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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

"you don't have to work for your money"

36 replies

HashtagSexy · 30/01/2022 18:33

DH works 45 hrs a week.

I am a full time carer for our oldest child. I haven't worked in 7 years. I gave up work to care for my oldest when they started suffering from severe anxiety and then I fell pregnant with our youngest. The agreement from a childcare perspective was that I would go to work when they started school. Then there was the pandemic. During the pandemic, our oldest child became unwell. They've always had additional needs, but these became full needs to support mobility, personal care, safety etc. I get carers allowance and child tax credits. There is DLA that covers all my child's needs and adds to the household income, because we had planned for me to be working by the end of 2020. I am halfway through an open university degree to try and improve future prospects

DH just told me that I don't work for my money. It came out because he was annoyed about batteries being used too fast and I didn't seem to care enough. He said he saw it in terms of he has to work an hour to buy that big box of batteries but the kids will just take them for games controllers and things and he wanted me to care more about that. Then he said I don't work for my money. Well, what he actually said is "you get all your cash handed to you- I'm not saying you don't work hard for it." I said that he was and he said "well, you don't! You just get given it!"

Our oldest has finally got a place in a school that can support their needs. Before this, they were on a part time timetable and I was being called in to support them or collect them on an almost daily basis. I had to be in constant contact with the school and my life was a mess of medical and school appointments for all three DC, as well as sorting out DH's life admin due to his own ADHD . DH is well aware that a job would have been utterly unsustainable until this happened- even working from home, as the care needs are so high. I can't split myself down the middle. I never get a day off. I think he thinks if I sit and watch a TV show, that I'm loafing. Never mind that every time he takes a break at work, he gets to watch TV and play games and effectively gets paid for it. His breaks can be really long, he's not just grabbing 10 here and there. He can watch multiple episodes of things or watch films in a shift.

Our oldest has been in their school for two weeks and I've looked into a job and am halfway through the application and plan to submit it next week. Literally as soon as I could reasonably look for work, I did.

I feel like if he, the person who sees how much I have to do (and does precious little to practically assist) has this opinion of me, everyone else must think I'm some lazy fuck who sponges off the government in preference to working.

I get it and I don't. I'm not clocking in and out at a workplace. I've always been on shift at home. Perpetually on call. He said it's stuff I'd have to have been doing anyway so it's like he feels I don't deserve to have carers allowance. Yet he's said many times he couldn't manage what I have to.

AIBU to be hurt?

OP posts:
MrsWooster · 30/01/2022 18:36

Yanbu.
And buy a set of rechargeable batteries and a charger- they’ll pay for themselves in 6 months.

emuloc · 30/01/2022 18:39

Yanbu to be feeling hurt.

sst1234 · 30/01/2022 18:39

OP you are not unreasonable in feeling this way. I suspect you will get lots of responses saying LTB and how horrible he is. This is one of the most common topics for a thread on MN, and it reinforces the same message for women over and over. Do not give up work, get paid help for childcare and share that burden with your partners proportionate to each person’s income. Being financially independent is invaluable and women must not give that up even if it brings short term pain. In some cases this setup would not possible but in many many cases it’s the only way to ensure parity for both partners.

FFSFFSFFS · 30/01/2022 18:40

Tell him then the plan is that when you;ve finished your degree you will go full time and he can take on your role.

Seriously say that and properly propose it.

Jellycatspyjamas · 30/01/2022 18:42

Suggest he swaps places with you - carers work damn hard for the pittance provided by the government.

JADS · 30/01/2022 18:44

Carer's allowance is what? £70 a week? For 24/7 work. He can fuck off.

(I get DLA for my son, I would 100% prefer he didn't need it, but he does. I'm also a higher rate tax payer. I'm guessing your dh thinks I'm being handed that too. He can fuck off again)

HashtagSexy · 30/01/2022 18:48

@JADS

Carer's allowance is what? £70 a week? For 24/7 work. He can fuck off.

(I get DLA for my son, I would 100% prefer he didn't need it, but he does. I'm also a higher rate tax payer. I'm guessing your dh thinks I'm being handed that too. He can fuck off again)

I would prefer not to have needed to stay home and care for my child. They don't give out DLA on a whim as you know! Our DC is on high care and high mobility so that gives an indication of the level of care that's often needed. He's never said anything like this to me before, he will always say I work damn hard to keep things running smoothly but now I feel like he's never meant it
OP posts:
Lampzade · 30/01/2022 18:53

Get a full time job.
Then both of you can share the childcare. He will then realise how much you have sacrificed in order to support his children

Luredbyapomegranate · 30/01/2022 18:54

@MrsWooster

Yanbu. And buy a set of rechargeable batteries and a charger- they’ll pay for themselves in 6 months.
Do do this.

And then work out what you actually get per hour. Then sit down with him - properly - and tell him how demoralising it is. Make sure he really hears it. It sounds like you want and need to go back to work, so now is a good time to prepare him for the fact that when you do, he’ll need to do more at home.

Going forward you don’t have regular financial reviews it would be good to do that - just generally good practice.

Onionpatch · 30/01/2022 18:56

Its incredibly hurtful. Your partner should have a real understanding of how much you do and it hurts when they dont as it makes you not feel like the team you should be.

As for the mumsnet mantra of financial independence- well perhaps carers allowance needs to be higher to allow it.

HogDogKetchup · 30/01/2022 18:56

That is a hurtful comment.

HogDogKetchup · 30/01/2022 18:56

@Lampzade

Get a full time job. Then both of you can share the childcare. He will then realise how much you have sacrificed in order to support his children
Exactly.
caringcarer · 30/01/2022 19:05

I suspect he leaves the mental load of caring and organising multiple appointments for your children to you. He probably works hard when he has to but as you say there is slack during his work time. I suspect he does not think too much about all you do once he leaves for work. It is hurtful but I expect when he thinks it over he will recognise all you do. Once you are working outside of the home he will soon find out as he will have to step up with carrying some of the mental load.

ferrychristmas · 30/01/2022 19:10

He's never said anything like this to me before, he will always say I work damn hard to keep things running smoothly but now I feel like he's never meant it

Why are you choosing to believe the comment he's said once while frustrated over all the other things he's said to you about acknowledging how hard you work?
Allow yourself to believe the positive things, take the compliment and support. Don't hold on to the one negative message.

It was a dick head thing to say, you do work incredibly hard, don't let one comment undermine how you feel about your role.
You also mention that you worry that others will think you're sponging- this sounds like his words hit a nerve and reinforce some self- doubt. Let it go. You have a challenging situation and work very hard. Sounds like you need more practical support from dh but he usually says the right thing. You of course need and are entitled to all the govt support you get and it should be so much more.
Please don't let his careless mean words count for more than they should.
Thanks

ferrychristmas · 30/01/2022 19:12

Bold fail, my first para is a quote from OP

LittleOwl153 · 30/01/2022 19:12

Wow... he's a twat. How dare he say this to you.

I've a daughter on dla - mid rate. And am on carers... having given up a decently paid career to do so. I am so angry on your behalf.

Make him do it - or follow you doing it if the kid would suffer... for 1 day....

And I'd start with making him do his own admin...

neverbeenskiing · 30/01/2022 19:14

YANBU. Tell him you want to swap, that you'll get a FT job and he can take over as carer for the DC and just watch the expression of utter panic that washes over his face in the seconds before he manages to splutter out all sorts of excuses as to why that couldn't possibly work, although he'd love to of course!

dottydodah · 30/01/2022 19:17

I think he is being unreasonable .The trouble in western societies is that women who are at home caring for a family, somehow seem to be seen as "lazy" which is very far from the truth! I have a feeling that if you do start working outside the home he will have a nasty shock.Sharing CC and so on is very far from the 9 to 5 he thinks it is . Interesting to see how he copes!

CurlyhairedAssassin · 30/01/2022 19:21

It was a shitty thing to say. Possibly borne out of feeling the pressure of being the sole breadwinner? That's a rough position to be in these days, with costs of everything shooting up. I'm sure the carer's allowance etc won't be increasing with cost of living either.....

I don't think the main breadwinner ever realises how much easier having someone at home makes it for them to do their job more easily. I stayed at home when my kids were little as DH's job had extremely irregular hours with unexpected callouts and having to travel hundreds of miles away, sometimes abroad, at short notice. It just wasn't the sort of job where you could say you had to leave to do childcare. We both acknowledged that.

But even now I'm back FT, I don't think it's ever crossed his mind how much I've facilitated his work. eg he has never done the morning nursery or school run. He moans at having to leave work early in the morning to go to work. he leaves before 6am but that's his choice, so he can do some work without being pestered by anyone, and also to beat traffic and get a parking space. I really don't think that he realises that if I'd been working FT, I would have fully expected him to do half the weekday mornings drop off at nursery or childminder or whatever. That he would have had to pull his weight and not leave it ALL to me just because my own job was less demanding. I'm not sure he appreciates that I've always been the one to pick up an ill child from school because I'm the one that's been working nearer to the schoo. It's all just made it easier for him to do his job without any extra hassle and stress.

I think that's probably what's happened with your DH, OP. He genuinely doesn't realise how much you being at home is facilitating his working life. Yes, there is extra financial pressure on him. But he has less stress in his working life than he would have if you were working. He needs to realise that.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 30/01/2022 19:26

The problem with telling a partner like this that you want to go back to work FT then, is that you know that it will probably mean a worse impact on your child's life as well as your DH. That's what makes it such a shitty position to be in. You could also ask if he would be happy with whatever changes your child would need to deal with as a result of you going back to work, as well as the changes to his own working life.

For some people in your position it even means a change of school for the child, because they just can't make the travelling work with both parents working. That won't necessarily be the best school for the child.

tkwal · 30/01/2022 19:28

I think he has been bottling up an emotional reaction to your DCs deteriorating condition and it has all come boiling over , that the batteries were the final triggering issue.As with many men he may feel that he deserves more appreciation. He may well worry about the impact this is having on your lives. All the while you are carrying on making the sacrifices and the day to day practicalities work for your family . You're doing your very best and it must be infuriating for you
when he speaks like that to you. You should put everything from your post on paper and make him read it. Then try to discuss it with him. It might clear the air or at least make him realise there's a lot more than he thought in doing what you do.

HashtagSexy · 30/01/2022 19:31

Well, I'm applying to work part time because otherwise I'll be run into the ground. It will probably not make us any better off but I can't sit here doing nothing now DC is at school. I'm applying for a job in a school myself so if I get it it will slot in nicely. DH works nights so will technically be available during the day, even if that means he has to wake up. So if I do get the job, three days a week he will have to collect the youngest from school, be available for any emergencies and do some of the housework before he gets himself sorted for work. Because he literally can fuck off if he thinks I'm to be working and doing everything else by myself

OP posts:
CurlyhairedAssassin · 30/01/2022 19:32

I would say "When you say these things to me, it makes me feel like we're not a team. I thought we had this arrangement because it worked best for our child. I do X, Y, Z, and you do A, B, C. It has worked up to now, so are you saying that it's now a problem for you? Or is this really just about the cost of batteries, and of things in general? Because if all it is is worry about finances, then we should sit down and work out a budget together and plan where we can make savings."

CurlyhairedAssassin · 30/01/2022 19:35

What does he do now when he's not sleeping? Not sure of his shift hours. I mean, I work FT, but I'm in by 5.30pm, and then have waking hours before I go to sleep for the night. So he must already have SOME time at home when he could be lending a hand?

HashtagSexy · 30/01/2022 19:35

@tkwal

I think he has been bottling up an emotional reaction to your DCs deteriorating condition and it has all come boiling over , that the batteries were the final triggering issue.As with many men he may feel that he deserves more appreciation. He may well worry about the impact this is having on your lives. All the while you are carrying on making the sacrifices and the day to day practicalities work for your family . You're doing your very best and it must be infuriating for you when he speaks like that to you. You should put everything from your post on paper and make him read it. Then try to discuss it with him. It might clear the air or at least make him realise there's a lot more than he thought in doing what you do.
I'd love to, but because of his own ADHD he would think I was getting at him. I made a list before of all the things I'm expected to do when he went to pieces over me wanting him to plumb in a sink (which he is qualified and fully trained to do) and the demands on him being too high. Literally, his demands were

Eat breakfast I had made for me
Drink coffee I had made for me
Go to screwfix and get some supplies
Come home and fit taps and waste
Do whatever I like with the rest of the day.
Expect huge amounts of praise for fitting the tap for the next few days.

My list was longer than his arm and the number of thanks and recognition I got for any one task was zero. And he took it as me getting at him

OP posts: