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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Can't work out if he is hard work or if I am

13 replies

BushTailed · 14/12/2025 19:32

I have been with my partner for 3 years. We have a 1 year old little girl. At the start of relationship, I wasn't the best. Looking back, I shouldn't have gotten in a relationship. I wasn't ready and not in the right frame of mind. I think i was borderline depressive. I started lots of arguments. Doubted my partner lots and used my personal time to play detective and to prove he was lying about his past. I'm not proud of my actions. I have changed lots. Some behaviours still persisted but I am in therapy and working on those. My partner started a big house project 2 years ago. Ripped up big bathroom, working on small spare bathroom and knocked down a bedroom wall. He has never completed these jobs. He used to tell me it was because I created hostile environments with arguing.I then stopped talking about the house (as thats when we only argue) and things were great. Still no work done to the house. When I said I was not happy nothing is getting done. He tells me he is enjoying spending time with me and our daughter and then he goes in a strop and says "fine, I'll do house stuff everyday after work and will spend no time with you both. Is that what you want?". I have offered to pay someone to come in and do the work and this is rejected. What do I do?!

Anyway, through the week we planned to do house stuff at the weekend. He said he crack on with these projects. We took our daughter swimming and when people asked what we were doing with our weekend we both said "house stuff". We also agreed to pick up a Christmas tree today and do house stuff after this.

Anyway, we get home from swimming lesson and have an early lunch. He then tells me he is popping to the town to crack on with his xmas shopping as he wont have any other time due to work. I said okay and will he work on house when home. He said yes. He doesn't come home until 9pm. We had dinner. He then went and had a shower and finished some work stuff. It got to 11pm and I knew no house project was getting done. I was annoyed. I then went quiet. Didn't talk and said I wanted space for rest of night. He then says

"Oh here we go, let the nagging commence. This is boring now". I said I was fed up with nothing getting done to the house. He said he couldn't relax christmas shopping as he was worried what I would say. I said I didnt care he went xmas shopping its the fact its now so late and nothing has been said about the house. He said its implied he will do the work tomorrow and this is me "thinking negatively once again" followed by "why can't you be happy".

We went to bed. The next morning. I asked if we were okay and apologised for being passive aggressive but I was annoyed about the house. He then said he will do house stuff today after getting a tree. Before we went to get the tree. He reversed my car and damaged my wing mirror. He got annoyed saying it was more money he had to pay out. I said to leave it and I would sort. He got angry. Said he will sort and to leave him be. I said no. I'll go to garage and get them to repair as he doesn't have the time to do things so I want it done and not have to wait months. He was annoyed by that. Said i didn't trust him. We go out to get the tree but took two cars. I thought I'd get him some lunch as he hadn't eaten and he would get hangry. Despite being annoyed about my wing mirror and potential cost. I put it aside as he does have alot going on and I want to help.

Anyway, we met at the tree place, I gave him food, he said thank you. I said I loved him and kissed him, which he kissed me back. I then tried to hug him and he said "stop forcing things. I'm not okay after your passive aggressiveness yesterday". I waited till we got home and said I'd leave him be and give him space. He said no, he doesn't want space. He wants me to act normally. I said was and when I do he tells me to not to force things he then said "ffs read the room".

I then did my own thing with my daughter. Later he was putting a wreath on the front door but was getting annoyed. I told him I would do it. He then says "all i want is your passive aggressiveness to stop". I then said "I've said sorry, okay, you're just keeping this going now for the sake of it. I'm hiding how annoyed I am about my wing mirror to not stress you out anymore. Be more grateful". He then says "he didnt have time to talk as lots needed done around the house before putting up the christmas tree as he has to fix the ceiling (which he is doing now) and then he said, and I quote, "YOU want me to fix the bathrooms, but i need to fix the ceiling but you will nag me... we have conflicting priorities". I then said "you said you'd do house things this weekend, not me. I don't mention house stuff anymore as it triggers you" he then got annoyed and told me to stop telling him how he thinks. I said "look im sorry. I wont be passive aggressive anymore. If im annoyed ill tell you straight away and not bottle it up" he then said "no, you can only talk to me if its valid and not silly". I then said "how do I know if you'll think its silly or not" he said "use your brain and that he shouldn't have to tell me everything. He then repeated what I said in my accent". I told him he was being incredibly disrespectful. He then nearly started crying and saying I was the disrespectful one and he cant take my behaviour anymore.

I am genuinely confused. What the hell do I do? He keeps telling me to just be happy but I am bloody happy. I'm not when he annoys me. Everyone says im laid back and he tells me "they don't know the real you". I am at a loss. Have you experienced anything like this? What the hell do I do. Is it me?

OP posts:
NotAFabergeEgg · 14/12/2025 20:25

Gosh this sounds exhausting, petty and draining for all involved. Honestly OP you really do only get one life, is this really how you want to spend it?

rubyslippers · 14/12/2025 20:33

I’m tired reading that message
you both sound deeply unhappy and not compatible
invest some time in thinking what you want - is he the man to build your life with? I bet the answer is no
you may be much better off as co parents rather than angry partners

Namenamchange · 14/12/2025 20:36

Maybe you both went too fast in the relationship and you don’t really know each other and are now finding out that you probably don’t really like each other.

NotAnotherScarf · 14/12/2025 20:52

I was going to suggest that you do the house stuff... but he will probably say you're being passive aggressive.

Either he is a someone who loves the idea of starting something, but gets distracted and never completes it or completes it half arsed. I worked with that guy and spent a lot of time pulling things together at the last minute.
Or
He's got in over his head with the work that needs doing on the house and doesn't see how to finish it.

Given that it's several different jobs, I think it's the first. Either you accept living in a building site for the next 20 years, my friends parents did.
Or
You finish things now. Your relationship that is, because that work is not getting done anytime soon.

ThirdStorm · 14/12/2025 20:53

Sounds like he’s sinking under the pressure and weight of DIY. Instead of agreeing to do “house stuff” like it’s a millstone around your necks, why not make a list of the jobs, who can do what (so he doesn’t feel it’s always him) then make it bite sized and planned over the next few months. Then you don’t have to nag and express your dissatisfaction which clearly triggers him into feeling like a failure. I suspect you are both fed up of your living standards and need to motivate each other.

Or you can do it my way, after much nagging he leaves me with a half finished house that I had to sort myself with loads of help from friends and we sell at a loss and divorce. It broke us. I must admit he put most of the pressure on himself and took on jobs he knew he didn’t have the skills to finish well. He chose most of the DIY that “needed” doing, accept it didn’t or could have been done in slower phases. Anyway, good luck, something has to change or it will break you too.

helpfulperson · 14/12/2025 20:54

I think that sometimes two people who would be happy and reasonable in another relationship somehow when together become a toxic combination. And that sounds like what is happening to you as a partnership. Neither is worse than the other but together you aren't happy.

somanychristmaslights · 14/12/2025 21:10

Sounds like you’re in this awful cycle of just pissing each other off. Does he have the money to do the house stuff? Maybe that’s why he’s not doing it.

BushTailed · 14/12/2025 22:22

No he doesn't have the money nor the expertise but refuses to let me pay someone to come in

OP posts:
Theslummymummy · 14/12/2025 23:45

He sounds like a right prat. Dragging things out for the sake of it (arguments and the house)

I wouldn't put up with this.

outerspacepotato · 14/12/2025 23:53

If he's ripped up one bathroom and there's work needed on the second, do you have one fully functional and safe bathroom?

Your post was too long and too much minute detail, but yeah, I wouldn't stay living in a construction zone that the two of you can't finish for two years. This would be finished by pros or I would leave.

He's not good at diy because he doesn't finish his projects.

And he makes fun of your accent. That's rude as fuck and extremely disrespectful. That stops immediately.

Why do you put up with so much bullshit from this guy?

Isayitasitis · 15/12/2025 00:06

Why are you appeasing him so much after he doesn't do any of the house jobs? It's all lip service.

He is literally teaching you to pussy foot around after arguments and you're trying to be all make up. And he is giving you false promises time after time then insulting you by saying oh here is the nagging but he says it and then never does it.

I would just get someone in and sod what he thought about it. I wouldn't give two shits if he threw his dummy out about it either.

SunMoonandChocolate · 15/12/2025 00:11

Did you buy the house jointly OP, or was it his, and you moved in with him?

If it's the first, then I think if you can possibly afford it, that I'd tell him I want to sell it as is, and move to somewhere that doesn't need loads of work doing, as it's clearly ruining the relationship. OK, it will likely mean that you lose money on it, but if you keep going the way you are, you'll be forced to sell anyway when you end up separating.

If the house is in his name only, then I think I'd be tempted to walk away, but before you do, would he consider joint counselling?

Anyahyacinth · 15/12/2025 00:41

I think you sound an absolute saint OP…he is doing all he can to avoid finishing diy he started. You’ve tried every strategy to support him and he pretends the fault is your reminders …the fault is his not completing what he started or admitting defeat and getting the work finished. You’ve been lovely in the face of his moods and even then that wasn’t good enough (even when he damaged your car he wasn’t apologetic) ..you try to reset and even then he is still a sulker, snappy…what a huge drama queen, emotional vampire (he is) ….very hard to live with

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