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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 in the wrong?

61 replies

Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 12:00

Long and rambling, sorry. Just feel a bit crushed and anxious and need to pull myself out of it again.
Hello, for a few years I sell Christmas stuff on Etsy. Last year I made 3k and Dh got a bit excited - he usually makes it really difficult.
This year, well. I was hoping to make it a bigger thing, but have made some daft mistakes, and it’s not grown as much as I’d have liked, so I’ll take about the same.
I do wonder if it’s partly due to Dp wanting walks/ lunch hours etc. He seems to think it’s ok to come and stand around and gets irritated if I’m busy. He works very hard 8-6 ( I think too hard) then gets tired and grumpy. I work on my stuff 10 - 4 then it’s family stuff/ house. I am also working alone which means I’m learning a lot in a short time so it hasn’t grown but is about the same. It has however given me a bit of confidence by all the wonderful comments and reviews. I feel that that comes crashing down when Dp comments. But he says I’m being silly and need to get a job.
. I want a job, but lost a lot of confidence for various reasons.. Ideally I’d like a job but as I’ve been a sahm. For ages I’m a bit behind on the skill set. Dp thinks I should have a top career . I think he thinks I’m not tying, would rather swan around, should automatically get a top job.and is not happy at whatever I do..work in a shop? ‘It’s not enough to make a difference ‘ ‘ it won’t lead to anything’ so I thought if I set up an Etsy thing it gives me a reason to learn skills that hopefully make me more employable.
We spend HOURS talking about his work, and he was very ill so has been very depressed. I don’t feel we discuss mine at all, and if we do I always feels like he’s criticising. I can’t help wondering if he criticises when I’m not there to cook, clean or I am imagining it. I just mentioned that I’ll be doing orders all day and maybe he’d take dd to her sport ( I always do as he is busy with work ) that led to this conversation..
Dp,’how many orders have you got?
it takes a long time this.’
Me ( sounding a bit irritated) ‘ stop criticising. now is not the time to criticise. do it after I’ve got these orders out."
DP,
‘ It doesn’t help the family’
me, ‘It helps me’
Dp ‘so fuck the family then.
(as walks away..) Ill make breakfast then. ‘

I don’t know if I’m being stupid to want to do this, obviously i will look for work after Xmas. Just find it such a struggle to keep building up my confidence and enthusiasm, then we go for a walk and he is all depressed which means I need to waste time getting myself happy again. In order to do anything. This isn’t making me rich, but it does make me feel human. Also it’s in my area of expertise and I am pretty good at it, so, you know, I’m helpful.
Now I’ve wasted time recovering from that conversation writing this! It’s just that he left me feeling worthless, stupid for trying, stupid for wasting my time. And anxious that he’s right.
Bugger I was really enjoying doing my lovely orders! People DO like what I’m trying to do!

OP posts:
Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 12:00

Sorry, bit of a ramble.

OP posts:
GoodnightGrandma · 12/12/2021 12:02

Why are you still with this person ?

Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 12:04

Because I don’t know if he’s right and I am being crap and wasting time and dreaming.

OP posts:
Babyvenusplant · 12/12/2021 12:09

Are you and your dh struggling financially? Just wondering if he's stressed about how much money is coming in. I fully understand how important it is for you to have your hobby though

Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 12:14

He has all the financial worries

OP posts:
AttilaTheMeerkat · 12/12/2021 12:15

You’re right and he wants to keep you in the box he has kept you in for so long.

How can you be helped into leaving?. Is he your husband or partner, I ask only as you use both DH and DP to describe him.

1Ta1T · 12/12/2021 12:43

1 He is not well; and
2 You don't sound in a great place either.

Is there some help you can get together and separately so that you have the strength to help yourselves and each other?

Thingsdogetbetter · 12/12/2021 12:48

I can see both sides, but I'll be devil's advocate here

He's a hard 10 hour day job, he hates to the extent he is depressed and he has all the financial worries. You have a 'business' that brings in £3k across a whole year and seems to take up quite a lot of time at the moment for little financial reward.

You take his negativity personally and see it as dragging you down and blame that for you not being as productive as you'd like. You see spending time with him as a waste of time because he's bringing you down and that you need to be happy to be productive. While he has to go to work for 10 hours a day which makes him miserable and gets no sympathy.

You've been doing this for several years to build your confidence, but still don't feel ready to get a job. It sounds like he needs support both mentally and financially and feels unsupported by you while you dream of this business taking off although it hasn't progressed in a financially significant way in the years you've been doing it.

There needs to be a compromise somewhere. A part time job for you while you work on your business throughout the year. If the product is seasonal, you need to expand to something that seems all year round. He needs to feel like you're making an effort to help the family financially- at the moment it seems this business, where you isolate from him and get irritated by him, as all about you. While he's stuck in a job he hates to support the whole family. How would you feel if he decided tp quit and follow a dream that didn't bring in enough to pay the bills and feed the family because it made him feel better?

Momijin · 12/12/2021 13:01

It depends. Are you struggling financially? Would you having a full time job outside the home impact your childcare etc? When the kids were young it didn't make financial or practical sense for me to work. And then when I did go back to work, I worked remotely from home, but I'm lucky that I can easily do that in my career. However, I did have to basically redo my degree as things had moved on so much.

But it also sounds like he could be sabotaging you. Whipping you for not contributing but not letting you actually work.

Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 13:14

He’s a Dp, but we are engaged. I have been on threads before, embarrassingly with a similar tale. The sheer enormity of selling house, moving out, kids etc. He’s ok for a bit then , and it seems to me to be when I’m busy, he gets cross.
He’s very proud of me to other people, but to me he wants me to get a job. The other night he was fuming because I hadn’t lit fire, made dinner and it was 6 ish. I wondered if this was controlling or I’m being crap. He’d had a long day in a job he hates ( he always hates his jobs) and I was about to. I said, ‘ if I had a job I wouldn’t be home till 7’ he told me I didn’t have a job though.
I know it’s daft but I wondered if it’s normal? I see other people who seem to be encouraged to do hobbies. He has let me have a space in the spare room, but he just wants me to earn I guess. We are not struggling he is on a good ish wage, so we have enough. He gets cross because he doesn’t have spare to buy a new car, with cash, whereas I think an old car is fine. How do other people buy cars even?
Sorry, just find it SO HARD to keep my pecker up.

OP posts:
alienbaby · 12/12/2021 13:20

@Thingsdogetbetter
I agree with you.

Sorry OP and I know this isnt a popular view on MN but if I were the sole earner in the family, depressed and working 10 hours a day, I would expect to come home to a warm house and dinner, yes.

If this were your first year in business I would expect him to be nurturing, but look, if you can't make it work you need to find salaried work.

Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 13:23

Thanks thingsdogetbetter. That is exactly what he sees. I see someone who is a dreamer and crap. And I don’t know how to get out of it. I am doing a returners course next jan. I’m applying to all sorts, they are not good enough. ( shop, cafe etc) I had a day a week pre covid which was so difficult to go to, because it was beneath me, wouldn’t lead to anything. I know it’s stupid, but I find I’m nervous now - can’t apply to shop caffe as too many arguments, not refreshed enough to be hired over younger more up to date person.
Stuck!
I would love to have refreshed degree, told I shouldn’t need to, what have I been doing all this time.
It has been going on for years. Yes childcare, diy etc made sense for me to stay at home. Now it doesn’t and I desperately want to work!

And no, he ddidnt make breakfast. Did put dishwasher on though.
1Tand1T, I do feel we are stuck. Both struggling.

OP posts:
Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 13:25

Thanks Allenbaby.
I think you’re right. I am pretending to myself. Now I need to find how to earn.

OP posts:
Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 13:30

And..am back to stage 1 in the cycle. I apply to jobs, I don’t get interviews. I get a job in shop cafe, he says they are not good enough, makes it difficult to go to. I try extra hard to ge a good housewife. Everything ok for a bit. I still don’t get interviews. Feel depressed and useless. Try and work on my skills set with online courses. To give myself motivation to learn, sell on Etsy. I feel like I can do this as long as it’s not noticeable in any way.
He just wants me to be a success and earn a lot and I don’t know how.
Any ideas?!

OP posts:
alienbaby · 12/12/2021 13:36

@Thanksagainand
I get a job in shop cafe, he says they are not good enough, makes it difficult to go to

OK this is making me change my mind. How does he make it difficult?

alienbaby · 12/12/2021 13:38

Moving onto the Etsy issue, what are you selling (if you find that too outing can you give a similar equivalent so we can get a rough idea) and where do you think you are going wrong with it? What are the mistakes you think you're making?

Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 13:41

Gets cross, every time I left for work. tells me I’m wasting my time, I’m playing at it. It’s not helping the family. I should be able to get a proper job. I was very successful in a very young persons industry, so am wayyyy out of touch. Need to pivot!

OP posts:
ftw163532 · 12/12/2021 13:44

He just wants me to be a success and earn a lot and I don’t know how.

He doesn't. If he did he wouldn't put you down all the time and sabotage your attempts to build yourself up or take up employment.

It is just another stick he uses to beat you with.

A normal, decent person would be building you up and encouraging you. Of course you're anxious and low with him beating you down all the time.

ftw163532 · 12/12/2021 13:45

@Thanksagainand

Gets cross, every time I left for work. tells me I’m wasting my time, I’m playing at it. It’s not helping the family. I should be able to get a proper job. I was very successful in a very young persons industry, so am wayyyy out of touch. Need to pivot!
Coercive control.
Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 13:46

Allenbaby, I just made the mistake of thinking it would work with a friend so wasted a few months. Then didn’t handle social media with much expertise. Didn’t have to courage to invest in other items. Tho I researched them, just didn’t have to courage to plunge! I spent £40 on printing thank you cards which had a typo. Took to long to build website. Got confused. Spent too much time supporting Dp. I’m bootstrapping, so it’s a slow process!

OP posts:
Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 13:47

Sending you a Dm with store.

OP posts:
ftw163532 · 12/12/2021 13:51

[quote alienbaby]@Thingsdogetbetter
I agree with you.

Sorry OP and I know this isnt a popular view on MN but if I were the sole earner in the family, depressed and working 10 hours a day, I would expect to come home to a warm house and dinner, yes.

If this were your first year in business I would expect him to be nurturing, but look, if you can't make it work you need to find salaried work.[/quote]
The op had already explained that he sabotaged her attempts to find salaried work. Did you even try to assess the situation before you leapt in?

Maybe you should consider why you thought it was more important to be the person charging in declaring that posters who recognised his abusive behaviour were wrong, than to read the posts properly first to make sure your comment wasn't going to be causing harm by encouraging someone in an abusive situation to stay.

We were calling it abuse because we bothered to read the posts and appraise the situation as a whole well enough to notice the coercive control - rather than having an axe to grind.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 12/12/2021 13:52

Its not you, its him. He wants to continue to control every aspect of your existence. You will have no life with him and his attempts to subvert your degree and further employment are deliberate. He has all the hallmarks of a controlling individual and such behaviour is rooted in abuse. You remain with him at your emotional peril because he will use all the tools to keep you coerced, trapped and without a voice.

alienbaby · 12/12/2021 13:52

It sounds to me like you could be dithering and making mistakes because you are anxious as a result of his vibes.
I change my mind about him. He doesn't sound nice. In your shoes I would start small, go and get a shop or cafe job and stick to it come what may. Block him out.

Thanksagainand · 12/12/2021 13:54

How do I know it’s coercive control and not just him being frustrated?
I know other blokes get fed up with wives once kids are old enough for them to work.

OP posts: