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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

how can i get DH to treat DC and me with respect and love?

559 replies

frustratedwineaholic · 08/01/2019 13:10

Hi, I am felling really stuck in my relationship. I want to end out marriage but I can't. He will not leave our house and I have been advised by a solicitor not to leave as then I will be unlikely to ever get back into our home or receive any equity from it. This is why I am asking for advice on how to change my husband. I know you can't really change people, they themselves have to want to change but I'm so desperate.

we have 4 dc, only the younger 2 are dh's. they are 12, 10, 6 and 4. DH is usually grumpy and always finds a way to suck the fun out of everything involving the dc. when we have a rare night off he is different, but mostly only if we are with friends. He hates being wrong and can never apologise. he tells the dc not to shout but then shouts at them, he never listens to them, just jumps to conclusions and unfairly punishes them by sending them to bed early, when when i attempt to calmly explain why they did whatever it was and he knows he has over reacted he will not back down, he just becomes angry and starts shouting at me. a few recent examples,
DS2 is like Jeckyl and Hyde, one minute he is the ost loving, cuddly little 6 yr old and he next he just seems to get this look in his eye and he is horrible, he spits, throws things, kicks and hits me and dc, tries to run away all because of the slightest thing like time to close he pet cage. This morning he got up early, he shares a room with DS1, DS1 is in the top bunk and DS2 the bottom, he took his pull up off (diagnosed over active bladder) and threw it at DS1 face then spat at him for no reason. I had an operation yesterday so still under affects of general anaesthetic and was call DS2 to stop, DS1 was shouting Mummy help, I got out of bed, held onto the wall for dizzyness and held DS2 hand puling him away, DH came out o the kitchen and sent both DS to time out, I got cross as DH is always picking on DS1 in my eyes and told him DS1 is not going to time out and DH shouted at me that he was shouting so people down the road could hear, I said he was calling for help as DS2 was throwing a wet nappy at him and spitting at him and DH starting shouting at me for having a go at him and threatened to go to work and leave me to it, it was 6am and DH was going to work late to enable him to do the school run following my operation. I just backed down as I know him well enough to know he would go off and leave me. I had aa major operation 2 years ago and couldn't walk easily or lift anything, he stormed off the following day after an argument and left me unable to eve have a cup of tea. Anyway, he as then in an awful mood, storming about, telling everyone off for the slightest thing, made my DD1 cry as he refused to get her a toilet roll from the cupboard as she should have go it herself before sitting down. in the middle of all this chaos DS2 is still being a total nightmare, he poured salt into the last of the milk so my DS1 lost his temper with DS2 and picked him up from the breakfast bar stool and roughly put him on the floor, DH went mad and DS1 bravely told him he has had enough of being blamed for everything, he said he wont be here later, DH told him he is going to bed early for his mouth.

I can't take anymore, I called a local counselling service to enquire about family counselling but I can't afford it.

Any advice gratefully received.

OP posts:
Weenurse · 01/02/2019 07:42

Good luck 💐

frustratedwineaholic · 01/02/2019 20:02

4 more sleeps....

OP posts:
category12 · 01/02/2019 20:09

Nearly starting a new chapter.

AcrossthePond55 · 01/02/2019 20:17

🌚🌚🌚🌚🌞🦅

(The eagle is as close as I can get to 'free bird flying')😜

KatyLovesKats · 01/02/2019 20:30

Hang in there... the weekend might be tough. But on Monday you can think "Tomorrow..."

Your post reminded me of my marriage and my ex-husband. I hung in there wishing and hoping he'd change... but he never did... then one day he announced he'd met someone else and was leaving! But I wish I'd done what you're doing.
You won't look back, OP. You'll be changing your username to "celebratingwineaholic" before you know it!

frustratedwineaholic · 01/02/2019 21:20

katyloveskats your post made me laugh!

I can’t wait til Tuesday now. I can feel myself looking for anyway to back out of this. I won’t let myself as I know it is the right decision. It’s just bloody hard when the man you love and are married to and quite possibly addicted to starts on the Mr nice cycle again.

I’m on the home stretch now though, think I will have to do the 30 days no contact

OP posts:
DC3dilemma · 01/02/2019 21:27

Lurker here...

I really wish you would go and have a chat with your local police OP. Let them know about his abuse, verbal aggression, threats to burn down the house. Let them know your plan. They may just wish to be around incase anything happens.

Weenurse · 01/02/2019 21:29

You have already identified that he is cycling to Mr Nice, think back to how long this lasts to when he changes again.
It won’t last.
3 more sleeps.
No contact is a great idea.

coppercolouredtop · 01/02/2019 22:04

frustrated

you have got this. wishing you the very best of luck in your new life.
reasons for saying this and watching with interest.

x

Teaandcrisps · 01/02/2019 22:05

You are an amazing mother and time will come when you will look back and know that you did the right thing for them and for you. Flowers

frustratedwineaholic · 02/02/2019 19:44

Hi coppercolouredtop
Im interested, what are your reasons for saying this?

Thanks all of you for your support. I have been having second thoughts today, kidding myself that we can move out and then work on things from afar. I just made myself re read the thread to snap myself out of it, planned on reading the whole thing but I got to page 2 and that was enough!

Thank you all of you. I would have brushed it all under the carpet again if it wasn’t for you all.

OP posts:
category12 · 02/02/2019 19:47

Flowers Keep going.

KatyLovesKats · 02/02/2019 21:49

Mr Nice With A Knife Under His Cloak!

Two more sleeps...

Weenurse · 02/02/2019 21:54

💐 2 more sleeps then freedom

Jolee32332 · 03/02/2019 02:12

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

AcrossthePond55 · 03/02/2019 02:15

^^ post above reported as spam.

Buggeritimgettingup · 03/02/2019 08:14

Not long now! You can do this last little bit, thinking of you xx

frustratedwineaholic · 03/02/2019 10:56

I don’t think I can. It’s just hit me the reality of it all. I want to back out of it. I can’t because it’s gone too far now, I’m scared, I don’t want to do this any more, it’s all spiralling out of control.

I know you all think I’m a terrible mother for saying this but I love DH and I’m so scared of loosing him.

OP posts:
22esmeweatherwax · 03/02/2019 11:59

You are not terrible OP, you are scared of the unknown and that is to be expected. You have done so well for your DC. Keep going, better things await you in the longer term. Stay brave.

OneBiscuitAtATime · 03/02/2019 12:00

I think panicking at the size of the change is understandable but you are in the right path now. Please read over the thread again and the impact this relationship has had on you all. Hopefully someone will be along with more solid advice shortly.

Honeypickle · 03/02/2019 12:19

I have just read one of your earlier posts where your DD was sobbing, saying she hated living at home and wanted to kill herself. Remember that when you waiver, and remember that a better, safer, more joyful life awaits you all. You can do this. Be strong, be brave and you will be free.

Jux · 03/02/2019 12:22

Fear of change is normal. It's a bit like changing job - you don't know what the new one will be like, are the people nice, can you actually do what's expected of you, what about the journey, what is that area like to be in every day and so on; part of you thinks it's exciting and challenging and interesting but a large part of you just wants the old famiiar easy safety of the old job even though you hate the work, the hours are making you ill, your boss is vile and you hate it.

PositivelyPERF · 03/02/2019 12:55

I’m going to be blunt here, OP. You have a decision to make, lose your horrible husband or lose your children? If you stay in this marriage you stand the chance of losing your children because they will eventually grow up and may resent you for keeping them living with an abusive man, because you didn’t want to leave. Do you think they’ll want to bring their children to visit granny, when the grandad is a nasty git?

I’m speaking from personal experience, OP.

You’re a good mum. You need to save your children. YOU CAN DO THIS!

coppercolouredtop · 03/02/2019 13:12

Op

Firstly this is for your children. And nothing you are doing is setting you on a path that can't be changed later....but your dh needs to change and I don't think anything less that giving him a serious wake up call will do that.
You moving your children out because of his aggression and abuse gives him that message.
He then has the choice - step up and act to save his relationship with you AND those kids or lose it all.

Please don't cave now. You are absolutely doing the right thing.

I had a stepfather. Awful awful sadistic bully of a man with small man syndrome. Abused and bullied me till I moved out the second I could at 16.

Went no contact with him and mother.
No regrets and resent her more....him I had no feelings for but she was my mum and I loved her and she stood by and did NOTHING. (He was very violent but it's the words he used to say that are stuck in my head 40 years later)
She did Nothing to protect me.

And now I don't know if she is even alive because I cut her loose a long time ago.

Is that what you want ?

Change this now. You CAN do it. Be brave. All you are doing is giving him the chance to change - if he doesn't t you are making a new better life for you and your children.

You are so close! Keep going.

Fairenuff · 03/02/2019 13:29

frustrated

Look back at what you said on 18th January -

'I have just paid a holding deposit on the house!!! Omg, I’m scared now, I just know if I stop I will be stuck for another 9 years. I’m doing it for my DC, I just keep reminding myself of that. It’s not about me, it doesn’t matter if I’m stupid enough to love him and miss him. This is the DC’s life and it my job to protect them!'

Nothing has changed. You still need to do this for your children.

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