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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

41weeks, useless husband, want to leave!

85 replies

busymamaof2 · 20/06/2022 08:55

I am 40weeks + 4 days with our third child. Two young children, both pre school.

Husband couldn't be more unhelpful at the moment, let alone more generally day to day in our marriage which I've clearly ignored got used to. All of the general laziness is now getting on top of me given current situation.

He lay in bed both mornings at the weekend, I was up at 6 with the kids sorting breakfast etc. Any time he has down time he's lying on the sofa scrolling news on his phone. I'm flat out washing, ironing, sorting house etc. I'm sure some of that is nesting but he sees me bending down, picking up kids toys, picking up broken crockery off the floor on my hands and knees with no offer of help.

Admittedly, Saturday morning, he spent 2 hours cleaning and hoovering the house whilst I took DD to ballet, but the kitchen was a tip because he didn't clean up after dinner on Friday evening (the deal was I'd do bath, he clean up dinner- which he didn't do and decided to leave the kitchen with all dishes left out because it was a Friday evening). That in itself drives me mad, waking up to a gross kitchen, but I'm at the point of picking my arguments. He did go beyond the kitchen, hoovering all of downstairs, putting clean laundry dumped unfolded on the bed away but then I heard of nothing else all weekend. He doesn't cook at all for the children yet when I picked up brunch (for everyone) of sausage sandwiches from our local deli on the way home from ballet he complains they shouldn't be eating that and need vegetables.

Generally he has NO interest in weekend days out with the kids nor any family holidays. Doesn't want to go away, no interest in travel. Says it's too stressful with kids so what's the point. He has to be almost dragged to the farm or to do something child friendly with the kids at weekend. He instead prefers to take them for walks etc which suit him, not something they'd get fun out of. I want to book a fun kids holiday in Sept once baby is 3+ months and he has said absolutely no way (he wouldn't be the one paying, btw, it would be me as higher earner).

We live in a 5 bed house but only 2 of the bedrooms are really habitable. The upstairs rooms are riddled with damp, wallpaper is peeling off the walls. I spent £600 two years ago decorating one of those rooms (unaware of the extent of damp at the time) which was pointless as you now see damp through all the freshly painted walls. I don't think it's safe/sensible to have kids sleeping in those rooms so we are all cramped in to two rooms of the house, but that's about to get worse with a new baby!

I pay for all house expenses, extortionate £400pcm council tax, £400pcm gas and electricity bill, all childcare (£1000pcm), all groceries, school requirements and every single bill or child need. That is because I'm on 3x his salary so fine, proportionate. But why do I kill myself on all those costs when I can only use 30% of the house. I may as well live in a 2 bed house and have more money in my pocket! I want the kids to have nice bedrooms and he has no interest, says the upstairs is fine and kids have lived in far worse conditions.

My parents (who are good at home redevelopment) are appalled and said they would pay themselves for the damp to be fixed as they think the kids will be poorly if they go upstairs. My parents came round yesterday and he hit the roof that he's being told what to do with HIS house by my parents. He doesn't want to spend the money doing the work. He walked out of the room when dad was advising what we should do which I found unbelievably insulting and rude.

He has no interest in taking the kids to clubs and is annoyed they have to attend swimming, ballet etc at the weekend because he says they're too young (2 and 4) so are none the wiser. There is an absolute veto on Sat afternoon clubs, they're only allowed to do mornings. This is because he feels running around after the kids dominates his weekend and he wants to relax doing nothing having been out the house 5x days a week at 7am. Isn't this just real life with young kids!?

This weekend we argued all weekend. Everything irritated me. I want to leave as I think that would have such a scare factor for him but clearly in my condition it's not something I can feasibly do. I know once baby arrives he'll be all emotional and we'll have a "let's stop this", put it behind us moment, brush it under the carpet and carry on. But it'll never go away!

The complicating factor is that he works for my father so his career fairly entangled in this mess.

I told him last night that his lack of any drive, lethargy is really unattractive, I don't want my kids to be brought up seeing that. He is happy getting by working his bare minimum hours, sitting on his phone at weekends but brings absolutely nothing to the table.

AIBU feeling like this? What would you do?!

OP posts:
Disneyblueeyes · 20/06/2022 14:12

He sounds like a waste of space. I think you'd be far less stressed without him. You're doing everything anyway so minus the frustration.

MintJulia · 20/06/2022 14:15

If you argue that much and he is that unhelpful, end it. What do you have to lose? He isn't interested in the children, he's lazy and selfish. Just ask him to leave.

Take over the mortgage yourself, let your parents help with the renovations. Don't let your dcs grow up thinking Mummy does everything and that's how it should be.

Greentime101 · 20/06/2022 14:27

Did he used to be very very different?? Otherwise I can’t get past how you found him attractive enough to create all these children?

Blowthemandown · 20/06/2022 15:06

He sounds awful - but he also sounds trapped because ‘working for your Dad’. He needs to do more but is already feeling like he’s useless. So difficult to put right.

Meraas · 20/06/2022 15:23

Get rid, OP.

FlippityFlapperty · 20/06/2022 15:26

I’d leave him. Useless parent and husband. He’s adding to your stress.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 20/06/2022 15:28

So sorry OP. Its a real pickle.
With this behaviour
he sounds disengaged and a bit lazy, and blocking you on WhatsApp is appalling when you're past due and could go into labour at any moment

I would feel that he was checking out in your hour of need and is therefore currently untrustworthy for whatever reason.
Its the one time an adult doesn't get the luxury of sulking surlyness, which is why I would get yourself and the kids out of the damp house and be with supportive people right now, who will help you to the hospital when you call and not block you on their phone.

I would move out of damp house and back to parents whilst you have your baby and you will be better able to relax and get over the birth without worrying, then you can consider your options when things are calmer. If you can afford it, get a temporary nanny to help out so that you can have a bit more calm.
There was a poster further up this thread, who suggested that he also has issues as working for his FIL etc and it may be that he feels he has no say in anything, so that might be worth exploring, although he'd have a lot of work to do to repair his current behaviour.
Hope you have a good birth nevertheless, it sounds like you have good support around you, wishing you and your children all the very best.

bakesk · 20/06/2022 15:53

I had to do labour on my own as husband had covid, you can totally do it on your own. My mum got there as baby was crowning

Marvellousmadness · 20/06/2022 16:16

You have put yourself in a victim role
Time to put yourself in a "kick his ass" role

Speak up. Get him to help. Dont ne a martyr. Tell him what needs to be done and he is expected to pull his wait
Dont just take it all on the chin and then complain online. Deal with him. Make yourselr heard.

Time to do something about it op. As right now you are enabling him and making your own bed. /rod for your back.

Amid · 20/06/2022 17:12

He need to leave OP. Get maintenance and pay for a cleaner. Waste of space - more so than your 3 empty rooms.

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