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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

My husband is being a dick.

43 replies

DaleyBum · 28/08/2014 11:21

I'm a SAHM. I do all the tidying, cooking, cleaning, childcare, washing etc. His one job is to wash the dishes. We have not one clean dish in the house. He's not done a full load of dishes for over a year because he leaves them so long that they pile up and pile up then he spends a while doing them and goes for "a break". He won't open or shut the curtains, he forgets apparently. He doesn't help out, at all, and I feel like it's because I'm the one asking him to help. I asked him to move all the medicine out of the reach of our 9 month old so he left an open bottle of nurofen on the floor, behind a door so I never noticed it, and our son drank from it. Night spent at A&E. I've just found an open bottle of Anbesol (teething liquid) on the floor so he obviously didn't learn from last time. Yesterday our son didn't sleep all day and instead spent the day screaming from overtiredness. I managed to get him to sleep and in his cot twice and my husband woke him up. Twice.

Sorry for the incoherent rant, I'm incredibly stressed and need advice on how to handle this. No suggestions of ltb please.

OP posts:
DaleyBum · 28/08/2014 12:13

I just needed some advice, not a bashing. I'll be off now.

OP posts:
NotSuchASmugMarriedNow · 28/08/2014 12:14

I know of a hi ranking police officer who deliberately used to put dog shit in his childrens food the day before his wife (also a police officer) had an important shift to work.

Watch your dh's behaviour very carefully, that's all I'm saying.

Dropdeadfred2 · 28/08/2014 12:16

I am offering advice. if you truly believe there's no malice involved and just laziness and no understanding of expectations of a parent then you need to sit him down and discuss this.

treadheavily · 28/08/2014 12:24

It is interesting what you say about his childhood. If he grew up in squalor then it makes perfect sense that he lives in this way. I am not suggesting it is acceptable, but it is understandable.

I think people can overcome the legacy of childhood abuse and neglect but it usually takes quite a king time and a lot of support.

Your husband needs to face up to the fact he has to change for his family.

You could try talking it through but I suspect he won't get it, that the behaviour is so entrenched that you may need to separate for a time.

He is not going to turn into a clean, tidy and sensible person oveernight. But if he chooses to change, he can do it. You would have to alter your behaviour too (not remind him, or do dishes for him but have firm boundaries)

I think that if you love him (you seem to) and you both want it to work, there is hope. But it may take a while and he may need counselling to learn how to change. And you may need it too.

treadheavily · 28/08/2014 12:24

a long time (not a king time)

KittenOverlord · 28/08/2014 12:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

basgetti · 28/08/2014 12:27

He is either so incompetent that he is incapable of learning from a mistake that put his baby in hospital, or he is being deliberately malicious. Neither of these prospects would make me want to continue living with him.

LumpySpacedPrincess · 28/08/2014 12:27

To be honest if a visit to a and e wasn't a wake up call then what will be?

You have to be completely clear about what you want and you need to check he understands what you want. No wiggle room whatsoever, imagine it as entering a contract fir future behaviour.

Lay out clear consequences which you will stick to if he fails to pull his weight and do his job as a father and keep your son safe.

Lweji · 28/08/2014 12:44

Hoping that you are still reading.

You don't want to hear LTB, but I do think you should tell him that he either shapes up or you will LTB.
Knowing that you will stay put is what allows him to do whatever he pleases.

If you want other solutions you could report him to the police or SS for child neglect and endangering a child's life.

Lweji · 28/08/2014 12:46

As for doing work at home, IMO what works best is to go at it together and split tasks.

He washes dishes while you clean the floor, for example. That way he can't find excuses.

AnyFucker · 28/08/2014 13:56

You didn't get a bashing, your neglectful and lazy husband did

kaykayblue · 28/08/2014 14:08

If you don't think it's malicious, then you need to have a serious chat, and then pull him up on his bullshit each and every time.

You need to sit down with him and tell him you are absolutely furious with his lazyness and you can't tolerate it any more. You are his wife, but not his mother/housekeeper. If it's his job to do the dishes, then he needs to DO THE FUCKING DISHES. He needs to know that you really are at breaking point, and you won't keep turning a blind eye to it.

The next time the washing up gets left until the next day? Walk over to him and tell him "Do the washing up". If he says "In a minute" then say "No. You lost the right to decide when to do things in your own time when you decided to simply never do it, and leave the dishes for days on end. Do it NOW, or get out".

Waking the child? His job to get said child back to sleep. It doesn't matter if it will take him five times longer than it would take you. HE woke the child, so it's HIS responsibility.

Look, at the end of the day your kids are learning that cleaning is women's work, and not something for men. That men can ignore their chores and it's okay because the wife will pick up after them. That's such a bullshit attitude for kids to grow up with.

This might not be something you want to finish the relationship over, but you need him to believe that it could be.

No-one should have to put up with someone as bone idle as this.

If needs be, he can look into counselling to deal with his childhood or whatever.

After he's done the fucking dishes.

badbaldingballerina123 · 28/08/2014 19:40

Unfortunately if your going to stay married regardless of his behaviour , you've really nothing to negotiate with. Usually the only thing that motivates people is self interest. He's got a wife who's not going anywhere and he knows it. He really has nothing to gain by pulling his weight , and I suspect that for some reason he actually enjoys the conflict this causes. This isn't really about the housework , it's about his attitude towards you . And your tolerance of that attitude.

dollius · 28/08/2014 19:48

He is leaving the open medicine bottles around where your son can get them on purpose, love. No-one leaves open medicine bottles on the floor - it's not even a convenient place to put them. An no-one does it twice.

He is telling you that it is YOUR job to clean up after him and that if you don't bad things will happen to your child.

It is utterly chilling behaviour and you need to wake up to it.

littleunderdog · 28/08/2014 20:02

My husband was exactly the same as this. I'm bad at confrontation, and always made excuses for him. He left pesticide in the yard where our toddler found it and sprayed himself in the eyes, did other dangerous things, never helped in the house etc. Somehow I never really felt I had the right to get angry, or insist on him changing, and he always dodged out of becoming any different. After 25 years he left me. Now, I really really wish I had stood up to him, and protected my children better. I'm not judging you, because I behaved just the way you are doing now. All I'm saying is, you and your baby deserve better, and one day you will be sad about that too when you look back. If you don't do something now.

AnyFucker · 28/08/2014 20:39

Fingers firmly in ears, going la la la Sad

Nanny0gg · 28/08/2014 22:33

He's a kind, generous, giving person

He clearly isn't.

Nanny0gg · 28/08/2014 22:35

I just needed some advice, not a bashing. I'll be off now.

In case you're still reading, no, you haven't had a bashing.

You've had shedloads of advice. But what exactly did you want?

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