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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Social Life Entitlement

36 replies

moannomoanyes · 06/11/2019 17:13

I apologise in advance for how long this post will be and greatly appreciate anyone that takes the time to read it all, even more so if advice is left.

I’m really struggling with my relationship at the moment, I feel stuck in a rut and it always boils down my OH’s social life.
OH believes he is entitled to his social life however he chooses to spend it and I am being unreasonable to expect any less and allowing it to cause us problems. After arguing about this so much for so long and getting ignored I’m beginning to think iabu so would appreciate some outside advice.

OH is a social butterfly and has always enjoyed a drink however I was promised that this would change to special occasions only if I chose to become pregnant.
Became pregnant - the above went out the window with the excuse being that once LO arrived OH’s social life would naturally decrease anyway so he used this time to get it out of his system.

I spent a lot of pregnancy worried about OH’s adjustment and communicated this with him only to be met with criticism for not believing in him.
Fast forward to LO arriving and due to continued wild night outs we got into a bad cycle where I would immediately have my back up at any suggestion of going out as I’d assume the worst meaning OH became scared to check with me so instead would go straight from work barely communicate and then return in early hours of the morning - 5,6,7am to avoid my wrath.

After getting to the bottom of this OH suggested that it would help him if I didn’t assume the worst or give him the cold shoulder when he returned.
Then he gave up drinking for over a month after going out at midnight (upon my return from a rare night out) and not returning home until 1:30pm the next day when we were due to meet over 30 people at 2:30pm.

I told him many times how proud of him I was and every week we discussed how well he’d done to keep completing this detox.
There was no end date to the detox but when he decided to finish it, he lied about drinking again. We got to the bottom of that and he said he was worried I’d be disappointed - I expressed it’s fine to drink as long as it’s manageable so that’s what we agreed.

You guessed it, the wild out nights out continued. My issues are....he moans about limited family time and how my decision to go back to work limits it further yet chooses to spend the time he could have going out. Plans HE makes with me and LO go down the toilet due to his absence and our plans the following day also go down the toilet due to him being severely hungover or they go ahead and he’s moaning about how he feels. If I go out myself for the day with LO he complains I'm stopping family time. He also barely communicates with me while out so if anything was to happen he’d be none the wiser and 1 drink always ends up in multiple.

I’m told the same thing every time which is either he can’t do this and will have to give up drink again or the complete opposite which consists of....what difference does it make to you when you’re asleep anyway? You knew I was like this before, I’m entitled to a social life and need a blow out every now again because of stress from work so can’t promise that I’ll ever stop.

This weekends antics ended up in usual arguments on Monday night, he left for work on Tuesday and told me he was meeting a friend for a drink after work. While at work he apologised for the arguments we had the night before and said we need to work together to get better - I agreed.
Last heard from him at 2pm, didn’t hear again until 12:15am, returned home at 2am.
That is obviously not one drink or the behaviour from someone who cares about my feelings.
God knows what I should expect tonight.

OP posts:
FunOnTheBeach20 · 06/11/2019 17:16

He sounds like an alcoholic? Have you discussed this possibility with him?

FabbyChix · 06/11/2019 17:18

What’s the point of this relationship you’re the only parent. He is living the single life with you on tap. Kick him out

julietcooper · 06/11/2019 17:19

This reply has been deleted

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moannomoanyes · 06/11/2019 17:19

@FunOnTheBeach20 Hi, yes we have and he is very nonchalant about that potential. I've suggested getting help, looking for help but then he says he will always enjoy it and it's something I should adjust to.

OP posts:
bridgetreilly · 06/11/2019 17:21

You lost me here: "if I chose to become pregnant".

He's not in a relationship, sweetheart. He's living a separate life, with the convenience of having you around whenever he feels like it.

GingerRH · 06/11/2019 17:22

@moannomoanyes I literally don't know how you cope.

I don't really have anything productive to say other than you should really fuck him off.

That's not someone who cares about you, your LO, your family unit or your opinions.

Confusedbeetle · 06/11/2019 17:23

This is nothing to do with a social life. This is about him not participating in his family life. There also seems to be an addiction to alcohol which will only change if he chooses to face it. He cannot be a partner to you and behave in this way. He is the one that needs to adjust, to a normal life

ArfArfBarf · 06/11/2019 17:25

He’s self-centred and his behaviour is selfish. How much more are you going to tolerate?

Loopytiles · 06/11/2019 17:25

Sounds like he has an alcohol problem. If so, you can’t cure or control it. Only decide on your own choices with respect to the relationship.

His behaviour is very unfair on you and your DC.

How come you’ve put up with it?

Loopytiles · 06/11/2019 17:26

If he has an alcohol problem, then his primary relationship is with alcohol.

Gillian1980 · 06/11/2019 17:30

He has a serious drink problem and that will always take priority over you and your dc.

The difficulty is that he has to recognise it and try to overcome it for himself (with support). No amount or disagreements will convince him.

Everydaylife · 06/11/2019 17:30

I don’t see how you can live family life like that.

messolini9 · 06/11/2019 17:33

He's an alcoholic manchild.
He bribed you into pregnancy with the false promise of sobering up & staying home.

He wont stop drinking for you.
He wont stop drinking for his baby.
He is appallingly selfish - when do YOU get a break? - & you have fallen in with the female expectation to facilitate him, worry about him, & 100% hold the fort while he gallivants all night.

For now, just get your head round the FACT that he will not change.
Then start making alternative plans. You will never be able to rely on him. I am so sorry you are lumbered with such a useless arsehole.

JeSuisPrest · 06/11/2019 17:33

I had one of those. Fine in our 20's, wearing a bit thin in our 30's, we've now separated in our 40's partly due to his inability to say no to any night out- first to arrive, last to leave always , propping up the bar. He had affairs as well. What a catch. Now I'm happier than ever, whilst he's practising his oldest swinger in town routine, no doubt becoming a laughing stock. I dreaded going on holiday with him - just an excuse to drink non stop for a fortnight. In the end I took DD back to the apartment every night and often found him asleep on a sun lounger by the pool the next morning...

PotteringAlong · 06/11/2019 17:33

He is an alcoholic and a serious one.

You might have my first ever LTB here because this is just getting worse and will massively impact on your children’s lives.

Phineyj · 06/11/2019 17:34

He is an alcoholic. See what support there is for families of alcoholics in your area. They will have heard it all before, I expect.

Embracelife · 06/11/2019 17:34

No point living with him.

MuchBetterNow · 06/11/2019 17:42

Please leave him. He's a selfish arse. My dad was an alcoholic, drink took precedence over absolutely everything. My mum was a shell because of it. It will never get better.

RaininSummer · 06/11/2019 17:45

I spent almost 18 years if my life in a similar way to this. Give home another warning and a reminder of what family life should look that. No changes then split up. You also don't want your child seeing this model of a relationship.

Girlsmummy30 · 06/11/2019 17:46

He sounds to me like he's a drink problem! My DH went to rehab for addiction issues. (cocaine). He now lives sober and clean. I must admit alot of what you are saying is bringing back memories of how dh was before recovery. He never admitted he Had a problem until I was about to leave him.
He's never looked back. And I'm very proud of how far he's come

RaininSummer · 06/11/2019 17:46

I will just add to that to say the everybody is entitled to some time out including you but not when it affects family life adversely.

LaurieMarlow · 06/11/2019 17:47

Difficult. Sounds like he takes no responsibility for the baby at all. Does he do any pickups? Drop offs? Night wakings? Wake ups?

Do you get any nights out?

You need to have a big conversation about taking responsibility. What if you behaved like him? The baby would with SS. Why does he get a free pass on being a responsible parent?

cacklingmags · 06/11/2019 17:48

It sounds as though you a living with a lodger OP, not a partner, and a lodger with a serious alcohol problem that causes constant stress and arguments and stops you doing the ordinary work and family things that you naturally want to do. Very sad for you. He obviously sees the booze as an intrinsic part of his life - if he does not want to change that there is not much in the relationship for you.

VanyaHargreeves · 06/11/2019 17:50

Openly cocklodging but making the right noises to protest otherwise

He isn't treating you like a partner

You are a housemate with benefits

Thehop · 06/11/2019 17:51

This man doesn’t care about you or his family.

He’s living the single life with you as to look after his child and run his house and have sex with.

Kick him out it’ll
Never get better because he likes this set up.

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