I hate the radio being on

[Onlyhereforthecrack]

My husband is at home all the time due to work from home, and he has the radio on all day. He watches breakfast tv in the morning (I cannot stand light entertainment) and then has the radio on all day. It’s radio 6, which I detest. All soft rock and ding ding dang dang and it stresses me out. I’ve never been a music fan as is probably clear. I’d be fine if it were talking or even radio 2, I just hate radio 6.

if I listen or watch I instinctively do so privately, I have an iPad and a phone and loads of headphones. I rarely watch the big TV if he’s home. He’s not a monster, he’ll happily leave me to it and go to another room, I just don’t think it’s that great for a relationship to both be always staring at different boxes in different rooms.

if he turns it off it’s like I’ve peed on his chips. He makes me feel like such a killjoy and that he’s being controlled. I think I have a sensory thing where too many sources of noise (we have two teens) sends me a bit wonky.

Hes able to do what he wants all day pretty much, is it awful that I don’t want it on for 12 hours a day? Should I say - you’ve had that for three hours, now let’s put on heart! (I know it’s sad, but I’d prefer that or motown).

Am I massive killjoy?

You need to share what you listen to.

I can't stand silence. I have the radio on all day for company.

Try flare audio ear plugs. They filter out some of the annoying frequencies or use loops which are noise cancelling.

me and my dh have been together since university. Even then noise while I was studying could make me hysterical. I just can’t stand it

i never have anything (radio, tv) on when I’m home alone. The peace and quiet is restorative.

I don’t understand why not having music on is “restrictive” but forcing you to listen to something isn’t. Why the fuck can’t he use headphones? It’s HIM that’s controlling!

Maybe Alexa can have an "accident "

I do, I wear them a lot as loud environments can get on top of me. I just cannot wear noise cancelling all day as I generally listen in the evening when I sit in the lounge and watch my iPad!

This. I like silence and can't focus on things if the radio is on. I literally never put the radio on in the house.

When DH works from home he likes the radio on but is either working in his study or wears earphones.

I have to burn the house down. We have about 5. (My fault)

My husband is self-centred. It’s a thing, he’s aware of it and tries to minimise it where he can but try and try and it’s very hard to actually change your nature. We have lots of talks and he’s very proactive at not being selfish, but a fish is a fish.

This is my life!!! Exactly!!
I can't bear it either. He has at least x3 radios on. For some reason it really distracts me, I hate it. And it's radio 6 too!!!

You cannot marry someone and expect them to completely change: but you can try and be open about communication. I’ve never pushed this one, as previously I was at home more and he has hobbies etc that take him outside, but he’s at home more than me these days so it’s very constant.

Mumsnet again reminding me why no one would live with me willing. I always have two or three things going at once. Had a spare 10 minutes on the school run, radio going whilst watching things on my phone 😬.

I think a compromise needs to be reached. Either headphones or music in a room where you can’t hear it. If he’s WFH surely he’s got a specific space to work from that means you’re not disturbing each other?

Me too. Mine even likes to listen to the radio through the night. We sleep in separate rooms now.

I've also banned his guitar from the living room because he likes to strum when we're chatting or watching tv. 😬

I agree with you OP. My DH and I have VERY different tastes in music, TV, movies and even news channels.

I got myself some of those Loop ear things. They are great for trains and all sorts of other situations. I wear good noise cancelling headphones when I'm working.

Sometimes I ask him to knock it off.

Generally I don't like the I live in a taxi rank vibe that you get from monotonous radio.

No he has his own business that has very intense time commitments at times, and almost nothing most of the time. So he has a lot of free time and is just ambling around. I’m jealous, yes, stupid boring office-hours career!

My dear old dad used to have R4 on all day and all night, no exaggeration. It almost drove me batty as they bellow away on that station like no one’s business. I really do feel for you because it wears you down.

The last time I asked a question on here I got set upon like a freshly deceased deer in the forest.

Thank you. I appreciate different strokes but I no longer feel like the world’s least fun person.

@Onlyhereforthecrack you’d hate me 😅. I have the radio on all day - mainly radio 6, sometimes radio 4. I grew up with radio 4 on ALL the time. Love it.
Good job we don’t live together!!

That would drive me nuts. We're both home too and luckily we like the same radio stations - BBC sports5 in the morning and radio 3 or jazz FM in the afternoon

Of course mine has a guitar as well. And ones for the kids 😒

But compromise is a normal and healthy part of being in a relationship with someone. He doesn't get to inflict his wishes on you all the time (and vice versa.)
Would he agree to something like, playing the radio as he wishes for x number of hours and then if he wishes to listen further, uses earplugs so you can have some peace?
I don't see why you should have to wear earplugs all day long in your own house. Some sort of compromise must be reached here.

You both need to work out a timetable so that you have equal amounts of time with the radio on and off, maybe mornings for him and afternoons for you or an hour each at a time.

I'm in charge of the sound in this house. The radio tends to neutralise the other sounds in the house, so I don't get distracted. If I'm marking I need actual music on though. Occasionally, if work had been particularly loud, I need silence. As a teenager I needed the TV on silent but colourful and music on loud to be able to do any work, so I'm getting better.

If dh had vastly different taste in music, I wouldn't have been able to marry him. It's on about the same level as political persuasion for me. It's the kids who don't really like the radio. I find it weird when I come home and the house is silent. It's like they're my parents.

We share the guitar in our house. Mainly because we're both shit at it.

Also disputing the soft rock label! It’s pretty varied.

I quite like R6 but it does take itself v seriously at times.

He’s self-employed and works sporadic hours so sometimes he’s just around the house. He does a lot of cooking.

He sounds annoying.

I've worked in offices where people like listening to their music. They wear headphones. They have to as some people have to do online courses or virtual meetings.