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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

Constant disappointment and unable to be responsible (proper epic post- sorry)

40 replies

Nobhead · 10/06/2012 08:58

Hi, I started a thread in AIBU about single parents last week didn't go down too well with some, in hindsight probably wasn't a good idea, I was just hoping some people would have positive stories to tell but I think it pissed some people off. I got some advice on there to talk about my issues in relationships so here goes, this could be long so I will try not to dripfeed. I would really appreciate some advice or perspective.
My DH and I had a huge falling out about 6 weeks ago and it ended in us talking in the kitchen for hours, crying and laying all our issues down on the table so that we could talk them through.
My issues were his lack of respect towards me (he constantly makes dirty remarks about other women including people we work with), how I felt like he didn't give 2 shits about me, no affection, all our discussions about what should happen day to day felt like a points scoring match and his situation always ended up being worse in his eyes so he should get the better deal (mainly money, lie ins, chores etc.). I never get a lie in as he always has some excuse. I feel like his Mum/flatmate rather than his wife. Also he drinks heavily and spends all night stood in the kitchen on twitter his only interactionwith me is to show me stuff he has written. He does next to fuck all around the house and I constantly feel like I am picking up after him and reminding him to do things like empty his football bag and move his massive pile of clothes from the side of the bed. He insisted that he doesn't deliberately not do things around the house to piss me off that he just "forgets".
His issues were that I had changed (I am less tolerant of his behavoir now and he gets called on it)and wanted something different from a partner than I did before DS and that if I was to leave him and get another partner the next one would be nothing like him, it hurt him that I didn't want him anymore, also we rarely have sex.
In the end we both agreed to make more of an effort with affection and showing we cared about each other, he agreed to stop the dirty remarks (which he has mostly) and help more around the house by being in charge of the dishwasher. We put lots of effort in him sorting out the dishwasher, being more affectionate with each other and considerate of feelings for all of about a week. He started leaving the dishes to pile up for 2 or 3 days, he would put the dishwasher on but not empty it and then it got to the point that everytime I needed a dish I would get it out of the dishwasher so that eventually I had emptied it. I commented on this one day and he told me to mind my own business and stop acting like his manager and he would do it when he was ready to. Things have steadily gone down hill again. I have also only had one lie in since our first conversation.
I got pregnant not long after this conversation happened and at 6 weeks meand DH had another huge barney, shouting and swearing in front of DS (all started with transferring DS's sunflower into a pot and I accidently snapped it- wrote a thread about it on here). I was very upset and close to leaving- I lost the pregnancy 3 days later, I was gutted. It may have been a conincidence and I have NEVER laid blame for this on the argument we had but I do wonder.
So this week he has been working away and i can honestly say it has been so nice not having DH here- just me and DS. Things have got done by me and i have only had to rely on me to do things for me and DS. He came back on Friday night and started having a go about how he doesn't have much money left in his account and where the fuck has it all gone. We were meant to be going out last night to celebrate our wedding anniversary and my birthday which is next week and we go on holiday next weekend too with his parents. We split all the bills 50/50 (even though he comes away with £200 a month more than I do). He gave me £240 for half of last months food shopping bill and he blamed his lack of money on this and i must be ripping him off as I have more money left in my account. He said i spend too much on personal items like shampoo and fake tan (I buy the cheapest of each and buy them once a month!) and that we should buy our own stuff and not include it in the food shopping bill. I was beyond pissed off- we sat down and I made him calcualte how much he had spent on booze and fags this month and it worked out at £250! The discussion got very heated and I explained to him that i have been very careful with my money and haven't bought any clothes or trated myself for months. He then tried to say it wasn't that much to spend as if he went out every weekend he would spend more than that and how it's a good job he doesn't have an expensive hobby- I told him his hobby was alcohol and that he has a house and a family.
He said he can't afford to go out and it will have to wait until next month- to which I said ok. He never apologised for this- said it in a resentful way. He said he will get me a birthday present whilst we are away and I told him to wait until we get paid again as he din't want to leave himself short. He said he didn't know what we will do on holiday- I said we will just have to be careful and I offered to lend him some money which he refused.
He has now spent the whole weekend sulking because he can't drink and has no money. He has just sat on the couch on his phone and drifted in and out of sleep because he is bored. I asked him if he wanted anything from Tesco for tea yesterday and he replied "can't afford it" and I said "so you aren't going to eat then" and he said "I will go myself later and get something cheap". He hasn't emptied or filled the dishwasher since he got back. He also promised (after me not having one lie in out of 3 last weekend) that he would get up with DS this morning and suprise suprise I have ended up getting up because he couldn't sleep last night as he was worried about his money situation.
I am seriously at then end of my tether here and I am thinking I would be better off alone than having constant disappointment. I want to go for counselling but I know he won't and it would be expensive. I don't know what to do. Thanks for reading this post- it is massively long but I wanted to get as much down as possible.

OP posts:
AttilaTheMeerkat · 10/06/2012 09:07

Better to be alone than to be badly accompanied as you are now.
What do you get out of this relationship now?. Are you now considering legal separation?.

Counselling for you solely will be a good idea, he will never attend any such sessions.

I would also suggest you read "Why does he do that?" by Lundy Bancroft as he may well be within those pages.

You're miserable understandably and he is treating you as his personal slave and surrogate mother figure. You've changed because you've decided that you're not going to put up with his behaviours any longer. He gets what he wants out of this so he is not going to change for anyone least of all you.

What do you want to teach your children about relationships here?. He is an appalling role model for your son to look up to and follow and staying with this will only serve to damage you and your son further. You have a choice re your H - your child does not.

ChildofIsis · 10/06/2012 09:10

It stikes me that he's got some sort of problem with drinking.

More than this he's selfish.

Only you can say where you want your relationship to go from here, but please don't wait for his 'permission' to sort it out.

You and the dcs deserve to be treated well and considered within his life, not treated as money wasting accessories.

What do you want to do?
Where do you see your life going?

Flisspaps · 10/06/2012 09:12

I don't think counselling will help. You've told him what is wrong, he refuses to do anything about it. You had a nice time when it was just you and DS and are miserable now he's back.

You don't get another crack at life, this is it. Don't spend it being miserable and trying to change someone who has no desire to change.

purplewithred · 10/06/2012 09:13

What atilla said. What on earth is the point of this relationship, you are both miserable and it's a horrible atmosphere for your son. Separate.

Sugary · 10/06/2012 09:14

He sounds selfish and disrespectful! I'm sorry but I can't see what you get from this relationship; he seems to behave like a petulant child. Good luck! X

Iwantapig · 10/06/2012 09:18

I think you know the answer here sweetheart. Sad but necessary and your life will become a happy, light place again.

Snorbs · 10/06/2012 09:20

How much does he normally drink?

Nobhead · 10/06/2012 09:22

Hi snorbs usually 4 cans of lager and at least 1 bottle of white wine. He also smokes between 10 and 20 fags a night (I smoke as well but have between 2 and 5 fags a night, I don't drink). On the odd occasion he may have 1 night a week of the alcohol and he seems to need it after work more than at the weekends.

OP posts:
Nobhead · 10/06/2012 09:23
  • off the alcohol.
OP posts:
RedHelenB · 10/06/2012 09:23
  1. the row didn't cause the miscarriage

  2. if things aren't improving & you would be happier on your own then you need to end it.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 10/06/2012 09:25

If his main criticism is 'you are less tolerant'... i.e. you don't put up with my shit the way you used to.... I think it's time to call it a day. If this man was a guest in your home and behaving the way you describe you'd be heartily pissed off and probably ask him to leave. You're incompatible. You don't like each other. You have tried being on your own and enjoyed it. Counselling relies on both parties wanting to change - which isn't on the card. I think it's a bit of a no-brainer.

VajeenaVaginaVajayjay · 10/06/2012 09:25

I read your thread in AIBU and although I didn't comment on it my thought was you sounded miserable in your relationship.

I've been in a similar situation with my now ex, DD dad.
Promising to change, arguments over money. He could buy whatever he wanted as he was the main bread winner while I went without. I did everything around the house even though I worked nights and had a toddler but she wasn't in nursery so I would go without sleep etc. He would still expect me to do everything tho.

Breaking point was a holiday. Even though it was my holiday I still did everything while he got pissed etc.

His parents had a very similar relationship. His DM was desperately unhappy. She had stayed married to FIL for 35 yrs. There was no way I could go on like that so I knew something had to change.

I left him 2 months later. While it was upsetting it was also a relief. I realised that I was encouraging him to go out with his mates ans stay over their house because I preferred to be on my own.

It was a struggle at first but I enjoyed not having the tension etc.

Now I'm with a wonderful man and my relationship with exp is good.

What is his parents relationship like?
I'm only asking as a close friend is going through the exact same thing. His parents have the same relationship.

I wonder if it is learnt behaviour.
If it is I wonder if it will ever change.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 10/06/2012 09:26

That's a very unhealthy amount of alcohol.

Nobhead · 10/06/2012 09:32

I have no-one to talk to in RL about all this. We work together and my friends are his friends too. I can't talk to my parents about it as my Mum would end up having a go at him- she isn't very rational in these situations. Everyone thinks we are the perfect couple and are happy together but they don't know the half of it. I'm just scared to do it as I know it would be very difficult and I am just clinging on to the fact that if we have this conversation enough times it might click in his head and he will change, although deep down I know he won't.
He knows I'm not happy but he makes very little effort to change. It's hard to talk to him about it because we both have very different expectations of things and end up rowing.

OP posts:
Nobhead · 10/06/2012 09:37

Hi vajeena his parents seem to have a pretty equal relationship, his Dad sorts out the dishwasher, makes DH's Mum breakfast, does the DIY, the gardens. His Dad defo wears the trousers though but they seem happy enough.

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 10/06/2012 09:38

People rarely change. In your original post there was one trivial thing that you specifically asked him to do which was deal with the dishwasher. He can't even manage that. How's he going to knock an alcohol problem on the head if he can't remember to stack plates?

I suppose you feel obliged to give him more chances and I can understand why the prospect of life as a singleton is daunting but remember, it's not your friends or your mum that's saddled with him, it's you. As for not telling your mum because she'd have a go... you know what?... maybe you should take a leaf out of her book. No more softly-softly. Some hard-edged ultimatums and follow through.

Nobhead · 10/06/2012 09:42

It breaks my heart to think that this is what it has become, my DS would be heartbroken too if we seperated. I need to talk to him though don't I?

OP posts:
VajeenaVaginaVajayjay · 10/06/2012 09:43

Ok I can understand why you would find it hard to leave. Every part of your lives are linked. Work, friends etc.

Start making small steps to changing your life. Make friends outside of your and DH's social circle and work lives.

Join some sort of club, swimming classes etc.

I had close friends from school who I confided in that were not part of our social group.

Talking with them helped me come to terms that my relationship was over.

They were incredibley supportive

Snorbs · 10/06/2012 09:44

A bottle of wine plus four cans of lager six times a week? That's, what, at least 100 units of alcohol a week?

He is drinking three times more than the accepted "if you regularly drink more than 35 units a week, you've got a problem" limit.

That is a serious alcohol problem. I suspect that most of the other problems in your relationship have their roots in his alcohol abuse. Which means you won't be able to resolve then until he does something about his drinking.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 10/06/2012 09:51

"my DS would be heartbroken too if we seperated"

Children are young, not stupid. They see what's going on around them and they know their parents aren't getting on. Being with parents that constantly need cheering up can be damaging as they often take it on themselves to be the peace-maker... blame themselves for the bad atmosphere. Of course they'd prefer it if everything was rosy but, when presented with the reality of a split, they're often far more pragmatic than we give them credit for.

LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay · 10/06/2012 09:53

Hmmm. What do you want from this post? Don't he surprised if mist say 'separate'.
So. Were I you.... Find time to talk. You can NOT raise your voice, but explain that thus may be the last time you're prepared to make an effort. Say what you want to, then negotiate both your roles. Reiterate that this the last time you'll be trying.
If it falls down again, make your plans.

And YOU think outsiders think you're perfect because you've never given the nod for them to comment otherwise. Besides, seriously, who goes round sayind 'god, your husband's a bit shit, isn't he?' ...

I am old fashioned...(?) And always think divorce is the devil's work... But you know, he's just not meeting you halfway here... You have one life. Be careful with it.

I'm sorry for your mc.... But your row didn't cause that, and pleaded, don't ttc just yet until you know where you're going.

Best of luck.

Anniegetyourgun · 10/06/2012 10:01

A cynic wonders, if you did each count your personal spend as separate from the grocery shop, including booze and fags, how soon he'd start begging to go back to how it was. (Regarding shampoo as a personal luxury rather than a necessity is a bit Hmm anyway.)

I'm one of the lazier people on the planet, but even I know that some chores just can't wait until you get round to it. Maybe after two years the dust doesn't get any deeper, but you very soon run out of crockery if you don't wash up regularly, and if you put the bins out when you feel like it instead of when the bin men are due the rubbish doesn't get collected. That's just the facts of running a household.

I bet he knows all that, though. It's not that he doesn't "get it". It's that he knows you will pick up the slack because you are responsible and conscientious. It's sort of missing the point of life partnership IMO (and is one of several reasons why I'm single nowadays - it's a lot easier organising my life without that sort of "help"!).

pictish · 10/06/2012 10:09

I struggled to get past the bit about him making dirty comments about other women!
What?! Does he make these comments to you? To himself? To anyone in general??
Ick. How creepy and disrespectful....and in a nutshell tells you anything you need to know about him. Ugh!

pictish · 10/06/2012 10:10

I did go on to read the rest.
My opinion is that he sounds like a waste of oxygen.
Sorry.

CrystalsAreCool · 10/06/2012 10:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.