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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be fed up of not being able to make any sort of mess?

106 replies

Veggieseverywhere · 27/09/2021 17:38

We both work full time with young kids so DP decided on a cleaner. Fine, except he is now obsessed with the fact no one can make a mess so that the cleaner can clean.

I am getting a bit sick of bowls and plates being whisked off me two seconds after I’ve finished eating, kids toys being doomed to obscurity seconds after they’ve finished playing and even ordinary household items being constantly put away.

It’s really stressing me out. AIBU?

OP posts:
PennyWus · 28/09/2021 03:17

I'm with you OP. My DH is like this it drives me a bit crazy. I'm not an untidy person but I like to "live" in my house. My children like to play, and when toys are immediately squared up, often while they are still aying (!) it disrupts their play and removes the chance from them to tidy up themselves.

My DH immediately starts clearing the table the second he has finished eating, even when other people are still eating. I was brought up to find that rude.

I've discussed it with him and we have found ways to compromise over the years. When he gets too obsessive about it I chide him.

The irony is that he doesnt have good housekeeping practices. We have so much junk it is madness - a whole drawerfull of cables no one knows what they are for, another drawer stuffed with random things like visitor passes and unneeded receipts from business trips and shopping, whole cupboards full of sports kit he no longer uses or fits into, heaps and heaps of clothes he doesnt wear so that he has now entirely taken over the walk in wardrobe. He literally never does his paperwork, I have always had to file everything for him . Oh yes the house is beautiful and he has vacuumed the same perfectly clean patch of carpet three times this week, but never in a million years would he tidy up a drawer and everything is stuffed away.

Argh.

violetbunny · 28/09/2021 07:41

Could you ask for a compromise? Tell him that anything that you personally leave lying around (dishes, marking etc) will be put away before you go to bed / by 9pm / whatever deadline makes sense. If it's not done by then end of the evening, then he can go to town on clearing up.

ToadstoolBubbleMaker · 28/09/2021 07:46

YANBU. I'd like my DP and kids to be a bit tidier, but this level is not enjoyable to live with at all.

CaptSkippy · 28/09/2021 08:38

Ignore the trolls, OP. Your husband is either being passive aggressive or he has developed some kind of obsession.

I assume talking isn't helping. I think, just kick up a fuss. Papers of school work gone? Just demand he returns them or hide the keys to your car, so he can't remove anything or put anything inside.

Do you have your own office in the home? I'd say lock that too.

Otherwise, let him have the moment he touches your plate. It may sound extreme, but I can't think of anything else. IF the trouble of swiping stuff from undeer your nose is not worth it anymore, he'll surely stop.

NewlyGranny · 28/09/2021 09:21

I knew a family where the house became a sort of clean shrine which nobody could actually live in. The teenage boys and their DF decamped to the garage with an old sofa and TV and basically lived there most of the time. The boys and visiting friends (not many came twice!) were not allowed to pee in the toilet but were sent out to pee in the garden.

This is where it could wind up if OP's DH isn't reined in promptly. Ask him if having a lanyard or pile of half-marked books in view makes him feel anxious. He might need a chat with his GP if he doesn't calm down a bit soon.

Houses are for people to live in; mealtimes are for family togetherness. It is indeed the height of rudeness to begin clearing the table while anyone is still eating, even if it's masticating their final mouthful. Has he never eaten at a decent restaurant? What happens there?

He risks triggering eating disorders in his DC if he hovers to snatch plates away. A meal is not a race and your family are not pigs at a trough. 😡

MrsSkylerWhite · 28/09/2021 09:25

Have you asked him not to?

ShaneTheThird · 28/09/2021 10:14

My dp is the same. Think he has undiagnosed OCD as he can't stand any mess even DSS isn't allowed to play with certain toys because they "look messy". If I eat dinner I'm told to get up and wash the bowl or plate asap. I'm not allowed to leave a book I'm reading on the coffee table. I don't know what the solution is

toomuchlaundry · 28/09/2021 10:21

@ShaneTheThird ignore him

mrsm43s · 28/09/2021 10:30

Hmm, I can be a little bit like your DH, but (hopefully) with a little bit more consideration.

For insight, the reason I'm like this is because I bear the brunt of the responsibility for cleaning and tidying, and its an anxious thing about not wanting mess to build up and create a "job" of tidying up, that I don't really have time to do. The house being permanently tidy and "guest ready" makes me feel calm. When I see clutter, I simply see a job that I need to do, and that stresses me out.

So whipping things away while you're still eating/drinking is just rude. But getting up and clearing the table/loading the dishwasher as soon as dinner is finished rather than just leaving dishes on the table or piled up in the kitchen is just sensible. Why dump things on the side and create a job for later, when things can go straight into the dishwasher - job done.

The lanyard would annoy me - why not take it off and put it away straight away. Why dump it somewhere else, and create the job of it needing to be tidied away? And whilst the lanyard is just one small thing, if you do this with other similar things as well (coat, shoes, umbrella, handbag, car keys etc) and multiply that by several family members then all of a sudden you've got a load of clutter than needs the "job" of tidying up - when it could have be put in the right place straight away, no tidying up then required. That said, I'd never follow someone into the loo to complain about it - that's just odd and rude.

The school books. If you were mid job, and just popped to the loo etc, then of course it's fine for them to be left laying around. But if you've decided to stop work for now, and maybe come back to them in an hour or two, I'd expect them to be tidied up at least, rather than left strewn around. So a neat pile on the desk/table fine (not put fully away or taken out to the car), but expecting other people to work around a big pile of clutter for a couple of hours - inconsiderate.

Children's toys - the rule in our house has always been to tidy up one game before starting the next. So if they're painting, the paints get put away before they get the lego out etc. Obviously they can play with more than one item at a time, but if they've finished one activity, that gets cleared up before the next one is started. I would think that's fairly standard, and a good way to start to teach children to tidy up after themselves.

I think your DH is going too far. But could you not make a tiny effort to tidy up after yourself and not create jobs for later? Put things away as you go, and then tidying up virtually never needs to be done.

WomanStanleyWoman · 28/09/2021 11:01

The lanyard would annoy me - why not take it off and put it away straight away. Why dump it somewhere else, and create the job of it needing to be tidied away?

Do people really ‘put away’ a work lanyard? In a special little place of its own, so that their partner won’t be mortally offended by a laminated photograph on a chain? I just leave mine somewhere I can see it easily so that I won’t forget it in the morning. The idea of making an event of ‘putting it away’ is just bizarre. Who gets upset at the sight of their partner’s lanyard?

mrsm43s · 28/09/2021 11:32

@WomanStanleyWoman

The lanyard would annoy me - why not take it off and put it away straight away. Why dump it somewhere else, and create the job of it needing to be tidied away?

Do people really ‘put away’ a work lanyard? In a special little place of its own, so that their partner won’t be mortally offended by a laminated photograph on a chain? I just leave mine somewhere I can see it easily so that I won’t forget it in the morning. The idea of making an event of ‘putting it away’ is just bizarre. Who gets upset at the sight of their partner’s lanyard?

Well, yes, mine is put in my handbag, in a particular zip up side pocket.

DH hangs his on the key hook with his car keys.

How is that bizarre in any way?

Leaving them laying round in any old place is far more likely to lead to them getting lost, surely, rather than putting them where they belong. It's not that the sight of them offends anyone, just that we put them away, so we know where to find them, and don't leave them laying around.

GreyhoundG1rl · 28/09/2021 11:34

but the problem is that with young children in the house you can’t always keep things as tidy as you might like.
Yet your dp appears to be managing it, and you don't like it...

Thecurtainsofdestiny · 28/09/2021 11:38

I had a family member like this. Used to put away stuff before it even got used.

So I'd take a bowl out of the cupboard for cereal. Turn round to get the cereal. Turn back and find the bowl had been put back in the cupboard!

toomuchlaundry · 28/09/2021 12:26

@GreyhoundG1rl or maybe the DH is spoiling the fun of the DC whilst they are playing.

DS used to play races with his toy cars round the rug in our lounge. He seemed to have been inspired by Le Mans because his races could last hours, days even! As long as the cars were not a trip hazard we let DS keep them out. It was his favourite game (DH also might have joined in a few times!) Also would have half built lego creations out, sometimes could be part of the car races.

Now DS is a teen I miss those car races. Might have a tidier lounge but does feel sometimes that there is something missing

WomanStanleyWoman · 28/09/2021 12:28

Leaving them laying round in any old place is far more likely to lead to them getting lost, surely, rather than putting them where they belong. It's not that the sight of them offends anyone, just that we put them away, so we know where to find them, and don't leave them laying around.

But you said it was annoy YOU that the OP didn’t put HER lanyard away. If it was really about just being sure you can find your lanyard, you wouldn’t care where your partner put theirs.

Veggieseverywhere · 28/09/2021 12:37

It’s interesting as the voting suggests I’m not being unreasonable.

The bottom line here is that I understand wanting to keep a place clean and tidy but it’s making me feel very uncomfortable and unwelcome.

I’m not suggesting living like tramps but I don’t think hanging my lanyard up is mortally offensive. Youngest child is still only a baby so the concept of clearing up one ‘game’ would be lost on him. Besides, I do think it’s good and healthy for kids to play without having to stop and tidy up. In the past I’ve always just had a tidy up at the end of the day, it’s worked well.

Ironically it’s always been DH who is the messy one, and he still leaves a mess in the kitchen.

But this thread has made me think … I’ve actually been wondering if I might be happier on my own but maybe I’m the unreasonable one by wanting to relax at home, or something!

OP posts:
toomuchlaundry · 28/09/2021 12:42

So did he complain that your lanyard was on view rather than actually tidy on a hook?

randomsabreuse · 28/09/2021 12:43

OP is a teacher, presumably little or no opportunity to use the toilet during the day, gets home hastily shedding things and dashes straight to toilet, where she is rudely interrupted by DP ... Hardly long term littering of a lanyard!

My DH and FIL seem to like removing my plate as my fork removes the last mouthful from it. Drives me insane. See also not quite finished drinks or newly poured drinks that have not made it to the table. Also empty bowl put on side while I locate the new packet of cereal as DH has finished the existing one.

I have no idea why they do it and it tends to make me less tidy as a result!

mrsm43s · 28/09/2021 12:51

@WomanStanleyWoman

Leaving them laying round in any old place is far more likely to lead to them getting lost, surely, rather than putting them where they belong. It's not that the sight of them offends anyone, just that we put them away, so we know where to find them, and don't leave them laying around.

But you said it was annoy YOU that the OP didn’t put HER lanyard away. If it was really about just being sure you can find your lanyard, you wouldn’t care where your partner put theirs.

OFFS

I don't want stuff laying around, because I'm the chief tidier upper, and therefore its a job left to me generally. It's disrespectful to leave stuff laying around for someone else to tidy up.

I don't want lanyards laying around because they get lost. And guess who would be expected to be able to find them?

I don't want stuff laying around, because it makes the house untidy. As I said, why treat the lanyard differently to anything else. So the person who leaves a lanyard laying around likely also leaves their coat laying around, and their shoes, and their umbrella, and their gloves and their car keys etc etc. And if everyone does this, very quickly the house becomes a mess, and either some mug has to tidy up after everyone, or things get lost.

And simply why put something in the wrong place, when it takes no longer to put it in the right place? Just why? There is simply no need to make a mess that someone has to tidy up.

In our house we all put things away when we are finished with them. Our house is tidy. Things don't get misplaced. We don't get stressed by people dropping in. We don't waste money replacing things that have got lost or damaged by not being put away, we don't have to spend our weekends tidying up. We have respect for each other and our home and life is good.

Veggieseverywhere · 28/09/2021 12:52

It’s not just about what you or he might want though. It’s a family home.

OP posts:
WomanStanleyWoman · 28/09/2021 13:05

And simply why put something in the wrong place, when it takes no longer to put it in the right place? Just why? There is simply no need to make a mess that someone has to tidy up.

What ‘right place’ though? It’s literally a photo on a fabric chain! You make it sound like a bin bag burst open and no one bothered to clear up the mess.

I just couldn’t live in a world where a lanyard being on the table instead of ‘in the right place’ is a drama.

TreeSmuggler · 28/09/2021 13:15

This sounds really frustrating OP. I am a pretty tidy person myself (and annoyed others in the past with it) but this is way too much.

My DH had a similar thing but isolated to my car. If he was ever in it he would search through the car, ferreting out receipts (that I needed), packet of tissues (new, not used), hat, sighing about what a mess it was. Ironically his car is a tip. He now knows not to touch anything in my car.

WhyMeLord · 28/09/2021 13:23

We did this when we first got a robot vacuum cleaner. Couple of months later the novelty has worn off and at 9pm each night one of us suddenly jumps up and shouts 'fuck' and runs towards the off button as it wakes up and heads directly for one of DDs discarded jigsaws or a nest of cables from our work laptops

mrsm43s · 28/09/2021 13:24

@WomanStanleyWoman

And simply why put something in the wrong place, when it takes no longer to put it in the right place? Just why? There is simply no need to make a mess that someone has to tidy up.

What ‘right place’ though? It’s literally a photo on a fabric chain! You make it sound like a bin bag burst open and no one bothered to clear up the mess.

I just couldn’t live in a world where a lanyard being on the table instead of ‘in the right place’ is a drama.

You are very clearly being deliberately obtuse and goady, so this is my last reply to you.

It's not drama in our house. It's always in the right place.

It's often a drama in other people's houses, where they put it down somewhere, can't remember where they've put it, and then they end up late for work because they've been running around trying to find their lanyard* that they put somewhere and then someone else put something else on top of it, or it was knocked to the floor or it got picked up with a pile of papers, or someone moved it to use the table or it slid down the back of a cabinet, and they can't find it, and don't know where to look, because they can't remember exactly where they put it, but they know it was somewhere. And they're getting cross, wanting people to help them find it, accusing people of moving it etc. Everyone gets cross, everyone ends up late. That is drama.

Popping your lanyard on the hook** as you walk in the house, and then taking it back of the hook when you need it is not drama. Quite the opposite, in fact. Calm, happy, nice - no drama.

  • lanyard, or any other item left laying around that they now need. ** hook, or any other place that works for you as the place that the said item is kept.
notacooldad · 28/09/2021 13:26

Sounds like living with my mum.
She will take the side plate from you, wash and put it away while you are still chewing on the oastvpiece if toast!
Bloody annoying.

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