Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Need advice about my wife and how to confront an issue

35 replies

Dad1975 · 02/10/2012 10:02

HI , I am new to this , so please bear with me ,
I am married with 3 lovely kids , 2 boys and a girl . We have been married for 12 years and have been really happy together ... until recently .
Since my youngest son was born ( now 13 months ) , my wife has lost all interest in me ( sexually ) . We have spoken about this, and she has stated that she has lost her sex drive and really isnt keen on intimacy any more .
I have been very supportive of this until recently when I noticed a webpage left open with porn on ? I deleted it as my kids were next to me and confronted my wife about it later on , she shrugged it off and said it must have been our 11 yr old son ? I checked the history settings and noticed it was set at privacy for this period and it was while my son was at school ?
I hate to admit now that I got very confused/ angry and started to undo all deleted settings and came across hours of porn over the last 12months all time stamped during early afternoons on weekdays ( me at work , baby in bed and kids at school ) . I feel awful for spying but felt that I need to find out what exactly was being viewed .
This was several weeks ago , and it has continued on a near daily basis . I thought maybe this was probably her trying to get more sexually active , but when I try and cuddle at night or initiate anything she labels me a pervert and says she is tired .
I have no problem with her watching these things , I just wish she woudl inlcude me , or talk with me more , any advice ? Thanks - Costas

OP posts:
likeatonneofbricks · 02/10/2012 14:26

exactly Beth - if a man pretended it was their child looking at porn, there's be an outcry of 'dangerous', abuser etc- and indeed it's a horrendous thing to do!

BethFairbright · 02/10/2012 14:26

I'd come down hard on any partner who tried to blame our child for his own behaviour and who'd lied to me. There's also a big difference between someone who comes to the table and is honest about what's going on and is willing to jointly explore the reasons for it - and someone who lies when she is caught and tries to blame a child and then despite being caught, continues with using porn even when her partner has expressed his unhappiness about it 'several weeks' before. It's all in the OP. Not the same situation as yours at all MadCap.

likeatonneofbricks · 02/10/2012 14:29

libe I already explained that the major reason is likely to be loss of respect on her part towards OP, I don't know why - can be valid or not. The sperm bank was another option, we don't know whether sex was a problem before, or whether she used porm before.

likeatonneofbricks · 02/10/2012 14:33

MadCap I hear your point about being affected by pnd etc - but did you label your H 'a pervert'? Lots of women go off sex but many still manage to try and be fair on their partner or talk to him, or if it's pnd why isn't she gooingto the doctors? You sound like a nice person, but you don't know whether OP's wife is nice essentially (shielding her porn use with her ds??). Ofcourse he needs to make an effort and talk gently, but she has to respond as well, and sounds like she is not interested so far, but I'm all for him trying to resolve it.

Helltotheno · 02/10/2012 15:30

Woman loses interest in sex with her DH after 3 kids and 12 years of marriage and you say she never fancied him in the first place and just used him as a sperm bank?

libelulle this is an extremely common scenario so I don't know why you're writing it off. Many women are absolutely driven first and foremost by their desire to have children and losing interest in sex/intimacy after the kids is not at all uncommon (many, many similar posts in Relationships from men). That doesn't mean she didn't at one time fancy the OP, it's just that the 'fancy' could have been more driven by her body clock than anything else. It's not an insult to the OP, he didn't cause it. There's no point in wrapping him in cotton wool, these scenarios are possible.

OP no matter what the situation is, it's pretty bad form for your OP to have passed the porn off on her 11 year old son. Keep your distance for a while and make her aware that you deserve some sort of communication about it.

Mayisout · 02/10/2012 15:42

The opportunity to browse porn won't always be there I shouldn't think. Life can be pretty tedious being a SAHM, which she sounds as if she is, and maybe this is her little 'perk'. Is she going to go back to work when baby is older? What did she do in the school holidays?

Can you encourage her to consider looking for work or interests outside the home. Suggest finding a childminder to allow her to do this. Which might break the habit.

Dad1975 · 03/10/2012 15:33

Thanks for all replies , harsh or not , I have to take it all on board .
I think I am going to write a small letter explaining my feelings saying that I have no problem with her watching porn and how about she watches it with me from time to time as well ? I really hope I can put this to her and not make her too defensive or embarrassed , and that something very strong and positive comes off the back of this and our sex life comes back . I love her and our kids to bits .
Keep you all posted on this !
Ps - am I the only dad on here or do others post ? I really needed a woman's view on this that is why I posted here /
Thanks / Costas !!

OP posts:
Dad1975 · 03/10/2012 15:36

Forgot to mention , that I don't expect this to resolve over night and am more than happy to see counselling on my own or with both of us .
It's really nice to get these things off my chest

OP posts:
likeatonneofbricks · 03/10/2012 15:41

good luck Dad! as far as she is responsive to your patient efforts it shoud work. Let's hope that she is.
Men do post sometimes, with varying success Wink!

BethFairbright · 03/10/2012 18:04

I think it's a mistake to join in on your wife's porn habit, or say that you don't mind her watching it on her own some times. If her porn habit has caused her to go off sex with you, then surely that's compounding the problem isn't it? Using a lot of porn often causes men to go off sex with their partners and it's no different for women. So it's the porn that's the problem - not the relationship or libido issues. That's also just the tip of the iceberg and not even getting into the politics of porn and the excruciatingly awful treatment of mainly women who 'star' in porn.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page