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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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AIBU to leave my husband over his job?

1000 replies

Poptart22 · Yesterday 06:38

Am I being unreasonable to end my marriage because my husband won’t change his job?

DH works away constantly, sometimes 3/4 nights per week. We have a 3 year old toddler, 3 large rescue dogs and 2 cats. I work a very demanding job that includes 2 evenings per week. The impact him being away has on me is huge. I have to manage every early wake-up and refusal to sleep from our 3 year old alone, feed everyone, walk the dogs, manage all the daily household jobs and still be present at work. I am constantly overwhelmed, overstimulated and in survival mode and it massively impacts my mental health. I barely sleep when he’s away. Lately due to my working late done nights, my elderly parents have been forced to come over and help out at my husbands request, which puts a massive strain on them. My father has hip problems and struggles to walk but has had to walk our dogs and my mother has had to help bath my son. My mother still works herself and is exhausted. We do have a dog walker 3 mornings a week but this is expensive and we can’t afford it on the evenings too.

I have repeatedly asked him to consider changing jobs as his current role is putting me under so much pressure. He refuses and is adamant he won’t quit.

When he does return I’m so full of resentment I don’t want to be near him, then he gets upset.

We have had 3 sessions of couples therapy but it’s done nothing to address the resentment.

I feel so over it and like I don’t matter.

OP posts:
rubyslippers · Yesterday 06:41

You can but you’d still be in the same situation with doing everything alone
he’s not going to step up
id look at finding a decent over night nanny and dog walker to support you

PeoniesAreMyFavouriteFlowers · Yesterday 06:41

Trying to understand why you have dogs when you’re already overloaded. Has your h worked away a long time?

FlatCatYellowMat · Yesterday 06:41

Who's dogs are they?

If you split, how will this change? Will he have the dogs?

OhMyGoodieAunts · Yesterday 06:41

How would the split of child and dog care end up? Who would have the dogs?

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · Yesterday 06:42

Is he away in different places or in the same one every time? Is there a middle ground? Is there actually work he could do nearer home or would it cause a different set of stresses?

Overall, I don't think you are being unreasonable feel the way you are. It's not fair that the entire family load lands on you and he's not willing to compromise. You'd be no worse off without him, in terms of handling everything yourself. What is he bringing to your life?

WildEnergySupplier · Yesterday 06:44

Why did you get so many pets if neither of you can look after them?

PinkHairbrushClub · Yesterday 06:45

I see what people are saying about a split not changing anything but, psychologically, it does. You haven’t got one adult not stepping up, which constantly feels like being let down and undervalued. Instead you have just you, that’s your choice, and you work it out. No one is letting you down, you’re just getting on.

If this is a reaction to a hard spot though why not ask him to come up with a solution. “You want to work This way, I can’t keep
living this way. What do you suggest as a compromise or change to help”.

If he can’t even acknowledge it’s an issue you have more to deal with. But has he suggested ways to make it work?

Poptart22 · Yesterday 06:45

If we split I appreciate things would be hard for me but I wouldn’t be living in a constant state of anger and resentment. Also I would have regular breaks if he had part time custody of our child. The dogs would have to stay with me as he’s not around enough to look after them.

OP posts:
Tontostitis · Yesterday 06:46

Rehome the dogs you shouldn't have got. Pay for an evening sitter/nanny. Stop expecting him to help in an unmanageable situation. Once the situation is manageable if he really isn't stepping up bin him off. Expecting him to change his job is totally unreasonable expecting him to help in a normal household is reasonable.

WildEnergySupplier · Yesterday 06:46

How did you end up with three large rescue dogs when you can't look after one?

ThejoyofNC · Yesterday 06:47

I'd start by getting rid of all the animals. You don't have time for them and can't give them what they need.

How long has he had this job?

ThisOliveKoala · Yesterday 06:47

Poptart22 · Yesterday 06:38

Am I being unreasonable to end my marriage because my husband won’t change his job?

DH works away constantly, sometimes 3/4 nights per week. We have a 3 year old toddler, 3 large rescue dogs and 2 cats. I work a very demanding job that includes 2 evenings per week. The impact him being away has on me is huge. I have to manage every early wake-up and refusal to sleep from our 3 year old alone, feed everyone, walk the dogs, manage all the daily household jobs and still be present at work. I am constantly overwhelmed, overstimulated and in survival mode and it massively impacts my mental health. I barely sleep when he’s away. Lately due to my working late done nights, my elderly parents have been forced to come over and help out at my husbands request, which puts a massive strain on them. My father has hip problems and struggles to walk but has had to walk our dogs and my mother has had to help bath my son. My mother still works herself and is exhausted. We do have a dog walker 3 mornings a week but this is expensive and we can’t afford it on the evenings too.

I have repeatedly asked him to consider changing jobs as his current role is putting me under so much pressure. He refuses and is adamant he won’t quit.

When he does return I’m so full of resentment I don’t want to be near him, then he gets upset.

We have had 3 sessions of couples therapy but it’s done nothing to address the resentment.

I feel so over it and like I don’t matter.

Very unreasonable, in this current job market I would advise he stay in his job. Why do you have so many animals and why does a 3 year old have more strong will than you? They will sleep alone, but you need to put in the hard work and sleep train.

Does your husband help in other ways? Financial etc?

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · Yesterday 06:48

Tontostitis · Yesterday 06:46

Rehome the dogs you shouldn't have got. Pay for an evening sitter/nanny. Stop expecting him to help in an unmanageable situation. Once the situation is manageable if he really isn't stepping up bin him off. Expecting him to change his job is totally unreasonable expecting him to help in a normal household is reasonable.

Him not "helping" is WHY the situation is unmanageable, though. Lots of people have children and pets and both work. He's opting out of family life, which he's just as responsible for as her, and blaming his job NEEDING him to work away.

My dad worked away when I was born. He changed his job to be home more. Because family.

Happytaytos · Yesterday 06:48

Does he earn a lot of money from the job?
Joe easy is it to get a new one?

You have a ridiculous amount of pets, they can go.

Your non sleeping 3yo needs sorting too. Neither of those are your husbands fault.

ThereIsThunderInOurHearts · Yesterday 06:49

The only thing that can feasibly change is the three dogs. It might be kinder to remove them as they are one of the causes of your stress. The dogs deserve to live in a stress-free environment as much as your child does. There are rehoming charities that can help. It would be an act of kindness to them.

Zapx · Yesterday 06:50

Can you change job so you don’t need to evenings? Is there a wage difference and who earns more? I think dog walkers are the way to go. Also is your 3yo starting school this September, or next?

AD1509 · Yesterday 06:50

Rehome the pets, get a cleaner, drop the 3 year old off with the parents so at least they can be comfortable in their own home whilst watching the child.

LoveOldFilms · Yesterday 06:51

You are going to break up your family and cause your child to be from a broken home because of animals you can't manage. Get rid of all the dogs and cats, your life will be much easier. Having so many animals is completely incompatible with caring for small children.

You only have one child and your partner is there for half the week, it really shouldn't be this hard.

ChalkOutlines · Yesterday 06:52

Does he pull his weight when he is at home?
Can he easily find another job and can you afford for him to change jobs?

Shallotsaresmallonions · Yesterday 06:52

Rehome the pets and your life will become immeasurably easier.

You will probably need to do this, if you decide to leave too.

Delici · Yesterday 06:52

Did the job come before the child and pets?
Did you have this conversation before they came along?

My Dh works away. It was really hard when dc were small but we made it work because it’s something that he had always done (and we didn’t take on three large rescues).

When he’s not working does he do his bit?

Deliaskis · Yesterday 06:52

It's not clear from your post at what point decisions were made to acquire 5 pets and have a child. Obviously you can't go back on these decisions now, but if he has always had the job and the two of you still decided to go ahead, then it's not so much the job that is to blame but the decision-making. That said, I don't think you're unreasonable to be feeling overwhelmed and to be struggling with it all, and he should be attempting to compromise and be supportive, but if you both knew the job situation before getting so many pets and having a child, then you are both responsible for making questionable decisions. And this is a job which involves travel, and which presumably makes up a chunk of your shared income, it's not like he's spending all his time at the gym or the pub etc.

As I said, I dint think you're being unreasonable to be feeling overwhelmed etc, but it might be a little unreasonable to blame everything on the job.

Poptart22 · Yesterday 06:53

Tontostitis · Yesterday 06:46

Rehome the dogs you shouldn't have got. Pay for an evening sitter/nanny. Stop expecting him to help in an unmanageable situation. Once the situation is manageable if he really isn't stepping up bin him off. Expecting him to change his job is totally unreasonable expecting him to help in a normal household is reasonable.

I would never rehome my pets, I adore them. We got them before he started this. The dogs get an abundance of love and are very happy. They get an hours walk in the morning and a half hour every evening without fail. I’m not someone who just gives up on animals. What an awful thing to say.

OP posts:
Dratthebest · Yesterday 06:53

ThisOliveKoala · Yesterday 06:47

Very unreasonable, in this current job market I would advise he stay in his job. Why do you have so many animals and why does a 3 year old have more strong will than you? They will sleep alone, but you need to put in the hard work and sleep train.

Does your husband help in other ways? Financial etc?

There are lots of reasons why a child might not sleep, not all of which can be solved by sleep training.

And whatever the reason it is just as much the father's responsibility to sort out as the mother's!

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · Yesterday 06:53

ThereIsThunderInOurHearts · Yesterday 06:49

The only thing that can feasibly change is the three dogs. It might be kinder to remove them as they are one of the causes of your stress. The dogs deserve to live in a stress-free environment as much as your child does. There are rehoming charities that can help. It would be an act of kindness to them.

Sorry to say it but yes - rehoming your pets is most likely the kindest thing for them and you x

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