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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:
Phleghm · 26/08/2023 21:40

I'm so sorry he's like this.
You deserve better, but more importantly perhaps, so do your daughters. This is their relationship model.

talkitup · 26/08/2023 21:43

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.

Honestly, I'd get out now and don't waste any more of your life with thus joydrain; he sounds like a crap dad too. He might buck up his ideas if you aren't together and at least try and be a better parent.

SchoolQuestionnaire · 26/08/2023 21:43

Please stop protecting him in real life. Tell your family and friends about his behaviour and the things he says to you. He’s damaging you and your dc with his miserable nastiness. I know it’s not easy but I really think you should consider leaving. You and your dc deserve so much more than this.

Sickofchangingmyfuckingusername · 26/08/2023 21:45

God, how fucking horrible is he! Does his negativity affect the children? You can ignore him, they can’t. Another man who just doesn’t seem to like family life.

TerrorOwls · 26/08/2023 21:47

He loathes family life. He shouldn't inflict that hate and misery onto a lovely wife and kids.
Best he lives on his own where there's no family to mess things up and make his life shit.

Alargeoneplease89 · 26/08/2023 21:51

Sorry to read your situation op, you deserve better. Please put yourself and kids first and think about leaving him.

He sounds awful- what attracted you? You said he's always been stressed. Does he have ant good qualities?

Holidayhouse1010 · 26/08/2023 21:51

I was you once. He never went anywhere or did anything. The realisation creeps up on you especially when you have DC. One delight was when we asked him to watch an activity and he bailed due to traffic. The traffic wasn't bad at all. He went to McDonalds and bought himself a huge meal and then couldn't eat the dinner I'd struggled to prepare. The receipt fell out of his pocket. He always wanted to get home to his room too. Like a teenager and I was the mum.

My friends say that I was always alone and looked so sad all the time. I might still be alone but I don't feel sad, harrassed and put upon.

I'd give one last ultimatum. I know my ex regrets avoiding me and the dc bitterly. Too late though now. He can sit playing games and eat take aways forever now.

OhcantthInkofaname · 26/08/2023 21:56

ohdort · 26/08/2023 20:45

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

Tell him to explain that to you.
And tell him exactly what he's like to be with.

Winnipeggy · 26/08/2023 21:56

Once this man is out of your life you will feel a tremendous negative weight lifted right off your shoulders. He doesn't deserve your commitment, don't waste any more time on him

Cornishclio · 26/08/2023 21:59

He sounds horrible so plan to separate or at least have a conversation that you no longer want to live like this.

Nagado · 26/08/2023 22:52

He said well your actions have consequences Perhaps you should remind him that that applies to him too. He seems to be getting worse, the older he gets, so something needs to give and it can’t be you.

Xrays · 26/08/2023 22:54

Are your dc seeing / hearing all this? 😳 Because it is abusive. It really is.

ohdort · 27/08/2023 06:15

Xrays · 26/08/2023 22:54

Are your dc seeing / hearing all this? 😳 Because it is abusive. It really is.

Well thankfully they only see him properly one day a week. But then there holidays and occasionally he does have a full weekend off. Like this weekend.

OP posts:
BanditsOnTheHorizon · 27/08/2023 06:31

He sounds awful. Really really awful. I don't know why your protecting him by not telling people what he's like and getting support from them

rainbowstardrops · 27/08/2023 08:41

Well he clearly doesn't value family time by the sound of it. Do you feel differently when he's at work and not around?
You can make a decision whether you're content to carry on like this but your children are reliant on you. This situation isn't fair on them is it?

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/08/2023 08:46

You don't need to rant about him, you need to leave him.

NoSquirrels · 27/08/2023 08:47

Get divorced.

Motnight · 27/08/2023 08:53

He sounds horrible Op.

KezzaMucklowe · 27/08/2023 08:56

Has he always been like this ?
Do you think he is stressed and depressed and taking it out on you or is he just an arsehole. Neither is ok and you shouldn't have to tolerate this behaviour. You deserve more than this and so do your dd.
How do you think he would respond to a break from each other, how would you feel about that ?
He's not helping around the house anyway, do you think time apart would help you figure out what you want?

Elmo230885 · 27/08/2023 09:00

It all sounds pretty awful but there does seem like things you could try before jumping to LTB.

His job. Does he work so much in such a demanding job because he must or because he is choosing to? Lost cause if he chooses to as he's opting out of family life as he's not going to opt back in. If he must then maybe look as a couple how you can even work loads out. You don't say if you work or not but maybe even that out but that relies on him becoming an active part of the family. I am the higher earner in our home and felt quite overwhelmed going back to work after our first child. DH went part time, 3 days. We muddled through until DC2 and looked at our situation. DH negotiated a pay rise and a sort of sideways move and I reduced hours. We both work 4 days now and it's a great balance. We do 50/50 at home. I can imagine his job feel relentless and can empathise with having little energy or willing to do much on days off.

Also, do you actually want him around? How was he before children? Have you changed since having children? Is there a point you both were happier that you could both work towards?

Transmummy · 27/08/2023 09:00

I feel so sad for you. Is his negativity and what sounds like abusive outbursts having an effect on your children?

Richmondgal · 27/08/2023 09:08

He sounds utterly vile

horseyhorsey17 · 27/08/2023 09:20

Only you can know if your marriage is worth saving but it's worrying that he's bitching about your daughter's name in front of her and making her feel bad. That is very much not OK. He could be depressed but it sounds like he currently doesn't like or respect you or want to spend time with you. What do you think - is this temporary? Was there a time when he wasn't like this and if so what, if anything, could have triggered the change in him. It sounds like it could be having kids, which tbh just doesn't bode well for this particular relationship.

Aishah231 · 27/08/2023 09:22

Ideally leave OP. He sounds vile. If you can't do that for whatever reason at least stop inviting him to anything. Holidays etc just go alone. Spend as little time with him as possible. When he asks why be honest.

thebear1 · 27/08/2023 09:41

I've had depression on and off throughout my adult life, it didn't make me pick fights and become completely selfish. He may be depressed but this may also be who he is and he will not change. You need to think if you really want to be with him.

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