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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

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

To stop making my OH an evening meal even though he works 60hour weeks and I'm a SAHM ?

326 replies

ladywithnomanors · 15/08/2012 13:02

I don't think I am.
I'm a SAHM to a 2, 4 and 6 yo DC's. He often works 60 hour weeks and sometimes 7 days a week. I do everything in the house and with the DC's - except he cuts the back lawn and occasionally puts the bins out.
I cook him a meal every night for when he gets home from work - often a different meal to what I cook for the DC's as he doesn't consider pasta, jacket potatoes, shepherd's pie to be a proper meal ie. it doesn't consist of a huge chunk of meat.
Whatever I serve up he criticises it. I made a curry it was 'flavourless' even though he specified which curry powder to use. I make a roast chicken and it's 'dry' or the potatoes are hard. Apparently my rice is mushy and my meat 'overcooked'. He comes in at night, waliks into the kitchen and wrinkles his nose at the pans bubbling on the stove, ' Mmm what delights do we have tonight??' he says in a sarcastic tone.

Ok I'm not the worlds best cook but I'm not the worst either and I do try. He says I don't as I'm not serving up Masterchef cuisine every night. He very occasionally will say he enjoyed something.

This morning I mentioned that we had sausages in the fridge and so would do the DC's sausage, mash and veg for tea and did he want some making. He response was that he didn't as he used to like sausages until I made them for him and now the thought of them make him retch. I told him that if that was his attitude then I wasn't going to cook for him anymore as he was ungrateful and picky.
I should point out that he is a fantastic cook but hardly cooks as he works so much.

So AIBU to stop cooking and just let him fend for himself and get his own tea when he gets in from work?

OP posts:
amybelle1990 · 15/08/2012 18:26

I think I've just got used to it tbh. It seems almost normal.

I really empathise with this as I had the same sort of feelings when my partner told me that my upbringing was riddled with child abuse. But please don't wait for it to get worse. The reason that you are doubting your judgement will most likely be because he seems to be making a considerable effort to make you feel like shit and has dumped all of the household responsibility on you. If you call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, they can direct you to local services and help you make a plan. The number doesn't show up on BT bills but you'd have to check if you're with a different company.

Margerykemp · 15/08/2012 18:29

Blackmailing you into sex is rape. Report him to the police. He is an abuser who will destroy you if you don't get out before its too late. Call women's aid. Contact cab/shelter. Your council have a duty to house you in these circumstances.

Open a bank account in your name and get tax credits paid into that. Stop using chb to pay Ctax.

And don't serve him any more dinner unless it contains arsenic!!

ssd · 15/08/2012 18:44

op, you've just got used to his awful behavior, that's all

its not normal, its not usual, its not what the majority of us live with and call a partnership

you deserve more, much more, but until you get shot of this arse you'll never see or know the difference

TooImmatureTurtleDoves · 15/08/2012 19:15

Okay, so maybe not family - what about friends? Have you anyone you and your kids could stay with temporarily?

Needstotidyup · 15/08/2012 19:21

Leave him out a pot noodle so he doesn't starve, and then have an early night.

Needstotidyup · 15/08/2012 19:22

Omg I'm so sorry I didn't read past page one. I've just read the last page. I'm sorry for being an insensitive bitch.Blush

WilsonFrickett · 15/08/2012 19:22

I know it's not easy my love. But it's not going to get any easier. His behaviour is not going to magically change for the better. And as someone else said, you're not breaking up your family. You're protecting it from a toxic brute who is doing everything he can to take away your self confidence.

LapisBlue · 15/08/2012 19:26

Oh my God, OP

I left an emotionally abusive relationship over 20 years ago and sometimes the messages of absolute pain on this board bring it all back.

With you (and you sound lovely) you seem not even to be fully aware of just how bad this situation is - it's clearly much more serious than him no liking your cooking, isn't it? So...

The question is: what would you like to do, both NOW and in the short-term future? Would you for example make it clear to him that you will no longer be cooking for him? Do you think that you could have that conversation, tell him why, get him to understand why and accept these reasons? It seems that such an arrogant nasty tool may not get this, but you surely need to try.

So, next thing - you deserve much better. How would you leave? You're getting some great advice here and it all seems like a shock, I'm sure but Women's Aid sounds like the best way to start.

Take great care. My heart goes out to you x

Softlysoftly · 15/08/2012 19:53

Being generous if your children sleep 7-7 you are doing an 84 hour week, not including any housework during the evening plus no lunchbreaks.

Hes working 22 hours less. He should cook for you Grin

FreeBirdsFlying · 15/08/2012 20:31

OP Your situation is not normal or acceptable. You are being financially,emotionally and sexually abused. He is also showing your children that its ok to do this. Please please make a plan to get out. Keep a journal also of his comments etc as he seems like he might go down the shes depressed and an unfit mother route just as a further way to control you.

giveitago · 15/08/2012 21:45

Lady - goodness -this guy is pretty much self entitled. You don't earn stuff by having sex You just don't.

Just wondering whether you should post this in relationships?

I think you're doing a great job under very difficult circumstances.

RowanMumsnet · 15/08/2012 21:55

Just to let you know, we've moved this to Relationships.

Best of luck to the OP.

MNHQ

MushroomSoup · 15/08/2012 22:16

I hope you didn't cook him any tea tonight!

treadonthecracks · 15/08/2012 22:24

YANBU. My DH works long hours, and for 3 years his commuting meant a much longer week than your DH.

He gets whatever we had in the microwave, ready to heat up and he is grateful.

neuroticmumof3 · 15/08/2012 22:28

Yanbu. He is emotionally and financially abusing you and trying to coerce you into having sex with him. His treatment of you in front of the children is vile, many abusers hide behind 'jokes' like he does. You could go to your local authority and register with them for housing. I'm pretty sure they'd be obliged to house you if you're homeless due to a relationship breakdown, you have dc so that makes you priority homeless.

perfectstorm · 15/08/2012 22:43

If you're married, all property either owns is split as if it belonged to you both when you divorce, no matter who it belongs to on paper, and the richer party (usually, not always, the bloke) generally has to pay spousal maintenance. The priority is housing the kids, so you would have the right, often, to stay in the family home, often until the smallest is 18. He is also unable to sell the house from under you if you lodge a charge with the Land Registry, and nor can he remortgage it without your formal written consent (and the bank are liable, if they allow him to without conducting their own investigation into his marital status).

If you are NOT married, all he owes you is what you put in to the house in money, ie payments towards a mortgage. Domestic labour has no value at all. Raising his kids has no value at all. He only has to pay the CSA assessed amount for child maintenance if you split, but I note you say he has his own business. It shouldn't be too hard for him to cook the books so he is assessed as owing you peanuts. There is no such thing as a de facto or common law relationship, so you have no more rights over his house than a lodger would do. Frankly, my heart sank when you said you weren't married; marriage offers women protection from financial abuse, not men freedom to abuse.

He never had any intention of marrying you. He has a slave he can leave at any time, who has no financial claim on him but bears, raises and cares for his children in exchange for the roof over her head and the food in her mouth. Why would this vile waste of oxygen alter a situation so favourable to himself?

You're as much of a slave as those women who are trafficked to this country to provide unpaid domestic labour. Except he expects you to sleep with him, too.

Personally, I think you need to refuse to pay the council tax with your child benefit, because you need to start getting driving lessons and that should fund it. You need to think strategically here - if you threaten to leave if he won't put half the house in your name, because you want the security in case he runs off and leaves you for another woman in 20 years, he may concede on that if he's confident enough that you won't leave him, because it leaves him more financially secure than if you were married, as he won't owe you spousal support. Frankly if he is self-employed then that's pretty much the only guaranteed source of finance anyway.

Speak to Women's Aid and get your free sessions with a few local solicitors (I especially advise finding out who the best ones in a split and over childcare issues are, because that free initial session means they cannot represent him later on, should it come to that). You need to make a plan on how to leave him. You can't just walk, you need to try to get to a point where you have more money from him, even if you have to go on strike/nag/threaten to leave to do it. And before that, IMO you need to try to learn to drive and to retrain, so you can start working when your youngest is old enough for the free nursery hours. Long term he won't provide for you, from what you've said, so it's imperative you make it possible to provide for yourself.

I would also post in legal, as I'm not a lawyer and the law moves incredibly fast, so perhaps it is more in your favour than it was a short while ago in terms of property rights. I hope so, though tbh I am doubtful.

This is an awful situation and you are amazing to be as intact and together as you are, after so long being ground down. Your kids are lucky to have you.

perfectstorm · 15/08/2012 22:49

Sorry, so angry I wasn't clear on the house: I think you need to say whatever might work (you feel insecure and scared that he is unwilling to marry you and unwilling to even put half the house in your name, that you feel used etc etc etc?) because that is your best shot at having him at least put your name on the deeds. It's not a good shot, IMO, but I doubt he wants his housekeeper, bedwarmer and children to leave him, so if you are dogged about it it may succeed. You know him and how best to get this achieved, if it can be. You have EARNED it and then some, so be ruthless if you have to be. Nobody who has refused to give their partner money to clothe herself when she is a SAHM and has made her use the CB to pay the council tax deserves honesty when he is so evidently being as dishonest as possible with you.

I do think he is replicating what he learned at his own father's knee. Good for you for being unwilling to raise another generation of entitled arses.

Being a SAHM for several years when unmarried is a bet on destitution in later life. Very glad you can get out when still young, and able to avert that.

Eurostar · 15/08/2012 22:51

OP - I'm sorry too to hear of how you are living. I'm not surprised to see you mention you have a toxic Mum. You can see how your P gets his expectations from his upbringing, it seems that you too have expectations from your upbringing - that you really shouldn't expect anything more from life than to be controlled, put down and be unhappy and that you must put others' needs before your own.

Do please ring women's aid or another charity and find out what help might be available for you in your area. Solicitor too because you are in a precarious financial position as you are not married.

It is almost certain that your P will become critical to the DC, probably more so as they get older and try to be their own people. Frankly, things are always going to be difficult for them, if you split he will spend his access time putting you and them down probably, he may divide and rule among them by creating golden child vs scapegoat child. However, at least they will have most of the time free of his belittling grinding down of their own self-esteem and they will see that they do not have to put up with being treated this way because their Mum didn't put up with it.

PooPooOnMars · 15/08/2012 22:53

I've only read your posts op, but its clear that your partner is abusive. You must have rock bottom confidence due to his constant criticisms.

He truly sounds like a bullying cunt!

ladyWordy · 15/08/2012 22:57

Oh dear manors. This is very bad. His open contempt for you oozes from every post.

solidgold's assessment is spot on IMO, and it's time to look into some help for yourself. Try a look at the resources on this thread, while you get your bearings.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/1514011-Support-for-those-in-Emotionally-abusive-relationships-number-10

notmyproblem · 15/08/2012 23:12

OP you won't be splitting up a family that's worth keeping if you stay with him.

Just think about it... his mother went through this with his father and she never left him I guess? Probably because she didn't want to break up the family either. And lo and behold, her son turned out just like his dad.

The longer your kids see you being abused like this, the greater chance there is that history will be repeated by them. Your sons might become their father abusive. Your daughters might become you a victim.

PLEASE think long and hard about this. Short term it's very scary and can mean you will be in for a rough few years financially but long term you and your children will be better off if you split.

Also, please take care to hide your tracks on this thread and not put yourself in a position where he can "punish" you somehow if he reads it. You're already very vulnerable, be very careful please and look out for yourself!

CouthyMow · 15/08/2012 23:13

So, let's get this straight - he is sexually abusive (refusing to give back your engagement ring unless you have regular sex), he is emotionally abusive (the put-downs about your cooking, appearance, telling you he will get your phone cut off - to stop you from contacting friends and family? Another frequently used control tactic...), and he is financially abusive (you have no access to money other than child benefit that you have to pay CT with).

Sexual abuse, emotional abuse and financial abuse.

It really IS that bad, OP.

CouthyMow · 15/08/2012 23:16

Just because your partner isn't PHYSICALLY abusive, it doesn't mean you have nowhere to turn. My friend is getting placed in a refuge with her DC's due to emotional abuse alone. Your situation is as bad or worse than hers. Women's Aid WILL take you seriously. I would urge you to contact them.

unhappyhildebrand · 15/08/2012 23:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

perfectstorm · 15/08/2012 23:46

unhappyhildebrand that's brilliant. So pleased the OP can draw on that kind of peer support.

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