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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is he being controlling? Am I right to keep screenshots?

166 replies

Wazza89 · 03/01/2022 09:25

It feels like every time I hang out with certain friends, there’s an issue!

One of my best friends has a genetic, chronic illness. She has a feeding pump and tube attached to her and it’s a lot easier to go to hers than for her to come to me. We’ve been friends for a long time (longer than I’ve even known DH) and we arranged to meet up fortnightly on a Friday evening. I usually go to hers, maybe have 2 or 3 glasses, then get a taxi back before 12. I make sure DS is fed, bathed, changed, etc., and I always ask DH if it’s okay or I check he hasn’t made other plans. He usually says it’s fine, but the way he acts says otherwise. He makes digs all the time. Says I’d rather hang out with friends than him (I see him 7 days a week!). We were in the shop and he asked me if I wanted to have a drink with him that night, I told him I couldn’t manage 2 days in a row (because I’m on Mirtazapine) and he said, “It’s like that, it is. You’ll have a drink with friends, but not with me.” Then stormed off. He’s told
me, in front of his mother, that I’m always at the pub or out on the piss! 😂 This simply isn’t true! I’ve been to the pub three times this year. Once for my father’s wake. The other time was a birthday meal with the girls, and the last time was for a meal with said friend (her Christmas present to me). I’m hardly out on benders every week. Likewise, I can count on one hand how many times I actually got drunk last year. I was a bit upset he said that to his mother, but now he denies saying it or says he can’t remember.

I have invited him to social events but he’s not interested and says they’re my friends, not his. He isn’t keen on the friend in question because of her lifestyle. She got out of a violent relationship a few years ago and has had a few failed relationships and one night stands since. He actually called her a slag which annoyed me (not to her face, obviously). She also smokes cannabis for her chronic pain and he hates the stuff! I borrowed her handbag to go out and there was a condom in one of the compartments, he was convinced it was mine even though it’s obviously her handbag.

Before Christmas, we were close to breaking up as I was sick of feeling like I do everything and pay for everything. We managed to resolve things and had a lovely Christmas together. I didn’t see any of my family over Christmas (as my mum and siblings all had Covid) so we’ve sort of been in our own bubble and I thought things were improving. My old friend from school texted me to ask what I was doing for New Year’s. Before replying, I asked DH if he wanted to do anything together or had anything planned. He said no because he doesn’t see the point in celebrating New Year’s. I do like to celebrate New Year so I asked him if it were okay for me to go a friend’s house and he reluctantly agreed. He told me not to get too high or drunk though as he wants to start the new year on the right foot. (He knew my cannabis smoking friend would be there as her and my other friend are sisters in law). Before going out, I cooked for DH and DS, changed his nappy, and got him ready for bed, so DH could have a relaxing evening.

I came home at half 12 and said hello to DH who was sat in the front room. He muttered something back then I went to lie down because I was drunk 😂. Next thing I know, he walked into the bedroom and told me I was taking the piss by not even asking him how his evening went. And it’s one thing to piss off out all night, but another to not even stay downstairs and talk to him. It’s a joke. Then he stormed downstairs. I messaged him to see if he was okay (as I didn’t fancy coming down to a confrontation) and he replied that he’s tried to be okay with me going out and stuff, even though it makes him feel lonely and out of the loop. I told him that I felt he was guilt tripping me for going out and he said that I glaze over the fact he feels lonely because I make everything about myself. I was so upset I couldn’t asleep as I felt it ruined a good night. He later came to bed and tried to initiate sex but I refused and went downstairs. The following day, he wrote a Facebook status about how 2022 is “out with the old and in with the new” and how his only regret is not telling enough people to f* off. I sent the screenshots to a friend and she went mad. Told me he’s a controlling man-baby, etc.

He did apologise later, but told me he’s in a no win situation as he can’t tell me not to go out, even though it makes him feel like crap. I told him it’s his issue, not mine, and he’s going to have to deal with it. I have kept all the screenshots though because I don’t like him implying I’m a drunk, etc., to his mother.

Is he being controlling?

OP posts:
DynamiteFilledRadish · 03/01/2022 13:50

@OnaBegonia

Very disappointing to see PP tell OP she's in the wrong for not pandering to this sulky man, going out once a fortnight is perfectly reasonable, it's not OPs fault her DH is unsociable. His attempts at shaming her and judging her fiends are disgusting. OP you'll be better off without him.
MN is full of women who pander to men. Who'll put up with anything just to keep a man. Depressing.
DynamiteFilledRadish · 03/01/2022 13:57

@1forAll74

Other things seem more important to you, instead of getting into a more harmonious life style at home.
The fuck does this mean?
Exasperatedhousehunter · 03/01/2022 14:04

@1forAll74

Other things seem more important to you, instead of getting into a more harmonious life style at home.
Well they would be for me too if my DH was as much of a prick as this guy.
girlmom21 · 03/01/2022 14:07

@DynamiteFilledRadish do an AS. Her mother had to pay for her sons shoes a month or so back.

At the end of that thread she said she and her partner were going to sort their finances, his debts etc.
Instead she's going out drinking, smoking weed and paying for taxis home and he's sulking and moping and being nasty.

WonderfulYou · 03/01/2022 14:22

Honestly if this was about a man posting this he would have been ripped to pieces. The double standards on here are embarrassing!

I agree.
If posters want non biased answers they shouldn’t say their sex in their OP. It frustrates me on every thread.

I don’t think OP is BU to go out like she does but I don’t think her DH is BU to want to spend time with her and know why she has a condom on her, although it does sound like they need to make more effort as a couple.

It was only a few days ago someone posted that they were having to isolate on NYE so their boyfriend was seeing his friend instead and some of the replies were ridiculous.

I can only imagine the replies if she said her DH goes out every other weekend to a friends house, found a condom in his pocket and didn’t speak to her on NYE.
They wouldn’t be calling her controlling, they’d be telling her to look through his phone and get some evidence.

GloriaSicTransitMundi · 03/01/2022 14:24

@Kitfish

I think going out without him on NYE and leaving him at home alone was a bit mean. I would be upset if my husband ever did that to me.
Read the thread!!!
SammyScrounge · 03/01/2022 16:02

He's trying very hard to be. Keep ignoring the guilt tripping And ask yourself how long you can tolerate his emotional blackmail. Do you want to live like this for the foreseeable future?

frazzledasarock · 03/01/2022 16:15

I’ve read loads of threads where the OP is upset her DH/DP goes off once a week on his hobby/drinking with friends and the threads are pretty much unanimous in saying op is unreasonable the man works he’d and deserves a break, she should be able to cope one day, everyone needs a break blah blah blah.

So no a bloke wouldn’t be ripped to shreds for behaving as OP is.

worriedatthemoment · 03/01/2022 16:19

@WonderfulYou yes that would be interesting and your right the condom thing would be a huge thing on here with many saying ltb
Likelyhood the op dh assumed it was the OP bag or was her things in and he wasn't snooping when he found it, he looked in the bag at the OP request
Sounds like they both want different things though

Wazza89 · 03/01/2022 16:20

@girlmom21 I think that’s a bit unfair tbh. I went out to the pub three times last year. I don’t think that’s excessive. I go to a friend’s house and have been drinking out of the same bottle for two months (I don’t drink vodka neat 😂). As for the taxi, it’s a fiver to get back (I leave my car in her drive as she no longer has hers). I don’t buy cannabis and I spent very little on alcohol.

OP posts:
worriedatthemoment · 03/01/2022 16:20

@frazzledasarock and there are many saying otherwise as well
And especially the condom if wife found one in a coat her dh was wearing there would be plenty of screams of LTB on here or look on his phone etc etc

ClaudiaJ1 · 03/01/2022 16:21

@frazzledasarock

I’ve read loads of threads where the OP is upset her DH/DP goes off once a week on his hobby/drinking with friends and the threads are pretty much unanimous in saying op is unreasonable the man works he’d and deserves a break, she should be able to cope one day, everyone needs a break blah blah blah.

So no a bloke wouldn’t be ripped to shreds for behaving as OP is.

I've been here for years @frazzledasarock and I have read many, many threads about men going away for weekends and weeks for a hobby or with friends, and almost every one of them is a UNANIMOUS 'LTB' "have his bags packed for when he gets back" etc. And what the OP is doing is nothing like the other men in those threads who are taking the piss.
worriedatthemoment · 03/01/2022 16:37

I think op isn't going out excessively at all and getting a taxi home is sensible is it just this friend your dh doesn't like or would he be the same with anyone ?
You need to have time out together as well but once a fortnight on your own isn't a huge deal at all
The condom thing I can understand him being a bit ??? As he likely wouldn't know it was your friends bag and he obviously jumped to conclusions as many would
Nye you ignoring him was a bit off bit not going out unless he wanted to maybe have a nice night in , but then even then you talk and you compromise which doesn't seem to be happening
I would put his mum right on the truth as well

girlmom21 · 03/01/2022 16:57

[quote Wazza89]@girlmom21 I think that’s a bit unfair tbh. I went out to the pub three times last year. I don’t think that’s excessive. I go to a friend’s house and have been drinking out of the same bottle for two months (I don’t drink vodka neat 😂). As for the taxi, it’s a fiver to get back (I leave my car in her drive as she no longer has hers). I don’t buy cannabis and I spent very little on alcohol.[/quote]
I think there are a massive string of issues in your relationship and you both really struggle to communicate and nothing ever gets resolved.

I think £10 is a lot of money to spend on taxis each month when you're struggling so much. Honestly if it's only a fiver couldn't you walk home?

You begrudge each other hobby's and freedom. It sounds really miserable.

frazzledasarock · 03/01/2022 17:00

@ClaudiaJ1 your scenarios is the male partners going off for weeks.

OP is going out once a fortnight and a like for like thread with the DP going out once a week even would and does elicit a thread full of posts telling op to get over herself and let the poor man relax etc.

And I’ve been using MN for two decades and was helped thro a divorce by the vipers and cod told me to LTB (I wish I had listened to her back then).

Wreath21 · 03/01/2022 17:55

I don't have that much patience with women who are housebound whinyarses, either - in the sense that they think a 'proper' relationship consists of sitting side by side in front of television every night.
Yes, some people in couples take the piss by leaving all domestic work and childcare to their partners and using up all the available leisure time the family has for their own interests - but everybody needs a bit of variety and time off.

Caramellatteplease · 03/01/2022 18:02

I notice you say you dont buy cannabis. Do you smoke cannabis? Does you friend smoke round you?

Honestly I'm very anti drugs. I wouldn't be happy a partner, man or woman, going off for cosy evenings with a habitual user.

Caramellatteplease · 03/01/2022 18:05

Oh yep I see you do. I wouldn't be in a relationship with a weed user

worriedatthemoment · 03/01/2022 18:09

@ClaudiaJ1 i have read comments and threads that are totally against a man going to football every week as well so it does happen, no one on here has read every single thread and comment
And the condom found in a pocket even in a coat borrowed would have many saying ltb
But this is by the by as in this thread the Op out once a fortnight shouldn't be an issue and her dh needs to be happy for them to have time out each , it doesn't appear the OP would have an issue if he went out
They need to communicate and decide what they both want from a relationship, I know couples who do everything together through choice and others who mostly go out separate
My dh loves me going out as he gets tv to himself , i love him going fo rugby etc as well as sometimes its just nice to have house all to yourself but everyone is different ,but you have to agree to compromise at times and work together and be happy to give each other space
I wouldn't want to be going out and feel resented for it

worriedatthemoment · 03/01/2022 18:11

@Wreath21 but if they are both happy doing that who are you to say otherwise ? Some people like being in others out as long as both are happy then thats no problem

StrikeItLuckyShuffle · 03/01/2022 18:17

Sounds exactly like my exH
used to give me the silent treatment when I told him I was going on a night out with friends ( this would be maximum one night out every 2 -3 months ) I had to give him at least a months notice if a night out was going ahead so i could get the silent treatment and sulking over and done with
I used to make sure I cooked his favourite dinner washed kids & put in pjs just so I could enjoy myself and not come home anxious
Once I had to go away with work for two days and had such a lovely time and was excited to tell him what I’d done as it was a massive thing for my future career but I come home and he showed absolutely no interest it what I was saying then wouldn’t speak to me
All because I wasn’t at home with him 24hrs a bloody day doing everything
He gave me so severe anxiety I had to go on setraline
This is when I had enough and knew it was the end I felt nothing for him anymore
Absolute man child
I made him move out and we got divorced
Haven’t been more happier can focus on kids properly and my job

All I can suggest is it’s your decision
Do not stay with someone who makes you feel guilty about living your life

PixieLaLa · 03/01/2022 19:00

I don’t think your doing anything wrong by socialising once a fortnight but leaving your DH and baby on NYE doesn’t sound great.

You and DH seem like very different people, what sort of things did you do together before you had DC? It doesn’t sound like either of you are very happy with the relationship but I wouldn’t say it’s all down to him being controlling.

Ireolu · 03/01/2022 19:22

He doesn't communicate well. You don't seem to listen great either. I think you are both unreasonable. If it is to work you need to find some common ground or the resentments will grow for both of you.

Luredbyapomegranate · 03/01/2022 19:23

@Peas252

It really sounds like you're taking the piss Op, and treating him like shit.
How did you get there?

Going out on NYE was possibly a bit off, but other than that I can’t see what the OP is doing wrong.

OP, he is controlling, and perhaps also depressed and unhappy. You are obviously also unhappy. Do you think you are a bad fit and it’s over, or were things good in the past?

Can you try some joint counselling? From there it would perhaps be worth him seeing his GP.

Wazza89 · 03/01/2022 20:59

@Caramellatteplease understandable and each to their own, but he knew I smoked it when we got together. He assumed I’d completely stop once we had dc and got married, but I never promised anything. It’s not something I make a habit out of, but yes I have a few drags sometimes and don’t see an issue with it. I was also friends with this person before I started seeing DH. If it was such an issue for him, he shouldn’t have married me.

OP posts: