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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

That dh refuses to move out?

85 replies

QueenEagle · 29/11/2008 12:57

He works 4am til 1pm 5 nights per week. Takes older boys to football on Sundays. He does the school run, dinner, bath and bedtime routine when I am working lates. He will clear up dinner things but often not properly and "forgets" things.

I work a 5 week rota on shifts inlcuding nights. I do the morning school run, getting younger ds's up, fed, dressed when I am on lates or off. I have youngest ds at home with me on all of my days off and I do the school runs, dinners, clearing up, baths & bedtimes. I do ALL of the cleaning which is a lot as we have a 5 bed house. I do ALL of the ironing which is A LOT as we have 5 dc's. We share the shopping.

When we are both at home, he does nothing and sits back to let/expect me to do everything. When he is in charge of the household it is all very disorganised and cluttered/messy. When I am at home stuff gets done, I take the kids out and he says he is in awe of the fact I can do this so effortlessly.

Often over the last 3 years I have sat him down or written him emails about how he doesn't (IMO) pull his weight PROPERLY. He moans about everything, is very negative, very pessimistic, has little confidence (never has) and has said he wishes I was at home as he finds it hard to cope with everything therefore that's why he feels he can't do things thoroughly. He is not depressed, just not very efficient and capable when it comes to domestic stuff. He agrees he should be more organised but then cannot fathom how to despite me helping him. When I sit him down to talk he actually sits in silence and will not respond to me. If I press him (gently I hasten to add) he will say he knows what he needs to do but can't. He can do things if I remind him, leave him lists and think for him but I am fed up of this and think at the grand old age of 42 he should be able to do these things for himself. He is soooo passive I could scream. He was like this when we first met and back then I enjoyed looking after him but we have had 2 kids together (and he is dad to my 3 too) since then and I have returned to full time work but he has never grown with all the changes, just resented them.

I want him to move out, he won't as he says we are married and shouldn't give up just like that. I say that I have tried to get him to buck his ideas up which he has agreed to, but hasn't done anything constructive about it. We went to Relate a few weeks ago - the counsellor said we have a typical mother/child relationship and he is emotionally stuck at a 5 year old child level when it comes to dealing with issues with me. She told him he so far has been unable to step up as an adult. It all struck a chord and dh agrees with her views but thinks that I should put up with him the way he is because I married him.

I don't want to live like this anymore which dh knows - but how do I get him to see that we should split up?

OP posts:
TotalChaos · 30/11/2008 09:56

Agree with Soapbox. Sounds like you've tried and had enough - so go down the legal route.

starbear · 30/11/2008 10:19

I think this is all a bit of a nightmare. How are you going to cope with 5 children on your own? Think long and hard about this. What happened to the father of the other three children? Sorry people but want about the children???????

mayorquimby · 30/11/2008 13:08

yabu to just expect him to leave the house because it's what you want.as many have said he has a legal entitlement to the house through marraige. go down the legal route and let the courts decide who is entitled to what.

QueenEagle · 30/11/2008 13:37

Father of my older 3 has not seen his kids for 10 years despite living only 2/3 miles away and despite me keeping the door open to him in the early years after we divorced. He doesn't even see his mother who lives near me too. He has severe depression and has not worked for 10 years either. Anyway that is irrelevant and my children are happy and well adjusted despite his absence. And my kids know they can see him when they are mature enough to make a decision for themselves and so far they state they have no desire to.

As for coping with 5 kids on my own, I fostered 2 children when I was a single parent of 3, for 5 years. So I can cope with 5 kids no problem. However - of course this time I am now working shifts which will be extremely difficult yet not impossible to work out with dh's input to sharing childcare. Only thing is I am certain that dh may make things difficult in this regards which is why I am in a difficult situation with my emotions having had to live with his attitude for so long.

I genuinely thought he was the man of my dreams when we first met and am so disappointed he has turned out to be this way, gutted in fact. At the time we met my dd was in and out of hospital (kidney probs, very ill) and he was a fab support to me through that difficult time. And he was so accepting of my kids, it was great to start with.

But then reality has set in and he has never stepped up to the mark. Day to day grind is hard for him and he doesn't know how to cope with it all yet will not, despite my repeated efforts and support, learn how to be organised and put things into place to help him be less stressed.

To the poster who asked does he have Aspergers? Well, funny you should say that - I posted about this some weeks ago as he most definitely has autistic traits which would explain things. ds3 has recently been dx'd with Aspergers so it is certainly a possibility. If this were the case and he did have Aspergers, would this be good enough reason for me to have to stay with him?

I have often thought about putting up with it, living separate lives and having an affair discreetly on the side. That way it wouldn't disrupt the kids' stability (which is my priority).

OP posts:
blueshoes · 30/11/2008 15:53

QE, seeing how long you have tried to improve the situation and failed, I don't see how your dh having aspergers would make a difference. It might explain some of the behaviour (sorry I don't enough about it) but it does not help how you already feel about this.

Would your dh agree to separate lives under one roof? It would prevent you from forming a meaningful relationship with another man though as I cannot see how a man who is serious would take to the idea.

dittany · 30/11/2008 16:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QueenEagle · 30/11/2008 19:42

Exactly, dittany. Which is why I feel so trapped and frustrated with this situation. It is a no win for both of us whether we stay together or separate. Unbearable.

OP posts:
findtheriver · 30/11/2008 19:55

But if he's always been the way he is, how did you think he was 'the man of your dreams'? You also say that reality kicked in - well, quite frankly, we all live in reality, not in some romantic parallel universe where anyone is perfect!

It sounds an awful situation to be in and I think you need to take steps to get out of it, as many posters have suggested. But getting angry because you can't just boot him out is unreasonable.

dittany · 30/11/2008 21:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pingping · 02/12/2008 09:48

QE do you love him?

I would have a long think about if moving him out is something you really want to do. Also be aware that when it comes to childcare after you have spilt you realise he may be funny about looking after your 3 other children and only take care of his two? That includes CSA support as well.

Well with whatever you do I hope it works out for you maybe try sleeping in one of the kids room's for a bit and going about your day to day life as I don't think its fair on you the kids and him to just boot him out of the family home.

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