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Relationships

Are you married to a workaholic?

79 replies

gretagatsby · 02/10/2012 06:12

Can you tell me what you would have done differently at the beggining? I've started seeing somebody who is a diamond but I think the work/life balance thingsmight too difficult to deal with. All advice really welcome.

OP posts:

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BreeVanDerTramp · 26/10/2012 00:41

DH has been on holiday this week and put his phone on silent

Only so I couldn't hear it and nag, he has got up at 7am all week to work - I let the boys in to his office and stayed in bed he needed some father/son bonding time!

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anniewoo · 26/10/2012 16:34

My brother- in -law is/ was a workaholic. Work came first. Intimacy and companionship way down the list. Now he's about to lose his job. He is bereft - It was all for nothing!

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Sabriel · 27/10/2012 17:13

My DH has always put work ahead of everything else. He's had a number of different jobs since we've been together but it's always the same. In the beginning I had to insist we actually booked something and went away when he was on leave because he'd have to "pop in" a couple of times to make sure everything was ok.

A few times when he's changed jobs I've thought things will be better, but they never are. It's not the actual job but just work in general.

A couple of years ago he'd arranged to "pop into work" on Boxing day night, to cover people who hadn't turned up. WTAF?! Didn't bother to tell me until an hour before he left, and all our adult children had travelled from their various locations to be with us.

We've all got used to a life without him but it does make me really on behalf of my youngest DD who hardly ever sees him. Plus he decided about 7 years ago that as he was now working such long hours (for no extra pay) he would withdraw from any household chores. Only it didn't occur to him to discuss it with me first, and I work FT as well. Sadly took years before I realised what he was doing (we had teens at the time and he blamed them).

If he earned megabucks and all this working gave us a cushy life I wouldn't mind quite so much, but he earns only a little more than I do and we live from paycheck to paycheck, like most people.

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Dozer · 27/10/2012 17:35

Where is the OP?

OP, if you would like to have children in the future, be aware that it becomes far, far harder to be with someone who works long hours (if they won't change) after DC. Before, you are independent and can do your own stuff. After DC if they work more (often using the excuse that it's "for the good of you and the DC") you will be alone with them day and night, with v little time for anything you personally want to do, and probably exhausted! It will probably be difficult for you to continue to work, since workaholics are unlikely to shorten hours, take time off for sick DC etc.