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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to link our lack of intimacy to inequality in our relationship?

53 replies

Heretohelp1111 · 18/07/2026 15:38

My husband is unhappy that we only have sex once or twice a week. I'm not naturally a very affectionate person, so I think that probably makes the situation feel worse from his perspective.
The issue from my side is that I carry the vast majority of the mental load and household responsibilities. I do all the cooking, cleaning, washing up, meal planning, food shopping, managing our finances, preschool and school runs, communication with the school and preschool, organising and attending playdates, and I'm also the one who gets up with the kids every morning. By the end of the day, I'm mentally and physically exhausted, which leaves me with very little energy or desire for sex. It also doesn't help when he tries to initiate by groping me while I'm in the middle of housework.
He doesn't seem to understand the connection between the imbalance in our daily lives and my lack of libido, and it often leads to arguments. For context, he works one or two more days a week than I do, but we earn similar salaries and contribute equally financially. Before we met, he worked very long hours, relied on fast food, and had a cleaner, so many of the domestic responsibilities weren't things he had to think about.
Am I being unreasonable for not making more of an effort with intimacy? If not, how do I help him understand that what happens outside the bedroom has a huge impact on what happens inside it?

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 18/07/2026 20:43

Have you spelt out the connection to him really clearly? Like "I don't want to have sex with you because you leaving me to do xyz while you do bugger all is not a turn on". It sounds like he needs it explaining in very clear terms.

Then sit down together and list absolutely everything that you do and absolutely everything he does. Compare the lists. Let him see it in black and white. Discuss between you what you can let go (you may need to give here), what you can outsource (get a cleaner?) and what he can take on so that at the end you have comparable lists. If he doesn't want to do this or agrees but then doesn't do what is on his list (to a reasonable standard, not necessarily your standard!) then you know how much he values you i.e. very little and it's time to think about next steps.

Heretohelp1111 · 18/07/2026 20:54

Justaquestionplease · 18/07/2026 20:32

I think these are two separate issues.

He sounds a bit useless and it does sound pretty unfair.

However

It also sounds like your libidos are fundamentally mismatched regardless

They weren’t pre children and all this responsibility though, I think it’s just that I can’t switch off and relax enough to enjoy it a lot of the time

OP posts:
Heretohelp1111 · 18/07/2026 20:54

NuffSaidSam · 18/07/2026 20:43

Have you spelt out the connection to him really clearly? Like "I don't want to have sex with you because you leaving me to do xyz while you do bugger all is not a turn on". It sounds like he needs it explaining in very clear terms.

Then sit down together and list absolutely everything that you do and absolutely everything he does. Compare the lists. Let him see it in black and white. Discuss between you what you can let go (you may need to give here), what you can outsource (get a cleaner?) and what he can take on so that at the end you have comparable lists. If he doesn't want to do this or agrees but then doesn't do what is on his list (to a reasonable standard, not necessarily your standard!) then you know how much he values you i.e. very little and it's time to think about next steps.

Thank you for this very practical and helpful advice

OP posts:
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