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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Is your DP an ass too!? Longwinded, bear with me...

18 replies

JennyT87 · 08/06/2012 04:11

My partner works 40hrs pw at a job he seems to like, sure i get that he finds it stressful a lot of the time (as about 99% of the population do!) but im upset because he has made it clear to me that me being a SAHM is an easier job.
My viewpoint is that being the mother of a 6wk old and 3.5yr old is intensely stressful, both have had chickenpox in the last month, my oldest is refusing to poop in the toilet ( is trained otherwise) and wont set foot outside lately without screaming bloody murder at any lawnmower/plane/motorbike noises! Newborn now has horrible eczema on her face that seems to be getting worse (speaking to docs about tomorrow) and im feeling really low. I live on top of a hill a half hrs walk from town (1hr walk at toddlers pace lol) its a hard walk as most of it is steep down/uphill & i dont drive, i live nowhere near any family or friends and know nobody in my neighborhood :(
We had a massive argument on sunday ( we had his 2 older children staying from prev relationship also, who i adore but do add to the stress lately as i seem to be the one doing everything for them!) his ex has 3 kids and he yelled at me saying how he doesnt get why im always upset, i should try doing his job, i only have 2 anyway. He will help when he gets home and say go have yourself a break, ill be upstairs running a bath and baby is screaming like nothing else, "shes at it" he says, " im gonna put her in her cot to shut up" at which point i abandon my bath and come take care of baby! When he had 2 weeks paternity leave he didnt get up for a single night feed and i still did the majority of the housework and taking care of oldest, he has only got up with her 3 times so far! I dont expect him to do so during the week as he goes to work but just sometimes a break would be nice! My day doesnt stop, from am to pm and during the night i am working the mummy shift, i love my girls so much but i have to admit that it can be the most demanding, stressful, lonely and unappreciated job, i know its also the most important in the world and its sad that many mothers seem to get little or no recognition for what they do.
Instead I get told i do nothing with my oldest ( because i rarely set foot out of the door, i feel like screaming, "you ass i gave birth 6wks ago and am still sore" I try to get out for some walks to get her out of the house, the weather has been v hot, trying to get everything done daily, washing up, washing/drying/ironing/putting away 6 ppls worth of laundry, cooking, cleaning, raising a baby and trying to devote time to her jealous older sister, who i play games with,sing and act silly with, teach her things,she can write and recite the alphabet, knows all her colours and numbers etc as i think its important she should know these things before she starts school, its shocking how many children i know that cant write begire they start school.
Also just trying to look nice for him getting home ( the only attention i seem to get is when he wants sex and his hands are all over me, then its " am i getting sex tonight" grrrrrrr! If not then hes glued to his ipod on his football forums or facebook or texting someone.
He now says that i should go back to work and he will stay home with the kids and show me how easy it is, and you know, as much as id love some adult interaction again, i really do love my girls more and shudder at the thought of them staying at home with him, sure hes got the car and can take them down the street to the playpark but i guarantee he would only keep it up for a couple of weeks at most rather than have them out every day as he says, i go through times like that when i say to myself " stuff the housework" lets play, but shift right back, given how far from town i live, going on a walk there and back means i am out most of the day and have to pack so much stuff for baby, then race up the hill to go home and cook dinner ( i dont like the idea of eating frozen dinners everyday, sometimes i do but i try to cook and get a decent meal for my oldest) as i cant afford a disgustingly high taxi fare. Though y'know what? Theres always money for his beer and tobacco so maybe i should just use them for the sake of my children, if he says we have no money then He can bloody well quit smoking as i did. Phew!
This is more of a rant than anything else but im lying on the sofa (have slept here all week) after getting baby back to sleep just needing to get it out, is anyone else out there dealng with similiar issues? I want to run away and hide under a big rock :/
Please share if you are feeling the same, if only to let it out for yourself, i have been on here so many times reading the same complaints and wanted to share too, it does feel better to write it down :)
Wow I should really get some sleep..... Haha x

OP posts:
fryingpantoface · 08/06/2012 04:28

Leave the bastard

He sounds like an ass

fryingpantoface · 08/06/2012 04:29

Stop putting yourself under so much pressure. Enjoy your time with the little ones. If the housework isn't done when he gets home, he can help.

Is he a good partner in other ways? I'm struggling to sere why you are with him

beansmum · 08/06/2012 04:40

You are right, these complaints come up all the time. Why do people put up with this crap?

DaydreamDolly · 08/06/2012 04:50

Get him to book a day off, get up at 7am, shower, dress and leave the house. Stay out all day. Return at 6pm and ask where's dinner.
He sounds horrendous.

Babylon1 · 08/06/2012 05:22

What do you actually get out of a relationship with him?? Angry

Babylon1 · 08/06/2012 05:22

Oh and I'm with DaydreamDolly - do it - go out for a full day and see how he copes Wink

ErikNorseman · 08/06/2012 05:37

He sounds bloody vile. You poor thing.

Triggles · 08/06/2012 08:50

Don't stress so much over the little things - some of the housework can wait for him to help in the evening or the weekend.

And this:

Get over yourself. It's not a requirement of starting school to know how to write. Nice if they do, but certainly not required.

Get out more, streamline what you take with you and what you do around the house. Instead of panicking and rushing home to cook, use a slow cooker or cook extra here and there and freeze so you can heat it up easily another night. Still good food without the extra hassle.

Take regular trips out of the house, even if just to the park. The fresh air and change of scenery is not only good for the children, but good for you too. If you're feeling stressed or depressed, one of the things recommended is often exercise and getting out a bit. It DOES make a difference. Six weeks after a normal childbirth, you should be able to go on walks without much difficulty, unless there have been complications of some sort.

Yes, your DP is being an ass, but I think you need a reality check as well. No, it's not necessarily easy being a SAHM, and your DP needs to recognise that. However, there's no point in making it harder than it needs to be either. You're not dancing with the devil (or traumatising your child's life) if you take a few shortcuts here and there. Relax the standards just a bit.

D0G · 08/06/2012 08:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Shutupanddrive · 08/06/2012 09:11

Show him your post, he probably has no idea how you feel.

manicbmc · 08/06/2012 09:23

Sounds like my ex. He'd come home (via the pub) to complain if there were any toys left out. He'd complain if the dishes hadn't been put away and then he'd go straight back out to the pub after his tea. He never ever did any night feeds or nappy changing despite the fact that I struggled with going from no babies to twins. He thought it was perfectly reasonable that I didn't have a washing machine and that I should use his mother's twintub or hand wash everything (including blankets that the babies had been sick on). He'd moan and twist his face if I fed the kids before getting his tea and basically acted like a martyr if I so much as asked him to do anything. And he made me live with his mother. We had been supposed to be saving up for a deposit for a flat but he drank all the money.

I put up with his behaviour for many, many years before I realised that his were not the actions of a man who loved me. He showed me no respect and never listened to me. The love I had for him faded and I felt numb towards him. Over the years I tried to talk to him and things would improve for a week or so, and then it was back to square one.

Try and talk to your husband. Try and get him to see that he should be as supportive towards you and your kids as you clearly are towards him.

Leaving my husband was the best thing I have ever done. It took some saving up and some time but I did it and I have never been happier in my life.

Trills · 08/06/2012 09:28

No, my DP is not an ass.

JamieandTheOlympicTorch · 08/06/2012 09:29

I was going to say that this time of parenting is really hard, that sleeplessness and irritability lead to "who is the most tired" competitiveness in even the best of relationships.

BUT he is not pulling his weight and you sound like you are heading for depression. And this does not sound like the best of relationships.

You are sounding like you are manically trying to do things perfectly, and this, I think is a sign of how stressed you are, rather than just being a cause of the stress.

He is not showing you the level of kindness and understanding that he should be, and he is not sharing the care of his children when he is home from work. I'm sorry.

JamieandTheOlympicTorch · 08/06/2012 09:31

I'd also recommend getting away for a weekend and leaving him to it (if you are not bf). Not in a flouncy angry way, but just assertively telling him it is what you need to do.

LittleWhiteMice · 08/06/2012 09:31

sounds like my other half. useless.

"I go to work", well i live at work.

manicbmc · 08/06/2012 09:36

I got a job when my kids turned 7. And still had to do everything except the weekly shop which he did because he liked to buy the cheapest crap to save money for his beer budget.

iloveACK · 08/06/2012 09:46

To answer your question, no my DH is not an ass. I wouldn't be within a mile of him if he were anything like you describe & it amazes me why women are with men like this & moan about it. Sad If you don't like it, then do something about it.

I appreciate that's not particularly helpful to you right now, but seriously, life with a partner isn't meant to be rubbish. If they're not enhancing your life, then why are they there?? (It works both ways obviously).

For right now, I agree with others that have said you need to relax your standards & allow yourself time to enjoy your children. Also, as an FYI, with my DCs school, they're not keen on parents teaching children to read/write before they start school as they inevitably learn bad habits & school like to 'mould' them!

MrsPnut · 08/06/2012 10:00

My DP isn't an ass either, I would never put up with it.

Parenting small children is relentless and even more so when you are very tired but it doesn't sound like he is pulling his weight and giving you any kind of a break.

Go easier on yourself too, it really doesn't matter if the housework isn't done perfectly and your child hasn't spent 40 minutes of structured learning each day.
Get out and about, use every trip as a learning opportunity and batch cook to make your life easier.

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