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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Husband's grumpy disposition is getting to me

14 replies

maiman · 25/02/2023 20:26

When I met him, he was very popular. The life and soul of the party type. After we got together we had some tough times. Both of us, the ups and downs of life.

But I am increasingly finding him so grumpy and hard to deal with. He also just stonewalls me if I have annoyed him and he gives me the silent treatment. Basically, he is grumpy a lot of the time.

We have small children, so life is really hard at the moment. We have only had one evening away from them since they were born. My H has had a few nights and evenings away from all of us, but I haven't. Anyhow, we had a last minute invite to see some friends and were able to go. He didn't really want to go, he never does. He was so grumpy on the way there and also while we were there and after wards as well.

He didn't really talk to me and went to bed and seemed to be sleeping, so I left him and went to lie down by myself, just to wind down on my phone ( the light from my phone bothers him when he's sleeping / trying to sleep ). He then came barging in and called me a joke of a wife for not going to bed with him. I guess he wanted some action. I was magically supposed to perform for a massive grump.

He then berated me for being cold and unfeeling and I told him I'm just having a really difficult time with the kids and I'm just exhausted at night. My baby wakes up multiple times during the night and only I get up. I usually fall asleep at around 8:30-9 pm. So sometimes I don't even see my DH when he comes home from work. It's just the way it is right now. It's survival. I am just surviving every day. I don't have time to myself even for one minute during the day. Never. It's exhausting. He finds it really hard not to see me that much, but I'm just surviving. I'm existing and taking every day as it comes.

He's very unhappy with it all and basically doesn't understand what my problem is and he actually says ' so you just don't want to be a mum anymore '.

Eh no. I'm just finding it hard and therefore I can't see him that much and can't be as available to him as he'd like. I have stopped complaining and crying about how hard it is for me to him, because he does not understand and he won't help me put measures in place to help me more.

I'm going back to work soon, which I think will actually be really good for me. But I can't help but actually struggle with my feelings of attraction towards him, seeing as he's so grumpy all the time. I've suggested we get therapy, but he hit it back at me and said that I am the only one who needs therapy and I can go on my own. I know life isn't ideal right now, but to me it's a phase and it's normal for things to be hard when the kids are tiny. After a couple of years, things get better and we will have more time for each other. It's his moods that bug me the most. Life is weighing down hard on him and he refuses to get any help.

OP posts:
Moonicorn · 25/02/2023 20:28

Nasty old bastard. I would just ignore him and breeze around in my own happy bubble and divorce if not a phase in a couple of years.

M08my · 25/02/2023 20:34

If it is just a phase, my DH has been through the same, they sound like they have similar personality. He also refused to go to therapy when I suggested it, which actually I really respect, because talking therapy doesn't work for everyone. What worked for us was I told him my concerns by text, because face to face conversation wouldn't work and he got defensive. I told him that his depression/low mood was affecting our relationship and that I needed him to work on it, by any means he preferred. He chose not to get a therapist but he started going to the gym and taking magnesium - he didn't believe the magnesium would help, he just took it to show me he was making an effort - and after a while he did get better and our sex life improved. (I couldn't feel sexy when he was in that mood, even if he initiated, so it looked like it was me who was rejecting sex, but actually it was when his mood improved that things got better.)

Good luck I hope it gets better. I'm usually the first to shout LTB on these threads but I don't think this is an LTB situation this time!

TomatoSandwiches · 25/02/2023 20:39

Ask him, why would you want to have sex with someone acting this way, there is nothing remotely attractive about him when he is like this.

maiman · 26/02/2023 08:58

M08my · 25/02/2023 20:34

If it is just a phase, my DH has been through the same, they sound like they have similar personality. He also refused to go to therapy when I suggested it, which actually I really respect, because talking therapy doesn't work for everyone. What worked for us was I told him my concerns by text, because face to face conversation wouldn't work and he got defensive. I told him that his depression/low mood was affecting our relationship and that I needed him to work on it, by any means he preferred. He chose not to get a therapist but he started going to the gym and taking magnesium - he didn't believe the magnesium would help, he just took it to show me he was making an effort - and after a while he did get better and our sex life improved. (I couldn't feel sexy when he was in that mood, even if he initiated, so it looked like it was me who was rejecting sex, but actually it was when his mood improved that things got better.)

Good luck I hope it gets better. I'm usually the first to shout LTB on these threads but I don't think this is an LTB situation this time!

It's funny you say you were able to communicate a lot via text. I also find that works better for us.

OP posts:
foghead · 26/02/2023 09:05

Why does he refuse to help? What does he say when you ask?
Have you told him that you'd be able to spend more time with him if you spent less running yourself ragged and getting him to do his part too.
It takes teamwork to be a family.

maiman · 26/02/2023 09:10

foghead · 26/02/2023 09:05

Why does he refuse to help? What does he say when you ask?
Have you told him that you'd be able to spend more time with him if you spent less running yourself ragged and getting him to do his part too.
It takes teamwork to be a family.

He doesn't do much because he's always tired from his hard job........

Like yesterday I left him home alone and took the kids out. Absolute disaster.. exhausting. Anyway when I got back I thought he would be able to do a bit, but he just sat in front of the TV really and didn't communicate with us much. I then told him to put the baby to bed, which he did. But usually I do that.

Anyway yeah I guess he feels that he never gets any time off either. He gets a lie in on his day off every week. He'll only come downstairs at around 10-11 am, whereas I'm up with the kids at 6 am every day. I try and give him those breaks, hoping to make him happy and not so grumpy. But he's always unhappy.

OP posts:
olympicsrock · 26/02/2023 09:13

Why is he getting home after 8:30 at night? It is totally unreasonable for you to do everything with the children - day and night.
He needs to get himself home in the evenings and parent. What is he like at the weekend?

maiman · 26/02/2023 09:15

olympicsrock · 26/02/2023 09:13

Why is he getting home after 8:30 at night? It is totally unreasonable for you to do everything with the children - day and night.
He needs to get himself home in the evenings and parent. What is he like at the weekend?

Yeah no he can't. Works a lot. Weekend is one day at home. The other day at work.

OP posts:
GrumpyPanda · 26/02/2023 09:19

maiman · 26/02/2023 09:15

Yeah no he can't. Works a lot. Weekend is one day at home. The other day at work.

Does he work late because he's always done so or does he work late to opt out of family obligations?

Quitelikeit · 26/02/2023 09:21

Op

He is having as much as a hard time as you.

Having children used up all of your energy, mental, physical and even financial resources take a hit.

It is a new reality that many couples struggle to come to terms with as they don’t have the ability to realise it’s a temporary situation and that things generally improve but slowly!

You both ought to prioritise getting out a few times a month - with friends and with each other. So important! As is getting a lie in one a week fir the main carer.

Be a team. It is the most important thing with babies

maiman · 26/02/2023 09:21

@GrumpyPanda it's just the way it is. It was a bit better pre pandemic. But no, he doesn't work like that to opt out.

OP posts:
maiman · 26/02/2023 09:24

Quitelikeit · 26/02/2023 09:21

Op

He is having as much as a hard time as you.

Having children used up all of your energy, mental, physical and even financial resources take a hit.

It is a new reality that many couples struggle to come to terms with as they don’t have the ability to realise it’s a temporary situation and that things generally improve but slowly!

You both ought to prioritise getting out a few times a month - with friends and with each other. So important! As is getting a lie in one a week fir the main carer.

Be a team. It is the most important thing with babies

I am struggling so much. But I know it will get better. I can tell my older one is getting easier. I can see it's a phase, but he is impatient and deeply unhappy with the state of our marriage. He wants more effort from me to be physical etc. I'm finding it hard. It's the last thing on my mind. It's all tricky ! Hopefully when I go back to work, it will be a bit easier for me. I'll hopefully find myself again and also get back to my usual body shape.

OP posts:
Quitelikeit · 26/02/2023 10:30

Op

I get it, he needs to know it’s common and not exclusive to your relationship- that side of things do eventually pick back up maybe he needs that explaining to him

Im not underestimating how hard it is for you btw but it sounds like you more emotionally intelligent regarding the situation

Quitelikeit · 26/02/2023 10:50

I definitely think you need to book a babysitter though soonish

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