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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH always “helping”

185 replies

Cavaleer · 11/12/2020 15:18

I’m getting very pissed off with my DH. I’m prepared to be told I’m BU but I want others opinions and to know if your partner does this. We have school aged kids. It’s full on. My eves are spent cooking/homework/housework/washing school clothes/bath/bed etc my DH (who works part time from home) always asks me “how can I help”. Is it “helping”? Isn’t it just “doing”? We’re then in the position where it’s me doing and him helping. So I’m then having to say “thanks” for whatever it is that he’s done. Because he’s “helped”. I don’t get thanked. It’s my norm. I just have to crack on. So if he says “what can I help with” and I’m “can you get the kids in the bath” it’s then expected me to “thanks for bathing them tonight” “thanks for loading the dishwasher” “thanks for cleaning their shoes” etc etc etc
Is this normal?
It feels like I’m the bog standard employee and he’s the overseer jumping in when things are proving busy to help “ease the load” and as such I’m then to appreciate that. It just feels like a fucked up dynamic and I want to know how other people do this in normal relationships please?

OP posts:
DPotter · 11/12/2020 19:42

Many years ago I worked with a lady who had countered offers for help in this way

son: Can I help with the washing up ?

Mum; No - but you can do the washing up

She said it took a while before the funny looks stopped but her all male family did get it in the end.

It's all about perception.

And definitely stop thanking him, unless he starts to thank you for every thing you do

Serin · 11/12/2020 19:44

It is putting you in a position of responsibility. It is your responsibility to get these jobs done and he is merely helping.
Its wrong.
There is a reason that managers are paid more. The job comes with added stress.
Train him to look out for what needs doing, not to expect you to have spotted it already, triaged it, and allocated it to someone.

ScrambledSmegs · 11/12/2020 19:53

From the OP I assumed that she works full time, as she does everything in the evenings not during the day. He works part time as she stated.

It's interesting that most other people made the assumption that the OP doesn't work at all.

isonedaytoday · 11/12/2020 19:56

DH used to tell me he'd done things for me -I've put the kids toys away for you or I've made the packed lunches for you'-I used to say thank you every time then one day thought WTF am I doing so I started telling him 'I picked the kids from school for you or I did the laundry for you' he soon got the hint and carried on just sharing the chores without having to let me know everything he'd doneSmile

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 11/12/2020 19:58

Just tell him!

Say "I don't know about 'helping' me, just make it your job and get it done"

Or say "when you offer to help it makes it seem like my job and I should be grateful - it's our job, your job as much as mine, either one of us can do it. A Team".

He is your DH, surely you can have a conversation about it?

CreamFirstThenJamOnTop · 11/12/2020 20:03

We don’t offer to “help” as we both take responsibility for what needs doing, but we do tend to tell each other what we’ve done and thank each other.

LongDistanceClaret · 11/12/2020 20:04

Another thing to try is to get in there first. E.g.
Christmas Day morning: “Let me know if I can help you at all with the Dinner today”

BigFatLiar · 11/12/2020 20:15

@ScrambledSmegs

From the OP I assumed that she works full time, as she does everything in the evenings not during the day. He works part time as she stated.

It's interesting that most other people made the assumption that the OP doesn't work at all.

Not enough information to say either way.
Manolinette · 11/12/2020 20:24

If a man says "Can I help out?" they indicate they see themselves as staff. In which case that indicates the woman is the employer, the proprietor, the owner and CEO of the whole show. Accordingly, the least that should flow from that resolve is the transfer of all property and funds into the ownership of the woman so that proper and effective control and management passes to her.

MrsClatterbuck · 11/12/2020 20:28

If you work full time and your dp works part time then surely he should be getting some of the housework done during the day. When You arrive home you could try asking him what does he want help with that he didn't get done. Also does he do any parenting of the kids. I would be pointing out that they are also his kids and bathing them and doing bedtime in fact anything to do with the kids is called parenting. Also he lives in the house and I pressure is also responsible for it getting dirty untidy etc so therefore also responsible for cleaning

Londonmummy66 · 11/12/2020 20:44

Explain that children do things "to help" husbands and fathers get on with life. One is attractive and one is a turn off - he can decide which he is but will reap the consequences.

ALternatiely tell him that you will no longer be "helping" him so he can do his own laundry/cooking etc etc

DeRigueurMortis · 11/12/2020 20:53

Ok so he works part time and you full time - yet you come home from work and spend the evenings running round like a blue arsed fly whilst he expects "thanks" for utterly basic household tasks that he's had to be "informed" needed doing....

You're right to be pissed off but by the same token you need to change your behaviour as much as he needs to change his.

Make a list of all the tasks that need doing monthly/weekly/daily.

Two columns - "now" and "future". Tick all the tasks you do "now" and then how you want them to be spilt appropriately going forward (and thus should not be 50/50 as he works part time, it needs to be proportional to your "free" time outside work).

Then sit down with him and show him the list and make clear that he needs to start shouldering his share of running the house (not "helping") pointing out how disproportionately the load is "shared" now.

Explain that you're not putting up with the current set up any longer and that unless he starts behaving like an adult you'll cut your workload by removing any tasks you do for him by divorcing him.

Upshot is I think your situation is pretty common sadly but it's not acceptable.

DH and I spilt tasks and contribute equally and we don't constantly "thank" each other for basic household cores.

We will make comments such as "that meal was really lovely and I really enjoyed it" or "the garden looks really lovely after the weeding you did", n other words we acknowledge a job well done but we done feel the need to be thankful for it.

shehadsomuchpotential · 11/12/2020 21:14

Is it just a turn of phrase problem. My partners walks in after his work calls and says 'right what needs doing/does anything need doing'. I think its great. The dynamic is such because i am already doing and wrestling my kids.

At the weekends we both get up and moving at the same time so it tends to be said less.

When i was married i would have longed for my DH to utter the words how can i help

I'd object to thanking though. Not just for pulling weight.

Simplyunacceptable · 11/12/2020 21:23

My DH does this too, it’s never actually dawned on me before but he’s definitely guilty of offering his ‘help’. You’re right, they should just do it anyway.

My DH does the whole ‘so I fed toddler, cleaned up after him and washed breakfast dishes up too’ as if I’m supposed to thank him or be impressed in some way.

ShameMacGowan · 11/12/2020 21:24

Whenever dh makes a point of highlighting he has "helped", which is often, i tell him his medal is in the post. There is nothing more irritating than having a man congratulating himself wildly for doing something that i do every day without thinking.

BigFatLiar · 11/12/2020 21:35

Make a list of all the tasks that need doing monthly/weekly/daily.

Two columns - "now" and "future". Tick all the tasks you do "now" and then how you want them to be spilt appropriately going forward (and thus should not be 50/50 as he works part time, it needs to be proportional to your "free" time outside work).

Get him to add any additional tasks that need to be added.
Once the list is agreed let him get on with 'his' tasks and don't give him grief if its not as you would do it and don't let him criticise the way you've done 'your' tasks.

We never really had a schedule for housework, just for the girls bed times. Housework got done when we felt it needed doing just spending time together seemed more important.

Crankley · 11/12/2020 23:34

I totally agree pheonixrebirth

I would never have gone into a serious relationship with someone like this. At the beginning of living together we would agree that we were both responsible for house and life work. If he did something in a way with which I disagreed, I kept my mouth shut and I'm sure the reverse was also true. I've never been fanatical about how something was done. My way isn't the only way.

So not only do I not understand why one would marry such a man, you then become even further emeshed by having children and if he didn't do his share before, why would you imagine he would do it after?

ToniTheDonkey · 12/12/2020 10:02

I used to live with an ex-P who - on the rare occasions he did some housework - would say “I’ve done the hoovering for you”. What do you mean “for me”? We both worked full time.

Snaketime · 12/12/2020 17:41

Generally if I start doing something my DH will come up and say 'do you need any help?' Or 'what can I do to help?' And if he starts doing something I will ask him the same. Not because one is an employee, but because the one that started knows where they are upto and what still needs doing.

twoshedsjackson · 12/12/2020 18:38

If your DH is blessed with any sense of irony, you could try praising him effusively, or sticking a gold star on his chart. This could backfire spectacularly if he takes you at face value......but you know him better than we do.

pobble2019 · 12/12/2020 18:44

I empathise totally with this. I basically work 2 jobs but DH was just laid off, has insomnia and it is a tough time for him, which can’t be helped. He's quite depressed at the moment.

It wasn’t so apparent when we both worked long hours, but now that he’s laid off, the dynamic got weirder because he is at home all the time. Yet I still handle all of childcare with help of my parents. ALL. Besides the time when my parents help (during work hours), I personally handle all feeds (EBF) and meals and baths and bedtime.

My parents say I am enabling him to be lazy. When I try to divvy up the tasks, sometimes it results in more tension, as he will argue that my 'standards' are too high for him to meet. Or, it will be done poorly meaning I have to redo it all. eg: He's broken my favourite mugs, pots (no apologies for it either), washed incredibly filthy items with delicate baby items, has failed to fix two broken lamps for half a year now, etc.

On weekends like all other days he sleeps in easily until 12noon whereas I’ll be up from 6 or 7am cleaning, tidying, dealing with baby.

The only thing I can say that has ‘helped’ me is that I realised that I began getting more resentful when I kept a detailed tally of all the ways in which he did not pull his own weight in household chores. So I stopped picking at these holes, for it was making me more unhappy.

These days I do not especially ‘thank’ him for helping, since I’ve observed that he does not thank me. There are scenarios where he may ask me to go out of my way to help him eg: when I am busy with something and I’ve asked him to change a nappy, but he may say, “can you go and bring me all the materials for the nappy change” whereas I may already have spent a whole day doing everything on my own with him not helping me get those items any way. In which case I politely inform him where to find all those items and ask him to do it himself.

For me, I try to frame it as such: I do those household chores for myself because I like a nice living environment. If the house is messy but I am busy, I’ll leave it, it can wait. I also make a point to go out to meet friends, albeit with baby strapped to me since I can't pass childcare on to him. I try to be kind to myself, if we’re tired, me and baby will lie in bed together so mummy can nap. I suppose I have found other ways to cope and to be happy. I'm very happy with baby and watching her grow.

Functionally speaking, I've now learnt that I could be a single parent and I would still be able to cope (and thrive).

Baker0104 · 12/12/2020 18:50

Before I got pregnant we split the household jobs pretty much 50/50 but we both thank each other for doing stuff around the house. It's just the way we are. Now I'm pregnant I barely do anything, mainly cause I feel so rubbish, but I keep thanking my other half and he always tells me not to be so stupid.
I dunno its nice to be thanked but I don't expect it, same for him

Estheryan07 · 12/12/2020 19:09

I’ve got a really bad arm at the moment, my hubby said “I’ve done the washing up, and made all the beds FOR YOU!” Context 4 of us in house - us and our 2 kids! He isn’t working(due to covid but usually does) - I am working part time! The dishes were from our family meal, the beds were all of ours! I know he was being kind and he didn’t mean to sound like a pr*ck, but I’m sure he was waiting for a medal!

Sookiestackhouse5 · 12/12/2020 19:14

I completely empathise.
I get “do you want me to pick the kids up?”
“Do you me to cook tonight?”... and so on (although an offer to clean a bathroom or hoover has never actually come...)
... and it always makes me feel like he’s doing me a favour, I just wished he’d say “I’ll do that” & get on with it!

billy1966 · 12/12/2020 19:42

@pobble2019

Sounds awful.Flowers

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