Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

AIBUH

13 replies

Funmumhun · 27/09/2020 22:57

This is super long, so I apologise in advance!!

I have a great life, I have everything I want and need and I dont go without. Literally all my dreams have come true.
I appreciate how lucky I am to be able to say that, I really, really do.
I am married with two children.
We have our own business which has been going for five years.
Off the back of this, my husband is at home a lot and so again, I am extremely fortunate to have him here to help with the kids.
We tend to fall out however, because, as he puts it, my job is to look after the kids. And that, it seems, is all he thinks I am responsible for.
He feels that because he is the one actually earning the money, when he has the chance to lay in five days a week, that's totally fair. That I should be the one to get up to the kids in the night, should they wake. That I shouldn't dare complain about the wonderful life, which he genuinely has, given me.
We have a weekly cleaner so he assumes I dont clean, though of course I do, though they definitely do the majority.
I argue that I don't just look after the kids. I also do some, though minimal, important work for the business, which in arguments is his, and in normal talk, ours.
I also keep the house tidy, which I feel he completely disrespects, by leaving his clothes, cups, plates, rubbish etc all over the place, presumably for me to clear up.
I have the 'mental load' to deal with; food shops, kids appointments, school info, life admin, work admin and so on. All totally normal things, nothing out of the ordinary or special.
He has a bad back (yet does nothing about it), so often tells me he can't help put the kids to bed, or whatever because of that.
He also goes through phases of not being able to sleep, so my lay in may have to be sacrificed because he hasn't slept. He also gets migraines quite often, so another reason why he can't get up in the mornings or look after the children in the afternoons. I know these things aren't his fault, but dam it's frustrating for me.
I feel resentment towards him building and he thinks I'm totally unreasonable for daring to be unhappy with my lot. He loves to tell me how easy my life is, and how much better and easier my life is than anyone else we know, and honestly, he's not wrong there!
So am I being an unreasonable brat here, or is it reasonable to want to share the workload at home when he is here and not out at work.
If he is working from home, I totally respect that, but more likely he's just chilling/sleeping in.
He does have the odd early morning meeting, so it's not like he's laying in every day, or five days a week every week, but there are occasions when that happens, and I would just like to share the lay ins. I want him to tidy after himself. I will put the stuff in the dishwasher, and wash and put away his clothes, just put the stuff in the sink, or in the wash basket.
So please tell me, do I need to give myself a slap and him a bj for being the most amazing husband, or is it acceptable to ask him to step it up a bit.
Thanks for reading, apologies for the length of this!

OP posts:
johnd2 · 27/09/2020 23:02

The problem in my mind he is he has decided how you should feel and enforced that onto you rather than caring how you actually feel. That's not a supportive and empathetic relationship, it's a controlling one. He is trying to say which feelings are allowed and he can't do that.
Doesn't matter if he thinks you have a good life, that's totally irrelevant.

category12 · 28/09/2020 07:46

I think it's disrespectful of him to expect you to constantly pick up after him.

You "give him" the chance having career plus family life, as much as he "gives you" the chance to be sahm.

But as to whether he should do more at home, it's difficult to tell. But he certainly shouldn't be acting like you're his skivvy to pick up after him constantly.

HollowTalk · 28/09/2020 07:51

I wouldn't call that a great life, where you are not allowed to have any opinions about your own life. He does exactly what he wants, doesn't he?

Tadpolesandfroglets · 28/09/2020 07:52

I think it’s disrespectful. You are a partner doing a very hard job. Not his personal maid to pick up after him all day long, he appears to be another child. Being a SAHM is also a job, a pretty relentless one. He should do his fair share and more to the point, should want to. It’s not the 1950s.

category12 · 28/09/2020 08:01

I think you need to reframe your situation here.

Presumably your dh wanted children and this "idyllic" housewife/breadwinner set up as much as you did. So time to stop simpering about how blessed you are and what he's "given" you, and acknowledge what he gets out of it.

If you were at work, he should be doing half the housework and half the childcare, on top of his job. The choice for you to be at home benefits him just as much as you.

showmethegin · 28/09/2020 08:02

Could you go away for 2/3 nights? Maybe if he has to do all the child wrangling he will see how hard it is and it would then be a better moment to discuss changes.

What are his parents like? Did his mom do all the running around after the kids and the house?

showmethegin · 28/09/2020 08:02

Could you go away for 2/3 nights? Maybe if he has to do all the child wrangling he will see how hard it is and it would then be a better moment to discuss changes.

What are his parents like? Did his mom do all the running around after the kids and the house?

FlorenceNightshade · 28/09/2020 08:23

For me this sounds far from idyllic. You say it s your business but he refers to it as his? Are you named on any paperwork etc? Do you pay yourself a wage for your input?

You say he leaves things for you to clean up? That’s totally unacceptable and lazy. I’d stop doing that today.

What quality time does he have with your children? Does he have any at all? It doesn’t sound like he is an active part in their lives from what you’ve said.

I’d sit down and have a serious chat with him about your daily routine, time spent on each task etc and ask him to help pick up the slack. At best he’s just not aware of the workload that running a house brings, at worst he’s a lazy chauvinist who needs a wake up call

TwentyViginti · 28/09/2020 08:23

You're his 24/7 housemaid and nanny. Doesn't sound such a wonderful life to me.

Quartz2208 · 28/09/2020 12:02

This doesnt sound like all your dreams come true

do I need to give myself a slap and him a bj for being the most amazing husband

Why on earth would you think someone who grinds you down so you are nothing more than a maid is amazing and who totally disrespects your input into his life

And the fact you mentioned a BJ speaks volumes about that side as well

Shamoo · 28/09/2020 12:08

He sounds like a dick. And he needs to step up. For example, I am not a naturally tidy person. But my partner is and so when she cleans and keeps the house nice and does 90% of the cleaning, I totally accept that it is only reasonable that I put my clothes away, put my stuff in the dishwasher, empty the dishwasher when I see it is done, vacuum when I finish work. It’s just basic respect. I don’t think relationships necessarily need things to be 50/50 (I do all the admin, financial stuff etc) but basic respect means he doesn’t create even more unnecessary work for you!

Sakurami · 28/09/2020 12:16

Entitled disrespectful prick. My ex told me similarly but actually when I went back to work it was a walk in the park compared to just being a sahm. I am a single mum now and life is so easy- I work and look after my kids half the time.

pinkrose78 · 28/09/2020 12:51

Argh men like this piss me off so much.
I'd be out working, using childcare and work as a team / partnership with my OH.
I don't think this life sounds bliss or idyllic at all.
Could you find yourself a job to gain some autonomy within your life.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.