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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

Would this be a dealbreaker for you?

83 replies

AlessandraLuna · 08/04/2015 14:15

DH has always been quite lazy in the house, and with the children, preferring to do the laziest quickest option for everything and to do as little as possible so he can just please himself. He is, however, quick to moan at me about any mess or housework that isn't done. I have pulled him up so many times on his lack of doing anything in the house/interaction with the children but he basically stonewalls me.

We both work outside of the home.

At the end of last week I became ill with a virus, and have been very poorly and in bed for 5 days. Luckily I have annual leave this week and DH had the easter weekend off work.

Basically, whilst I was ill, he did nothing. I think today getting up and seeing the actual mess of the house properly has just filled me with rage. The kids were left to their own devices. 5 year old DS hasn't been bathed or showered since Sunday. No laundry has been done; DH refused when I was ill to wash any of my pyjamas or underwear and as a result I have had no nightwear for the past couple of days even though I had a very high temperature and was sweating a lot. I have no clean underwear today and have currently got a load whizzing round in the tumble drier.

The house is just such a minging, filthy state; toilets horrendous, carpets dirty (we have dogs), stuff everywhere, rubbish everywhere. No basics done at all. I think DH went to the local shop twice when I was ill but that was only to get crap like crisps and sweets. He didn't do any proper food shopping.

I am so cross and upset; when DH is ill I basically carry on as normal, doing cleaning/cooking/looking after the kids etc, and look after him too. I would never dream of leaving him with no clean underwear when he is physically incapable of doing any washing himself.

He has done this before when I've had illnesses in the past. To be fair I am not ill often but if it is ever bad enough that I simply can't carry on and have to go to bed, DH just downs tools too and sits around.

I tried to speak to him a bit about it this morning and he said he didn't know what I was on about as he's "let me have a few days in bed" and basically said what more do I want?

What I actually want is to be married to an adult who takes responsibility for his house and is actually happy to co-parent his children. Not someone who just doesn't give a fuck.

This is feeling like a dealbreaker for me, it really is. I am still feeling not well, but I'm better than I was, I guess it's post viral fatigue, and I feel resentful that instead I have got so much to do in the house that he could have just done as he went along over the weekend and saved me the hassle.

OP posts:
CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 08/04/2015 14:17

Yes, I think this would be a deal breaker for me. It's just so selfish

ActingBusy · 08/04/2015 14:18

DH refused when I was ill to wash any of my pyjamas or underwear

THIS would be a deal breaker - you asked him and he actually said 'no'?

VanitasVanitatum · 08/04/2015 14:20

Total deal breaker. He cannot claim to love you.

hellsbellsmelons · 08/04/2015 14:21

Yes all of that probably would be a deal breaker for me.
He doesn't listen to you at all.
Expects you to do everything.
He does fuck all.
Nothing with the kids.
You have to clean his stuff and cook and shop for him I assume?
So you have an extra man child to look after.
He'd have been out of my door a good while ago.
If you can't talk to him then you can't resolve this so it's a no brainer really.

SnotQueen · 08/04/2015 14:21

What an arsehole. I would be furious.
And if it looked like he wasn't going to change his ways, then it very well could be a dealbreaker for me.

Jan45 · 08/04/2015 14:21

I am with you, what an utter selfish git he is, he is showing you that he will not help you when ill nor will he take responsibility for his children, sorry but you'd be better of as a single parent.

The fact he does FA and then moans at you when house is a mess is clearly telling you he does not see you as equal partners, you are there to do all the shit jobs whilst he pleases himself, perhaps it's time you pleased yourself and told him to disappear for good..........?

LadyOrangutan · 08/04/2015 14:22

What benefit do you get by being married to him?
That would a deal breaker for me. What a selfish idiot.

McFox · 08/04/2015 14:22

That's utterly disgraceful. You now know that if anything serious happened to you, you couldn't trust him to even look after your children properly. If that's not a deal-breaker I don't know what is.

mummymeister · 08/04/2015 14:22

You don't feel well so don't make any dealbreaker type decisions now. However, when you do feel better speak to your H. tell him you intend to divide up the household chores so that you each do 50/50. if you cant decide on how to do this together then do your own list. and then stick to it. make sure you allocate chores to him that will impact on HIS life if they aren't done. like the washing up or food shopping. basically he has no need to change does he all the time you are there to wait on him hand and foot as you have done for the past however many years you have been together. he is doing what you have allowed him to get away with and he isn't going to be happy when this stops so be ready for this. next time he is ill don't doing the running around after him stuff. good luck.

AlessandraLuna · 08/04/2015 14:23

Yes, when I asked him to wash a few pairs of my PJs for me he said that he was 'tired' and that he 'had enough to do'.

Looking back, he was exceptionally selfish and unhelpful after I'd given birth to our kids too; not doing anything in the house or with the baby and just sitting about yet at the same time claiming he was really tired and exhausted as if he was doing everything.

I think he mistakes being in the same house as me when I'm ill actually means that he's doing something.

OP posts:
DCITennison · 08/04/2015 14:24

Yes, for me it's an absolute deal breaker.
His lack of interest, responsibility, care would tell me SO much about his character and integrity.
If you can't rely on him then what's the point?

Theoldcauliflower · 08/04/2015 14:25

There's lazy and then there's your dh, that is super lazy and pretty unkind tbh! I wouldn't be doing a single thing for him from now on.
Taste of ones medicine me thinks!
AngryAngryAngry

mammadiggingdeep · 08/04/2015 14:27

He hasn't bathed the kids?? That is some kind of lazy behaviour!

The situation you describe would be a deal breaker for me. Do you think he'll respond to a serious chat??

Jan45 · 08/04/2015 14:28

It would make me very distrustful of my partner in ALL areas if he was behaving like this towards me.

Annarose2014 · 08/04/2015 14:28

He's not a kind man.

And its that that would be a dealbreaker, not the housework. The underlying reason is that he's just not kind.

IMurderedStampyLongnose · 08/04/2015 14:34

Yep,deal breaker unfortunatleySad he is selfish and clearly only cares about himself.He hasn't even taken care of the kids properly,I really would not accept this.Hugs to youFlowers

whitecandles · 08/04/2015 14:35

Dealbreaker.

expatinscotland · 08/04/2015 14:37

Dealbreaker.

BitOutOfPractice · 08/04/2015 14:38

Oh hell yes it would be a dealbreaker

he refused to wash your PJs and knickers? What kind of utter scumbag would do that?

I hope you feel fully reovered soon OP and find the stregth to give him a very haelthy kicj up the arse

FreckledLeopard · 08/04/2015 14:38

Definitely a deal breaker. He is rude, uncaring (to you and the children), lazy and cruel. What kind of person watches someone they love suffer, does nothing to help them and ignores their children's needs too?

What exactly does he contribute to the relationship? Or the family?

WhereIsMYJonathanSmith · 08/04/2015 14:39

Yep. Get him out and let him go and live in his own slovenly house. Flowers

LIKEMARMITEYOULIKEMEORHATEME · 08/04/2015 14:39

Know feeling i am going to the supermarket just to get away from this bloody tip. I have told both my dh and my dd she is being totally disrespectful leaving trails of mess in each room eight or not i find it unacceptable. A rota didn't even work. I hope you come to a good conclusion by talking with these wise ladies.

Timeandtune · 08/04/2015 14:41

When someone is ill looking after them is a way of demonstrating your love and concern. The fact that he left you uncomfortable and uncared for is unforgivable . I could overlook the short term lack of proper meals and baths for the children if he was having to devote himself to your needs.

nannyj · 08/04/2015 14:43

I went out shopping with my best friend yesterday. Her husband had their two kids and my dd. He took them shopping then looked after them all day. We came home and he'd done all the washing, cleaned up the garden, kept the house tidy and had dinner in the oven for them. He had been so happy to spend time with his kids and seemed to have honestoy loved spending time with them. That to me is a proper loving husband and father. Your husband doesn't seem invested in family life at all. It would be a deal breaker for me too.

Marcipex · 08/04/2015 14:43

Yup. Deal breaker.
Actually refusing to run a wash load. Ffs.

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