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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is this a normal adult sibling relationship?

117 replies

treasurechest92 · 02/01/2026 08:45

I have siblings and we are close but not to this extent. There's a long list of things that have been bothering me, and I don't know if I'm overthinking. Friends have given mixed opinions. A bit of background and a few examples....

Dh has one sibling, they are both late thirties. I like his sister, she is a nice woman.

When I first met dh, he told me he would never move in with me as I live too far away from his sister (20 min drive).
On a weekend away once his sister was sent to hospital with appendicitis and he was planning to leave our weekend away to go to the hospital, despite her having her parents and husband with her.

His mum regularly told me that 'sisters child' is dh's soulmate.

During an argument about something entirely unrelated, he randomly told me he would rather spend time with 'sisters child' than anyone else as they are easy company (aged 7).

He once told me his ideal woman is 'homely, girl next door vibes, just like sisters name' which is the complete opposite of me, I am a heavily tattooed and not conventionally good looking woman.

On two seperate occasions where I've invited sister and kids to join in activities with us and our kids, she's been unable to attend so asked to rearrange time or day, I've been unable to due to work, so instead of sticking to original plans with me, he's rearranged and done the activities with her and I've been left out despite it being my original plan, and despite me asking him not to as I really wanted to see the kids doing it.

A conversation where sister was showing me a scar on her stomach and how much she hated it, to try and make her feel better I said my stomach is covered in stretchmarks, dh pipes up with 'scars are cool as fuck, stretchmarks are ugly'.

Once we were staying in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere, and sat outside at night and a man was watching us from across the trees and it made me really uncomfortable, I asked dh to go and say something and he refused. At a later date when discussing it, he said 'of course if sister was there I would have gone and had a word with the bloke as she would have been scared'.

The next two have both happened this week, which is why I'm writing this now.

On Christmas day night, kids were in bed and we were getting intimate on the sofa, initiated by him, both partially undressed and clearly wantong to have sex, I asked if he'd like to move to the bedroom and he said 'no, I'm going to phone sisters name'.

His sister showed up to an event wearing something I loved, I told her I love it and that I had actually been considering buying it but hadn't (as dh had said it was tacky, I didnt tell her this part). After the party, dh was gushing about how great she looked and I reminded him he had said it was tacky when I wanted to buy it and he replied 'tacky on you but sisters name can pull everything off'.

I have tried talking to him about the last two but he said theres nothing to talk about and put his headphones in.

I hate myself for thinking badly of their relationship but there are loads more examples than what I've written here. Twice this week I've seen her come up to him, lean against him and rest her head on his shoulder and it honestly made me feel a bit sick.

OP posts:
Starbright12 · 02/01/2026 11:44

Jackiepumpkinhead · 02/01/2026 08:50

Yeah, this is really odd behaviour! Excluding the sister weirdness, your husband is horrible.

I agree with you but it’s so interesting to me you’d describe someone as horrible when you’ve been so unkind to people on other posts.

treasurechest92 · 02/01/2026 11:46

His sister is younger by 2 years. She did have something traumatic happen to her as a teenager which may explain the overprotectiveness, however I have also had a very similar experience which he refuses to acknowledge .

She is relatively normal, she thinks he's a great bloke and a good uncle but she definitely acknowledges his flaws and doesn't gush over him, she would happily sit and listen to me moan about him without jumping to his defence.

OP posts:
Snipples · 02/01/2026 11:50

God they sound like Lannisters.

I’d be more annoyed by his comments and lack of care towards you OP. Using words like tacky and ugly is really horrible and uncalled for.

LetThemFume · 02/01/2026 11:52

You keep focusing on on him. You’ve not explained how it was you came to marry and have children with a man whose obsession with his sister was, you say, obvious from your first meeting?

Edenmum2 · 02/01/2026 11:59

BauhausOfEliott · 02/01/2026 11:26

He sounds obsessed with her and it’s really fucking weird. Not remotely normal.

Also - aside from that - he also sounds like a really unpleasant man who makes a point of hurting and humiliating you whenever we can. He’s not doing this by accident. He’s utterly horrible.

This. Forget the sister stuff - he’s a dick

EchoesOfOurDreams · 02/01/2026 12:00

WTF have I just read?

The bit about him getting turned on by starting intimacy with you but deciding to phone his sister instead of having sex with you has made me want to throw up.

I have 1 brother btw. None of what you've said is even remotely normal and is basically incestuous. I worry a lot for his sister's child too who is apparently his "soulmate" like WTF.

Judgejudysno1fan · 02/01/2026 12:16

caringcarer · 02/01/2026 10:28

The relationship you describe your DH having with his sister is odd in the extreme. You were on verge of having sex and his sister just popped into his mind!

I cant even imagine me and my husband getting hot and steamy and then he says actually no sex, I want to ring "Cathy"

What the hell.
He also calls you names and berated you. Let him get stuffed.

Judgejudysno1fan · 02/01/2026 12:18

EchoesOfOurDreams · 02/01/2026 12:00

WTF have I just read?

The bit about him getting turned on by starting intimacy with you but deciding to phone his sister instead of having sex with you has made me want to throw up.

I have 1 brother btw. None of what you've said is even remotely normal and is basically incestuous. I worry a lot for his sister's child too who is apparently his "soulmate" like WTF.

A child cannot be a grown married man's soul mate.
Bizzare and weird.
The wife should be his soul mate.

Incest does happen unfortunately as sick as it is. Are you absolutely sure theres no incestuous relationship happening ?
Even if there isnt at the very least, he has weird feelings for his sister and hes treating you like dirt. How dare he call you tacky! I'd like to slap him on your behalf!

honeylulu · 02/01/2026 12:20

Judgejudysno1fan · 02/01/2026 12:16

I cant even imagine me and my husband getting hot and steamy and then he says actually no sex, I want to ring "Cathy"

What the hell.
He also calls you names and berated you. Let him get stuffed.

"Cathy" ... and is he called Chris by any chance and is his favourite book Flowers In The Attic?

Sorry, not a joking matter. Really quite disturbing on his part. It sounds like he has put her on a pedestal and she doesn't feel the same way. Ick.

Purplecatshopaholic · 02/01/2026 12:21

This is creepy and weird. He’s not going to change so I’d be thinking about your future op, can you put up with being a very far-behind second best? I wouldn’t put up with this.

Tablesandchairs23 · 02/01/2026 12:22

Eww he fancies his sister. That aside he's treating you terribly.

Eyeshadow · 02/01/2026 12:41

YABU

I think the sister is a red herring here.

The main thing I get from your post is that he just doesn’t like you very much.

I would focus less on the sister and their relationship and more on your relationship and his he treats you.

Eyeshadow · 02/01/2026 12:47

JLou08 · 02/01/2026 11:02

I don't think it's really the relationship with his sister that is a problem. I think he is using his sister as a means to put you down. He sounds like a nasty man who wants to make you feel worthless and uses comparisons with his sister to do so.

Absolutely this!!!

He’s finding ways to put OP down constantly and is just playing on her insecurities by comparing her to his sister.

The whole initiating sex and then stopping to phone his sister - it’s not weird as PPs have suggested, it’s just cruel.
He’s leading OP on and then shutting her down to make her feel worthless.

He doesn’t like you OP.

Judgejudysno1fan · 02/01/2026 13:14

honeylulu · 02/01/2026 12:20

"Cathy" ... and is he called Chris by any chance and is his favourite book Flowers In The Attic?

Sorry, not a joking matter. Really quite disturbing on his part. It sounds like he has put her on a pedestal and she doesn't feel the same way. Ick.

Ha, I just made Cathy up as a name to choose for my dh made up sister. No idea of that book!!! Haha

Jackiepumpkinhead · 02/01/2026 14:28

Starbright12 · 02/01/2026 11:44

I agree with you but it’s so interesting to me you’d describe someone as horrible when you’ve been so unkind to people on other posts.

Oh dear, that’s not very kind, is it Starbright?

OriginalUsername2 · 02/01/2026 14:41

Yeah, none of this is normal. He’s acting like he has a massive crush on her. 🤮

Starbright12 · 02/01/2026 14:52

Jackiepumpkinhead · 02/01/2026 14:28

Oh dear, that’s not very kind, is it Starbright?

Pointing out facts?

AndSoitComesAroundAgain · 02/01/2026 14:57

Tell him to go marry his sister than. It sounds creepy, and a really unhealthy dynamic op. Have you tried having a conversation with dh? It is seriously weird. Sorry you're dealing with this. Oh, and I agree with pps on that regardless of sister, he is putting you down, and trying to destroy your confidence.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 02/01/2026 15:04

I'd guess he's saying it's normal because for him it is normal. Have any of his friends ever pulled him up on this, OP? And did you read him the riot act for stopping 'nearly sex' over Christmas to ring his sister? Because I would have given him both barrels and asked him just why his sister was uppermost in his mind when he had a nearly naked and willing wife right there?

But people always think their behaviour is 'normal' because it's the only behaviour they know and it often takes their close friends intervening to tell them it really isn't because any partner interference is seen as 'jealousy'.

Jackiepumpkinhead · 02/01/2026 15:10

Starbright12 · 02/01/2026 14:52

Pointing out facts?

I will monitor all your posts to ensure you are not being horrible to anyone. I can’t abide bullies.

grinchmcgrinchface · 02/01/2026 15:28

treasurechest92 · 02/01/2026 11:46

His sister is younger by 2 years. She did have something traumatic happen to her as a teenager which may explain the overprotectiveness, however I have also had a very similar experience which he refuses to acknowledge .

She is relatively normal, she thinks he's a great bloke and a good uncle but she definitely acknowledges his flaws and doesn't gush over him, she would happily sit and listen to me moan about him without jumping to his defence.

I would tell her how creepy he is about her, then I would pack my bags and leave him. There’s overprotectiveness and theres wanting to shag his own sister. He’s sick in the head op.

Daaaaahling · 02/01/2026 15:35

I think you're framing this wrong.

Wanting to live near his sister, thinking she looks great, thinking her scars are cool, wanting to protect her, loving his niece, wanting to do cool family stuff with his sister - this is fine, lovely even.

It's the horrible contemptuous way he speaks to and treats you that is the problem.

The contrast just highlights it. If he treated and spoke to you well, his sister wouldn't be a problem. Or if he didn't have a sister at all, the horrible way he treats and speaks to you would absolutely still be a huge problem. He probably compares you all the time because he senses it really upsets you and makes you feel insecure. Because he's a horrible nasty partner.

MCF86 · 02/01/2026 15:40

Even aside from him having a (very much not normal) obsession with his sister, he's not very nice to you is he?

Instructions · 02/01/2026 15:41

Not normal.

And even without the oddness, he sounds really horrible.

SnoopyPajamas · 02/01/2026 15:57

Yes, the sister stuff is weird, but that's not really the point here, OP. The emotional incest is a sideshow. This man treats you like shit. He compares you unfavorably to other people, lets you know upfront you're not a priority in his life, and belittles you at every opportunity.

It's time to move on.