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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

Husband coming home to talk

104 replies

CollyWombles · 03/07/2018 09:46

Things have been stressful this last two months. I fell pregnant unexpectedly and miscarried. My DD broke her arm badly on a trampoline. My son has ASD and has been having meltdowns almost nightly over sleeping. We have a 14 week puppy which I am trying to train. Money hasn't been great due to birthdays and school stuff. I am on meds for severe depressive episodes and my mood has dipped a lot. DH has been working sometimes 6 days a week and is tired.

Two days ago we had an arguement. It was quite late at night, my DS1 has fallen and had a small cut on his scrotum. My DS2 was having another meltdown about going to sleep. My DD1 was crying because her father (not DH) had taken her to the beach and not bothered with sun cream, she is a redhead and fair and her back was terribly burnt. The puppy was running amok.

I sorted DS1 cut, cajoled DS2 out of his meltdown, put cream on my DD back and gave her pain relief. By the time I came back downstairs I was stressed to the point of tears. I said to him I thought we had made a mistake getting the puppy. I suppose I was looking for reassurance, comfort, but he just said well get rid of her then, picked her up and took her outside. When he came back in, he asked me what's wrong and I just said there was no point in talking to him because he is unsupportive.

When DD2 broke her arm, it was broken in two places with the bone through the skin. I was trying to hold it together waiting for the ambulance, keeping her as calm as I could and all he could think about was getting to work.

He didn't want the pregnancy, so wasn't upset when I lost it. I know I need to sort out contraception, it's just a long waiting list to be fitted with the copper coil as I can't use any hormone based contraception due to PMDD.

He accused me of spending money like water because during the first month where I couldn't walk the puppy due to her vaccinations, I rented some movies to watch in the day on the Xbox. They were £2.49 and over the course of a month, I rented around 20 I would say. I don't spend money on myself at all, clothes are bought from primark, I cut my own hair, do my own eyebrows and lip, rarely buy make up or shoes. The only money I do spend on my self is buying ejuice and coils for my vape. He still smokes and spends around £20 a week on tobacco.

Anyways, yesterday he went to work without saying a word. By 11pm he still wasn't home so I called him and he was at his colleagues house. He didn't bother to text me to let me know. I was upset so in anger I told him just to stay there for the night. I don't have a problem with him not coming home, but a text to let me know so would have been appreciated.

I calmed down and asked him to come home to talk about things. He said there was nothing to talk about because everything is always his fault, he isn't supportive and that I always say I would be fine if he left. He again said I spend money like water.

My DH is also a recovering alcoholic. He has been sober a year come August. Last week he said he thought he might like to have one or two drinks again, with the weather being nice and he thinks he could drink in moderation. My DH used to drink 8 litres of cider a day. He can't drink in moderation.

This colleague he stayed with last night has just split up with his wife. He has a spare room, he drinks and my DH really likes him.

I can't help but think that DH is looking for a way out from the hectic life of a family with four kids, two dogs, stressed wife etc, for a life of hanging out with his mate and drinking again.

I have no idea what to say to him when he arrives, I don't know what to do. I do love him, but we have said things that have hurt each other and I don't know if there is any coming back from it all. What do I do?

OP posts:
CollyWombles · 03/07/2018 16:51

Cheers @chocatoo that is a very useful post.

Anyways, no I don't think everything is his fault. I have four children, they are my responsibility. I am at home and he is working hard to support us. I have a different attitude to money than he does. Alcoholics often are very nervous when it comes to money because they need money to feed their addiction. Once in recovery that need to keep a hold of money remains.

Myself, I've accepted we will never be well off. But we get by and that is enough for me. I don't think spending £50 on myself (be it by watching films) is terrible, considering he spends his £80-100 on tobacco a month. I switched to vaping four years ago after pneumonia from smoking £35 a day. It costs me about £30 a month to vape.

That said, money is really important to him and although I refuse to get stressed about it anymore, I should be ackowledging it is different for him and doing what I can to help him feel less stressed about it. I don't usually rent films but up until two weeks ago, my puppy was house bound until her last vaccination. She can now be walked and I am loose lead training her, getting out the house for 15 minutes or so twice a day is amazing, for her and me.

OP posts:
BarbarianMum · 03/07/2018 16:52

The OP's ex is father to all her children Sandy

MistressDeeCee · 03/07/2018 16:54

CollyWombles someone (not me) mentioned previous threads so yeah, I looked but didn't bother to open & read. Id already said I was confused about timelines that's why I mentioned coil fitting as the thread title & couple lines of 1st posts show up don't they, even if you don't open thread. So my "point" was about clarity as thought here you said you didn't have contraception. Thread is April I think.

You sound so shouty, considering I hadn't been rude to you at all on thread. I'm not going to bother going there tho.

I'm sure you've got lots to be getting on with haven't you?

I feel sorry for the dog mostly.

Lata

CollyWombles · 03/07/2018 16:54

What are you on about @SandyY2K ?

DD1 was crying because her father (not DH) had taken her to the beach and not bothered with sun cream,

I said her father was not DH, because her father is my ex husband and my ex husband is the father of my four children. My DH has no children of his own!

OP posts:
CollyWombles · 03/07/2018 16:55

If you are going to accuse me of inconsistency @MistressDeeCee then I am going to stand up for myself. Tara.

OP posts:
SandyY2K · 03/07/2018 16:56

Just seen the extra husband is an Ex H. I understand now...was confused.

CindyCrawford2 · 03/07/2018 16:59

Sometimes you just need to get it all out of your system and have a good moan to someone else. The main thing is that you both love each other and that he is obviously a great Step-dad to the kids if they think so much of him It must have been so tempting for him to have a drink but you said he resisted - even though he was stressed - that tells you that he obviously does not want to throw everything away either. Put this down to being a temporary "bad patch" and I hope that things get better for you.

SandyY2K · 03/07/2018 16:59

Cross posted OP ..the extra husband threw me. I get it. I thought some of the DC were his.

SandyY2K · 03/07/2018 17:02

I would say though...that you come across as exceedingly stressed out.

With the challenge of 4 DC an existing dog and money issues...getting a puppy was not a wise move.

I can see why he's also feeling as he is.

CollyWombles · 03/07/2018 17:03

Thank you @CindyCrawford2 that's pretty much it. I am a very strong woman capable of solving my own problems, however occasionally I don't want to solve anything, I want to have a little fall apart, a little cry, hear some supportive words from my DH then shake it off and get on with it.

Our argument started because I felt he wasn't supportive when I needed him to be. He has said that because I am so independent he struggles sometimes to know when I might need that support and I get that. I do. So not everything is his fault no.

OP posts:
Sheepish79 · 03/07/2018 17:05

Firstly,I would just like to say how sorry I am to hear that you ( and your husband) lost your baby. I know from a friend that after having a miscarriage you have to wait to have a coil fitted. I am sure that given time your problems will not seem so bad and they feel as they do because they have all arrived at once. You could not foresee your daughter breaking her arm so badly, nor your miscarriage which will have left you emotionally vulnerable. Talk to your husband about your fears of him starting drinking again. Take a deep breath and try to stay calm - talk to each other like adults - it is the only way you will be able to sort things out, but you need to do it together as a team.

CollyWombles · 03/07/2018 17:09

Thank you @Sheepish79 that's really kind of you. I was and still am upset I lost the baby, even though having a baby would have been incredibly hard, it still hurt a lot to lose it and also to know that anyone that knew all probably thought I should be relieved. And yes I was also really hurt that DH wanted me to terminate initially though he came round to the idea. I am pro choice for all women but for myself, I could not terminate a baby.

OP posts:
Todayissunny · 03/07/2018 17:13

OP Sounds as if you needed to vent. You have had a rough patch with the normal stresses of day to day life and are coming through it.
Big hug from me.
Flowers

helpbeforeimelt · 03/07/2018 17:17

Collyeombles we all have stressful times etc etc.
Perhaps you came across and still do come across as abit shouty without realising it.

People are going to suggest things to try and help. I do t think anyone was deliberately being spiky to start with but if your going to come back cross and snappy people are going to react to it.

Your dh has done amazingly well,that's why I mentioned in my post that without realising it he's relying on you to be the juggler of all things home because he's trying to keep himself focused.
Let's face it going from having no children to four plus a puppy and an alcohol issue is not going to be an easy ride for either of you.

I've had what feels like endless weeks of ill dc and trying to work and juggle everything and the overwhelming urge to disappear is massive. Feels like your walking through treacle at times.

It's hard adjusting to big changes like dh going back to work full time. Maybe he's struggling with a new routine op.

Anyway themtwice daily dog walks are brilliant for clearing your mind and for a bit of space.

Do you have family or friends that would sit with the dc once a week so you guys can go out for an hour with the dog for some breathing space?

TrippingTheVelvet · 03/07/2018 17:28

You're not trying too hard to avoid pregnancy if you've had two in 4 months.

CollyWombles · 03/07/2018 17:31

Two in four months? I have had a pregnancy and miscarriage. One in the EIGHT years it's been since my youngest was born. Please do explain how you have managed to come up with two pregnancies in four months?

OP posts:
TrippingTheVelvet · 03/07/2018 17:36

Fair enough, I misread.

CollyWombles · 03/07/2018 17:42

Fair amount of assumptions and misreading going on in general @TrippingTheVelvet don't worry about it.

I am going to hide this thread now, thanks to all the lovely posters that actually did read my posts, showed some understanding of the situation and offered advice which I did take and lead to a calm discussion. Also thanks to the lovely poster that sent me a message Thanks

OP posts:
RainySeptember · 03/07/2018 17:44

Op, you've got a lot on your plate and were having a particularly bad day. It's not unreasonable to expect, in a relationship, to have some support and feel like you're part of a team. Otherwise what's the point, you may as well still be a single mum.

You've got the dog now, and the movie money has been spent, so I'm not going to berate you for that.

But I do think it's a bad sign that your dp is opting out of family life when it goes a bit wrong (such as on the bad evening you detailed), stayed with a friend after your argument, has expressed a desire to drink and is talking in terms of 'everything being his fault'.

I think he sounds close to the end of his rope, and so do you. I think you need more than one good chat to resolve things.

TrippingTheVelvet · 03/07/2018 17:44

I get where you're coming from on that score. People making ignorant assumptions suck. Good luck

Sharkwithknees · 03/07/2018 17:45

Sorry you're having a shit time, OP. And ignore some of the horrible posters on here. I don't know what's become of MN lately, seems like alot of bored people are waiting for threads to jump down the throats of women in need of a little rant and a bit of support/compassion. Sorry to hear about your miscarriage too Flowers

swingofthings · 03/07/2018 18:28

OP, totally get the needing a hug and soothing words when you feel overwhelmed. The problem is that your oh probably needs comfort you. You both have a very stressful life, and you can't deny that quite a lot of it is your (you and him) own doing though.

Like other posters, considering your situation, financially, emotionally and the demands of your existing children why you would have considered that having sex during your supposed non fertile time was good enough contraception. You say you were upset at the miscarriage and clearly you didn't consider abortion, so that does lead to believing that deep deep inside, you might have been happy with living a small chance of having another child.

You've also chosen not to work and that is another decision in your life that will come with stress. I personally don't think it's right to let your OH be the sole source of income when the 4 children that needs to be supported financially are not is. It's a lot of responsibility put on his shoulders and it's not surprising he feels disgruntle how little control he has over the spending of the money he earns alone because you've decided to retrain. Even if it was a joint decision, it is still tough to face the reality of it.

I don't know what the solution is, hopefully things will get easier with time, especially if you can return to earning a living soon. Definitely do not leave any chance to be pregnant again, however much you would love to be a pregnant again, even if only subconsciously if you want to save your relationship as another baby in this mad life will only add more pressure and most likely leave you alone with 5 children.

TacoLover · 03/07/2018 20:37

He said there was nothing to talk about because everything is always his fault, he isn't supportive and that I always say I would be fine if he left.
Is this true though? Because these aren't very nice/helpful/useful things to say bar the one about support.

Bluntness100 · 04/07/2018 20:20

Alcoholics often are very nervous when it comes to money because they need money to feed their addiction. Once in recovery that need to keep a hold of money remains

This makes me squirm. Thus man is working to pay for you and your four children. You do not work or financially provide for them, yet you blame his alcoholism for him being careful with money, whilst stating you have accepted you will never be well off. That's big of you.

Your posts scream of entitlement, for comfort, for money, for support, about what you need. You seem very disinterested in what he needs. As long as this dude just keeps providing for you and yours, that's all that matters.

BirthdayKake · 04/07/2018 20:40

Bluntness I'm sure she DOES contribute... Tax credits etc? I have four children, I don't work and my fiance (not the father) works long hours to support us but all of my money goes towards the house and children

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