Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think my DH has turned into a selfish git? Long rant sorry.

64 replies

PortoPandemico · 05/05/2009 10:42

Sorry - probably PMT but I feel like I need a rant. I'm feeling more and more taken for granted, and that dh never appreciates me/gives any thought to my needs/feelings, only criticises me when something "goes wrong"

DH and I both work full time. He's recently been promoted and is struggling a bit a work, so I try to cut him a bit of slack, and am generally "thoughtful" ie let him have a bit of breathing space when he gets home, cook his favourite dinner if he's had a bad day, make sure there is cold beer in the fridge, take dd to soft play when there's a big match on etc etc.

Plus I let him have his rant about the usual office crap, and try to either make useful suggestions, or just listen. I'm a nice supportive wife I like to think.

Housework aside (reasonably equal - though I do all shopping/cooking), I have to organise everything that happens in the house, or it wouldn't happen. From school dinner money to new passport applications, all the bills, dd's activities, school runs, babysitters, holidays etc.

I have to ask/remind/start a discussion to get him to do anything that is not on the "ordinary" list. Stuff gets done though, and as a whole I wouldn't be complaining.

But generally It is becoming more and more apparent to me that this "thoughtfulness" of mine is getting entirely one-sided.

In the morning, I have to rush to get out of the house. He usually oversees dd getting dressed, but only does half a job, so that when I finished grabbing lunch boxes/frantically getting myself ready, he'll be on the PC in his dressing gown and dd will be sat there needing her hair brushed, face washed, shoes etc.

Somenights he works late, but often recently when we get home, he is sat back at the PC playing World of Warcraft, whilst I get dd fed/ready for bed. Sometimes he stops and plays/watches tv with dd. Other nights he'll switch it off when his dinner is ready. Then he's usually got something lined up that he wants to watch on TV. He'll often start this why I am still in the kitchen, so even if I was interested I've missed half of it. He's supposed to let me know if he's working REALLY late, or popping to the pub after work which he does from time to time. He never bothers anymore.

Most weekends, when he gets up, he makes himself a coffee and loads up WOW. He then sits there til at least lunchtime. At least. If I was up first and on the PC checking emails or MNetting etc, I am expected to vacate. And " a cup of coffee would be nice, love". He has made me one cup of tea in the last month. When i complained that he wasn't pulling his weight on the tea making front, he just laughed it off. I still didn't get a cup of tea.

I usually try to get my jobs done first thing in the morning, shopping, tidying, ironing so that the afternoons can be for "fun". If I'm there he'll never knock up any breakfast, he waits for it to be offered, or he'll get something for himself.

When he's finished his morning stint on WOW, he will put some old clothes on, do his jobs for a hour or so, and guess what - then the bloody football is on. Back on PC for another 3 hour stint. This leaves no time for doing anything as a family. He never ever suggests doing anything. He is happy to sit in the house all weekend, without getting dressed properly even.

He never does anything spontaneous or thoughtful to me. It's our wdding anniversary coming up and Mother's Day on Sunday here. He has the dates loaded in one of those interflora reminder systems so that the same bunch of flowers gets delivered like clockwork. I don't mean to sound ungrateful about getting flowers, but it's like he doesn't even have to think about it or go to the shop, just input credit card, job done. He never bothers with a card. If we're going to go out to celebrate I have to organise it.

He moaned at me for "huffing" this morning. Says I have been doing it "all the time" recently. I expect I have, I am getting more and more pissed off. It wouldn't occur to him if to ask me if I am OK. Hence I cried in the car on the way to work/school. I know after last year, that even though I tell myself not to, I will be upset on Sunday morning, where absolutely no effort is made. I am probably spoiling for an argument now, and wanting to kick his arse. But of course there is more football on tonight.

Have I turned myself into a doormat, or is he a selfish git? Useful advice on how to handle this without a complete screaming argument would be much appreciated.

WOW that was long. Thnaks if you got through it. I feel a bit better now...

OP posts:
stickylittlefingers · 05/05/2009 10:57

I can absolutely see why you are huffing! I would too...

However, as an outsider, it looks like your DH is trying to escape. Is he finding this new work very stressful? Does he get very stressed if the dc play up? I.e. more so than he would have done before his job change? Not getting dressed properly seems like a bad sign to me - is this a normal thing anyway or does that mark a change in behaviour? I'm asking as someone who has lived with a depressed at times and very stressed at times dp and it's really not easy. But there are things one can do...

roulade · 05/05/2009 10:59

I think you need to sit him down and have a talk about how you are feeling. Alot of men don't think about what needs doing, they just focus on their "me time" without considering others and will do whatever you will let them get away with!
Just as an aside , i thought WOW was for 12 year olds, you should get him ( and you ) playing LOTRO its far superior

RumourOfAHurricane · 05/05/2009 11:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

PortoPandemico · 05/05/2009 11:07

I don't think he is depressed - just lazy!

OP posts:
Lizzylou · 05/05/2009 11:10

He's getting away with acting like a teenager, you are letting him.
Don't shout, or argue. Tell him that it isn't on, that he isn't a prepubescent boy who can indugle in marathon pc game playing stints and that he has a wife and family now.
Just stop doing things for him and organise days out.
I'd be tempted to go on "strike" if he kept it up tbh.

mamas12 · 05/05/2009 11:10

Yarnbu for thinking that but maybe you have enabled this.
Can you sit him down with a list of the household jobs and ask him which ones he will be doing weekly, or alternatively give him a list of things that you know that if they don't get done it won't impinge on your life too much.
Seriously a sit down discussion on this is overdue, huffing soesn't work he is not a mind reader get it out into the open.

BlingDreaming · 05/05/2009 11:15

Has he always been like this, or is it new?

If always then I'd say you need some serious couple talk about what you think is an appropriate way to run your relationship and family.

If it's new, you need to address underlying issues. I'm normally the last person to jump on the "he must be depressed" bandwagon - but he does not sound like he is engaging at all with you and your family currently. DH knows that if he ever made a cup of coffee without offering me one, I'd go ballistic. And that goes both ways. We're a family, not housemates. He is acting like you're just sharing a house, not a life. So either he's a twat or there's more going on here and you need to get him to start thinking about why he's withdrawing so much.

PortoPandemico · 05/05/2009 11:15

I've thought about striking! But if I took myself off for the weekend, I would come back to a gleaming house, and him sat there feeling all self-righteous. He is that type of bloke. (Probably dd would not have been put in the bath or taken out anywhere though - he thinks watching TV all day is a "normal" activity)

OP posts:
PortoPandemico · 05/05/2009 11:51

It's not so much the housework. He does do "mostly" his full share of stuff. The think that upsets me most if his lack of consideration/effort for me.

Roulade - I think you have a point about the "me time". He does his paid job, and his jobs at home and considers the rest of the time is to do what he wants. But trouble is it is ALL the rest of the time. There doesn't seem to be a part of it that is shared with me.

mamas, I agree he is not a mind reader and that i need to tell him. We have had this conversation before though.

Bling - It hasn't always been this bad. At least I don't think so. He has always been a bit of a home body, and it used to wind me up a lot pre-dd, when i wanted to be out and out. These days, there's only a certain amount of time and energy for extra-curricular activities.

Your point about him not engaging is quite thought-provoking. I think I have really started to feel almost like I provide a "wife & mother" service IFYSWIM. All goes swimmingly until there is a problem. eg I had been to the garden centre at the weekend and bought a plant that he discovered was broken. He was UPSET about this, and kind of implied that I should have been more careful. I said something about him bloody going himself if he's that bothered. It is a bloody plant.

It's like he does what he has to keep the house and car nice, and is good with dd - he does play with her quite a lot. But I seem to be a bit of an afterthought.

Sorry - I'm going on again now. But the last huge argument we had was before Xmas, when he went round the Xmas market with a face like a slapped arse and completely ruined the afternoon for me. I said then that I wasn't putting up with it anymore, and he needed to think hard about whether he actually wanted us to be together, and he said he did, and was much better for a while. I think it is slipping again.

I just can't work out if he is just genuinely a bit thoughtless, and if other men are like this, or if there is something much deeper going on.

OP posts:
Onestonetogo · 05/05/2009 12:05

Message withdrawn

BonsoirAnna · 05/05/2009 12:07

Bloody hell . Why on earth are you with this man?

PortoPandemico · 05/05/2009 12:43

Anna, after writing this all down, and looking at it from the view of others, I'm wondering that a bit myself too.

It genuinely ISN'T an issue about housework though. He does do lots about the house, in fact he is tidier than I am, and I actually enjoy the extra bits I do, like food shopping/cooking in the evenings. I know I do a bit more, but would put up with it if things were different. The only division of chores thing I have a big problem with is the mornings when he is perfectly capable of getting dd ready, and does half a job.

It's the fact that it never OCCURS to him to ask if I want a cup of tea when dd and I get home, or if there is something I would like to watch on TV tonight, or even "Is there anything exciting happening this weekend we can go and have a look at". Or if he's home early, he wouldn't think "Oh, I'll surprise Porto by cooking the dinner" Or booking a table or organising a babysitter.

I have to initiate everything, again because he doesn't THINK about it. He'll do it when asked. If I drag him out on a nice day, he can't wait to get home again.

It's doomed isn't it? Of course he doesn't want us to split up, as his life is very nice thank you, and he loves dd very much.

OP posts:
BonsoirAnna · 05/05/2009 12:47

Yes, I think you have identified your problem - why should your DH make changes when his life is so comfortable?

It is all very well to say that you are enabling his irresponsible behaviour, but it isn't that simple, is it? You need things done - often urgently - and if he won't do them, you have to do them yourself, just so that life carries on. He isn't thinking about you at all .

sweetheart · 05/05/2009 13:06

PP,

Some of what you say rings true in our household. Dh and I share houework type chores but I do all the money, bills, holidays, social arrangements etc etc etc

However....... this is because I am both a control freak AND impatient. If dh tried to organise these things chances are he'd get them wrong OR take far to long to do them (by my standards at least!) Are you at all like this? It's hard to get a full picture when we don't know what you are like.

Women are better at organising and multi tasking and I think in alot of households the woman organise the family because they are simply better at it than men.

Although - the issues about making cups of tea and preparing breakfast for himself only would really get my goat and I'd be having words about that!

PortoPandemico · 05/05/2009 14:07

sweetheart, yes I think I am very much like this. I do like to to take charge, so that I know nothing will get forgotten and everything runs smoothly.

I will definitely be putting my foot down about certain things (tea, WOW etc)though, as I know he taking the p*ss a bit, and if I let him continue as is, I am enabling it.
I've told him he can do the school run tomorrow, as I have an early meeting. I will leave the house at the crack of dawn and let him sort it all for a change.

I guess I feel he just doesn't appreciate anything I do, and that the whole world revolves around him. If just once in a while he would do SOMETHING nice off his own back......I know full well nothing will happen for Mother's Day again. Dd will make me a card at school which is lovely and will proudly be displayed. Last year I didn't get so much as a cup of tea, and then got an argument when I mentioned that I was a bit upset about that.

He was doing some work in the garden over the weekend. It looked really nice, so I told him so, and got him a beer as he "deserved" it. Stepford wifey style . I could spend all day, say spring cleaning the kitchen and he's the type to say "Oh you missed a bit" or "I suppose it does look a bit tidier"

We've been together about 10 years so I think I have lost a bit of perspective. And I think I do have PMT, hence the ranting.

OP posts:
sleeplessinstretford · 05/05/2009 14:15

welcome to my world...(without the computer games)
we have a roster-he just doesn't see the stuff that needs doing outside of it-he does his bits,i do my bits-but i am expected to sort all social stuff out (which fucks me off enormously) we've had a barny this weekend because he was wingeing on about wanting to do 'something' (no suggestions obviously) and so i sorted a lovely day out (and spent it rowing with the teenager who downed tools and refused to join in so we ended up spending yesterday crying me on the couch her on her bed and didn't leave the house)
I did say he needed to be more proactive though about things-he'll do anything he's asked but has to be asked (and yesterday afternoon decided to put a wash on-all the babys clothes are now pink as laundry sorting-is according to him-done in piles of who they belong to)
good luck, i empathise dear...

sweetheart · 05/05/2009 15:08

On a plus point which you may or may not be able to use - because I organise everything I am also the keeper of the social diary!

This means if he wants to go out he usually has to check with me for prior bookings first. If I was feeling mean I'd use that to my advantage!!!!

"No, I'm affraid you can't go up the pub that night because I already have a girls night out booked and YOUR babysitting"

I do understand that sometimes it's a thankless task being a wife and mother (especially of our sort)so I wasn't trying to belittle your issues in any way. You dh's behaviour of late would piss me off to!

When my dh gets on the pc I casually suggest other activities that would be a better use of his time and helpful to me

fumble · 05/05/2009 16:00

Bloody hell reading these posts why DOES ANYONE stay with their husbands??

Christ sake if you have a personal problem SORT IT OUT BETWEEN YOURSELVES not air on the web for people to judge something they know nothing about!

sweetheart · 05/05/2009 16:52

thats really helpful and productive fumble - well done!

BalloonSlayer · 05/05/2009 17:00

What brought you to the Am I Being Unreasonable? board - tagline "this topic encourages posters to give their opinions," fumble?

Were you hoping to find something specific, but didn't? Just wondered.

fumble · 05/05/2009 17:06

"this topic encourages posters to give their opinions,"

Exactly that is my opinion!

Judy1234 · 05/05/2009 17:45

In my 19 year marriage where we both worked full time he worked very hard and did at least half the jobs etc at home, childcare etc. I would never have tolerated, nor would my mother, a situatoin where soeone was doing WWW like that for so long unless I Had equal amounts of spare time. WWW is a known addictive thing. You could of course join him in it - say we;re goig to get a Sat AM babysitter because I want to play WWW whilst you play it and see what he says. But what both you and I have/had is that other person not appreciating you, appearing to take you for granted etc.

May be suggest you want to use the mornings of www instead to go together to a counsellor or even sex therapist which may be more fun. The classic advice would be to revamp your look =, make him worried he'd lose you and then he'll try harder again (and many men and women solve this issue by having an affair but ultimately that's usually a bad idea.

RumourOfAHurricane · 05/05/2009 18:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

PortoPandemico · 05/05/2009 18:29

Xenia bless you. You have made me smile after a shitty day! I have an image in my head now of me fully coiffed and several stone lighter in a negligée and fluffy mules tempting him back to bed from the pc.

At the end of the day, I'm not immediately planning a divorce or even an affair. I had my rant and know now that he is lacking in certain areas compared to others. There will be words had. Warnings issued even. Now I've calmed down a bit I'M prepared to admit that he's not a BAD person. He's just totally thoughtless and likes an easy life - and I've been letting him get away with it.

If it turns out to be deeper than that and I'st that he genuinely doesn't care - well I guess that is another thread. At least he's not like that lazy fecker that poor Grumpy moo just heaved out. He does provide for for us very well.

OP posts:
fumble · 05/05/2009 22:01

Porto I DO hope you get your problems sorted!!!

What is it with Grumpymoo??? Cos I aint this guy (speaking as a woman) I thought these were discussion boards to discuss for and against!

Anyway as I said as far as I am concerned try and work it with him

good luck