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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Think I’ve had enough.

129 replies

Boobiliboobiliboo · 09/02/2019 18:41

DH works from home most of the time for his own business. Sometimes needs to work away. I work full time out of the home in a mentally and emotionally demanding job. We have one 8 year old DD.

I tend to do school drop offs, DH does pick up and after school activities, unless he is away, in which case I manage my diary around pick ups as well. DH will usually get DD ready in the morning, but goes back to bed between stages (eg while DD is eating breakfast, getting dressed etc) so everything takes far longer than it should and we’re usually in a rush.

I cook 99% of meals, sort out food deliveries, washing, ironing, finances, do the books for his company, VAT and tax returns. I make 95% of DD’s packed lunches and deal with all the school stuff like PE kit, reading books, non-uniform days etc.

DH has for several years been a bit of a workaholic. For the past several months he’s barely managed to work 6hours on average per day, despite needing to work late regularly. Turns out he’s been going back to bed once DD and I have left, then getting up around lunchtime and starting work somewhere around 1pm. He says he can’t get going in the mornings, but it has absolutely nothing to do with him staying up online gaming until 3 or 4am. Hmm

On Saturdays DD has either one or 2 activities (one thing is every week, the other is fortnightly). Today it was both things. I was up before 8am to get ready. DD was up at about 8:15am. I had to wake him up at 9:15am and ask him to get DD some breakfast. I had to remind him of what she needed in her bag. He was such a mess that we ended up leaving late, and she was late to her activity. I spent the time she was there going to get things she needs for a show next week. I picked her up, took her to get lunch and then off to her other activity. She usually has a sleepover with grandparents once a fortnight and i meet them with her at a retail park between our homes. (Around 20mile drive.)

DH needs some new shoes, so asked if after DD’s 2nd activity could I detour to pick him up and he could get some shoes at the retail park. I told him what time we’d be there. He wasn’t ready. In the car he tells me that he’s emptied the dishwasher and put out the washing. I am not impressed. He said he has spent the day on his PS4. I say nothing.

When we get to the retail park I get DD’s overnight bag (which I packed with her) out and go to get her activity bag as she has an extra session tomorrow which my way parents are taking her to. It’s not there. He took it out of the car when we went to pick him up. He said he didn’t know about the session tomorrow, but I reminded him that it was him who told me about it last weekend as he found the letter in her bag. I said that I had told him my parents would be taking her to the activity and now he would have to make arrangements to get the stuff to her as he didn’t bother asking before deciding to take the stuff out of the car. He stormed off. I have moved the car and am sitting in the car park. We are meant to be going for food and to the cinema as he complains that I am usually too busy/tired to spend time with him.

I really don’t want to spend another 10 years putting up with this shit. I am so utterly fucked off that everything is down to me whilst he spends hours and hours playing games online, shirking his responsibilities and not even working full days. Any hint of criticism and the blame gets put onto me.

WIBU to go home and take a hammer to the PS4 and pack up his stuff? I feel I’ve lost all rational thought.

OP posts:
Teaandcrisps · 10/02/2019 10:16

Well done OP - you have very squarely told him that you want a partner and not a man-child. Great that the responsibility for his business and his lifestyle is back where it should be - rather than your fault!
Hope he really does act on it now. What do you hope he does from here? And how long you gonna give him to turn it around?

AnotherEmma · 10/02/2019 10:16

Good for you, OP.
Tbh I think you should do all those things whether he gets help or not! Definitely extricate yourself from him business and maybe a trial separation. He could rent elsewhere for a while.

PinkiOcelot · 10/02/2019 10:16

Just read your last update. Good for you OP! I bet he is shocked!!

LagunaBubbles · 10/02/2019 10:24

That's a good update OP.

All the people suggesting that OP smash up the PlayStation, take it away etc, no matter how frustrating the situation you can't do that to another adults possession you just can't.

MyDcAreMarvel · 10/02/2019 10:25

DD was up at about 8:15am. I had to wake him up at 9:15am and ask him to get DD some breakfast. I had to remind him of what she needed in her bag.
Don’t understand why you could not have made breakfast etc? Was it just to prove a point?

Boobiliboobiliboo · 10/02/2019 10:26

I was in a towel having just got out of the shower. And yes, a point to an extent.

OP posts:
AnotherEmma · 10/02/2019 10:29

Yes OP why don't you just do everything so he doesn't have to anything at all Hmm

Boobiliboobiliboo · 10/02/2019 10:34

Yes. It properly ruined his day of doing fuck all to have to help look after his daughter for 45 minutes.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 10/02/2019 10:38

About the business it needs to be structured so that he's not paid in dividend lose you won't get anything in maintenance!!!

He's probably addicted to gaming now so I would seriously suggest that as he can no longer self regulate that you with the router off/change password at an agreed time.

cementpointing · 10/02/2019 10:40

my initial thoughts are depression and anxiety which has led to avoidance. i have been through this myself and it led to DH stating if things didnt improve after 12 months, he would want to separate. it almost broke me. i thought whilst not ideal and a bit chaotic, we could muddle through but i didnt see that dh was struggling with the pressure. i am now on AD medication and therapy. life has improved massively but i'm still working on my actions and behaviours. we are a happier household.

Boobiliboobiliboo · 10/02/2019 10:42

I refuse to let her have packed lunches as that is extra work, she has school lunches.

Would be throwing money away. She doesn’t like to eat much at lunchtime, so has most of her lunch after school. Can’t do that with school dinners (and I’m not happy with the stuff they serve). Her lunch costs a lot less than £2.70 per day as well!

OP posts:
cementpointing · 10/02/2019 10:43

i was very opposed to the idea of drugs but in the end it was that or lose my family and husband who i really loved.

DointItForTheKids · 10/02/2019 11:05

Using 'I don't want to go on drugs' as a reason for doing NOTHING about the situation is bollocks! If not drugs then choose a different solution. The issue is not the treatments, it's his apathy towards what's going on.

I totally support what approach you took OP - I think your shock and awe tactic was spot-on - when people are this deep into self-obsessive, poor me, selfish thinking, it's the only way to snap them out of it and start seeing the bigger picture. It's like a verbal, figurative 'slap around the chops' (not condoning violence, hope you understand what I mean) - a quiet calm talk that doesn't result in the double-take that OPs DH had would not have worked.

I hope you can successfully work through this all OP to a solution that works for you.

GabsAlot · 10/02/2019 11:13

good update-he doesnt want to take drugs(i never understand that if they help) what about cbt or something else

obviously this is his last chance to change things hope it works out

Boobiliboobiliboo · 10/02/2019 11:18

He did try the “if I had a broken leg you’d be more understanding, what’s the difference?” line.

I said that if he had a broken leg and sought no treatment/didn’t take the treatment and thought that marathon training was appropriate I’d absolutely respond in the same way.

OP posts:
cementpointing · 10/02/2019 11:23

if your dh keeps making excuses or doesnt accept facts and you know you can afford to make a separate household work, then i'd seriously consider making the ultimatum and setting a review date. not good for your MH and your DH will have a calmer homelife if you separate because things haven't changed.

cementpointing · 10/02/2019 11:24

sorry, DD, not DH

Boobiliboobiliboo · 10/02/2019 11:25

I’ve said the end of March. He’s catastrophising about Brexit at the moment (as am I but I’m in practical mode as opposed to panic) and said we would need to stick together if it happens. I said no, if he wants me around after March 29th he’s going to have to make me want to be around.

OP posts:
Teaandcrisps · 10/02/2019 11:31

Goodness - how waring. Doesn't sound like he's really taking in what you said

  • and you've been pretty clear for sure. Hope you rcan remain as clear as this, must be mentally exhausting.
Millenniem · 10/02/2019 11:32

One thing you could easily stop doing is the morning organisation of dd and school drop off. Tell him it starts this week.

Get yourself ready and leave the house early. Give this time to yourself. Leave them to it. They can organise breakfast and making lunch and getting school bags, pe kits ready. Even if it takes a couple of days to adjust this is an easy way to drop some of the load. And it should release your stress before you start work each day.

Soubriquet · 10/02/2019 11:34

What have you done to try and help your birth injury?

I don’t care about him moaning about lack of sex but for you.

I had a birth injury when I had my first child meaning PIV was impossible

I was in and out of the doctors trying all sorts of lotions and potions.

It finally took an operation removing several inches think of scar tissue before I was able to do anything sexual.

Soubriquet · 10/02/2019 11:36

Thick not think

RandomMess · 10/02/2019 11:39

It's ironic how he accuses you of not being supportive when he hasn't been supportive of the impact your BI has had on you...

Boobiliboobiliboo · 10/02/2019 11:53

Everything bar the surgery. They estimate a 50/50 chance of it helping v making it a lot worse. For around 4 years I was in fairly constant pain very regularly with it. Climbing stairs etc would make it very sore. Have had Botox injections, all of the creams, lotions, dilation etc and it’s improved enough that it’s quite rare that it’s sore on a day to day basis.

The consultant and surgeon have looked at other scars I have and are concerned that a new scar would be the same, but with the amount of tissue they would have to remove it could return me to daily discomfort/soreness/agony for which there is no cure. Sorry if TMI.

OP posts:
dustyfan · 10/02/2019 11:54

Just get rid of him. He sounds gross. And so willing to blame you for his fuck ups.

Roll on March 29.