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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Need to rant about my husband today

83 replies

ohdort · 26/08/2023 20:03

I don't really want to speak to anyone in my life about it. Because I don't want anyone to take a serious dislike to him, but I need to vent.

Today has been so difficult. He works very hard and I think that he may be depressed. But when I think back, he has always been weighed down with stuff. We met a long time ago and even then, we were supposed to be relatively carefree and he was always weighed down by stuff, unable to enjoy the moment. I always thought I was just a phase or a ' hard time ' but he's often just extremely negative.

He doesn't have a run of a mill office job, but works in a high pressured physical role, 6 days a week. So I get it, he doesn't have much time off and he's also physically tired. I work from home and we have to children under 4. It's tough going. I take care of everything at home ( and outsource some stuff ). But I am at home more and he is away a lot, so a lot falls to me.

In any case when he does have time off, he's just a constant stream of negativity. Waking up the whole house and shouting about not having toilet paper- just one delightful example. He finds fault in everything at home ' it's a shit hole ' ' everything is everywhere '... when I'm literally breaking my back trying to keep things reasonable. He always finds something to pick on. ' why is this here or there ? '

Also because he rarely gets time off, he doesn't really want to go out. He's never positive and up best about anything. Everything is a massive effort and he would rather stay at home than for example, than watch our daughter during her dance class. If we do go anywhere, he wants to come straight back home.

This morning I said I was taking my DD to her dance class and I would take my younger one too. Because whenever we are just at home together I always end up fighting with him anyway we he just spends hours on his own activities / hobbies at home and barely interacts with us. So I decided a few weeks ago, rather than sit around with the kids in the house and waiting for him to come and join us, I would just do my own thing with them ( at least in the morning ). It's left me less frustrated.

I told him this morning that I'm taking them to the class and it's in a big gym, where you can eat / swim/ use spa etc: I suggested to him, why don't we go together and you can have a swim and spa and then we can watch DD dancing etc. maybe after she can go and play in the playground there and we can have lunch together.

He said that was a ' shit day out ' and he doesn't want to go and to leave him alone and I should ' come up with better suggestions ' as he thinks going there is so absolutely lame. I said he should come up with suggestions if he doesn't like mine.. anyhow, I said I'll go with the kids and leave him to it. DD then begged him to come and he came. He was so utterly miserable there and literally ran out of the door as soon as he could ( even though DD wanted to play in the playground with a girl she knows ). He just flew out of there and wanted to come straight home.

We then found out some relatives of his will visit his parents for Christmas ( so not even us ). And he was angry and annoyed he was going to have to spend time with them and how shit it all was and how he can't be bothered. Then he picked a fight saying he doesn't like the name we picked for our second DD and how he only did it because I insisted on the name. He's done this quite a few times since she's been born and it really upsets me and upsets me for my DD too. I said it's really horrible you keep bringing up the name. He said well your actions have consequences.

Most of the time I just go with what he says, because if I make a decision that he doesn't like- he will just keep going on and on about how wrong I was. This keeps happening with the name and it's really upsetting. He did agree at the time. But I liked it more than he did.

Really fed up with it all today. I just want a nice husband who wants to have fun with me and his family and who doesn't just drag me down like this.

OP posts:
ohdort · 26/08/2023 20:09

Sorry about my terrible grammar in this and typos. I think I'm really tired..

OP posts:
Clarinet1 · 26/08/2023 20:09

Dear me, it sounds as though he brings little to
your life and you end up doing pretty much everything for the house and DC. So, as people so often ask on MN, why are you with him?

Testina · 26/08/2023 20:12

Does he choose to work 6 days?
As in, to avoid family life?
Because if he doesn’t have a choice, he’s probably exhausted on top of being naturally negative. He must be shattered!

MorningOclock · 26/08/2023 20:15

This sounds awful and is not sustainable. It’s also unhealthy for your children to be around. What happens when / if you tell him how this is all making you feel?

rumred · 26/08/2023 20:16

Get rid. He sounds like someone I would avoid, no point in him

toadasoda · 26/08/2023 20:23

He sounds overwhelmed and angry and taking it out on you. Possibly a bit depressed. That's no excuse for his behaviour though, that business about the name is BS, he was just riled up looking for an argument and you were the punching bag. You'll need to have a serious chat with him and say that topic simply cannot be brought up again.

At a minimum he needs some time off work whether it's stress related sick leave or holidays. I think you should suggest this and really push for it. Hopefully after a bit of rest he will be happier but definitely I think a long and serious chat is needed about what is and is not acceptable.

ohdort · 26/08/2023 20:45

MorningOclock · 26/08/2023 20:15

This sounds awful and is not sustainable. It’s also unhealthy for your children to be around. What happens when / if you tell him how this is all making you feel?

He just says to leave him alone and ' what do you want from me '.

OP posts:
Duvetdayforme · 26/08/2023 20:45

This relationship sounds completely shit.

Are you determined to stay with him?

ohdort · 26/08/2023 20:45

He also says ' look at yourself and what you're like to be with '.

OP posts:
10HailMarys · 26/08/2023 20:48

OP, he is an awful husband and an awful father.

Having a stressful job absolutely does not excuse or explain his behaviour. He's a horrible bully who gets a kick out of making you miserable. He's abusive.

ZickZack · 26/08/2023 20:48

He sounds horrible, op. What's the point of him? What does he bring to the table? Miserable man who likes to bring you down.

Justcallmebebes · 26/08/2023 21:00

This sounds like a truly miserable existence. Has he always been this negative?

Does he need to work 6 days a week or does he choose to to avoid family life?

PickAChew · 26/08/2023 21:04

Well, I don't like him, now.

Does he bring anything good into your life?

ohdort · 26/08/2023 21:06

PickAChew · 26/08/2023 21:04

Well, I don't like him, now.

Does he bring anything good into your life?

Doesn't feel like it today.

OP posts:
Taxiii · 26/08/2023 21:08

You've tried telling him how you feel & he's unwilling to listen, engage or change.

If you still feel you want to, you could try one last time & be clear that you are considering ending the marriage unless he will work with you to make things better? You really have nothing to lose.

Honestly though, if he's as you describe, you'd probably both be happier apart. He can work & stay in alone, you can enjoy life with your girls without a massive drain sucking up the fun, and perhaps in future find a proper life partner to share it with?

HiCandles · 26/08/2023 21:10

Gosh OP this sounds so exhausting to live with. I can understand we all have our down days/phases but this reads like he's always like this. Would you consider leaving him? I can't imagine it's very enjoyable for your children to be around all that moodiness all the time.

ohdort · 26/08/2023 21:12

I just don't think he cares when I'm upset. I think he doesn't like me very much.

OP posts:
xyz111 · 26/08/2023 21:17

Not that this is an excuse at all, but working 6 days a week and only 1 day off sounds awful. Does he have to work that much? Maybe it's just really getting him down and now he's in this awful cycle of just being miserable.

Kasey17 · 26/08/2023 21:21

He clearly sound bitter and angry with the world but taking it out on you. As others have mentioned, you must tell him how all this is taking its toll on you. He sounds depressed to me as constant annoyance and irritability is a symptom of depression. He is really lucky to have a partner who has stuck by him. Seems like he doesn’t appreciate how difficult you have it with working and raising the children.
i suggest sending him a letter or email with how you’re feeling.
If there is no change in him, however small, then I don’t think he respects your relationship enough.

Copperoliverbear · 26/08/2023 21:28

The only way you will have a nice husband is to find a new one

Oysterbabe · 26/08/2023 21:31

ohdort · 26/08/2023 21:12

I just don't think he cares when I'm upset. I think he doesn't like me very much.

That's exactly what I thought from your description, he sounds like he doesn't like you. Don't stay with someone who doesn't like you.

saffronsoup · 26/08/2023 21:35

Six long days of heavy physical labour just isn’t sustainable. That would break most people.

Can he not get a more reasonable job?

JaneyGee · 26/08/2023 21:37

xyz111 · 26/08/2023 21:17

Not that this is an excuse at all, but working 6 days a week and only 1 day off sounds awful. Does he have to work that much? Maybe it's just really getting him down and now he's in this awful cycle of just being miserable.

Yes, to be fair to him, that does sound exhausting. Plus, this country is now so flippin crowded, and the traffic is so awful, that everything is exhausting and difficult. I never want to go out at the weekends either.

Canonlythinkofthisone · 26/08/2023 21:39

My first ever LTB.

Run. Run now. Before he ruins anymore of your life.

Sounds a bit like he's pushing you away so he can play the victim when you finally leave him. Let him.

Walesagogo · 26/08/2023 21:40

Mood sucker. If he continues this way then you may need to have a think about whether you want your life and your dcs to be miserable. Wish I'd left mine earlier. Unless there is depression or a genuine reason for his behaviour and he's not prepared to look at that, then he won't change.
If there isn't anything and its just that you have now discovered his real personality (as in comparison to before when you met/lived together/had dcs because there must have been a time when he wasn't this way or else why would you have got together in the first place) then he won't change.
You then just need to decide just how much you're prepared to put up with and how much you value yourself. Life is too short to spend with someone who just adds misery to your life.