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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Not attracted to DH - how to row this back?

82 replies

GlobalFish · 06/07/2025 11:00

DH and I have been together 13 years, married for 9, 2 DCs.

Sex life has been great, he's a very good looking man, knows what he's doing, no issues there.

Increasingly, he's just useless day-to-day and I think it's completely destroyed my attraction to him. Just yesterday, he had to work in the morning, that was fine until he got home over an hour late and that made us late for a party. He was in a foul mood about the issue at work that had made him late (not his fault, in fairness) but he whinged the whole time getting ready about it. He then asked if I was ok with his outfit - a pair of rugby shorts he's had for over a decade with paint splattered on them and a different rugby shirt, also with paint splattered on it. I had to actually ask him to change.

En route, we had to stop to purchase a card/gift for the party (it was the birthday party for the child of a friend) - he suggested that he go in and I wait in the car with DCs (all fine) but the gift he bought wasn't really appropriate at all for that child and he forgot to get a card. I didn't say a word about it. The party was all fine.

Then we left and had to go to a supermarket again to pick up some bits for dinner and some laundry bits. We walked in with the shopping bag and got a self-scanner. After we were in, he decided he wanted a trolley so went back out to get one, came back in and decided he wanted to look at the stick deodorants (having picked up a spray one). This involved him looking through the ingredients for all the ones on sale and seeing if they have aluminium in them. The problem is that two young DCs are tired, it's nearing bedtime and they've had sugar so they're getting ratty and are getting rattier waiting around. So I took DC to the next aisle to get other bits while DH looked at the deodorant. DH joins us on that aisle, then decides he needs something else and doubles-back again - which causes DCs to get more impatient and ratty. He finally joins us in the meat aisle - I ask if he wants steak or chicken wings (we'd previously discussed both). He says he wants to take a look. So, we stand in the meat aisle for ages while he looks at the steaks and the chicken wings and thinks about it. Eventually, I snap at him to just make a damn decision on what he wants for dinner and end up getting chicken thighs and walking DCs to the next bit. We need milk for DD but, instead of putting it in the bag in the trolley, he puts it outside the bag (despite me putting everything else inside the bag) so then DD is whining about wanting it (she's a complete milk addict - she's 2) and having seen the milk is now miserable that she can't have it. Then, we just needed some laundry products. He went to get scent boosters and then just stood with them inches from his face saying they didn't have any and we'd need to go to a different supermarket.

We got home, got DCs to bed, then had to start on dinner - that was a whole other fiasco. Without a complete timeline, things like me setting serving utensils out and him absent-mindedly taking them away, him burning the chicken on the BBQ, him deciding to do another job half-way through dinner and delaying everything by 30 minutes, him covering the chicken in oil for no reason (even though he knows I'm dieting) and then lying about it and saying he didn't do it...

Then, after dinner, we went upstairs and I asked him about this weird lumpy/dimpling that's on one of my breasts that I'm worried about. I asked if he could take a picture and he said he would. Then the dog started barking so he went down to see what was wrong. He came back half an hour later and was confused as to why that annoyed me. He'd just completely forgotten that I was waiting and that we were having quite a serious conversation. I felt like an idiot waiting around topless for him - like, I felt really vulnerable and embarrassed.

So, all in all, he was just being useless and difficult all day - and it feels like he's like this most days. He then woke me up in the early hours of the morning wanting sex. I went along with it but wasn't feeling it at all. I actually didn't feel at all attracted to him. I've told him before that I find him being difficult/incompetent unattractive but it's usually something that passes (i.e. when he's actually being incompetent, I find him unattractive, but that goes away when he's stopped doing the incompetent thing). This time, it was firmly there.

He's gone to work again this morning and I'm just stuck thinking about how incompetent and unattractive I find him and I don't know how to move past it.

OP posts:
GladAllOver · 06/07/2025 11:05

First thing to do is get that mark on your breast checked. It's probably nothing but DH can wait until you get that sorted

GlobalFish · 06/07/2025 11:14

GladAllOver · 06/07/2025 11:05

First thing to do is get that mark on your breast checked. It's probably nothing but DH can wait until you get that sorted

Thanks - I will get it checked I think. The issue with DH on this was that we were having a conversation where I raised that I was worried but wanted a photo so it was clearer to assess. He said he'd take one, went to check the dog, didn't come back as agreed and, when he eventually returned, had completely forgotten what we were even talking about. I felt worried and vulnerable and embarrassed - and he didn't even care enough to remember what was happening.

OP posts:
Chamomileteaplease · 06/07/2025 11:24

Yes I hope you can get your breast checked out soon.

With regard to the other stuff - I just don't understand it when I read threads on here about what people try to fit in.

You go to a party but don't have the present sorted beforehand so have to go on the way - stress.

Leave and go to a supermarket - stress
Come back and have a BBQ - stress
Decide that that evening is a good time to talk about serious health issue - stress.

Just seems mad to me.
Being more organised would solve a lot of this.

REgarding your husband yes he sounds extremely annoying.

GlobalFish · 06/07/2025 11:27

Chamomileteaplease · 06/07/2025 11:24

Yes I hope you can get your breast checked out soon.

With regard to the other stuff - I just don't understand it when I read threads on here about what people try to fit in.

You go to a party but don't have the present sorted beforehand so have to go on the way - stress.

Leave and go to a supermarket - stress
Come back and have a BBQ - stress
Decide that that evening is a good time to talk about serious health issue - stress.

Just seems mad to me.
Being more organised would solve a lot of this.

REgarding your husband yes he sounds extremely annoying.

You're absolutely correct.

I should stop creating stressful situations by wanting to... buy and eat food, have conversations or taking gifts to children at their birthday parties. These are all exceptionally stressful things to have inflicted on DH.

Do you have an alternative, less stressful suggestion for how to live life? I imagine you don't have a particularly busy life.

OP posts:
Shesellsseashellsnotinmystreet · 06/07/2025 11:28

GP timeline is 2 week maximum wait time for breast appointment..
Keep busy until then.
And be bloody glad dh works a Sunday. I was exhausted reading about your day op.
But since he is obviously King Of The Shops start staying home with the dc and just give him a list. Reading ingredients of deodorant is faffing to another level imo.

Dozer · 06/07/2025 11:30

The red flag here is seems to ne DH waking you up for sex and you having sex when you didn’t want to - that isn’t good at all.

DH should have been more attentive to your concern about your breast.

The other things, on the face of it, seem mainly down to poor planning and decisions by whoever was responsible for organising the day’s schedule/activities, food, shopping etc. But from what you say there is a pattern of him not doing his share.

KPPlumbing · 06/07/2025 11:30

Why on earth were you shopping as a family? Just one of you should pop in. I'm always perplexed when I see a family of 4 in a supermarket. It's surely shit for everyone involved.

You felt "really vulnerable and embarrassed" waiting topless in YOUR OWN HOME! Really? I would have shouted "Oi, what's taking so long. I'm waiting for you, hurry up".

Waking you up in the early hours for sex is totally not on and really quite odd and creepy.

Your DH sounds a bit disorganised. You sound like a bit of a wet lettuce, and I'm not sure he can do right for doing wrong.

I've been there with DH, but what works is playing to our strengths. I can whizz round a supermarket and efficiently get a week's worth of nutritionally balanced meals that make sense and don't create waste. DH is happy to do it instead, but has a chaotic approach that both creates waste and leaves us short. So I do it. What he's much better at than me is researching something online (like car insurance) and then going through the painful process to get us signed up (which I dont have the patience for). So he does that.

wizzywig · 06/07/2025 11:30

So he doesn't share the mental load, and so thinks he's fine to take the scenic route in the supermarket?

Chamomileteaplease · 06/07/2025 11:33

Nothing to do with inflicting stress on your dh, it's you and your children I was thinking of.

It is not what you were doing ie buying food and presents but the timing of it.

Seems others agree with me.

GlobalFish · 06/07/2025 11:34

Shesellsseashellsnotinmystreet · 06/07/2025 11:28

GP timeline is 2 week maximum wait time for breast appointment..
Keep busy until then.
And be bloody glad dh works a Sunday. I was exhausted reading about your day op.
But since he is obviously King Of The Shops start staying home with the dc and just give him a list. Reading ingredients of deodorant is faffing to another level imo.

He doesn't usually work on weekends. He's a teacher but he's signed up to help with an extra-curricular (unpaid, of course, and unrelated to his subject/role) so he's working both mornings this weekend and will be working until almost midnight on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday then past midnight on Friday too. No discussion with me about it and he knows he needs to do pick-up on Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays because I'm expected to be in the office and don't get home by collection time... so, I had to scramble last week to arrange to WFH on those days (when I shouldn't be) so I can do pick-up on his days.

He's one of those that can't handle a list. He'll always forget at least one thing - thinks it's a funny joke that he just can't get it right. I've tried handwritten lists, messaging him, phoning him while he's in the shop... he'll still forget something.

OP posts:
DownsideUpside · 06/07/2025 11:35

GlobalFish · 06/07/2025 11:27

You're absolutely correct.

I should stop creating stressful situations by wanting to... buy and eat food, have conversations or taking gifts to children at their birthday parties. These are all exceptionally stressful things to have inflicted on DH.

Do you have an alternative, less stressful suggestion for how to live life? I imagine you don't have a particularly busy life.

Well yeah you should probably stop trying to do all this things at once. It sounds stressful for you all. Buy the present when you’re invited to the party not on the day. If you haven’t had time to shop do an online order for food so that it’s delivered in the morning or when you get home from the party. I’m not saying any of this excuses your husband’s utterly irritating behaviour, he sounds like a ditherer! But it would help to have some more organisation day to day so you have less to stress about and resent him over.

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 06/07/2025 11:36

Go and get your breast dimpling checked out. The rest of this can wait.

Iloveeverycat · 06/07/2025 11:36

You could have prevented all of this stress.
if you knew what he was like why didn't you go and get the card and present instead. Did you really have to go shopping on the way home when you had tired children with you next time leave them in the car with DH so you can just pop in quickly.

RentalWoesNotFun · 06/07/2025 11:36

Sounds like you are both stressed out of your minds. Forgetting stuff left right and centre. Not having time to organise things properly and rushing at the last minute.

If your DH was a menopausal woman I wouldn’t be surprised at his forgetfulness as that’s what I’m like (go downstairs for something come back up without it Cant remember what I went down for, remember go back down get there and think why am I here…)

But he’s not a menopausal woman.
So it must be stress that’s making him forgetful? His work? The disorganisation and exhaustion you both feel from a young family?

I wouldn’t want awoken for sex. Tell him youre not up for it.

Try and lessen the stress. That’s prob why youve gone off him.

GlobalFish · 06/07/2025 11:37

Chamomileteaplease · 06/07/2025 11:33

Nothing to do with inflicting stress on your dh, it's you and your children I was thinking of.

It is not what you were doing ie buying food and presents but the timing of it.

Seems others agree with me.

We were invited to the party on Thursday evening - we have one car and no shops in walking distance that would sell a gift for a 3yo. We both work so I was working until gone 10pm on Friday evening (other than time I stopped to do pick-up and bedtime - when DH still had the car). He also had the car all yesterday morning at work.

Seems others agree with me too... you've not provided a less stressful alternative though, just said I'm wrong.

OP posts:
Jibberjabba · 06/07/2025 11:39

On line shopping
Bulk buy birthday cards, wrapping paper etc
Have some presents on standby for future parties etc

GlobalFish · 06/07/2025 11:41

I'm not looking for tips on organisation. I can absolutely guarantee that if I said "we went to the shops to pick up a gift for a party next week" then I'd get "why are you creating stress by doing things that don't need to happen for a whole week?" and if I said I spoke to him about the lumpy/dimpling at any point that DCs were awake I'd get "why are you trying to have that conversation during the time you're also wrangling the two DCs?".

I don't believe for a single second I could have done anything in a way that the vipers would approve of so I'm not entertaining that determination to derail the thread.

OP posts:
FoxLoxInSox · 06/07/2025 11:42

Your husband may well be stressed himself - stress negatively affects cognition. He’s a teacher and this time of year can be hell for teachers. Add-in the usual pressures of parenting, and what sounds like a pressure cooker of parties and supermarket and young kids and BBQ…. He may be displaying admittedly annoying “dithery” behaviours because he’s feeling cognitively compromised by stress.
This then stresses you out (understandably, if you feel he’s not stepping up), which then adds to the pressure cooker for you all, which means more balls get dropped, more cards get forgotten, more dinner gets burnt, more tasks get forgotten mid-way through)….

BitOutOfPractice · 06/07/2025 11:42

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 06/07/2025 11:36

Go and get your breast dimpling checked out. The rest of this can wait.

I 100% agree get checked out op and I hope you are ok.

what cannot wait is addressing the horrible sex issue. He woke you up in the early hours for sex? You had sex when you didn’t want to? Not good op.

as for the faffing, lord above that’s so damn irritating and I 100% understand why it makes you feel like you do. I do think the day sounds stressful for everyone, and being more organised in advance would’ve helped. But that doesn’t solve the fundamental problem of your useless husband does it? And it makes it your problem to solve, adding more if the mental load onto you. Which again, only exacerbates the ick problem.

USaYwHatNow · 06/07/2025 11:43

I think what @Chamomileteaplease was inferring was the fact that you seem to be making your life unnecessarily difficult and stressful and I agree.

Stopping on the way to a party for a present and card with kids in tow, not having dinner at least half planned after a busy day (an impromptu BBQ after all that is not the one) and then wanting to have a serious health related conversation whilst trying to cook after an already failed attempt at dinner....just seems a bit silly.

Maybe I'm a bit anal but with a new baby, a toddler and a husband who works variable 12hr shifts I try and plan to make my life easier, not harder and a lot of your stress could've probably been avoided.

I don't see an issue with sex in the early hours of the morning...my husband and I have often rolled over in bed, woken each other up (albeit accidentally) had a quick chat and a hug and one thing has led to another. What shouldn't be happening is you 'going along with it' or feeling coerced.

Feeling vulnerable and embarrassed whilst topless in your own home is strange. I would've just cupped my hands over my boobs and gone to find him. Is there a connection between you feeling like you have to have sex and feeling vulnerable? Sounds like this may be more of an issue than first meets the eye?

pandarific · 06/07/2025 11:44

…I am going through adult adhd (and autism) diagnosis and this DOES seem very familiar.

However, he could also just never have actually taken on board/learned what the running of lives takes. Like I had to go and join a load of cleaning/organising/mothering groups when I became a parent to learn how to do it. In his case, it’s totally possible it’s both things feeding off each other - he’s got to want to tackle it though, like I’m getting a diagnosis and medication and learned many skills to avoid our lives being chaotic.

there is a game for couples called “Fair Play” which is about uncovering who’s carrying the mental load - sounds like it’s far too heavy on you right now.

DCorMe · 06/07/2025 11:44

you are in the throes of it with young children and both of you working. At that age I started a present drawer and stockpiled cards for all occasions. You can buy packs online.
Or perhaps task this to DH?
weekly online shopping is your friend here and both can add to the list during the week so he can spend as much time as he likes looking at labels!

try as much as you can to take stress out as it’s a difficult time for you and your marriage, especially when you resent your OH

Stoppedlurking4this · 06/07/2025 11:45

This sounds a bit like deliberate uselessness so he doesn't have to do things like cook or go shopping. He also sounds like he's stressed but he's still voluntarily taken on another work project and faffs about rather than make a decision, wasting more time. Not sure what the answer is tbh.

GlobalFish · 06/07/2025 11:46

And now we've reached just straight up inventing lies. It wasn't an impromptu BBQ, as I said in the OP, it was pre-arranged and discussed. And I can't be the only person who knows BBQs are quick and simple method of cooking. It's literally "put meat in metal box". What faffing are you all doing to think they're hard or take any time at all?!

The conversation about my breasts obviously wasn't whilst cooking dinner. Like I said in the OP, it was afterwards. As if I'm somehow hanging out in the garden with my tits out waiting for DH to take a photo...

OP posts:
Dozer · 06/07/2025 11:46

If he can hold down his teaching job his poor performance at the domestic stuff sounds deliberate.

unless the weekend and work night extracurriculars are a contractual requirement or his working life would be made difficult if he didn’t do them he’s been v unreasonable on that too, especially when he wants you to seek additional flexibility at work to do his pick ups.