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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be so ashamed of my husband causing a scene?

588 replies

Vaterinadf · 18/06/2021 19:51

It was so horrendous. We have 2 DC, 4 and 5 months. Yesterday we couldn't be arsed cooking and our 4 year old has never been to a restaraunt so I suggested we go to the local Pizza Express for dinner. 'D'H whinged about money. He is always complaining about money. Yes things are tight but we are able to stretch to the occasional treat as we have around £150 spare each month, but DH always gets in a tiff about it. I'm not regulary hounding him for treats, but the occasional "Ah shall we just get a takeaway for tonight?" will subject me to a half an hour long rant about how hard he works and about how I waste all his money. I work part-time but am on maternity leave. He reluctantly agreed to go.

As soon as we get in and are sat down, the whinging starts. "It's way too expensive, I want to go somewhere else, come on" (I was BFing 5mo at this point and didn't fancy traipsing around town for somewhere else to eat). I firmly said no, and that the DC will need to be in bed as soon as we get home and I'm not spending time wandering around.

Then he's rude and demanding to the waitress who was literally only a teenager. She asks if we're ready to take our order and we say yes. There's a technical issue with the order taking system she's using and she says "One second, sorry." and DH does a loud, extremely obvious tut that he clearly intended for the waitress to hear. The technical issue was sorted in literally seconds and was an absolute non-issue, the tut was just obnoxious and unnessecary. We then noticed her and another waitress kept glancing over our table so we'd clearly been marked as 'problem' customers. I've worked in hospitality previously and I've found myself risk-assessing tables before, so I felt awful. I did not want to be 'that' table.

I take baby to the bathroom to be changed and come back and the food is being served. DH again continues to just be rude and blunt. The waitress doesn't do anything wrong so he doesn't make complaints but I heard him say "No." (without a thank you) when the waitress asked if he'd like anything else. I thought that was rude. He whinges the whole time while we are eating about the food, the service, the decor etc. I didn't get to have a word in edgeways. The idea of a casual chat over a meal seemed to be lost on him. It was tense and I hated it. Even our 4YO could barely say a word over the monologue.

The waitress ends up dropping a fork on the floor when collecting our empty plates and is extremely apologetic and clearly nervous. DH again tuts and says that he's found the service disgraceful and it's horrendous we weren't offered a high chair for baby (Baby is 5 months ffs, the high chair at home is still boxed up so he was just looking for anything to complain about! It was quite obvious that baby was too young for a highchair so of course we weren't asked.). We ask for the bill and I tell him I think he's been absolutely disgusting and I'm ashamed of him and tell him to go and get the car. He then leaves but starts whinging and being sarcastic, saying crap like "Sorry for breathing." He's gone by the time we get the bill, it's a different waitress to the one who served us. I go up to the one who served us, apologise profusely and give her a £10 tip.

We argue about it when we get home and then he started the pity party about how he is depressed. I'm not saying he makes up his depression, but he only talks about it when I'm upset with him for something. "It's my depression that makes me like this!" and yet he never seeks help. I would never, ever say he just uses depression as an excuse but surely it is now his responsibility to seek help? He's a completely unpleasant human being and I dread him coming home from work every day. He is not the man I married, who I loved. He was kind and loving. I mean it, so kind. Everybody told me I'd got a goodun with him. I miss that man so much. He changed after first DC but has been absolutely insufferable since our recent baby. I don't know what to do. I enjoy being at home during the day with my 2 little ones, and then once DH comes through the door suddenly there is an unbearable tension.

OP posts:
DianeCherry · 19/06/2021 13:21

@Serenissima123 please could you provide references for your data

Trevsadick · 19/06/2021 13:23

It's all about your values and aims in life ,isn't it ?

Not really, you simply seem to making it about math. So you can blame a woman for her abusive husband. Let's say they pushed the boat out a bit and spent £100 at pizza express.

£3100 and £3000 in savings, isn't going to make a huge difference faced with him losing his job.

According to you that difference in £100 savings, justifies a grown man bullying a teenage girl. If those are your values and aims, then, yes we have a difference and aims in life.

Does you not having enough in savings turn you into a bully?

Notonthestairs · 19/06/2021 13:24

Staggering thread.
And the only thing that’s really depressing is the excuses and apologies that people make when a grown man is behaving like a total prick and making the rest of his family utterly miserable, anxious and upset by his shitty behaviour and attitudes.

^ this.

He agreed to go out and then deliberately spoilt it. He only picked on women. He claims not be responsible for his action because he's depressed. Awful.

The money is a red herring.

KurtWilde · 19/06/2021 13:25

Posters seem to be completely glossing over the fact that OP works too and is on maternity. She contributes but she's not allowed to treat her kids. I'm gobsmacked that some would defend financial abuse disguised as having money worries.

MrsMaizel · 19/06/2021 13:27

@Trevsadick

It's all about your values and aims in life ,isn't it ?

Not really, you simply seem to making it about math. So you can blame a woman for her abusive husband. Let's say they pushed the boat out a bit and spent £100 at pizza express.

£3100 and £3000 in savings, isn't going to make a huge difference faced with him losing his job.

According to you that difference in £100 savings, justifies a grown man bullying a teenage girl. If those are your values and aims, then, yes we have a difference and aims in life.

Does you not having enough in savings turn you into a bully?

You are assuming that I think it is OK that he is a bullying twat and I don't. What I am saying though is that there needs to be some joint decision making about spending money when the the budget is so tight .
MorriseysGladioli · 19/06/2021 13:31

It's no wonder men get away with murder (literally, in some cases)

I feel I've gone back to the 1930s here - so many enabling women.

Trevsadick · 19/06/2021 13:32

You are assuming that I think it is OK that he is a bullying twat and I don't. What I am saying though is that there needs to be some joint decision making about spending money when the the budget is so tight

But you are. Because you don't recognise its not about money.

Its about him never doing anything that his family might enjoy. When he couldn't stop it he ruined it. To try ensure the OP, doesn't ever want to do that again.

You can't co promise with an abuser. You can't make joint decisions about finances with an abuser. He is a bully.

A misogynistic bully. The op is on mat leave and they have £150 per month left. When she is back in work there will be more.

She worked part time, before this baby and he was the same.

Its not about money. Its about him being an abusive prick.

RowenaRavenclawtheSecond · 19/06/2021 13:33

@MorriseysGladioli

It's no wonder men get away with murder (literally, in some cases)

I feel I've gone back to the 1930s here - so many enabling women.

THIS
pointythings · 19/06/2021 13:33

What I am saying though is that there needs to be some joint decision making about spending money when the the budget is so tight .

There does indeed. For the past 4 years, the husband has been making all the decisions - time OP got a say. Did you miss the bit where OP's husband ruins every outing, including a free day at the beach?

Summerhaven · 19/06/2021 13:37

No one is enabling him on here. The replies are unanimous in ‘LTB’ that is pretty much the only solution if he’s not willing to rectify his shitty attitude and behaviour. His way of being isn’t the OP’s fault, but she knew what he was like after the first child and she knowingly then had a second with him. I’m saying, FFS don’t go having a third with the arsehole and anyone reading this in a similar situation either with no kids or 1 child or whatever, this thread is proof a child / extra child doesn’t make things better, only worse.

MorriseysGladioli · 19/06/2021 13:40

I would imagine everyone is well aware of that, though.
How does it help the op?

KurtWilde · 19/06/2021 13:42

Summer your posts are consistently unhelpful. It takes 2 people to have a baby, yet you seem to be placing the responsibility solely on the shoulders of the woman.

MorriseysGladioli · 19/06/2021 13:43

Yep.

Trevsadick · 19/06/2021 13:52

Summer your posy wasnt about having a 3rd. Op hasn't asked if they should have a 3rd.

Your post was berating her for having a child who is already here. She can't just put it back in.

Serenissima123 · 19/06/2021 14:50

[quote DianeCherry]@Serenissima123 please could you provide references for your data[/quote]
www.jrf.org.uk/report/divorce-and-separation-outcomes-children
From UK research

legaljobs.io/blog/children-of-divorce-statistics/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4240051/
From US research

Happy to provide more sources if these don't suffice

iklboo · 19/06/2021 14:59

That survey is from 1998.

RealhousewifeofStoke · 19/06/2021 15:00

@Summerhaven

No one is enabling him on here. The replies are unanimous in ‘LTB’ that is pretty much the only solution if he’s not willing to rectify his shitty attitude and behaviour. His way of being isn’t the OP’s fault, but she knew what he was like after the first child and she knowingly then had a second with him. I’m saying, FFS don’t go having a third with the arsehole and anyone reading this in a similar situation either with no kids or 1 child or whatever, this thread is proof a child / extra child doesn’t make things better, only worse.
The OP hasn’t at ANY point mentioned having a third baby. Which you would know if you’s actually read the thread.
iklboo · 19/06/2021 15:07

Children with divorced parents are more likely to have behavioural issues.
They are more likely to drop out of education.
They are four times as likely to have social problems.
They are 300% more likely to have mental health issues.

Children whose parents stay in abusive relationships are very often much worse off - especially with social & mental health issues.

I know many people with divorced parents. None have behavioural issues, all went to university, none have social problems. A large percentage of the population have mental health issues so you can extrapolate that it's due to parents getting divorced.

There is absolutely NO need to 'stay together for the children' in the 21st century.

Sadiecow · 19/06/2021 15:40

So he's self diagnosed himself with depression and uses this to act like a complete cunt? To be rude to staff, to embarrass you, make your child "shut down".

Yeah, he's awful.

pointythings · 19/06/2021 15:53

@iklboo

That survey is from 1998.
And the world has changed a lot in 23 years. A lot of the negative outcomes for children are associated with poverty - 23 years on there are a lot more women who are able to provide independently for their families, though the situation is far from perfect.

This study presents a rather more nuanced approach to outcomes for children and causality - the picture is by no means clear cut.

KurtWilde · 19/06/2021 15:55

@Serenissima123 as I said regarding your earlier post, VERY outdated information regarding divorce.

wewereliars · 19/06/2021 16:28

People didn't divorce in any real numbers historically and until relatively recently was because of financial reasons and social pressure, mainly on women. Not because they were more happy or stoic.

The whole construct of marriage is pretty much based on women sucking it up, in return for men sorting the finances out. But those days are pretty much gone.

The (very old) report quoted above refers to poor outcomes on separation and divorce , mainly as a result of poverty.

To mitigate harms from separation and divorce, there should be more financial support for the party with less resources, who is doing the lion's share of child care post divorce and separation. This is nearly always the woman. CMS should do its job properly.

The answer to bad fathers and partners is not for women to suck it up, because being on your own is worse. Those days should be well and truly in the past.

HTH1 · 19/06/2021 16:47

He actually cost you more with his bad behaviour, considering that made you tip the waitress so generously!

I would do things like that while DH is at work, which would actually cost significantly less (just one adult pizza plus one Piccolo menu). Withdraw cash if needs be then just tell him it’s all under control if he questions what you spent it on. Too late for him then to ruin your experience if he’s not present for it.

If he continues to kick off, time to raise the subject of divorce.

MorriseysGladioli · 19/06/2021 16:58

I would certainly use the child benefit to do things that would actually benefit your children, and without him.

CarolinaWeeper · 19/06/2021 17:08

Please don't allow him to ruin any more of this precious time with your children. Your 4 year old had never been to a restaurant before and it should have been special and exciting for them and your DH ruined it. Seriously, leave this utter arsehole and go and live the rest of your life and have FUN.

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