Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU for telling my "friend" that my husband isn't her concern?

401 replies

Empressofall · 06/10/2023 09:35

100% believe I'm in the right here but you never know.
Context: My husband and I both work full time. Both have stressful jobs.
He has long shifts (10+ hours) but his days off can fall during the week when our child goes to daycare so he has actual time off to do as he pleases (it's just how his shifts work. No shade that our kid isnt at home with him. We still send him so we can keep his place and its fun for him) and I do not. I often bring work home and either work into the night or grab some time during baby's nap time. My "days off" are weekends where I'm 100% in charge of the house and our baby if my husband is working.
My husband is as hands on as he can be in the time that he has.
On to the issue: last night, he came home at around 7.30pm (late for him) and I'd already done grocery shop, laundry, bathtime, bedtime, cleaned the lounge etc. I was pretty tired.
I made dinner. I made breaded chicken (from frozen, like a Birds Eye packet), roasted garlic potatoes and salad. Not really a chore. But somewhat nutritious.
Husband was super grateful and ate it all up.
He then did the dishes.
I was chatting to my friend (let's call her A) about our day and she was appalled that I'd made my husband a "low effort and low quality dinner" and that "making him do the dishes after a long day at work was bitchy and unhelpful". Like... excuse me?! I also worked yesterday. And did 100% of the childcare/housework. I was exhausted. I didn't even ask him to do the dishes. He did them himself because he's an adult who knows how and when to wash dishes.
I told her this.
She told me not to be surprised when he finds someone willing to put more effort into the relationship. More context: A was involved with a married man who left his wife for her, citing that his wife didn't make enough effort. She's paranoid AF that he'll leave if she isn't 100% perfect. Their house is like a fucking show home and every meal is organic from scratch blah blah blah.
I got angry and told her that my husband isn't her concern, that if he leaves me because of a dinner then he's not much of a man. She then said ahe was only telling me "for your own good". I lost my sh1t and told her to f**k off.
Husband says I'm in the right. Another friend agrees with A that I should have put more effort into the meal and offered to do the dishes because husband worked a longer day than I did.
But the way I see it, we both worked so why is his job and work day more important than mine?

If anyone's wondering, I started work at 7am, finished at 3.30pm, did the grocery shop at 4.30pm (after commuting an hour), bathed baby at 6.40pm, put him to bed by 7.20pm and had 10mins to myself before husband came home. I started dinner as soon as he walked in.

Husband started work at 9.30am and got in at 7.30pm meaning he finished at 7pm.

Was I wrong to tell her this? Am I just lazy?
Edit: my husband never EVER expects me or even asks me to cook for him. We have VERY different tastes in food so we often just cook for ourselves because it's easier!

OP posts:
MehtotheChristmasrunup · 06/10/2023 10:28

I would have just laughed and told her not to let her paranoia into my house.

The only caveat is maybe she gets a vibe that’s it all getting too much? I think if we moan then people often project what they feel the issue is. She’s mistaking your heavy load perhaps as a distance between you and your DH.
She’ll see being told to fuck off as evidence of more strain and that she was right.
Best book a nice holiday and shove lots of happy photos in her face.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 06/10/2023 10:31

Poor woman sounds batshit.

SmileyClare · 06/10/2023 10:31

5128gap · 06/10/2023 10:27

I've no idea where you managed to find a friend so guaranteed to arouse the collective ire of the MN community OP. Not only a trad wife, but a busybody and other woman too! 😂

Yeah she’s like a pantomime villain wagging her finger and telling you “you’ll be sorry”

Where do MNers find these friends?

Seaside3 · 06/10/2023 10:31

Your friend is a.grade a numpty. Her fella is probably already banging someone else who feeds him dirty burgers (not a euphamisim. Or maybe it is) because his current wife only feeds him organic, healthy stuff.

Other than that, why don't people on mumsnet do online grocery shops? They really help when you're short on time. Unrelated, to the op, but looking at the timeline, it seems it would help with the exhaustion.

Andnowtowhatcomesnext · 06/10/2023 10:32

Mrsjayy · Today 09:39

I thought shr was going to complain about the dc being in nursery while he's off work but no how very dare you feed your hard working husband in his very important Job a chicken steak and potatoes bless his heart🙄 I mean of course she is being an arsehole!

Same. I thought she’d be saying he should do more!! When is the OPs day off without childcare? Wow!

She must have incredibly low self esteem, OP. You are 1 million % NBU.

Cakecakecheese · 06/10/2023 10:33

My husband had chicken nuggets, paw patrol potato shapes and beans for dinner last night. I shall await my divorce papers. Bonkers.

Mrsjayy · 06/10/2023 10:35

bigshort · 06/10/2023 10:19

I'd put good money on someone else already "making him dinner".

I mean 😂

insearchofapotato · 06/10/2023 10:36

Aquamarine1029 · 06/10/2023 09:38

Stop talking to these batshit women.

This with bells on ^

femfemlicious · 06/10/2023 10:36

Your friend is mad and not a good person!. Why are you friends with someone who dated a married man . She is morally deficient

SUCkythings · 06/10/2023 10:38

Washing up takes- 5 minutes? Not every man minds doing chores. Some want to do half. Lots of men are brought up to believe that’s normal. Yanbu

OrribleAlloween · 06/10/2023 10:38

If you tell people your stuff, they’ll have an opinion!! Chances are, that opinion will clash with yours, that’s how it is🤷‍♀️
I gloss over stuff like this, saves a lot of bother.
we’ve got a nosy, very opinionated woman at work, so I’ve leant the hard way!!

Saschka · 06/10/2023 10:40

Her fella is probably already banging someone else who feeds him dirty burgers (not a euphamisim. Or maybe it is)

@Seaside3 🤣🤣🤣

Goldfish41 · 06/10/2023 10:40

WTAF? Is she a Stepford wife? That’s crazy on a number of levels. There’s no reason it should even have been you making dinner given that you were both working yesterday! Agree that it’s a reflection on her mindset and relationship. Your response was completely correct.

HippeePrincess · 06/10/2023 10:41

Your friend is batshit, if anything you work more when you factor in all the childcare and house stuff, and you don’t seem to get the same down time your dh gets. He could have/should have cooked in my opinion.

as an aside my dp was delighted when I made Jurassic park dinner recently (Turkey dinosaurs stood up in mash mountain with spaghetti hoop lava 😂

fortheloveofflowers · 06/10/2023 10:41

I’d have added the part about her being neurotic that her husband would leave her if she doesn’t wait in him hand and foot and point out my husband (your husband) did the dishes because he loves and cares for you.

Her life must be shit and full of anxiety!

LadyHag · 06/10/2023 10:41

justjeansandanicetop · 06/10/2023 09:53

I'm amazed another friend agreed with her.

A's issue is clearly to do with her own husband and for some reason it hit a nerve. No idea what the other woman's deal is.

My husband would be delighted with that dinner Grin

My husband would be thrilled with that dinner too 😄

If its a busy day and he has to chuck some kievs in the oven after work he is chuffed 😄

Your mate is batshit, op, and petrified her prize of a man will leave her, and is projectingbher fears onto you

kweeble · 06/10/2023 10:44

Just find normal friends - these ones don’t even seem to like you. See if you can find time for yourself after work at least once a week.

Floppyelf · 06/10/2023 10:46

Dump the batshit bat as she’s no friend. You and your DH sound like you got each other’s back and thats how it should be. I suspect she might have a little crush on him. Don’t bother telling him and just drop
her like a hot potato. Say you’re busy if she wants to hang out chat… eventually she’ll get the message.

Mumsgirls · 06/10/2023 10:47

My dc and partners seem to have very fair split, each doing a fair share with house, kids and shopping. If one is busier or ill the other does more. Surely that’s the way to build a happy home?

you friend sounds like a stepford wife, living as people did two generations ago .when women’s work was if anything a pin money.

A must have no sense of her own worth, why isn’t the husband worried about keeping her, awful power balance , but serve her right for previous actions.
I would laugh at her ridiculous ideas

LaviniasBigBloomers · 06/10/2023 10:47

Cakecakecheese · 06/10/2023 10:33

My husband had chicken nuggets, paw patrol potato shapes and beans for dinner last night. I shall await my divorce papers. Bonkers.

I'll totally marry you once the divorce is through though @Cakecakecheese cos that's a dream tea round here!

Workawayxx · 06/10/2023 10:47

Who is the 1% who think YABU?! You are definitely NBU. She's latched onto her scheme to "keep her man" and as you and your DH don't fit into that, she's attacking your relationship. It's all about her and nothing about your (perfectly normal) relationship.

I'd go as far as to say your DH has it good and better than you do (but that's OK as you are both aware). Even if you'd not cooked dinner and left him to sort it or get takeaway, that's still fine IMO. I have a child and toddler and work 3 days a week, DP works 5 (sometimes 7) days per week in a physical job and he'd still be fine if I hadn't cooked from scratch or didn't have any food in because he isn't a twat and realises that I'm not his cook/cleaner and life sometimes gets in the way of perfection. He'd just pop to the shops and pick up a ready meal probably!

ChaToilLeam · 06/10/2023 10:47

She sounds nuts. And she is living in a paranoid world of her own making. Ah well, that’s what happens when you take up with a known cheat.

willWillSmithsmith · 06/10/2023 10:47

muchalover · 06/10/2023 09:40

It won't stop her husband having another affair. That's what she's really worried about. She just wants you to be as anxious as she is.

Hits the nail on the head. She’s trying to project her anxieties on to you and she’s threatened by your secure marriage.

Good for you for not putting up with her batshittery.

NoSquirrels · 06/10/2023 10:48

Your ‘friend/s’ is/are crazy.

And YABVU to even entertain the notion that it’s a valid viewpoint, let alone post on MN to check, let alone write so much justification of what you do.

Breaded chicken & salad is fine REGARDLESS of whatever’s gone on. Your DH doing the washing up is NORMAL.

Learn to identify crazy.

tabulaisrasa · 06/10/2023 10:51

So exactly what effort does this friend think your DH should be making so that YOU stick around? I mean, she clearly has very defined ideas of having to earn your place in a relationship and obviously that goes both ways...right? RIGHT?