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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

I don't know what to do.

6 replies

LokiBear · 01/01/2018 10:14

I've been married for 8 years and have two children. Two years ago, I had a miscarriage at 13 weeks which devastated both of us. Shortly after, whilst I was struggling with ptsd and the aftermath of the miscarriage, (it was traumatic physically) My husband had an emotional affair with a girl he worked with. Flirting developed into sexting one night, followed by a series of little chats between them about 'what it meant' and more flirting before I called him out on all of the messages he was sending her and he admitted everything. I kicked him out. He sobbed and begged to come back. I'd discovered a few days before his admission that I was pregnant again. I was scared and devestated and felt like I needed to give him another chance. He paid for counciling, there were other problems in our relationship which we agreed to work on. He had an addiction to porn. Counciling helped. But that was 18 months ago and all of the changes he'd put into place have gone back to how they were before. For example, when I bring something up I want to talk about, he doesn't listen to me - he jumps in defensively before I finish a sentence completely misunderstanding what I'm saying. Then has a go at me. I get no time for myself, he gets annoyed if i leave him and the kids to do tbe cleaning. He says he doesn't, but he does. He considers this giving me time to myself! He has, because he desperately wanted too, taken 4 months shared leave with our youngest and is now going to be working 3 days a week whilst I work full time. He stepped up a bit with the cleaning whilst I was off but it wasn't consistent and I still did most of the cooking. I earn more but my job has become so stressful of late and im struggling. I need to do more work at home to keep up, but he gets annoyed when I do and complains we are not spending time as a family. It makes me feel massively guilty. But, then he will sit, whilst I play with the children, writing ideas for his books. Not work, just fun stuff. I think, after what he has put me through, I've lost the ability to bite my tounge and let it happen. I'm just not going to put up with his sniping or him being inconsiderate and selfish and I'm biting back. It just causes rows though and is really upsetting our eldest. I think about leaving at least once a day. Has not a monster, but I'm unhappy. I feel like he has gone back on all of his promises when we were in counciling and I deserve better. I love him, but it isn't enough. But, is a brilliant dad. My children would be devastated. I don't think I could cope financially and I wouldn't get much maintenance as he would want shared custody and he works part time. I don't think I could do it all alone with my job as well. Leaving my children is not an option - I dont think I could cope with having to share custody, the thought of not being with them makes me feel sick. I'm stuck. I keep plodding along hoping things will get better but they don't. I don't know what to do.

OP posts:
WS12 · 01/01/2018 11:19

Aw no poor you this sounds like a very difficult and emotional situation Flowers I'm sending all my love and positive thoughts your way.

One thing I can see clearly from what you've put is that you don't really want things to be over, you love your hubby, and you know your children love their dad, you just need something to change and improve.

Have you thought about counselling again? Maybe you could go back to counceling together and work through your old and new issues especially if it did work before, that's a big bonus. Could you and hubby organise some fun things together? Maybe a date night? Or an afternoon at the cinema? We get so bogged down in life - like arguing about the cleaning, we do it too 😩- when life is so short and so precious. One piece of advice a friend gave me is to think about the problem/situation. Will it matter to me in 6 months, 12 months or 18 months time? If the answer is no, don't let it bother you. Not sure if that's much help but it's a starting point for me when I think I'm about to lose my shit with DH because his dirty socks are left on floor again.

It sounds like you are overwhelmed. Have you seen your gp? You may have a touch of PND or anxiety, and if your MH is suffering it will impact everyone and everything. I think it may help if your husband stepped up a bit and maybe went back to work full time and let you be part time, would be open to this??

LEMtheoriginal · 01/01/2018 11:22

I wish I had the answers but really is he a good dad? He doesn't sound very engaged with his children

LEMtheoriginal · 01/01/2018 11:24

I have to say I disagree with the pp on the pnd. This is blatantly the case of the OP being overwhelmed with responsibility whilst the husband meanders through life making notes for books. Fuck that

cestlavielife · 01/01/2018 11:32

Your eldest is upset by the rows. May be better with two separate calm houses.
So you need to do something...

He can be brilliant dad separate from you.

In the meantime Get a cleaner.

mogulfield · 01/01/2018 11:41

In the spirit of New Year’s Day and not giving my first LTB of 2018, 2 things stood out in your post, communication and the division of household tasks.
I was having similar issues and my DH and I sat down and wrote down EVERY SINGLE household task, even down to who deals with letters from school, who pays childcare online, bins, who buys presets, cooking, cleaning the bathroom etc!
Since doing this, I have felt a lot less resentful and DH understands the extent of what I was doing. He’s also doing far more without me having to nag.

On communication we found this exercise where the person who’s talking has to hold something, and the other person isn’t allowed to speak. You then repeat back to the talker what you’ve heard and what the most important bits were... sounds trivial but it’s really worked for us. We weren’t actually listenening to each other and were very quick to get defensive before listening.

WS12 · 01/01/2018 20:18

Mogulfield I like the idea of writing down everything you did, that's great. My DH often says "what have you been doing a day? Sat on thhere sofa watching kids tv eating biscuits?" And I'm like "where did you put the cameras?!" Hmm🤣 But seriously it's annoying AF and feel so unappreciated. Women do so much on top of also working, but it isn't always obvious like dealing with letters etc.

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