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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

DH has done something lovely but I am furious with him about it. Can you help me articulate why???

482 replies

TeaFor6 · 05/07/2014 13:21

Brief background is we have been married 9 years, mostly very happy. 4DC DC aged 8, 5 and 6month old twins.

Previously we have always had at least 1 holiday abroad a year. With the (unplanned) arrival of 2 babies things are obviously a bit tighter money wise. So we agreed we would not go abroad this year but would do days out and maybe a long wknd somewhere for ‘holidays’. I can’t lie- I was a tiny bit disappointed about not going abroad. I know it’s a bit of a first world problem but I do look forward to getting away. But I didn’t make any kind of fuss about it and I am excited for what we do have planned.

Anyway, this morning DH sits me and DDs down and announces he has booked a ‘surprise’ holiday abroad. Due to fly in 3 weeks! He booked it over a month ago. I could just about get over him booking it without telling me but I am livid that he chose to tell me at the same time as the DC’s. I am NOT a bloody child. We are supposed to be equals, partners who make decisions about these things together. Surely I’m not wrong on this???

I KNOW he was trying to do a nice thing for me but I just feel so undermined and patronised! And he just doesn’t think things through. He’s booked us a villa. So has he thought about if its in a practical location i.e. easy to push a double buggy around? Close to restaurants/supermarkets? (self-catering of course, so will he be doing all the cooking/washing up? I doubt it) Are there things for the girls to do? Is the house practical with 2 young babies? No. He hasn’t thought about any of that. Nor the inconvenient flight times (fly out at 1am). Plus I will now have to cancel appointments for that week, and a party invite for DD1 that she had already accepted.

On the less practical side I’m upset because I would have liked to have some say in choosing the holiday myself. I love looking through brochures, choosing where to go and counting down the weeks until we leave and I feel a bit like he’s taken that away from me (very childish I know, but it’s how I feel)
I know some people will say I’m being ungrateful and maybe I am, but I suppose I’m pissed off because its just another example of him making a bloody great decision without discussing it with me and just expecting me to put up with it. (It's not that long since we had a big discussion about him doing this and I thought we'd got somewhere but obviously not. It's like he thinks my opinion doesn’t matter Sad) And it feels like he’s done all the fun bits on his own and just left me to think about the practical stuff as usual Plus it might have been nice to have the fun of telling the DCs together. Now he's SuperDad and I get no credit (again very, very childish I know)

I’m trying to explain some of this to him but I’m one of those people who, when I get angry and frustrated, I end up in tears Blush It’s pretty hard to sound sane and reasonable when your voice cracks into a sob every time you try and say something!

Am I right for feeling like this? He just can’t understand why I’m upset and I feel guilty for being so angry when he really was trying to do a nice thing Sad I'm just sick of always feeling like the miserable one who puts a dampener on everything. I don't want to always have to think about the practical side but somebody has to! How do I get through to him??

OP posts:
Lweji · 08/07/2014 12:40

"The thought that counts" springs to mind

Yes, and the thought was that the would do as he pleases, without consideration to her feelings.
I'd pay much attention to that thought.

Lweji · 08/07/2014 12:43

On the day, pack your things and sit by the door.
Then, keep asking him "are we there yet?"
During the trip, ask him about e.v.e.r.y single thing.
What are we having for lunch? What are we having for dinner? What are you getting from the shop? Have you bathed the children yet?
Where are you taking the children today?
And so on.

TwelveLeggedWalk · 08/07/2014 12:44

I went on holiday with 6mo twins. In the UK. To a hotel we'd been to before. And no other children.

My blood pressure is rising just thinking about those flight/arrival day details. Please look into changing those flights, that is one of those situations where you can all end up so stressed and tired and distracted you get your passports nicked or something. Not a good idea.

Lweji · 08/07/2014 12:46

Don't forget to keep smiling sweetly.

Walkacrossthesand · 08/07/2014 12:52

Most holiday workload problems can be solved by throwing money at them - eating out rather than cooking, hiring a car rather than struggling with public transport, booking airport hotel as suggested above. If your DH is assuming hat you will save the family a lot of money by shouldering that workload, that's another way to present the issue to him.

Hope you're ok OP - you seem to have disappeared!

warysara · 08/07/2014 13:38

@Lweji Yes, that's extremely helpful Acting like a petulant child just to get her own back. Rather than embrace the situation, and perhaps maybe, it'll even be a holiday.

He of course should share any chores and be made fully aware that in future she needs to be consulted first.

CalamitouslyWrong · 08/07/2014 13:50

I'm not sure I (or the OP) would be happy with being 'consulted' first as that implies that it is his decision and he can be magnanimous enough to listen to my views before deciding for himself. Holidays should be planned and booked together really.

pommedeterre · 08/07/2014 13:52

I guess the whole thing shows that he doesn't share in the chores at all at home (or he wouldn't have made all the errors he has). He therefore is unlikely to be thinking that he will share with the chores on holiday.

As for eating out twice a day with two babies and two kids.... Not good. I love eating out but that doesn't sound relaxing to me.

warysara · 08/07/2014 13:54

Yes, bad choice of words. I meant consulted in the 'make a decision together' way.

Laquitar · 08/07/2014 14:01

This thread reminds me when my FIL had a bad year with his health and ee wanted to treat him for his birthday. We asked ds to help with ideas and ds suggested:

  • ice cream and chocolate
  • fun fair
  • ice skating
  • strawberry cake.

Why did you come up with these treats ds?

'Because those are the things I like'.

It took time and energy to explain ho him that a 'treat' or a 'present' must make the other person happy, not YOU.
At least ds was 4yr old.

Adults should bloody understand what 'treat' means and what is the purpose of a present. It is not very hard.

kaykayblue · 08/07/2014 14:05

I agree 100% with allhailqueenmab

trufflehunterthebadger · 08/07/2014 14:07

We can't afford a holiday. I wish i were you.

This is possibly one of the most miserable, ungrateful posts i have ever read on here,

weatherall · 08/07/2014 14:12

I loathe surprises.

DP would never do this to me.

I've never holidayed with 4 kids but I certainly wouldn't see cooking for 6 3 times a day as any kind of holiday.

I would literally prefer to stay home.

Maybe he should go with the older DCs and his parents?

Sounds like you'd have a holiday at home with him not there!

CalamitouslyWrong · 08/07/2014 14:19

We can't afford a holiday. I wish i were you.

This is possibly one of the most miserable, ungrateful posts i have ever read on here,

Talk about missing the point.

Darkesteyes · 08/07/2014 14:20

OddFodd Tue 08-Jul-14 10:11:13

No, noneed it was a terrible thing to use a mother dying to make your point.

Totally agree Bit of emotional blackmail technique there. Same as when people bring up the subject of Africa on the threads about benefits and food banks.

Darkesteyes · 08/07/2014 14:37

I really really hope he shoulders the responsibility for his actions. But according to what ive seen upthread he hasn't even changed a nappy????!!!!!!!!

Jesus wept!

Lweji · 08/07/2014 14:39

@Lweji Yes, that's extremely helpful Acting like a petulant child just to get her own back. Rather than embrace the situation, and perhaps maybe, it'll even be a holiday.

No, the point she would be making was that it was his treat to her and the children, and he treated her like a child, so he should take full responsibility for it. From packing for himself and the children to catering.
At least she'd enjoy the holiday and the children too. We would hope he'd get the message.
The converse would be simply not going because he was a thoughtless twat.

SolidGoldBrass · 08/07/2014 15:04

I'm.afraid.I.think.it's.quite,likely.that.the.H,will.do.no.housework.and.childcare.on.this.holiday.
He.mightSAY.he.will,take,care,of,things.but.he,won't.actually.do.so.because.he.really,does.think.that.the.OP.exists.to.do.the.domestic.work.and.make.him.look.good.
Tea.might.well.use.the.holiday.to.decide,whether.the.marriage.is.worth.staying.in.given.that.this.man.KNOWS>PERFECTLY>WELL.that.she.is.already.overworked.and.doesn't.care.

BeCool · 08/07/2014 15:12

We can't afford a holiday. I wish i were you.
it's this ^ type of crap and ignorance that makes me think it it time to sign off MN permanently.

TwelveLeggedWalk · 08/07/2014 15:14

SGB, what the jeff is going on with your post?

LIZS · 08/07/2014 15:23

He has booked a "holiday" so he is clearly expecting that he gets his holiday , at whatever expense to everyone else . Ask him whether he has also booked a cook, nanny and cleaner so you get a holiday too. Hmm Has he lined up EHIC cards, insurance etc too ?

squizita · 08/07/2014 15:35

We can't afford a holiday. I wish i were you.

We can't afford a large house or a holiday.
But if either were sprung on me with NO choice and with the expectation I do all the upkeep and hard graft out of some cap-doffing 'gratitude' I would be hopping mad.
I'd rather have my dignity/autonomy and our little shack than a mansion where I'm the 'bird in the gilded cage'.
Maybe I'm bloody crazy but that has always been how it is with me (except for a foray into a weirdly controlling relationship when I was in my early 20s).

BrunoBrookesDinedAlone · 08/07/2014 15:40

I suppose another option might be for OP to suddenly decide to book herself a short break...on the same dates as the holiday... and tell him the week before.

'Oh! They clash. Ah well. You'll be fine with the children... Ask your parents if they want to come and help out, maybe? What? No, it's not really my holiday, and certainly not my problem. I didn't choose it. I didn't book it. Why didn't I tell you earlier that I'd booked something else? Err, why should I? You don't like me not communicating and discussing with you? Really?'

CurtWild · 08/07/2014 15:53

If someone had booked a holiday for me and the logistics were a bit off, I wouldn't feel undermined or that I'd been treat like a child, I'd be so thrilled that I'd happily dig in and make it work. Yes, I've read the thread. And I have 3 DC (3yo DD1 and 19mo twins) so I know how important timing/location etc is.

OxfordBags · 08/07/2014 16:46

We can't afford a holiday. We can't even afford to do longish daytrips away from home. But if my OH did what the OP's has, I would go fucking batshit. It's not romantic, it's not generous, it's immature, thoughtless, reckless, and infatilising. I'd rather never go on holiday again than have a partner who treated me and my child like that.

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