Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Dh doesn't respect me

84 replies

Defeated88 · 09/01/2021 16:42

Dh confirmed what I have suspected for a while. That he doesn't respect me. And he thinks that no else does either, including our dd.

This came about after an argument where he shouted in DD's face as she listening. When I say in her face he was probably 1cm and bellowing at her, reducing her to tears (she's 6)

I told him never to do that again as I don't think it's right, which is when he turned round and said that because I don't discipline her properly that's why he and no one else will ever respect me and will walk all over me.

Have left him watching the tv while dd and I have done some jobs round the house. But feeling very upset at the moment.

OP posts:
pickingdaisies · 09/01/2021 17:19

Wow. I'm so sorry, OP. But I don't think you can afford to wait for the perfect time to leave this bastard. Hell be much more of a problem to deal with once you've got your hands full with a new baby. Protect your daughter. Who can help you get him out, in the next week? Or can you get out yourself temporarily? I'm scared for you and your dd.

MrsGrindah · 09/01/2021 17:20

He’s not fit to be a father. Leave him. Nothing will get better..more likely get worse. Your poor girl.

Ohalrightthen · 09/01/2021 17:21

Frankly, being pregnant isn't an excuse for letting your existing child continue to be abused.

Your duty as a parent here has to be to get him out of the house ASAP.

Bilgepumper · 09/01/2021 17:22

What a horrible, horrible man. Does he actually think shouting at a six year old and making her cry is okay?

I would have zero respect for a man like that. Flowers

Chel098 · 09/01/2021 17:22

You can contact a women’s refugee I posted quickly before reading all your updates. I hope you have some family.. was the baby planned OP?

DowntonCrabby · 09/01/2021 17:27

Please get out now before four DD grows up thinking this is normal. It’s not. It’s abuse. He’s a prick.

Flowers
Opaljewel · 09/01/2021 17:28

Pregnancy is no reason not to leave him, in fact it's a perfect reason to leave him. Protect your kids from growing up thinking this is normal. Take a few weeks to sort yourself out and get ducks in a row then leave the arsehole. X good luck.

SunshineCake · 09/01/2021 17:33

You must leave him. He takes it personally if you don't hear him as he thinks you should be hanging on to his every word and available to him at all times. So not stay for the sake of the baby as he's already shown you what he thinks of women - his wife and female child.

PomPomSugar · 09/01/2021 17:35

I would be more concerned about him shouting at your DD like that over whether he respects you or not. Get her out now.

Lucieintheskye · 09/01/2021 17:36

OP I know you don't want to consider leaving him but please do contact women's aid or a DV charity. They will support you and tell you your options, rights, how things would pan out and may even be able to help you get him anger management support if you do choose to stay with him. You deserve better than this and I'm so sorry you and your DC are facing this.

Dragongirl10 · 09/01/2021 17:37

Definately abuse, l would leave my DH if he ever did that and defended it.

KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 09/01/2021 17:37

I agree with a PP being pregnant isn't a reason to allow him to continue to abuse your six year old child, who else is going to protect her if you won't, and frankly why on earth did you have a second child with this man when he treats the first so appallingly? Maybe he was the dream partner before you had your first and you had no idea he'd be like this (doubtful), but you're letting your daughter continue to suffer and are about to subject another innocent child to the same. Leave before it escalates further, he's told you to your face he doesn't respect you. You might have a smaller house, you might be poorer but you and your children will be much better off

MissMarpleDarling · 09/01/2021 17:39

Omg please protect your poor child. Can you not ask him to leave the home? I know you said you are pregnant but leaving him is that simple. Don't put the child you already have in danger just because it will be hard for you with 2 kids. She didn't ask to be here.

Regularsizedrudy · 09/01/2021 17:42

You need to step up and protect your daughter

thepeopleversuswork · 09/01/2021 17:42

I agree with those saying pregnancy isn't a reason to stay, but am also conscious that the OP may want to prioritise having a calm and stress-free pregnancy and getting this out of the way before leaving and I can understand how daunting this must seem now due to pregnancy and COVID and all the rest of it. But OP you may actually find it easier to do it before: it sounds as if he is the last person you want around for the birth and to support you when you have a newborn. I'd give some serious thought to whether you can do this.

The bottom line is you do need to get out ASAP.

1FootInTheRave · 09/01/2021 17:42

You are massively failing your daughter.

Penistoe · 09/01/2021 17:43

How many times do you hear about adult children who were abused and their other parent did nothing. Do you think she is going to thank you for keeping this man around. You are going to ruin your daughters and unborn child’s life unless you leave this abusive man!!!

bpirockin · 09/01/2021 17:44

What an awful way to carry on, and what a horrid bully he is. I realise that it is a big step, but I urge you, for both your own and the sake of your children, to get away from this man. If you don't feel able to do so/lack support, then work towards it and if you dare, suggest he has counselling/or maybe even that you go together. If nothing else it might make the process of separation that bit easier.

My own father was a similar bully, and it took me 4 years of therapy, by which time I was in my forties, to be able to even see him without shrivelling and feeling like dirt. Nobody deserves that.

cyclingmad · 09/01/2021 17:45

I wouldn't have him sitting their watching TV i would have packed a bag for him and told him to leave and come back when he adjusts his attitude and behaviour

zeitgeista · 09/01/2021 17:47

i don't have any advice but i've been the little girl up until not even last year and it is terrifying to have a man (even just a few inches taller than you which was recently) that is meant to love you do that.

all i can say to you is please listen to your daughter because my mum would excuse my dad doing this in lots of different ways but most of them were down to my behaviour.

i don't feel that anything i did was worthy of this or anything else he did and i don't know what your daughter did or didn't do but there is nothing it could have been that deserved that and i guarantee if you don't show that you are on her side that it will leave a mark for many many years after, i still remember things my dad did when i was around 5 and i remember my mums response.

TonMoulin · 09/01/2021 17:49

He is weak and frightened that actually he isn’t that great and respectful but you are.
He is trying to calm his inadequacies but using force and fear on someone that is obviously weaker than him - his dd.

Tbh the fact you are 25 weeks pg should not be a hindrance but a trigger. You are now in a ‘weaker’ position, less likely to kick him out and he knows it. Hence the fact thsi time he didn’t hold back and told you all this.

imalmosthere · 09/01/2021 17:52

Please step up and protect your child.

AliceMcK · 09/01/2021 17:53

@Defeated88

Unfortunately just leaving him isn't that simple as I am currently 25 weeks pregnant. Although I have a good and would be able to buy him out of the house if it did come to it.

He gets angry as he doesn't like people not listening to him. If he says something once and you don't hear (even if you are doing something and genuinely didn't hear) he takes it personally. Not making excuses it is just the way he is. I often feel I am treading on eggshells around him and have to be 'ready to hear anything he says at all times.

Do you think that’s normal or acceptable? I’m not usually one to jump on the automatic leave him band wagon, but walking around in egg shells, always having to be ready to listen to what he says, screaming at a 6yo child in the face, he hinders your job, all sound like red flags to me. It reminds me of that domestic violence advert where the woman can’t move anywhere because there are egg shells all over the floor.

How do you not know what’s happened in the past if your just in the other room? If I hear my DH shouting at the DCs regardless which rooms we are in I go and find out what is happening. I won’t just ask what’s happened I will survey the room and see what’s happening and dig down the the actual facts, of who did what etc..I have absolutely no problems pulling my DH up if I think he’s out of order, but I will also back him up if I think he’s justified in shouting at the DCs. But I may also say to him on the quiet that he might have been a bit ott or go easy on so a and so because they had a bad day at school etc... He will do the same to me. We have a pact, he will pull me up if he thinks I’m over reacting because they are pushing my buttons and vice versa. We also 100% will always apologise to our DCs if either of us is out of order.

Parents scream and shout, I’d be a hypocrite if I said I didn’t, but a grown man shouting in a 6yo face is threatening, intimidating and bullying, your poor DD must have been terrified even if she hasn’t said so. As I said my DH shouts usually after the umpteenth time of asking the DCs to do something, but he would never ever do that, I’d knock his block off if he did. My mother use to scream in my face like that and I really bucking hated her for it, as a child I was terrified of her.

Being pregnant dosnt stop you from leaving if anything it’s more of an incentive to put a stop to this now.

He’s told you he dosnt respect you, why would you want to be with a man who dose not respect you and teach your daughter it’s acceptable to be with a bully that dose not respect you?

As I’ve said I’m not a jump on the leave him straight away band wagon. If you think there is a way forward, pull him up on his behaviour, lay it all out, what he dose how it impacts your family and life and see if he sees it and is willing to work on it then do it. But if your afraid of his reaction to you doing this then you seriously need to think about leaving.

Dyrne · 09/01/2021 17:55

Sorry OP, but the fact that you’re pregnant isn’t an excuse to stay with him. If anything it should be even more of a driver to leave - why would you want to expose another child to his behaviour?

Speak to Women’s Aid about how you can report his abusive behaviour and then start making plans to end your relationship.

alliwantisabitofpeace · 09/01/2021 17:59

OP picture your daughter telling you her husband has done the same thing to her. What would you tell her to do?

Swipe left for the next trending thread