christ, she doesn’t fancy morning sex while the kids are up and about and he sulks at her for three days? She is not the one who should be apologising.

Pachyderm1 · 19/12/2018 10:58

Have you apologised to him?

Nobody needs to apologise for not wanting sex.

Your husband is sexually coercing you. He’s making a huge fuss, hoping that it means next time you’ll agree rather than deal with his strop.

He is being an absolute shit - he is the one who should be seeking forgiveness.

SlowNorris · 19/12/2018 11:06

So he becomes verbally abusive if you don’t want sex and you chase after him apologising then he ignores you for days and you cry.

At what point did you decide it was a good idea to bring kids into this?

Ginkythefangedhellpigofdoom · 19/12/2018 11:08

So it's not controlling for him to not talk to her so far into the third day and to shout and swear at her when she tries to be friendly with him all because she didn't want to have sex with him

noone no matter how long you have been in a relationship with someone should ever feel pressured to have sex or be treated like this because they refuse, ever.

We are desperately trying to teach our children (especially girls) that they have complete control over their bodies and their sexual choices, then when we see an example of a woman who does just that we (some of us) berate her. Ridiculous.

CaptainsYuleLog · 19/12/2018 11:10

He's emotionally abusing you. You don't have to put up with it. Tell him to fuck off and help him pack. You already have children, you don't need another big sulky one.

allthgoodusernamesaretaken · 19/12/2018 11:11

Nobody needs to apologise for not wanting sex

This

Bringbackthestripes · 19/12/2018 11:12

Your husband is sexually coercing you. He’s making a huge fuss, hoping that it means next time you’ll agree rather than deal with his strop.

^totally this. Why the hell should you apologise for not wanting sex? Why the hell doe he think it is acceptable to shout and swear at you when you have said you don’t fancy having sex?

Whenever we argue he makes me feel that I'm being totally unreasonable, and just shuts down and refuses to talk. Most of the time we do get on really well, but I find his extreme reaction in arguments really hard to deal with - his family all talk to each other like that, but mine don't and I don't think it's right.

It isn’t right.

masterandmargarita · 19/12/2018 11:13

Slownorris - given that the original disagreement was to do with kids - in part at least - your 'helpful' comment doesn't really make sense as they did not exist then

AtrociousCircumstance · 19/12/2018 11:14

Ugh he sounds awful.

He pressurised you for sex and is punishing you - for days on end - for not giving him the sex he requires. Regardless of whether or not you want it.

He’s not interested in your enthusiastic consent he just wants the sex he feels entitled to. So he’s not a rapist but is somewhere on the scale: man demands sex whether woman wants it or not.

ADastardlyThing · 19/12/2018 11:15

Oof don't listen to the first poster. He's been a twat and is now making you pay for not agreeing to sex. How lovely.

icannotremember · 19/12/2018 11:16

Although I don't think your DH is being fair, or kind, and not for one moment do I think you have any sort of obligation to engage in any sexual activity that you don't want to engage in... I feel these days like I am constantly being sexually rejected by my DH and it is actually really, really difficult not to overreact to it. It does hurt, it does leave me feeling unwanted and unattractive and unimportant. And because I know it is 100% unreasonable of me to be in any way cross or off with DH for not wanting sex I actually feel worse- not only am I rejected, ugly and unwanted, I am also selfish and unreasonable.

So, your DH is being a knob, but if he feels anything like I do, I can see where his knobbishness is coming from. It's not really as simple as "how dare he punish you for not having sex!" as so many posters in these conversations seem to think. You absolutely should not feel obliged to have sex to keep him happy, that would be vile, but you should recognise that he may well be experiencing a strong emotional reaction to what feels like rejection.

Hannahmates · 19/12/2018 11:17

I think both of you are unreasonable. When you reject sex which you are perfectly entitled to do so, he's going to be upset. You have to give him space to get over it. I think you were out of line saying "surely I don't have to always agree to iT". Next time you say no to sex let him sulk alone and give him space. Giving you the silent treatment for a few days is really going overboard though. I agree that a lacking sex life might lead to resentment on his side. Is this rejection happening frequently?

SirVixofVixHall · 19/12/2018 11:20

Apologise to HIM ? For having a tantrum when the op didn’t really want sex, reluctantly agreed to be nice, and then was put off by children rattling the door ? Yet SHE should apologise ?
If my DH got me to reluctantly agree to sex and then had a huge strop when i changed my mind for any reason, never mind children outside the door , i would think he was being a bit of a shit tbh.

Merryoldgoat · 19/12/2018 11:22

I’ve been really dissatisfied with my sex life at various times throughout my relationship. No shouting, sulking, withholding of affection.

Your husband is a nasty bully.

Missingstreetlife · 19/12/2018 11:24

Not sure if this is coersion, op will know if she felt that. It is certainly bullying. Sulking childish petulant behaviour which op should ignore or deal, not placate and apologise for.
Make a time for a serious talk, if he won't, it's a red flag. Clearly he can stop this behaviour because he selectively uses it

Missingstreetlife · 19/12/2018 11:25

Deal with

Swipe left for the next trending thread