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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

Opinions please - what would you do?

58 replies

Flumpinblues · 06/03/2021 09:52

Long term marriage. Husband was a great stay at home Dad when the DC were small, they are now in school. His relationship with our youngest is incredibly strained - he calls her names and delegates all parenting of her to me. This would be fine - but he doesn’t work. So I also work FT, take care of finances, plans, most of the cooking and decorating (he does DIY and 50% housework). He is depressed but won’t see a doctor or therapist. Says he is embarrassed about not working, buries his head in the sand, and has applied for less than 10 jobs since December. Says is petrified of C-19 so it’s not safe to get a job (it is safe for me to leave the house for work though). We are currently really struggling financially - I’m trying to earn more, but this pulls me away from the DC, in particular the youngest (see above). Financials cut to the bone, everything that isn’t essential gone. I am working myself into the ground to keep us afloat. DH also has no pension and is 5 years off retirement. He has never had any plans or dreams. Relationship wise I have no respect for him and find it very difficult to be intimate. He regularly calls me names (the c word) in front of the children, will do some nice things occasionally like make me a cup of tea but I can’t remember the last time I had a card/flowers/birthday present or Christmas present (he says he has no money). We are also very different - he is cynical, political and likes solo pursuits. I am sociable and community minded, I volunteer and am a trustee of a charity.

So - if you were me, what would you do?

OP posts:
Singlenotsingle · 06/03/2021 09:56

LTB. He's as useful as a chocolate teapot. He doesn't love you, and he's a drain on you.

Superstardjs · 06/03/2021 09:58

I would be hugely pissed off and want to leave. However if he is late middle age, no job, no pension, no savings, I would not divorce him so he could have half or more of everything I had worked for. I'd move into the spare room and consider myself single. Are your dc still young?

wishes1111 · 06/03/2021 09:58

Absolutely leave. Everything you listed before you said he calls you the C word made me angry you are treated like this, the C word just heightens the emotional and financial abuse you are going through.

Ask yourself what you would tell your children if they were in a relationship like this?

You deserve better x

Outbutnotoutout · 06/03/2021 09:59

I was going to say make him share half the load, but read the rest of the post

Bin him, he isn't worth it

category12 · 06/03/2021 10:01

You need to leave him for your dc's sake.

Verbally abusing your youngest and refusing to engage with her is incredibly damaging and abusive.
Verbally abusing you in front of them is also abusive.

What kind of relationships do you want your dc to have in future? Would you be happy for them to recreate what they're growing up with?

If you can't do it for yourself, do it for them. Show them that this is no way to live, show them that you will protect them for abuse and neglect.

bloodywhitecat · 06/03/2021 10:01

Leave. The situation won't improve and once you retire you will be together 24/7.

anamazingfind · 06/03/2021 10:02

In divorce he is likely to get 50/50 although you will probably be able to stay in the house until the children are 18. If it's financially possible I would divorce him. I could not bear him near me if he called me the c word.

SortingItOut · 06/03/2021 10:02

Whats your living situation?
What assets do you have? A house? Pensions?
What is your age difference?

Do you really want to be looking after him financially when he retires as well as all through his working life?

Kgrzghtechh · 06/03/2021 10:02

He abuses your child.

Why do you need to ask? You get him the fuck away from her and protect her instead of continuing to be complicit in her abuse.

agreyersky · 06/03/2021 10:06

@Superstardjs

I would be hugely pissed off and want to leave. However if he is late middle age, no job, no pension, no savings, I would not divorce him so he could have half or more of everything I had worked for. I'd move into the spare room and consider myself single. Are your dc still young?
This is terrible advice. You cannot continue to live with someone you dislike to hold onto a bit more money, when you sound like you would be financially viable without him (and would no longer have to be paying for his food/ clothes/ shoes etc).

You can divorce or you can just separate and wait to see whether he pursues a divorce or not.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 06/03/2021 10:07

He is abusive to you and in turn his children. Abusive men are depressed because they are angry, not because they are depressed. They rarely if ever want to see a doctor or therapist because they are not really depressed and its always someone else's fault rather than their own. He must think you were born yesterday if you at all believe him to be depressed.

What do you want to teach your children about relationships and what are they learning here?. What has prevented you to date from leaving him already?.

TokyoSushi · 06/03/2021 10:09

He sounds abusive and isn't bringing anything positive to the situation.

I'd honestly leave him, it sounds like you would be absolutely fine. Flowers

AttilaTheMeerkat · 06/03/2021 10:10

I would certainly press ahead with seeking legal advice with a view to divorcing him. What is the point of him being in your lives?. Being with him is giving him opportunity to further abuse you and in turn your children, particularly your youngest. You as their mother have to be seen to be protecting them, currently you are not doing that and you cannot protect yourself from his abuses of you either.

Elieza · 06/03/2021 10:11

I agree with the others. If he’s really so depressed and anxious that he can’t work then he aught to be at the doctor and applying for benefits for his health conditions.

The fact he isn’t is because he’s happy for you to do all the work. He resents you for your having a job, but needs you to fund his lifestyle at the same time. That’s why he’s angry. He’s probably angry at the system too, as it’s very hard to get a job when you are older. It’s unlikely he will get one to be honest. Not in this financial climate and with a lack or recent work experience.

Is it only the women/girls he calls names in the house? Just wondering if he has a problem with women in general. Or do you have older daughters he doesn’t shout at and it’s not a misogynistic thing?

It’s not acceptable to name call your loved ones. That’s not love. It’s horrible.

I’d seek legal advice so you know what to expect if you choose to leave him. If he’s been a ‘stay at home dad’ then he will very likely be due half the house and half your pension.

Is he violent at all? Be very careful because he may snap when he finds out you are leaving.

There’s lots of advice on the womens aid website.

Elieza · 06/03/2021 10:12

Forgot to ask, why is he a sahd in the first place? Did he have a job prior?

Superstardjs · 06/03/2021 10:15

Agreyersky - it's not advice - the question was what would I do. I would not hand over 50+% of my money or time with my children to a lazy twat. You may do differently. I could ignore him for a thousand years but I'm fucked if I'd give him my pension. If the op is very young it's different but I'm not, hence the reflection on what I would do...

category12 · 06/03/2021 10:18

@Superstardjs

Agreyersky - it's not advice - the question was what would I do. I would not hand over 50+% of my money or time with my children to a lazy twat. You may do differently. I could ignore him for a thousand years but I'm fucked if I'd give him my pension. If the op is very young it's different but I'm not, hence the reflection on what I would do...
But staying in order to hold onto money means OP's daughter is continuing to be verbally abused and maltreated in her own home. What price a child's mental health and longterm wellbeing?
Superstardjs · 06/03/2021 10:21

If he is a SAHP, it is entirely possible he would have the dc the majority of the time and op would not be around to do anything about it.

category12 · 06/03/2021 10:25

How about crossing that bridge when she comes to it? It's no point sitting there worrying what he might do or claim. By staying, she's not managing to protect the child. Damage is being done.

Icantbelieveitsnotnutter · 06/03/2021 10:26

He needs to move out and get a job. You've put up with a lot OP Flowers. Considering he's supposed to be doing a lot of the child care, he's making a hash of it. The way he treats your daughter is worrying. I think he needs to leave asap. Surely he has a friend or family member to go to? Then change your locks so you can control who he sees and when.

Icantbelieveitsnotnutter · 06/03/2021 10:27

I also hope you can get some better child care. I know it's difficult during lockdown Flowers

Flumpinblues · 06/03/2021 10:37

Thanks all. He was a SAHD because it made financial sense, as I earned more- but also because he had been though 4 jobs and a long term bought of being unemployed prior to DC coming along so it wouldn’t have been viable for me to be at home.

He has very few friends so nowhere immediately to go. I have already taken some legal advice and have quite a few hoops to jump through before I can ask him to leave. He will also not go without a fight. So will likely need to give him a pot of cash to make him go (given that he is entitled to 50% of everything anyway). I am also angry and loose my temper regularly but I am just so fed up of the situation and home not being harmonious on top of everything else. The smallest thing just sends me over the edge when tired and stressed which is a lot of the time. He argues about everything. It’s exhausting.

OP posts:
Flumpinblues · 06/03/2021 10:41

Sorry didn’t mean to not answer questions.

We have some assets and I have a pension
He is 15 years older than me
With some work I might be able to financially afford a divorce and keep the house

I just can’t seem to see the wood for the trees but I know we need to separate

OP posts:
MissSmiley · 06/03/2021 11:42

@Flumpinblues I'm divorcing my husband who's 13 years older, also with no pension but he does work. I've just found out I can probably get the mortgage on my own and release enough equity to buy him out, it's an and I get feeling. I'd imagine you'll have to give him half your pension though, how long have you got before retirement?

MissSmiley · 06/03/2021 11:43

*it's an amazing feeling

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