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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Not to massage his feet til my fucking hands fall off?

126 replies

TruthIsOutThere33 · 05/11/2019 01:08

Really annoyed this evening and would like to know who’s being a dick...me or DH. DH arrived home from work tonight at 11pm. He works ridiculously long hours as he’s in the middle of an enormous project which will end in two weeks. It has been going on for a little over a year and he’s understandably shattered every day due to working from 8am until 10pm most days, sometimes typing and conference calling away until 2am if he’s working from home. I see how hard he works and that is not the issue, as he loves his job, but I just wanted to give some context.

I usually wait up for him until 11ish despite having 3DCs and really needing the sleep, so we can spend a little time together.

Tonight he had his dinner, having only had time for a sandwich around 6, then we sat on the sofa to chat. He asks if I would massage his feet. Not a problem. We do this for each other sometimes.

The issue is, apparently I don’t press hard enough, I obviously just don’t have the strength in my hands. This probably sounds like a stupid issue and you’ll all think I’m batshit but I did the best I could and then stopped after a few minutes. He said I needed to press harder because he’s really aching. My hands hurt by now so I say no. We have a mini argument because he thinks I was just not trying. I was pressing with all the strength i had! Trouble is he likes extremely firm massages that really dig into him, whereas I’m the opposite and have to tell him not to press too hard when he massages me.

After the little tiff I refused to press his feet again; and went up to bed. He was calling me selfish and said that he will sometimes need this when he’s worked a zillion long days in a row. I’ve looked after 3 kids all day and cooked, cleaned, done laundry etc. What if I’m fucking tired when he needs (wants) a massage?? I told him to hire a masseuse to come to the house like a lot of people do nowadays and he said that won’t work as it’s something he “needs” me to do (and get better at apparently) when he’s home from work. Pretty sure we could time it so that the masseuse arrives when he does!

Anyway, sorry for the long rant, AIBU to not want to do it because he wants me to press so hard it causes me pain??? Or am I selfish like he says.

Before I get any of the usual responses:

Is he always a dick? No he is not usually a dick.

When does he see the kids!? He spends plenty of time with the kids at the weekend and briefly in the morning, as well as when working from home (which he does regularly) and also when he is able to come home early.

Thanks all.

OP posts:
AuntyElle · 05/11/2019 01:19

YANBU. He’s behaving like an entitled twat. Men often get overly entitled when working self-imposed, excessive hours. They think it’s in some way heroic Hmm.
He appears to view you as a housekeeper/on-call masseur. His decision to work ridiculous hours, so his responsibility to deal with it.
Go to bed when you’re tired. Don’t wait up for that shit behaviour.

MidniteScribbler · 05/11/2019 02:38

WTF? Did I just time jump into the fifties?

Grumpyunleashed · 05/11/2019 02:40

Get the git a foot massager from Amazon / eBay and leave him to it.

Topseyt · 05/11/2019 03:00

I would tell the entitled twat to bugger off and massage his own feet.

He doesn't need you to do anything of the sort and I would not be making the offer again. I wouldn't massage anyone's feet anyway.

mokapot · 05/11/2019 03:13

MARNUR Foot Massager Shiatsu Kneading Electric Massage Machine with Air Pressure and Heat Rolling at Home or Office for Women and Men www.amazon.ca/dp/B06Y5J9PZ7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yIoWDb8B52MPP

mokapot · 05/11/2019 03:13

Buy him that. Job done

Preggosaurus9 · 05/11/2019 03:54

Stop waiting up for him. Get your sleep.

You're not his domestic slave and neither are you his emotional punching bag for him to take out work stress on.

Tell him to grow the fuck up.

Countryescape · 05/11/2019 04:03

He sounds like a fucking man child. I would honestly have gone ballistic at him.

Wherecanwegetoff123 · 05/11/2019 04:07

I agree with you. But you need some moisturiser. Dry feet are hard to massage. But just buy him one of the above.

GuessWhoColeen · 05/11/2019 04:09

Yep buy him a foot massager for Christmas & start going up to bed at 9pm with a hot choc & t.v on.

I wouldnt be waiting up for him.

FredaFrogspawn · 05/11/2019 04:19

Never mind the fifties, are you posting from Ancient Rome?

Fuck him and fuck his feet. It’s an absolute privilege to have your feet massaged and treating it like it’s a husband’s right is so toe curling.( See what I did there?) How very dare he whinge about this. What a turn off for you.

Agree with buying his that contraption for Christmas and going to bed when you are tired.

OwlBeThere · 05/11/2019 04:21

You tried. If you don’t have the strength to do it, then you don’t. I don’t have strong hands at all and my hands would ache for ages after doing that.
I think on a practical level the link above is great, though I’d be tempted to use it to slap some sense into the man!! Grin

IWantADifferentName · 05/11/2019 04:38

Looking on the bright side, now you know to buy him a foot massager for Christmas!

Seriously, he think ‘needs’ you to give him a foot massage? I think he needs to stop being an overly entitled fuckwit.

Durgasarrow · 05/11/2019 04:53

Someone has confused Needs and Wants.

Bickles · 05/11/2019 05:01

www.thumpermassager.uk

Bickles · 05/11/2019 05:03

He’s being unreasonable obviously. I’d buy a massager too though if this is his only bad point. I have a thumper- it’s great.
I’d also go to bed earlier, don’t stay up for him.

GrumpyHoonMain · 05/11/2019 05:16

Sounds like the house vs work split isn’t fair if he is working 8am-10pm and then until 2am too and you are doing all of the childcare. Are you both working? If not then that’s where I would start - he then needs to start looking for a job with more reasonable hours.

MitziK · 05/11/2019 05:59

Chuck him some memory foam insoles and a frozen bottle of water.

If his feet hurt that much (I get that it is fucking horrible and a barely there massage is irritating as hell when you're desperate for the pain to stop), he needs new shoes that are more supportive whilst being cushioned. And whilst he's at it, he could do with getting himself down the GP to check for inflammatory arthritis or plantar fasciitis. Both are fucking shit.

Doesn't make it right for him to have a go at you, though.

RolytheRhino · 05/11/2019 06:04

Who the duck voted to say YABU?! Does your husband use MN, OP?

RolytheRhino · 05/11/2019 06:05
  • not duck
finn1020 · 05/11/2019 06:17

He’s being a twat. Tell him to organise his own massage and while he’s at it his own cooking, cleaning, washing too cause you’re too busy to deal with an ungrateful rude sod.

speakout · 05/11/2019 06:21

Is this for real OP?

You are looking after three kids and presumably all the housework, no doubt washing his clothes and doing all the wifework while he attends to "really important" man work.

I wouldn't even wait up for him, never mind massaging his feet.

ChikiTIKI · 05/11/2019 06:22

Why do his feet so much when his job involves mainly sitting down. He is not very nice. Just go to bed before he gets home.

UhareFouxisci · 05/11/2019 06:24

Stop waiting up for him.
Get him an electric massager.
And ask him to take a look at his work pattern because he is currently sacrificing the quality of his family relationships for the sake of money, and that never ends well.

nottodaysatanlucifer · 05/11/2019 06:26

Yuck. I wouldn't touch anyone's feet. shudder