Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To sack off DH on anniversary?

28 replies

Catssitonhats · 11/05/2025 22:58

To give some background, DH and I have had a pretty rough start to the year relationship wise, with a 2 week separation and threat of divorce. We have since been working through things, he's getting some therapy, we've been talking a lot more and there have been some significant positive changes. Really happy with how things are going and proud of how we've changed our relationship for the better. Great.

This weekend, however, he went out for "one" on Friday, but didn't come home until past midnight. Next day he was so hungover he couldn't take the kids to the activity he does with them every Saturday (and usually gives me a lie in as he often works away during the week), so I took them and held the fort ALL DAY (they are little - think 2 under 5) until he finally rose out of bed... Wait for it... 5pm!!!

Told him what an absolute piss taker he is, and how upset I was etc, made it very clear I won't tolerate this and he apologised and said it won't happen again. He doesn't have form for this, by the way - in fact he rarely goes out (which is probably why he ended up so hungover).
He does have form, however, for being absolutely last minute for making any sort of arrangement for anything social whatsoever, such as family birthdays etc.

It's our anniversary tomorrow and he's just come up to me and asked me if I've got him a card, because... You guessed it. He forgot and hasn't got me one! Now I don't give a fuck about the card, but I also told him to book the day off tomorrow and planned our day otherwise we'd have done nothing and I'm fucking sick of it. After all we've been through and ESPECIALLY as he was such a deadbeat yesterday I'd have thought he might have thought to himself, you know what, my wife deserves some extra appreciation tomorrow so I best check I've got a card before the shops shut. Could a man not think to himself... It's a wonder we're still married, so it's worth making a fuss of the fact we've made it another year? It'll be nearly 15 years together. We don't normally do cards for valentine's day and his excuse is that we don't usually do cards. I don't fucking care.

AIBU to sack off the day and tell him I'm popping out to run an errand, then just not come back and make him waste his day like I did yesterday? I don't even want to spend it with him anymore!

OP posts:
SingWithMeJustForToday · 12/05/2025 09:30

Feetinthegrass · 12/05/2025 06:13

This man can not be the husband you want him to be, it does not matter how upset you get or how much you ‘’nag’ him, he can’t offfer the cup refilling, not the social aspect of life. You are demanding that he does something that he is unable to control.

You either adjust your expectations of him, and find other ways to get your emotional needs met, or you leave. You can’t keep creating conflict though, this isn’t a healthy environment for your dc. Your dh also must think he is failing constantly.

It’s your choice. He is what he is, he is trying to change for the better. He is having counselling. He is engaging but it may not be enough, if you intrinsically feel lonely and emotionally drained by his lack of care and attention.

This.

He can't be what you currently need in that area. Any changes he makes will be temporary because they are not natural to him and they won't become natural at this stage.

So you either meet those needs elsewhere, or you separate and find someone who can meet those needs elsewhere.

Nobody can tell you what is the right decision for you.

Endofyear · 12/05/2025 10:06

I'm so glad to read your update! Yes he was an arse spending the day in bed and you had every right to feel fed up with him and express it. Going forward, let him know that these small gestures of appreciation for all that you do are exactly what you need - just a bit of effort to show you how much you mean to him. Well done you on sorting it out and enjoy your anniversary day 💐

Gymnopedie · 12/05/2025 17:08

What a lovely update 💛

New posts on this thread. Refresh page