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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Feeling resentful of DH

16 replies

LifeWithADHD · 20/04/2024 22:20

Trying to figure out if it’s me being unreasonable and expecting too much or if he should do more. - Up until maybe two months ago he did do a lot. He took over pretty much everything throughout my pregnancy and did a lot pre pregnancy too but it’s tapered off the past few months

we have 3 kids (8,2.5 & 4 months). Obviously I’m at home on maternity leave (I’m also studying a flexible course that takes 9 months). Dh is self employed and works from home. I’d also like to add that I have ADHD so I have a lot more energy then a lot of people and Dh does also work often on the weekends (nature of his job means if he gets a call he has to take it out of hours).

now I expect to do the majority of the kids/house stuff because I have more free time and Dh does do some stuff … however this is the current rough idea of who does what

  • school and nursery run (two separate locations and I take baby with me also ) Dh will typically stay in bed till 10am. I’m an early riser naturally and he isn’t. I don’t mind this so much but just so you get the picture - he will often do afternoon school runs and takes dc to hobbies twice a week.
  • cleaning. I do all the cleaning. He won’t even wipe down the sides in the kitchen. He will clean the bath after he uses it that’s it.
  • he will empty and refill the dishwasher but won’t hand wash any of the baby bottles/dummies etc. won’t wipe sides down or tidy clutter on the sides.
  • i do all the laundry
  • i I do all bath times and mostly all bed times for all dc
  • dh does the bins
  • hes never mopped but might run the hoover round once in a blue moon.
  • he typically gets in a 2 hour bath conviently at the time I’m making the kids dinner each night so I’m juggling a Velcro 4 month old plus the other two
  • he will leave mess for me to tidy up (opens parcels of stuff ordered and leaves it on the floor, cups in the bathroom) that sort of thing.
  • doesnt fold laundry and won’t put the kids stuff away however will put his own clothes away if I put them in a pile on the bed

now I know I can cope with a lot more then he can and his company only has a few staff and has grown rapidly so he is feeling overwhelmed with his workload. He does struggle with the mental load of work however we’re still parents and house owners.

the only thing I wanted to change was he tidied up after himself abit more and helps with putting laundry away. Am I expecting too much or is this weaponised incompetence?

Dh is lovely and a brilliant dad but I’m starting to feel resentful. I have just lost a very close relative so unsure if that’s what’s actually tipping me over the edge.

OP posts:
LifeWithADHD · 20/04/2024 22:20

Sorry for the spelling errors and what not I’m holding a wriggly baby

OP posts:
MumChp · 20/04/2024 22:27

It's not a competion. You make it sounds like that more than family life.

I did most of schoolruns for older children and house chores being on maternity leave.

You struggle and need your husband's support let him know. Tell him what you need. Tell him how he can help. He won't read your mind but he does know you have more free time than him and he might not be aware of your struggles.

Mudflaps · 20/04/2024 22:33

A two hour bath while you manage the children? Pop the baby in the bath with him.

skibiditoilet · 20/04/2024 22:56

2 hour bath every night. There’s your problem right there 😂 wtf is he doing in the bath for 2 hours. Skiving.

FrangipaniBlue · 20/04/2024 22:57

He doesn't need to read your mind to know the basics like tidying up after yourself.

Leaving detritus from a parcel on the floor and not wiping a worktop down after use is pure and simple laziness.

TinySaltLick · 20/04/2024 23:00

If he replaced that two hour bath with a shower he could do most of the things on that list in the time it instantly would free up

Can a human even stay in a bath for that long without feeling odd

Runnerinthenight · 20/04/2024 23:02

He's a lazy fucker. Trust me, I am also stuck with one.

Bustelo · 20/04/2024 23:06

He’s lazy and doesn’t respect you. He doesn’t get up until 10am then has a two hour bath in the evening when you have 3 children? He’d be given a short sharp shock if I was married to him, we’d be having a serious conversation and if that didn’t work he could parent 50-50. It’s utter laziness not to wipe a side down after you’ve used it. Leave his laundry, don’t cook his meals and put anything he’s left lying around in a bag on his pillow. Good grief you’re parenting 3 children while he languishes in bed and fucks off for a two hour bath at night? That’s a firm no from me - lazy buggar that he is.

Bustelo · 20/04/2024 23:18

I’ve just realised your username @LifeWithADHD Does he have ADHD? The reason I’m asking is there’s a thread in relationships I think it is for those living with partners with ASD/autism/ADHD. If this is the case you might find some better advice on that.

LifeWithADHD · 20/04/2024 23:27

Bustelo · 20/04/2024 23:18

I’ve just realised your username @LifeWithADHD Does he have ADHD? The reason I’m asking is there’s a thread in relationships I think it is for those living with partners with ASD/autism/ADHD. If this is the case you might find some better advice on that.

No it’s me who has it! :)

OP posts:
LifeWithADHD · 20/04/2024 23:29

Thank you all for your views! It’s nice to hear I’m not being demanding. Im going to tell him he needs to either do more, or pay for a cleaner. Either will work as long as it’s done!

OP posts:
Codlingmoths · 20/04/2024 23:56

he typically gets in a 2 hour bath conviently at the time I’m making the kids dinner each night so I’m juggling a Velcro 4 month old plus the other two
this justifies murder. I agree you say ok bath before dinner tonight, Dh I assume you are offering to bath them all since I’m cooking dinner THEY ARE ALL TIRED AND GRUMPY WHILE IM COOKING DINNER, it is time for all hands on deck not a fucking 2 hour bath!! If you don’t get that now, then next time I’m taking the bath and you make dinner with the children, every night for the next WEEK.
my Dh when we only had the one toddler came home while I was cooking with toddler crying on my leg, and decided to play some guitar. I was so mad (& told him so!) I can’t believe you have let him get away with this!

Pumpkinpie1 · 11/08/2024 11:13

How’s it going OP ?

RubyOrca · 11/08/2024 11:28

Don’t accept this! Don’t pretend what he does is ok! He does practically nothing around the home. He needs to be parenting his children, and contributing to his home.

You doing all the housework and child stuff while he is out working is fair - but the moment he’s home from work it should be 50:50. Both of you contributing equally.

You will just build resentment if you let this continue, and that isn’t good for anyone. You need to sit down and have a conversation about division of labour. Fine to get a cleaner - but it’s not getting a cleaner so he does nothing. It’s getting a cleaner so both of you can reduce workload. it doesn’t mean you do half of everything out of work hours but it needs to be an equal division of labour. Maybe you prep dinner every night but he gets kids bathed and down to sleep. So both of you are doing a daily chore that takes a whack of time (and frankly with you home with the kids he needs daily just him time with them to grow their relationship). Don’t get suckered into him doing something once/twice a week, that can slide if things are busy - with you doing all the daily stuff that has to happen.

Sit down with your husband and work out a fair plan while you’re home. Emphasise that when you return to work/study it’ll have to change. Make sure you both have ownership of different things, so you aren’t managing all his tasks. Think through all that’s involved in running the household - so meal planning, shopping, cooking and clean up are all steps in making sure you can eat dinner. Cooking is only one part of it - share workload fairly by thinking of all that’s involved.

Carebearsonmybed · 11/08/2024 11:32

He wants the kudos of looking like a family man to the outside world without doing any of the grunt work.

Stop doing anything for him.

FriendsDrinkBook · 11/08/2024 11:42

Post erased! Old thread alert.

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