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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to expect my husband to help out?

35 replies

Mamax1 · 25/09/2023 21:52

So we have argued countless times over this issue and I'm starting to doubt if I really am fighting a losing battle and to just give in. Apologies for long post, starting writing and realised there's a lot of context.

My (23F) and my husband (30M) have been married 2 years, and have a 4mo boy. Im exclusively breastfeeding and pretty much solely look after him apart from the odd occasion (2 nights away and 4 evenings out since he was born) when either my husband takes responsibility or my in laws have minded him. I do all the night feeds, all the resettling, the changing, the playgroups, the planning, the playing etc. all that comes with a newborn. Thankfully my breastfeeding journey has been pretty straightforward and I actually really enjoy it now he's not cluster feeding so much! I complained a couple of times that I felt lonely at the start because I was cluster feeding him, getting used to breastfeeding in general and didn't want my b**bs out in front of everyone that came to see our boy at first (I'm over this now but FTM). My husband kept on saying 'well you wanted to breastfeed' and would say this when I mentioned about being tired because I'd been up on the night feeding several times (still am). This isn't even what we've been arguing about.

So my husband has a full time office job. He works in the office Mon-tues 8-4 and from home 9-5 wed-fri. He is out two nights a week at band practice and then thrice extra a month for another practice that I'm also in and get two nights a month out (we're alternating). When my husband works from home, he is often found taking a nap during the day, be it in the sofa or actually in bed, he is also constantly watching Netflix or YouTube whilst working. When he works from home, I'm still watching our son, playing, feeding, changing, trying to get him to nap, and my husband will waltz in and out at various points throughout the day but does not take charge of anything.

I had covid a couple of weeks back and was really unwell with it but because we have a son, I was still up everyday playing and feeding and changing, be it with as little movement from the bed or sofa as I could get. The house kind of went to pot and became rather messy and a bit dirty at points. I tried my best to keep up with the housework but by the time I put my son down for bed I was exhausted and went to sleep myself. My husband has been complaining that I don't do anything around the house and that 'I don't bring anything to the table'. He is saying he is working so we can have a nice house, nice car, go on holidays etc so why can't I look after the house. This all stems from me refusing to do the ironing. I HATE ironing and would rather clean the toilet multiple times an hour than stand and iron. My husbands one regular job is to take the bins out, but I regularly have to remind him, do it myself and I've never seen him empty the upstairs or food bins. I am responsible for the laundry which is fine except the ironing which I do not do. My husband is saying that I shouldn't be going to all these baby groups and out for lunch if he comes home from work and the house is in a state. I asked him to pick up his socks and put them in the washing bin and he says why can't I do it when I know they're there. I say I shouldn't have to and he is a grown man who should be able to pick up after himself. I also think I shouldn't have to be in charge of the whole house, I asked him to clean the bathroom last weekend and he's still not done it so I guess it'll fall on me. We're both getting sick of arguing about keeping the house clean but im daily picking up after him and cleaning behind him because he doesn't pick up after himself or clean small messes when he makes them. He says it's my job as I'm not at work atm (Mat leave) and all I do is sit around all day with our son or go out and do fun things. I'm tired of arguing about it and just feel like I'm not respected as a mum or a wife.

AIBU to expect him to help keep the house clean and tidy even though he's at work and I'm on Mat leave, or should I just suck it up because that's what should be happening?

OP posts:
JennyForeigner · 25/09/2023 21:56

Your husband sounds like a tedious bully who is using your mat leave to grind you down to the 1950s.

I would put an absolute rocket up him personally. And then I would tell his mum and any sisters and brothers and any of his friends of either sex and let them all tell him to shape the hell up.

rubyslippers · 25/09/2023 21:58

He didn’t care for you when you were unwell and then berates you for the state of the house
he sounds pretty horrid

rubyslippers · 25/09/2023 21:59

Maternity leave is not cook your husband’s dinner and pick up his socks leave

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 25/09/2023 22:01

Wow. Mat leave is to recover from birth and look after the baby. Which is a full time job. But he thinks you should be staying at home to pick up his socks? And he took naps and had breaks instead of mucking in looking after his own baby while you had covid? Wow. Lazy misogynistic selfish petty man child.

At least you know what he is like while you're still on mat leave, so you can make the decision 1. Not to have any more kids with this cretin and 2. To go back to work full time
Both of which will make it much easier to leave. Because I'm not sure that its worth working on things when his views are this extreme

neilyoungismyhero · 25/09/2023 22:06

Frankly, he's a pig.

ProfessorGambol · 25/09/2023 22:06

Why would you put up with someone who treats you like this? That is not normal and it is not ok. You are not his maid.

ChaliceinWonderland · 25/09/2023 22:12

Oh dear. Stop at child one.. and go back to FT work ASAP. He's a selfish bully, and you need to think carefully about the decades of life to come you'll be spending with thus guy who has no empathy when you are ill.

My exh was like this. Left him years ago.

Do not pick up his shit, do not be a doormat.

MartinChuzzlewit · 25/09/2023 22:13

rubyslippers · 25/09/2023 21:59

Maternity leave is not cook your husband’s dinner and pick up his socks leave

This

Hes being a prick.

How long have you been together?

Highlyflavouredgravy · 25/09/2023 22:16

You are 23!!!!! I am absolutely shocked that someone so young should be in such a position rather than enjoying life and their freedom.
Ge needs to shape up or ship out!!!

FirstFallopians · 25/09/2023 22:19

It’s not “helping”- it’s doing his fair share as an adult who is responsible for running a home.

I think it’s fair in many cases that the parent at home takes on a bit more of the daily housework (assuming good health and a typical baby), but I’m talking a 60:40 or maybe even 70:30 breakdown. It’s not an opportunity for the parent in paid work to use the SAH parent as an unpaid domestic servant.

PickAChew · 25/09/2023 22:20

Is this the man you really want to spend the next 50 years of your life with?

ilovelamp82 · 25/09/2023 22:24

These are not your jobs to do. You are doing a job that is clearly too hard for him to manage in looking after your child. Tell him you are not his skivvy and you have one child to look after not 2.

Mamax1 · 25/09/2023 22:25

6 years!! Lived together since we got married, he's not always been as lazy(imo) he used to cook and clean and do the weekly shop. I think he definitely has ADHD or ADD as he goes through bursts of taking on a task and then after 4-6 weeks he stops and it falls back to me!

I don't mind doing the majority of the housework, I'm at home more than him which is fine, it's just the attitude I can't deal with.

I threw my rings at him this evening in anger, which wasn't fair or right but I'm just exhausted.

I LOVE 'it's not pick up your socks leave' that's an incredible phrase that will be used from now on!

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 25/09/2023 22:27

Your marriage is already over, op. Sorry, but it's the truth. He has no respect for you at all.

Goldbar · 25/09/2023 22:28

This is how the rot sets in. Having unloaded all the domestic shit onto you, there's no way he's picking up his share (including childcare) when you're back at work. Instead, you'll be doing a double shift.

I'm sorry, OP, I don't really have any advice for you. You've picked a bad 'un. Not your fault. They're difficult to spot pre-DC because you're all loved up and everything is so much easier (and more equal) then anyway. Having a child and being financially dependent (and so 'trapped' to some degree) often brings them out into the open.

If your relationship survives, I'm afraid it will probably be because you learn to tolerate this shit and you give up protesting because you're exhausted and it's easier to do it all yourself anyway rather than have the argument.

Highlyflavouredgravy · 25/09/2023 22:35

So you've been together since you were 17 and he was 24? Can you imagine now being in a relationship with a 17 year old?
It shows that ge enjoyed the power imbalance and wants that imbalance to continue now.

Dacadactyl · 25/09/2023 22:36

I think the issue is his attitude.

On mat leave I did every domestic task etc, but if id not cleaned, or whatever, my husband would never have mentioned that tasks hadn't been done! I think that shows a real lack of respect and understanding.

I think you need to speak to him about his attitude. I don't personally think it's unreasonable for you to do 90 odd percent of domestic stuff while on mat leave (depending on what you plan to do after mat leave ends...more on this later in the post), but the fact he's bringing up that it's not been done on occasion would be my issue.

That being said, you need to think about after mat leave and set out your stall about how things need to look at that point.

If you plan to go back to work full time, then he needs to be doing 40 odd percent of domestic stuff now.

MartinChuzzlewit · 25/09/2023 22:38

Highlyflavouredgravy · 25/09/2023 22:35

So you've been together since you were 17 and he was 24? Can you imagine now being in a relationship with a 17 year old?
It shows that ge enjoyed the power imbalance and wants that imbalance to continue now.

This is why I asked.

OP this won’t be easy to hear but the power dynamics are heavily in his favour. Clearly always have been - he’s designed it that way. and now he’s gaslighting you into thinking the domestic chores are your job with a potentially empty promise of nice cars and holidays as a reward.

OP I want to hug you. You are so young and this man is bad for you. Take your lovely baby and get out before your life becomes unbearably miserable.

TomatoSandwiches · 25/09/2023 22:40

He is disgusting and I would be making plans to go back to work and get my ducks in a row.
Life would be much easier without this toad fucking up your peace op.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 25/09/2023 22:40

He just sounds so horrific I can’t put it into words.

QS90 · 25/09/2023 22:45

You are ABSOLUTELY NBU. I'm annoyed for you that he is taking enjoyment from what should be a very happy time. Sounds like you are smashing it - taking your baby to groups to learn and socialise, breastfeeding and doing some of the housework too. Many aren't able to do all of these together so good on you. Don't let him diminish your achievements. Why do you think it is, that he thinks it's okay to berate you for not tidying up his socks? Is he jealous of the attention you are giving the baby? Was his mum a doormat? Does he have a history of being controlling?

minipie · 25/09/2023 22:51

Oh love, you married a sexist arsehole. Decent men are not like this.

Doing a task for a few weeks and then stopping isn’t ADHD or ADD, it’s doing just enough to stop you being angry and then going back to being a lazy fucker.

Don’t have another baby, and keep up your career. One day you may well want to leave him, this will help.

Stomacharmeleon · 25/09/2023 22:52

Adhd? Add? Or just lazy?
He managed to pull his weight before so his 'conditions' didn't get in the way then?

GrumpyPanda · 25/09/2023 23:00

Throwing your rings at him was the only sane response to his vile behaviour.

Justlikeme234 · 25/09/2023 23:06

He doesn't work THAT much really lol. He's behaving as if he works 12 hour days slogging out to the office every day of the week and working over the weekend. He's working a normal 9-5 and you're doing your job as a mum.
Ask him if he'd like to swap when you're off mat leave or say you're hiring a cleaner.
Put your foot down, this man knows you can do better than him and is taking the piss out of you expecting you to pick up after him.
Kick off.