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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

What do you think about this day-in-the-life relationship?

147 replies

fuckmyfuckinghusband · 04/11/2016 02:00

I have 2 DC under 2.

Up three times in night breastfeeding baby. H sleeps through.

Toddler cries at 7am, I get up, change her, give her milk, take her downstairs. I ask her to wait while I go back upstairs to get newborn. She follows me back upstairs. H sleeps.

Take newborn downstairs trying to navigate toddler down steep stairs behind me. Make breakfast for toddler. BF baby. Toddler starts throwing food and saying she doesn't want it.

H comes down at 11am, showered and dressed and questions why there is food on the floor. I explain toddler did it. He tells me we need to set a plan in place to discipline her better about food and I must think about what to do to stop the mess happening.

H makes himself coffee and settles down opposite me, still BF-ing, while toddler cries around me because I am not giving her attention. He puts football on his phone.

I burp baby and put him down, clear up the dropped food. then pick up toddler and take her outside in the garden. We play a few games. H comes out and asks if I'd like some of what he's having for breakfast. I say yes.

Baby starts crying while H is making breakfast. H shouts out into garden and tells me to deal with it. I try and persuade toddler to come in but she doesn't want to and starts crying.

I go and get baby while toddler cries outside, with the intention of taking him out, but realise I have to wrap him up because it's cold. Take him upstairs to get blanket. Toddler comes in and follows me.

While wrapping up baby, toddler takes all the clean nappies and spreads them over the floor. Put baby down, try and get toddler to play tidying up game. Toddler takes a pile of nappies downstairs and dumps them at bottom of stairs. H complains that I have let her make a mess AGAIN.

H puts breakfast on table. I hold baby while I eat with one hand. Toddler cries and holds on to my knee. H texts while eating breakfast.

I kiss toddler on head. H looks up and says "you never give me any affection like that." I am so tired I don't know what to say.

I wash up breakfast and baby is crying. Toddler goes into fridge and pulls out bottles and packets. H comes into kitchen, complains that baby is crying, and makes a case that I have "allowed" toddler to "totally mess up the house within 2 hours of us waking up."

H grabs packets and bottles from toddler's hands and shoves them back in fridge and slams the door. Toddler cries and clings on to my leg. I can't finish the washing up.

In dining room, H is setting up his computer on the table (he works from home) and he tells me I must stop toddler from touching it. Baby cries again, wants to be in a different position, so I pick baby up and settle him.

Go upstairs to finally get dressed (yes was in the garden in nightie and jumper.) Toddler follows. I clear up nappies, have a wee and a shower while toddler watches and throws things into the bath shouting random words and pointing out my body parts.

Baby cries, needs changing. H is pacing in dining room saying he cannot do this anymore (unclear what, but presumably just the chaos of mess and noise.) I ask what I can do to help. H lists impossible things like "stop toddler touching anything," and "don't let baby cry." And "be more organised."

Toddler is hungry from refusing breakfast. We need food for lunch, someone's got to get it. H refuses point blank to be left with either child. I give him the option of either going by himself to get food, or me going with both DC. He chooses the latter. Takes me a while to put toddler and baby into car, drive, toddler in trolley, baby in sling, go round Sainsbury's, buy food, back in car.

Toddler is starving now, so give her a cracker while waiting for food. H complains that I feed her junk. I offer to make lunch, but H does not want to deal with DCs, so I look after them while he makes lunch. H asks toddler for a hug. Toddler says no and runs to me. H becomes morose. I suggest that he is a bit gentler with her and then maybe she will want to cuddle. He tells me I have spoilt her and he is the only one who disciplines / is the bad cop and that is why she won't cuddle him.

We sit down to lunch and H accuses me of "never cooking him a hot meal." I say I am always dealing with the children. He says "you don't love me anymore." My brain is too fried from hormones and tiredness to work out what I want to say or fight back or anything.

And on and on and on...

Is this typical of a marriage with very young DC? My H is the one who earns, so certain behaviours and work stress are understandable... but is it really like this?

OP posts:
elvesareneverhappy · 04/11/2016 05:25

My DH works from home and we have 3 under 3. Your arrangement is completely unacceptable. We decided that we both wanted to be home for our kids and we could if he worked from home. Sometimes, that means he starts work at 3 or 4am so he has more time for the DC during the day. But he does it willingly. He does more cleaning and I do most of the cooking. We both wake up with the DC and we both put them down for bed. We both decided to have children so we are both responsible for them.

Have you spoken to your H about it? Does he spend any time with the DC without you? Do you have any other support?

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 04/11/2016 05:32

I'm exhausted and close to tears just reading that.

What an utter wanker.

ParsnipSoup · 04/11/2016 05:40

He sounds like an insufferable man-child. If he can lie in until 11 while working from home he could get up at the same time as you, help with brekkie and watch the little ones while you have a shower.

This is NOT normal.

Madinche1sea · 04/11/2016 06:10

OP - this is shocking, it really is.
Why does he sleep in until 11??!! He could have got up and taken your toddler to the park or supermarket before starting work.
It's not only that he does nothing to help, he's criticising you at every turn.
I'm sorry, he sounds vile.
And I say this as someone who had 4 DC with roughly 2 year gaps. My DH never got up in the night because I was bf so there was no point. Also, he was usually out of the house from 7am or overseas for days at a time. But he NEVER criticised me when he could see I was tired and was doing my best. He's not exactly known for housework or cooking, but when he was home and not busy, he was good at getting older kids out to give me a break with the baby.
The stage you're at is totally exhausting and he's making it very unpleasant as well. His expectations are totally unrealistic and he will alienate himself from his own children and drive you to depression.
I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say except I could cry reading your post.

tribpot · 04/11/2016 06:28

I give him the option of either going by himself to get food, or me going with both DC. He chooses the latter.

Other than exhaustion, why on earth did you give him this 'choice'? He was never going to choose to go on his own, he doesn't give two shiny shits about you or the children.

I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but is it any better at weekends?

I don't see how your life could possibly be worse if you separated from this person - and you would be spared the constant chorus of disapproval and emotional blackmail.

Scrumptiousbears · 04/11/2016 06:31

This is so similar to my experience. I cried when I read this. Can't write much more as I need to get up and sort everything before I take my oldest to pre school. I'm sorry it's so hard work OP. I feel your pain. Flowers

Believeitornot · 04/11/2016 06:34

I think you know the answer.

I would be reading him the riot act TBH. If DH comments on mess made by the dcs as yours did, he gets an earful from me. If he made comments about affection etc, ditto.

You should lay it out for him.

And you should consider working when your baby is older because I suspect it'll get worse.

cheminotte · 04/11/2016 06:43

Absolutely not normal.
Really what benefit does he bring? None whatsoever, just an extra mouth to feed and person to clean up after.
LTB

MargeryFenworthy · 04/11/2016 06:49

Awful. Not only does he constantly criticise your mothering but also sounds overly harsh on your little girl. Honestly sounds like you would find it easier alone. What does he bring to the table?

Introvertedbuthappy · 04/11/2016 06:50

Gosh OP, that's no relationship - it sounds awful. Who gets up to WFM at 11, then plays on phone, leisurely makes breakfast etc? How will he get all his work done?! He needs to parent his children more, show more respect to you and work out of the office - he's massively taking the piss on all counts.

BalloonSlayer · 04/11/2016 06:54

He sounds bloody awful but crikey you could make life a bit easier for yourself with a few stair gates and childproofing your house a bit. But I expect he refuses to help fit them. Angry

CupofTeaTime · 04/11/2016 06:57

Fuck that! He's a lazy selfish arsehole.

HappyAxolotl · 04/11/2016 07:02

I got as far as him criticising you about the thrown breakfast rather than picking up a dustpan and thought if it had been me I'd have rubbed his face in the mess.

He sounds like the biggest baby of the lot. What is he adding to your life apart from drip-drip criticism and stressing you and the toddler?

Blondeandinept · 04/11/2016 07:03

You must have spent ages writing that post!

Quite clearly you know it's not normal. Or rather, it's not normal for a decent husband. It's normal family life when there is a twat of a husband involved and a seemingly very passive rather martyrish mother involved.

I am sorry if harsh. But you seriously asked him if he'd like to go to the shop or you take both children to the shops, and when he chose the latter you didn't say anything, you just bundled the children in to the car. No doubt with your head bowed.

Woman up!

twattymctwatterson · 04/11/2016 07:04

What do you get from this marriage OP?

HappyAxolotl · 04/11/2016 07:04

Re-reading this: did he make a meal or do any domestic chore at all? Reads like he didn't.

HandyWoman · 04/11/2016 07:10

My life was a bit like this. I kicked him out and then my life improved a millionfold.

This is what divorce was invented for......

Naicehamshop · 04/11/2016 07:13

This sounds absolutely awful.

Why are you putting up with this? Stand your ground and insist that he starts to share the work load; maybe show him this thread (not if you think he may become aggressive, though).

GirlInASwirl · 04/11/2016 07:15

I got so angry reading your post OP. By the way; you are doing a fantastic job! So fantastic in fact; that you require no supervision from a 'fake boss'. You know exactly what you are doing. Now go tell that Jackass exactly what he needs to do to help.

waitingforsomething · 04/11/2016 07:16

Your husband is appalling and no it's normal in a marriage with young children. I do think, however, you had a lot of opportunities to stop facilitating this and tell him to pull his finger out.

  1. You should have woken him up once both children were up and said he needed to make breakfast for DD.
  2. You should have said to him that you toddler was fussing at 11am and he needed to take her outside to play while you dealt with the baby
  3. When he complained when you kissed your daughter you should have reminded him not to be so pathetic as to compete with a 2 year old.

Stop facilitating his behaviour and he might make a bit more effort.

AnyFucker · 04/11/2016 07:19

You would be better on your own.

AnyFucker · 04/11/2016 07:20

Your husband is a first class prick.

deathtoheadlice · 04/11/2016 07:24

This is what divorce is for.
Don't show him the thread but you could show him the op so he gets a sense of how it actually feels. You are so articulate and your op was clear and poignant. I'd be nearly homicidal in your shoes.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 04/11/2016 07:28

What do you get out of this relationship now?.

You are together because......

You already have two children, you do not need a manchild as well who delegates work and abdicates all responsibility to you.

Look at his parents as well OP: what are they like?. In all likelihood one or both of them act similarly; that is what he learnt about relationships from his parents. He is not going to change.

deathtoheadlice · 04/11/2016 07:29

And the only answer to why is there food on the floor at 11am is BECAUSE YOU DIDNT GET YOUR ARSE OUT OF BED AND DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
:)