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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Living with a partner who is used to SAHM / homemaker dynamic

854 replies

glensof · 24/01/2025 17:08

Moved in together with a partner (6 months ago), and need advice.

Our relationship is brilliant in all respects, apart from one: he does absolutely zero "housework" of any sorts. Not only physical things (dishes, laundry, cooking, minor diy and such), but also no "mental load" of any sorts (doctor's appointments, bills, insurance, subscriptions - all his own). His level of competence in domestic duties / life admin is roughly at the level of a pre-schooler - I am serious.

All his previous partners / wives have been 100% homemakers (whether there were children in the relationship or not), and he doesn't have much experience living on his own, or with a woman who has to work for a living. He's been exceptionally financially successful in the past so it was no issue at all, but now his circumstances have changed quite dramatically and it is no longer the case.

I am the only breadwinner now, and it started to annoy me that after a long stressful work day I have a second shift picking his socks from the floor and collecting dishes / mugs from the house. We discussed it openly and he does fully understand where I am coming from, and is very apologetic. If I ask him explicitly to do something, he will do with absolutely no complaints - but I just can't constantly micromanage an adult to this level ("go and pick up your socks first darling, and then we'll discuss current affairs and geopolitics"). I feel like a nagging shallow bitch so I just do it myself. His problem is that he can't immediately unlearn nearly 40 years of previous coupled life - he's used to socks and mugs magically disappearing, the car somehow always being fully charged just when he needs it, fairies delivering a delicious dinner straight to the table each night and dentist appointments in his calendar just popping up when the time comes. He genuinely just doesn't see these tasks, understand how long they take or how frequently they need to be done - they don't even register with him as "something that needs to be done for my comfort by someone".

I love him to bits and I really, really want this to work. There's so much that is right about him, and I want this to be the last relationship in my life (in a good way). This post is not to complain, but genuinely to seek advice on how to fix the situation. I am quite a messy creature myself, and have a higher than average tolerance to domestic chaos - but it now started getting even to me, and I was a bit snappy several times.

OP posts:
IcyGreyDreamer · 24/01/2025 17:10

So the relationship is not “brilliant in all respects” then.

Tubetrain · 24/01/2025 17:11

He's an adult and he makes complex decisions at work. He just thinks this is women's work. If you want to stay I'd give him 6w to get his act together and leave if not.

CrestWhite · 24/01/2025 17:11

Will he recover his financial success?
Would you want to be a housewife if he does?

If either answer is no, he needs to change, you need to accept it, or you need to leave.

glensof · 24/01/2025 17:13

IcyGreyDreamer · 24/01/2025 17:10

So the relationship is not “brilliant in all respects” then.

No, not in all respects. This one aspect is clearly not brilliant - that's why I am trying to understand how to work on it and fix it.

OP posts:
jollygoose · 24/01/2025 17:13

Write him a list for next day along the lines of 1. Put a wash on 2. Peel some spuds3 hoover the whole house and tidy. It will be difficult to ignore a written list.

Tubetrain · 24/01/2025 17:14

Oh I missed that he's not working now. So what does he do all day?

1smallhamsterfoot · 24/01/2025 17:14

Tell him to fucking figure it out?! He can't be that thick surely?

Takenoprisoner · 24/01/2025 17:15

IcyGreyDreamer · 24/01/2025 17:10

So the relationship is not “brilliant in all respects” then.

This.

How has he managed to survive between relationships, and especially before moving in with you 6 months ago? If he's not working, what is he contributing or is he contributing from his savings?

YeGodsandLittleFishies · 24/01/2025 17:16

He does see these tasks.

He just doesn’t think they are his responsibility.

This needs a proper conversation.

Candleabra · 24/01/2025 17:16

Bollocks he doesn’t see it. He doesn’t want to see it. He thinks those jobs are beneath him.

Unless he has an incredibly low IQ he doesn’t really believe that delicious dinners appear by magic, and the same magic washes socks and tidies everything.

I wonder how he managed his incredibly successful career with such delusional thinking?

graygoose · 24/01/2025 17:17

I understand you must love this man but what is he bringing to the table exactly? Because it sounds like you provide for him financially and domestically while he…?

Takenoprisoner · 24/01/2025 17:17

1smallhamsterfoot · 24/01/2025 17:14

Tell him to fucking figure it out?! He can't be that thick surely?

I don't know how anyone can be attractive to such an incompetent human being.

Machya · 24/01/2025 17:17

A "brilliant in all respects" relationship?🙄
God your bar is low.
You must be absolutely desperate to be tolerating such an utter loser.

Do the www.freedomprogramme.co.uk and find some self respect.

You deserve so much better but will end up with the utter dregs if that is all you believe you deserve.

Ceramiq · 24/01/2025 17:17

He's used to living in a 5 star hotel. There are many, many things he needs to learn to do. Does he want to?

outerspacepotato · 24/01/2025 17:17

He's not working and he's not doing any household work or even his own life stuff?

Did he lose his job before he moved in?

Sounds like he needs a mom not a gf.

glensof · 24/01/2025 17:18

CrestWhite · 24/01/2025 17:11

Will he recover his financial success?
Would you want to be a housewife if he does?

If either answer is no, he needs to change, you need to accept it, or you need to leave.

He probably won't ever recover, realistically, due to a complex set of circumstances that are mostly not his fault at all.
Having said that, I would not want to be a housewife either, being a domestic goddess is not really me. I am averagely competent at homemaking, but no further desire to upskill.

OP posts:
Tagyoureit · 24/01/2025 17:18

glensof · 24/01/2025 17:13

No, not in all respects. This one aspect is clearly not brilliant - that's why I am trying to understand how to work on it and fix it.

Put this one back where you found him!

PuffinLord · 24/01/2025 17:18

Ok unless he’s mentally ill or has some kind of learning disorder he can figure it out, the way we all did when we left home at 18.

Tell him that if he’s at home, not earning or looking after children, then he now has the role of homemaker that all his previous partners had. He should be totally responsible for all household work and admin.

If he doesn’t know what to do there are blogs, books, whatever floats his boat to help him work it out. But this is his problem to fix not yours to work out or manage for him.

Tell him - and mean it - that this is a dealbreaker, that you want to be his romantic partner not his mum, and that the relationship will not survive if he cannot figure this out.

thestudio · 24/01/2025 17:19

Tubetrain · 24/01/2025 17:11

He's an adult and he makes complex decisions at work. He just thinks this is women's work. If you want to stay I'd give him 6w to get his act together and leave if not.

This. Once you'd pointed out the disparity one or two times, if he's able to manage a complex job, he's deciding not to do his share.

He thinks you should do it because you're a woman.

olderbutwiser · 24/01/2025 17:20

What brought you together? Were you aware of this at all before you moved in together?

steff13 · 24/01/2025 17:20

glensof · 24/01/2025 17:13

No, not in all respects. This one aspect is clearly not brilliant - that's why I am trying to understand how to work on it and fix it.

It's not up to you to fix it. He's an adult. He knows these things needs to be done. He's choosing not to do them. You have to decide if you're ok with that or not.

SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 24/01/2025 17:20

Hmmm. Part of the problem is you feeling like a nagging bitch.
How about reframing this as you generously teaching DP how to be a responsible adult? . Teach him one task everyday - putting away his clothes, washing glasses, collecting dirty cups etc - and agree he’ll keep on practicing each thing at least once a day.
This really is a massive favour to do him.

Jackiebrambles · 24/01/2025 17:20

Is this called weaponised incompetence??

MsMarch · 24/01/2025 17:21

So he had lots of money and there was always a woman to manage things? Did he just mve in with you as soon as the last relationship ended? How did he manage between previosu relationship and you?

Because from where I'm sitting, this sounds like aload of bollocks and it's all "Oh, I'm the victim - I used to earn so much money and now I don't and I never learnt all these things."

If you really want to test if he' genuine (and frankly, I couldn't be bothered myself but whatever), write him a list of all the chores you expect done while he's not working and you are. Include things like, "plan, shop for, and cook dinner". "Do all washing so as to ensure that the washing basket is empty by friday night." "Vacuum all rooms twice weekly".

So just enough there that he has to actually THINK, but without a lot of effort.

but i'm not optimistic. Sorry.

steff13 · 24/01/2025 17:21

Tubetrain · 24/01/2025 17:14

Oh I missed that he's not working now. So what does he do all day?

Throws his socks on the floor. 😉