I stayed up very late into the early hours preparing for Christmas for 4 nights in a row - each time, my Husband either went up to bed or sat there watching a film.
I’ve done all of the thinking and searching for presents, as well as the shopping for every single gift - including my own, and then I’ll just deduct the money spent from my half of the mortgage this month. I have also wrapped every single present, except my own, but I had to remind him to do this and he moaned the whole time and kept on saying he hates wrapping up and thinks it’s a load of shite. I’ve bought all the Christmas cards and written them and distributed them. I had to remind him several times for him to buy one for me and Mummy cards from our children, which he bought on Christmas Eve after I’d reminded him again.
I’ve sat with our children and helped them write and post their Father Christmas letters, I decorated the tree and put all the decorations for the room out, put on all the Christmas cushion covers and bedding and arranged the Christmas flowers. I’ve done all the additional tidying too.
I’ve asked him to do 3 things all Christmas: The first was to help put the lights on the tree, and I was kept waiting a day and a half as he was apparently too tired. The second was to help me put the lights on the front of the house (our children have also been asking him too) - he still hasn’t done this and I can’t do it on my own. 3 - to change the batteries in our battery operated lights and a few room decorations - he still hasn’t done this and I’ve been waiting and reminding since 1st December. I’ve even got the battery case and screwdriver sat in the sitting room and he still hasn’t done it and I ended up in tears on Christmas morning in front of him and my children because of his lack of help and initiative throughout the Christmas period.
Most of the things I do for Christmas I wouldn’t ask him to do, as I wouldn’t trust him to get them done or to do them to a good enough standard and I just know he’d leave it so late to do things and our children wouldn’t get lots of presents as they would’ve sold out by the time he tried to order or shops for them.
His contribution to Christmas after me asking for a week: To open 2 new Reed diffusers and put the reeds in - and then he moaned while doing it, to make breakfast on Christmas Day, and to drive us to and from my parents’ house which is a 10 minute drive.
He couldn’t even be bothered to stay with us properly on Christmas Day and eat together. He made us 1 hour late, and then on the way said he’ll be going back home to walk the dogs and get changed and then drive back down for dinner. We’d arrived at 4pm, and he arrived at nearly 6.30pm. My parents wouldn’t wait for him to start eating I’m pleased to say, and so we all ate at around 4.30pm. He stayed until 9pm and then started texting me from across the room asking if we could leave - I ignored him. At 9.15pm he said he thinks we should go home, I said no as we always stay late on Christmas Day and he said he’d go back and take the dogs for a walk and come back and pick us up. He then said if you want to stay later get an Uber. I said no way will we do that, and was so pissed off that he felt this was reasonable.
Every year it has been me doing everything, but he has done the lights and batteries after I’ve asked. He makes us late every year too for my parents, but has always come and eaten with us. I’m really fed up with it. My friend’s husbands either share all the tasks over Christmas or at least contribute without being asked and reminded constantly.