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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

Need objective view on husband's behaviour

23 replies

mc2mc · 29/06/2018 16:59

By way of a general background, my husband and I have been married for over 20 volatile years. We are totally incompatible, to put it mildly. Husbands needs sex every 2 days and wants me to show enthusiasm and wants me to want it as much as him (I don't), when he does not get sexhe becomes nasty and in the past had resorted to putting me down and shouting at me in public. This only puts me off sex with him. He is very generous and easy going in public but at home whether he is easy going or generous or not depends on his moods i.e. whether he has had sex. This has led to a lot of resentment on my part and I confess that I have very intensive emotional outbursts during our fights because of pent up resentments. We were supposed to go on holiday in Canada and US relating to the children's education and summer camp. A day before we were supposed to leave we had a fight, the fight is pathetically childish, he insulted my father and I demand he apologise which he refused so I took away the picture of his father in our home which he told me I would regret (he has not had sex for 1 week). So as a "consequence" of me removing his father's photo husband informed the children and I he will not join the children and I for Canada/US. This is despite the fact that the trip in US requires extensive driving between states and I have never driven on the right-side of the road (he is familiar with right-hand drive). The children and I have been in Canada/US for 2 weeks now and he has not texted a single time to see how things are, when I did text to tell him the difficultly of travelling between states and my unease of driving his response was "all self-inflicted" (i.e. serves me right). Three days after the children and I left home for Canada/US he sent a text to say he was off to Europe to join a gathering organised by his brother, a gathering he had wanted to go but because it clashed with the family Canada/US holiday he could not attend. My question is whether I am being unreasonable to feel utterly hurt and let down by my husband that he has showed no care for the children and I and had simply found a perfect excuse to join his brother's gathering so as to get out of family's trip to Canada/US which he was never keen. To me, regardless of our fight, regardless of the consequence he thinks I deserve, this Canada/US trip is not a holiday for me but for the children's education/camp. Am I over-reacting to feel that he is utterly vindictive and uncaring by not bothering to ask how we are doing nor show any care whether we have sorted out the travelling between states? How can he punish me on something which has a bearing on the children's safety?

OP posts:
Candypinkstars · 29/06/2018 17:01

You both sound like nightmares, frankly.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 29/06/2018 17:03

Am I over-reacting to feel that he is utterly vindictive and uncaring

NO! And sorry to put it so bluntly but your husband is acting like an utter cunt and has done so for years.

Why would you want to stay married to someone continually pestering you for sex, sulking when he doesn't get it, insulting you and 'punishing' you? Life is far too short for that shit.

I'd be making plans to divorce him.

PS: Good luck with the driving - it is intimidating but it does get easier the more you do it.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 29/06/2018 17:16

Goodness alone knows what your children have learnt about relationships from the two of you as their parents. Is this really the model you want to still be showing them?.

Why are you still together now?. What do you still get out of this relationship?.

I would be making plans to divorce him as well.

SoyDora · 29/06/2018 17:19

What example do you think all this is setting to your children?

swingofthings · 29/06/2018 17:19

His reaction is very extreme, even for volatile relationships. You've been together a very long time and the argument sounds like it was minor. I would have been quite shocked.

Whether he orchestrated to get out to go with his brother, you knows. He might have said he wasn't going as a reaction, and then feeling sorry for himself, decided he might as well join his brother, or his brother suggested it. If he planned his response to get out of the trip and go with his brother, then that is even worse than if he just have the biggest strop of your marriage.

I do feel for you, not sure I could forgive such a massive over-reaction and level of vindication. I hope you are at least enjoying some good times with your children.

Singlenotsingle · 29/06/2018 17:21

Bullying, manipulative and intimidating! How can you bear to live like that? How can you let him get away with such behaviour? Get rid (and enjoy your holiday).

BlatantlyPlacemarking · 29/06/2018 17:23

Why are you still with him? Do you really think this is a good example to set for the children? They will know you fight, children aren’t stupid.

AnneLovesGilbert · 29/06/2018 17:28

This sounds horrible, exhausting and unhealthy for everyone. I live next to a couple who have a “volatile” relationship and it makes me sick to my stomach listening to them tearing strips off each other and being horribly abusive and we have a walk between us. I can’t imagine how horrific it is for your children living in this war zone. You owe it to them to leave him.

Oldagepensioner · 29/06/2018 17:28

Jesus wept woman!!! Why are you still with this man? He’s an utter twat and you deserve better. Get your ducks in a row and finish this dysfunctional relationship immediately!

ChiaraRimini · 29/06/2018 17:29

He's a manipulative git OP. He obviously didn't want to go on your family holiday, so he could go to the event in Europe with his brother. And now he's blamed it on you.
Enjoy your holiday from him!

ReadytoTalk · 29/06/2018 17:29

It sounds it sounds like your husband is sexually and emotionally abusive.

PrizeOik · 29/06/2018 17:39

I can't understand why you expect someone who, for 20 years, has been clearly telling you that he despises you, to suddenly be reasonable and a good partner / parent. Can you explain why you are still apparently expecting him to be a completely different person to the one he's been since you've known him?

Please think of your children. What the actual fuck are you doing in this relationship. Do you understand that by staying with him you've basically guaranteed that your poor children will grow up to be miserable adults? What were you thinking? Twenty YEARS?

You need to wake up and start making better decisions. Obsessing about how you have to drive on the other side of the road is quite literally the least important thing in this situation.

You are not the important person in this situation. Neither is your husband. Give your head a fucking shake and start taking action for your CHILDREN.

PrizeOik · 29/06/2018 17:42

If you want an objective view on HIS behavior - well, obviously he's a complete cunt. But this isn't news to you. He has clearly told you and shown you over decades what he is like. Please start believing him. Take him at his own word.

The next step is to end this farce. And the step after that is to ask yourself why you had kids with him and then stayed on with him despite him being a cunt.

mommybear1 · 29/06/2018 17:53

LTB

pissedonatrain · 29/06/2018 17:57

He's a twunt but you knew that already. LTB

SoftBallSophie · 29/06/2018 18:01

You both sound awful.

You know the marriage is over.

eightfacesofthemoon · 29/06/2018 18:09

Your poor poor children

confusedscared2018 · 29/06/2018 18:18

He obviously wanted to go on the trip to Europe and found any excuse to cause an argument so he could go feeling justified. 20 volatile years? Why are you together?

AynRandTheObjectivist · 29/06/2018 20:33

Why did you get married? Why are you still married?

Thebluedog · 29/06/2018 20:58

Sounds like he instigated the argument so he had an excuse not to go, enabling him to go to his family gathering.

I’d enjoy the holiday with your dc and ignore the twat

Flisspaps · 29/06/2018 21:00

"Husbands needs sex every 2 days and wants me to show enthusiasm and wants me to want it as much as him (I don't), when he does not get sexhe becomes nasty and in the past had resorted to putting me down and shouting at me in public"

So do you acquiesce for a quiet life even if you don't want sex, because that's not what a loving sexual relationship looks like.

The sexual controller is one of the Dominator tactics looked at in the Freedom Programme. I'd think about joining a course and then thinking long and hard if you want to stay in this relationship for the rest of your life

magoria · 29/06/2018 21:03

I agree with others the argument was deliberate so he could do the thing he wanted. He also got the added bonus of spoiling your time into the bargain.

Life is too short for this.

eggncress · 29/06/2018 21:14

Enjoy your holiday with the kids ... do you not feel the relief at not having him around souring the atmosphere/ pestering you for sex/ trying to control you ?
This holiday should give you the confidence boost you need to realise you can do very well without him thank you very much ! You don’t need him!
Use this time to strengthen your resolve to start divorce proceedings on return to the uk.

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