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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

Am I a nag??

70 replies

starofandromeda · 23/11/2020 21:37

Would be really grateful for any advice you can give me!
I have been married for nearly 5 years and have two children age 4 and 6. I work four days though two of them are short days and my husband works full time from home. He is a business consultant so works to his own hours, often not starting until mid morning.
I have always done everything for the children. Every night cry I have tended to and always been up with them when they wake. I get up in the morning, get the kids up, all of us ready for work and school. My husband is often just getting up as we are leaving. I then work, collect the children and do everything for them until they're finally in bed and I can relax about 9pm. I do all the cleaning , washing, most of the cooking , dog stuff, shopping and homework with children etc. I feel that all my husband really does is work. Until about July of this year he had hardly any work for 12 months and despite doing very little paid work he did nothing else to help in the house, I still did everything for the children/house work etc. The weekends are the same. He lies in bed until sometimes about 10am whilst I'm always up at 7 with the kids. I contributed a lot more financially over the year when he wasn't doing much work (as I increased my hours) and now we contribute roughly evenly to the joint account.

Last night his daughter and her boyfriend were here for dinner (which given covid rules they shouldn't be but I got really ranted at when I suggested they shouldn't be coming at the moment) My husband drank a whole bottle of disaronno, vomited all night and didn't get up until midday. When I got back from work the house was a bombsite and despite the fact I'd cleaned up loads before I even left for work he and his daughter had just made even more mess. I got really angry and said I'm tired of being treated like I'm just here to clean up after everyone. Rather than just say sorry instead he gave me a long tirade about how I do all of this because I want to , it's my own choice, I don't have to be here if I don't want to , that I'm a nag and he can't stand listening to me etc etc. I honestly rarely moan, I just get on with things and sort the kids. I really don't know what to do - I feel completely unappreciated, emotionally battered and just taken for granted. I honestly work so hard and feel that there is no point in this anymore. Please don't say my husband might be depressed because he is 100% not. I'd be grateful for advice as to how to manage things from now - is my husband likely to ever change his behaviour? I have many times asked if he could do more to help and it just seems to fall on deaf ears. I'd love to hear from anyone with a similar experience and what you did! Thank you for reading

OP posts:
joybrightnice · 23/11/2020 21:39

No your not a nag your husband is a lazy fuck.

TwentyViginti · 23/11/2020 21:42

What's the point of him? What do you get out of being with him?

ElspethFlashman · 23/11/2020 21:43

You're not a nag, you're Cinderella.

Carrottop73 · 23/11/2020 21:47

Sounds awful. Does he do anything to make you happy? Does he add to your life in any way?

OoohTheStatsDontLie · 23/11/2020 22:01

Well you've talked to him and it hasn't helped. So he doesnt want to listen. I think the options you have that don't involve more talking between the two of you are -
Household rota
Counselling
Splitting up
Staying together and treating him like a housemate so only doing your washing, cooking etc.

Could you afford to leave? Do you still have feelings for him given how badly he treats you?

Nanny0gg · 23/11/2020 22:05

You need to take a long hard look at your options.

He's lazy and disrespectful and so is his daughter. He's highly unlikely to change.

I'm sorry, it doesn't look good. Does he even interact with your children?

Fairycake2 · 23/11/2020 22:09

You're not a nag, he's a lazy wanker!

starofandromeda · 23/11/2020 22:10

Thank you for your replies. When I met my husband he was very charismatic and outgoing and completely charmed me. I’m naturally quite introverted and my husband is the opposite so brings me out of my shell I suppose and we have a good life as a family but I feel a lot of that is due to how hard I work! I normally rarely get angry but I’m feeling increasingly resentful about how much I do and how little he does.
Yes I could manage financially by myself. I do often feel my life would be a lot easier by myself. I’m sure this wouldn’t be the case but I wouldn’t have to deal with being ranted at when I ask for help which would be nice!

OP posts:
bookishtartlet · 23/11/2020 22:11

I've recently separated from one of these man children. I can tell you my day to day life is so, so much easier. I now get a break when the DC go for contact. He sounds an arsehole.

starofandromeda · 23/11/2020 22:12

He does but it’s usually just to put the tv on or play the play station with my son. He tells them he loves them and hugs them but to be honest that’s pretty much it

OP posts:
starofandromeda · 23/11/2020 22:13

Yes I sometimes think that if we separated I would actually get a day off some times! Something I never get now!

OP posts:
Bridecilla · 23/11/2020 22:15

Don't do a thing for him from right this minute. No washing or ironing, no meals for him, no buying stuff that only he eats / drinks with the shopping, no buying or thinking about gifts and cards for his side of the family.

It'll do 1 of 2 things.

Show his what you do and give him a kick up the arse unlikely

Or start your distancing process and leaving him will be easier

BritInAus · 23/11/2020 22:20

He sounds hideous. Honestly, life's too short!

sosickofthisshit · 23/11/2020 22:32

No. You're not a nag. Your husband is a lazy, selfish, entitled arsehole who thinks that because you have a vagina, that you are a skivvy there to cook his meals and wash his minging, skidmarked pants. I was married to one of these pricks and got rid. Best thing I ever did. Leave him, it WILL NOT get any better, and you're life will be so much easier.

IdblowJonSnow · 23/11/2020 22:39

Agree with all the above.

Generally speaking when a man calls a woman a nag they're just shutting them down when they point out unpalatable truths.

He sounds like a tosser tbh.

Apileofballyhoo · 23/11/2020 22:44

I knew you weren't a nag before I opened the thread. I'm sorry your life is so hard and i hope it changes for the better.

MarthasGinYard · 23/11/2020 22:50

'My husband drank a whole bottle of disaronno, vomited all night and didn't get up until midday.'

Ugh Grim

No you are not a nag at all

starofandromeda · 23/11/2020 22:51

Yes I know I’m not a nag at all. But if I even mention his behaviour I get ranted at. I feel like perhaps I’ve been too passive and now my resentment is showing itself ....
Thank you Bridecilla yes I will do these things from now.
I am starting to feel more like his mother and that I’m just here to make his life easier but with very little in return.

OP posts:
willloman · 23/11/2020 22:51

You need to change your own behaviour as he will always be an arse.
Stop enabling him. Get on with your own lovely life that doesn't involve being cleaner and dogsbody to him.

starofandromeda · 23/11/2020 22:52

Thank you

OP posts:
starofandromeda · 23/11/2020 22:54

Yes willoman I think that is what I’ve become. I just always keep thinking things will get better and then they don’t . Today has been the straw that broke the camel’s back I think.

OP posts:
FredtheFerret · 23/11/2020 23:00

Well you've got the perfect answer...

He told you that you did everything because you want to and it was your own choice. I'd stop cooking for him, stop doing his washing, etc. Stop doing anything for him and if he complains you can say yeah...I stopped wanting to do it.

I'd encourage noisy games before 10am with lots of excited squeals. Presumably you don't want to keep the children quite any longer either...

SandyY2K · 23/11/2020 23:04

You're not a nag.
He's not pulling his weight.
Him saying you don't have to be there if you don't want to, shows he really doesn't seem to care. As well as saying you do it because you want to.

His attitude would just make me disengage and emotionally detach, as I look at the practicalities and finances of seperating to consider whether I actually want a future with him.

audweb · 23/11/2020 23:07

I lived with one of them. We separated. He’s not great at taking our child so I don’t often get a break but I’ll tell you life is still better and easier and less stressful.

giantangryrooster · 23/11/2020 23:12

I saw this post from Astala a long time ago, it's so true. If your partner did his fair share you wouldn't have to be a nag. Perhaps this is of use to you?

'Nagging is clearly us communicating that we need our partners' help. Nagging is asking for help (in an infuriated tone after requesting it so many times already.)

Nagging is saying "help me."

Why are we saying help me in the first place? And why are we asking for help repeatedly?

Because actually, it's our partners who have put too much pressure on us in the first place, because actually it is them that have high expectations of us and not the other way around.

So when you work and have young children and are still expected to take on the lion's share at home, that is him having too many expectations of us.

When the parties and holidays are left to us to organise (yet they also want parties and holidays) they are expecting far too much of us.

When they can't get up and motivated on the mornings and leave us to constantly remind them of the time, to get them going to remind them to help dress the kids, they are expecting too much.

So we may be the "nags." But they are the ones expecting too much in the first place, they may aswell be nagging.

But they tactfully know that if things don't get done, we will do them anyway, because we can't help but be the primary homemakers and care givers.

So next time DH calls me a nag, I'm just going to think/say. No, you're asking far too much of ME actually and I'm the one frantically yelling HELP.

I plan to stop adhering to his expectations. There will be no more parties, no more holidays, I will hire a cleaner to come in and clean, because he expects too much of me.
And if he wants things to change, I guess he will just have to begin expecting more of himself.