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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Chauvinistic husband?

90 replies

Alisa2 · 29/01/2022 17:02

Am I wrong or is he?

I need a third person to tell me either I'm a psycho or he's a chauvinistic $%&#^

We've got 2 kids. 2 year old and 2 month old. Ever since we've had more responsibilities the more we fight about the responsibilities. He works full time I'm a full time mum.

I work 24 hours. No break. 2 small kids. I also have always done all the house chores and cooking. It gets really hard that once a month he pays a cleaner for a deep clean. I managed all that until I had baby number 2. He doesn't want to help. He does help me though sometimes. But by force. Guilt tripping him. When the house ends up looking like a pigs sty because I literally can't do it. I'm exclusively breastfeeding and baby is clingy. Toddler is not eating properly recently and is being so picky so it takes me hours to make sure she has enough to eat. Giving them both a bath. It takes me all day. And as soon as he's home I just need that help. Just even holding the newborn so I can give my arms a break. Or have a shower. Cooking an evening meal with them two with me alone is impossible. I can't do it without his help. He comes home late (by choice). So we don't end up eating till. Very late. I'm exhausted because I don't get a chance to eat and eat really late. Breastfeeding takes all the energy from me and it stresses me that I don't eat enough to give enough to my baby through breastfeeding.

Anyhow, he has a misogynistic mentality. He thinks it's my job to do all that above. And having food on the table is a 'given'. He shouldnt have to do any of that. Im a wife and a mother and I should do all that without help All he has to do is bring in the money and provide. Anything he does do to help. Like washing dishes or putting laundry on or giving our toddler a bath is him doing me a favour. These are his words.

I realised what his mentality is like since we've had kids. Before then it wasn't really highlighted. We were both working and just doing our own thing on not much to do. With kids I expect us to do everything together. It's his responsibility too. I have a 24/7 job. He thinks I stay in bed for hours and hours and sleep and rest
When I've told him numerous times I'm breastfeeding! If I don't I lose my supply! I don't sleep all night. And have 1-2 hours sleep every few hours or so. That doesn't mean I'm in bed all day sleeping!!! I'm exhausted. When my baby does finally settle then the toddler is up! I wash her give her breakfast on no sleep and no food. Once they've all sorted then I eat breakfast. I can only do house chores or cooking when the husband is home and he takes over atleast one of the kids.

But he hates it. All he wants to do is come home and relax and do nothing. If he has to do me some 'favours' it makes him so angry and he starts swearing. It's my job apparently. He won't even change toddlers Nappy. From his point of view him washing up is him doing something HUGE for me and if I ask him to change toddlers nappy too otherwise she'll get a rash whilst waiting for me to finish breastfeeding or settling the newborn is taking the piss and I deserve to be verbally abused and he doesn't care if she gets a rash! His mentality drives me crazy because he's the polar opposite to me with my mentality and what I want in a man. And therefore I am verbally abusive to him too. I feel like if I don't let it out, my brain will explode!

I cant deal with it anymore feel like I'm going crazy. Feel like a single mother but financially stable. That's the only good thing I get from him. The relationship is so toxic now. He doesn't know how to be a father or husband in my opinion. He should have stayed single and watched as much netflix as he wanted and have his mum and sisters spoon feed him as they always have done.

What do you guys think?

OP posts:
PinkSyCo · 29/01/2022 20:06

He sounds absolutely awful! Fucking cruel too. Would rather your DD get nappy rash Han get up off his arse to change her? Wtf! I hate him and I’ve never met him. I don’t know how you can bear to be anywhere near him quite honestly. I’d rather be poor and living in a hostel than living with someone like that.

GrandDuchessRomanov · 29/01/2022 20:07

Has this changed since you had your second child or was he like this after the first?

whatisheupto · 29/01/2022 20:07

This is truly awful OP. He's not going to change. You need to leave. Now.

Soontobe60 · 29/01/2022 20:08

He’s not a chauvinist - he’s a bastard! A controlling one at that, and a shit father.
You’d be so much better off without him there.

GrandDuchessRomanov · 29/01/2022 20:09

@notforonesecond Me too. I can't say what I want to say or would get thrown off MN.

Alisa2 · 29/01/2022 20:21

He's always been like this. Before kids I just did everything and he always said it was my job because im a woman even though I was working too. But it wasn't that hard for me I had no other responsibilities. I hated his mentality and wanted to see if he could change so I literally taught him how to do some house chores like washing up and making egg and toast because one day I may need him to step up more. So he did make an effort to learn but not without huffing and puffing and fighting about it and constantly saying he doesn't belong in the kitchen, i do. But still I didn't give up I genuinely thought once baby is here he would step up. Yes i know i was stupid to think that. I worked manual labour throughout my pregnancy long hours starting 4.30am and still did majority of house chores and all the cooking whenever i could manage. He didn't change at all when first baby was here. I did everything but I spent most of my time at mums. It didnt feel like that much strain on the marriage as it still felt doable even though i knew he should be doing his bit too i just still kept doing everything alone for the sake of argument. I didn't reach breaking point until baby number 2. Its literally impossible for me to do everything now. I can't cope. From what everyone else says on here i know it's not just me. No one can cope doing it alone. All the single mothers out there deserve the world because parenting is not easy let alone doing it solo.

OP posts:
Zipper666 · 29/01/2022 20:21

[quote toconclude]@Zipper666
How about not blaming women for a grown man's laziness before you angle for a pat on the back,eh?[/quote]
Not my intention. The OP made that point herself.
As for "pats on the back" - MEH...

Chasingaftermidnight · 29/01/2022 20:29

Could you go back to work? Obviously I appreciate your youngest is too young now, but in a few months?

tobedtoMN · 29/01/2022 20:35

Agree with all PP.

And what an absolute fool he is. One day, many years from now he may (or may not) realise he had a precious wife and family, and threw it all way.

tobedtoMN · 29/01/2022 20:35

*away

girlmom21 · 29/01/2022 20:39

@Chasingaftermidnight

Could you go back to work? Obviously I appreciate your youngest is too young now, but in a few months?
But it clearly makes no difference because he was a misogynistic pig before they got married or had kids
Twocrabs30 · 29/01/2022 20:49

Sounds like my ExH. I could bet my house he comes from a particular cultural background with those attitudes too, though many men in all cultures share them.

The moment our DC arrived, suddenly and immediately ExH chose to remain in work 1 hour later to avoid having to contribute to the bed and bath routine. I battled for a period with him, it was futile. Like you I was effectively a single mother. Anything he did towards the children was a ‘favour’ and he wanted a medal. Nothing will ever change his ingrained misogynistic attitudes. He will fight you all the way to ensure his entitlement of being ‘looked after’ before and after his working hours and to ensure he protects his rest and leisure time outside of his ‘working hours’.

It is no way to live your life. You already seethe with resentment, rightfully, as I did.

Time to make an exit plan.

Justilou1 · 29/01/2022 20:56

Definitely start getting all your financial information in order, get legal advice and see if he wouldn’t be happier living elsewhere maybe?

mjf981 · 29/01/2022 20:57

This relationship is over. It sounds like you hate each other, and there is massive resentment on both sides. You need to leave. Start working on an exit strategy.

Iwonder08 · 29/01/2022 21:25

He literally doesn't have a single redeemable feature. Every post just makes it even worse. Stash away as much money as you can and find a very good lawyer. What a pig

Goldbar · 29/01/2022 21:33

He's a failure as a dad and a husband. Going it alone won't be a picnic but at least you won't have to deal with waiting hand and foot on his entitled arse. In the meantime, withdraw your labour from him and focus on the children.

If he becomes abusive (even more so than he already is) or physically threatening, please don't hang around but get to a safe place.

I'm sorry that you're having to deal with this Flowers. No one should have to go through life being treated like an indentured servant or kitchen appliance.

Soul11Soul · 29/01/2022 21:38

I was a stay at home parent for the first few years of my children's life. I agreed to take on the job only after it being agreed that -

My job was keeping the babies alive, fed, washed , dressed , entertained and educated.
All housework, ironing etc was still both of our responsibilities.

My job required a monthly salary and private pension payment. I was not going to ask him for money. I got a wage.

We treated the family like a company. He had one role in the company and I had another, neither was more or less important than the other.

Other pp are right.... You can not control or change his behaviour. You can only change your own. You can make a list of conditions like I did. Or you can get a job and he can pay for half the childcare and do half the housework.

Thenosleepclub · 29/01/2022 21:48

Not sure why people are referring to you as a SAHM when you have a newborn... Yes you may not have worked since kids but that's because you've had them pretty close together! My youngest is now 2 , and it is only in the last couple of months I've felt vaguely able to do housework whilst the children are at home/awake. (And I work part time too) with a baby that young, your primary job is to feed them!

Reality is, you need to make plans to leave him if you don't believe he will change. Maybe not immediately, but think ahead to when your baby is 9 months, can you go back to work?

Regularsizedrudy · 29/01/2022 21:59

“He never even washed a dish until he married me. Still doesn't know how to operate a washing machine!!!”

I’m sorry but then why the fuck did you marry him? He has always been useless. And he has always been treated like a child to be looked after, why would he change and give up a good thing?

GrandDuchessRomanov · 29/01/2022 22:19

@Regularsizedrudy Because she made the age old mistake of thinking she could "change" the idle bastard.

I despair.

OakPine · 29/01/2022 22:43

Even if you went back to work, hired a housekeeper and a nanny or 2 to do everything, he’d still have no respect for you or treat you as an equal.
I don’t know how women can stay with pigs like this. The story is sadly very familiar on mumsnet!!

Rainbowpurple · 29/01/2022 22:47

In this day and age, we still have these men from 1950s. Honestly OP, leave him. What would you tell your girl / boy when they start to understand what is going on? Women need to service men? Men's work and life are more important and we need to facilitate them?

He does not know how to operate the washing machine because he doesn't have to.

Don't be his domestic slave.

TheUsualChaos · 29/01/2022 22:53

My blood pressure was rising just reading this Angry He sounds absolutely awful and just wants a nanny and maid. It's not your fault OP, there are men that hide this side of themselves very effectively until they think they don't need to anymore.
Divorce is the only answer Flowers

phishy · 29/01/2022 22:58

Sounds like my ExH. I could bet my house he comes from a particular cultural background with those attitudes too, though many men in all cultures share them.

What makes you think he’s not white British? He could be any man from any culture.

PlanetNormal · 29/01/2022 23:06

What do you guys think?

I think you married, and chose to have children with, the wrong person. Did you really not see evidence of his outdated, selfish misogynistic attitudes before you married him? In my experience, it’s really quite unusual for a man to be this much of a dinosaur in the 2020s. Were there no red flags at all about his attitudes to women?

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