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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Am I a misery guts

174 replies

AdamAntlers · 02/09/2022 20:44

So, I think I might be U and a bit snappy. The backstory is that I feel that DH has form for putting the kids (6 and 4) and I behind his own wants every single time. It’s small things but they really add up. It’s a quality that’s served him well in life, and he’s been successful but I don’t think he can change it, even for his family. So for example, all our holidays, days out etc revolve around what he wants. He’ll book late evening flights/ cinema showing because they’re most convenient for him, then the kids will be tired and act up. If I leave him to order a takeaway by himself, he’ll think nothing of ordering 4 spicy dishes that the kids won’t eat. He’ll only want to go on family days out to ‘grown up’ theme parks which he enjoys but not a ‘childish’ day out. He decided he needs a music studio (hobby) so he’s sound proofed and taken one of the bedrooms in the house, leaving the kids to share the box room. If I let him choose a film for family movie night, he’ll choose one that’s too scary and then the kids have nightmares. So on and so forth.

So on to tonight’s argument. DH loves going out for leisurely brunches at the weekends. Before kids, and even when they were babies, this was not an issue. However, the kids get up at 6 and are absolutely starving if made to wait for breakfast till 10 when DH is up/ showered.
add to that, DS6 is a fussy eater. If I can feed him a proper breakfast at home, he eats really well but out at new brunch places it’s basically an 80% chance he won’t eat anything nutritious and then be a pain in the afternoon. Literally, at least fortnightly DH will pipe up on a Friday night ‘I know, let’s have a relaxed brunch out tomorrow’. Then I either have to go along with his plan which makes my Saturday harder or say no and be a ‘misery guts’. Today he suggested brunch at a new vegan place. I said it would be easier to do lunch instead. After dinner he started again about how excited he was for brunch at this new place. I got exasperated and said, ‘I assume you’ve checked the menu to see they have something for the kids?’

he’s just gone up to his studio in a huff that I’m a misery. Obviously I would also like to be fun and spontaneous but I feel like either I’m the one who has to think about practicalities or deal with the fallout from his plans. So bloody sick of it.

so go on, Aibu, let me have it. Am I a fun sucking, boring misery guts or does anyone understand my perspective?

OP posts:
Crunchymum · 02/09/2022 20:48

He sounds horrendous. An absolute selfish man child.

He's taken a bedroom for his hobby and left your kids with a boxroom? Why was this allowed to happen?

Why do you go along with all of this shit?

Catch21 · 02/09/2022 20:50

If it was just the brunch thing I'd say you were overreacting a little. But the box room thing is shocking!! What a selfish arse he is.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 02/09/2022 20:50

There MUST have been signs of such selfishness before you decided to have children together, or even settle down together? Surely?

Underanothersky · 02/09/2022 20:51

He sounds like an absolute cunt.

sorrynotathome · 02/09/2022 20:51

LTB

CurlyhairedAssassin · 02/09/2022 20:52

I just couldn't be with such a self-centred man. It just shows a meanness of spirit. Why did you decide to settle for that kind of man?

DarkDarkNight · 02/09/2022 20:53

Does he have any redeeming qualities? What does he say if you call him out on it? I couldn’t live with him, especially not with him being such a shit dad.

ThreeRingCircus · 02/09/2022 20:55

Crunchymum · 02/09/2022 20:48

He sounds horrendous. An absolute selfish man child.

He's taken a bedroom for his hobby and left your kids with a boxroom? Why was this allowed to happen?

Why do you go along with all of this shit?

I agree totally on this, why on earth did you allow him to take one of your children's bedrooms for his "hobby"? And the takeaway thing.....so he'll happily order a family takeaway but deliberately exclude his children from it by ordering food that they won't eat? He sounds like a total prick!

cansu · 02/09/2022 20:55

I was incredulous that he has taken a bedroom for a music studio! No of course little kids want their breakfast when they are up not at 10 in a vegan restaurant. He sounds unbelievably selfish and pretty dense

Sunnyqueen · 02/09/2022 20:55

He sounds awful. The music studio making kids share a box room and putting scary movies on that frighten them is kind of messed up level of selfish tbh it's actually pretty narcissistic. I think you need to stick up for them more there.

The vegan brunch sounds like absolute bullshit especially for a fussy 6 year old. None of this makes you a misery.

Hankunamatata · 02/09/2022 20:56

The brunch thing wouldn't bother me as I'd feed kids at home and then just get them some toast or something to nibble on.
I cant believe you agreed to turn a bedroom into studio making your kids share box room!!!!

ThreeRingCircus · 02/09/2022 20:56

The brunch thing I don't really see an issue with, we often go out for brunch and just feed the children a bowl of cereal when they get up and then they have a snack with us when we go out. But the films that give them nightmares and only ordering spicy food is shocking.....what a crap dad he is.

Zerrin13 · 02/09/2022 20:57

Why on earth are you putting up with this shit? He is trying to act as if he doesn't really have a family. Stop pandering to his every whim and start putting your children first. What a selfish self serving cretin. Making the kids share a box room so he can have a music room is a classic.
Do you have any voice in your own home and family? Is he royalty or something along those lines?

Summertimesadnesss · 02/09/2022 20:59

Op it’s a great idea wave him & the dc off for brunch
Whilst you have a leisurely brunch at home…. Might make him realise what a dick he’s being

Thepossibility · 02/09/2022 20:59

This is the type of man that should never have had children. I know it's not helpful to say now. My DH used to have friends like this and I used to look at their partners and wonder what were they are thinking settling down with them.

Mumspair1 · 02/09/2022 20:59

You sound unbelievably passive in accepting this. Why are these small things according to you. He is incredibly selfish but you are allowing it too. Why did you accept the box room thing. Your poor kids, pretty sure they have picked up on this too.

Mamoun · 02/09/2022 20:59

Agree with all the above

Brunch I don't see the problem because you can always feed them breakfast before.

But....

The box room?

The choice of film?

The spicy take-aways?

Not wanting to do kids activities at weekend?

Does he interact at all with your children? Sounds like he doesn't know them?!

Sunnyqueen · 02/09/2022 21:00

Also when he does the spicy takeaway thing I really hope you go and order them a big fat maccys for them to make up for it and not just bung something in the oven for them. Honestly the more I think on this he's an absolute asshole and your kids would do well if you fucked him off he obviously only cares about himself.

SlagathaChristie · 02/09/2022 21:00

He sounds like my dad. It was not a fun childhood (tbf he was also a drinker and quite aggressive). I was glad when my parents split up. Everything was about him. We didn't matter at all. I can't believe you're even asking if you're the unreasonable one, although you could argue it's unreasonable to go along with his nonsense all this time...

AdamAntlers · 02/09/2022 21:01

I really don’t know if I’m just justifying his behaviour now or whether I’m presenting him in a bad light.

the bedrooms - the kids are young and we have two reception rooms downstairs. We use one as a ‘playroom’ with toys etc, it’s next to the kitchen and the kids always wanted to be down there. He would have preferred not to have toys etc downstairs but I wanted the kids to have play space downstairs near where I am most of the time (I WFH in the kitchen: dining room) so we agreed that they could have a reception room for their toys if they had the smaller bedroom upstairs

OP posts:
Abcdefu · 02/09/2022 21:02

Summertimesadnesss · 02/09/2022 20:59

Op it’s a great idea wave him & the dc off for brunch
Whilst you have a leisurely brunch at home…. Might make him realise what a dick he’s being

Totally recommend doing this too

Thepossibility · 02/09/2022 21:02

And come to think of it my SIL married one too. I remember MIL telling us that he will change when he has children and I thought will he fuck. He hasn't. MIL has eaten her words.

Allinadayswork80 · 02/09/2022 21:04

Can’t agree more with all the previous posts. What an absolute selfish tosser! Not fit to be a father and I wouldn’t want him as a partner either! Please don’t facilitate any more of his selfish whims to the detriment of your children. I feel very sad for them.

OrigamiOwls · 02/09/2022 21:04

I can't get passed the box room thing.

drinkfeck · 02/09/2022 21:06

He sounds an utter fucktard

Brunch is the tip of the iceberg

Does he ever actually consider his kids or you in anything?

I knew a man like this. Essentially a narcissist. Everyone was put on this earth simply to serve him. Nothing - not even his own kids - came first in anything. Truly scary to watch. I felt deeply sorry for his kids. They were teenage and had spent their entire childhood being shunted to one side and basically shown how fucking unimportant they are their whole life.

Don't let your kids grow up thinking their second class citizens...

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