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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

If you're in a more traditional eg sahm set up..

318 replies

Eucalyptusbee · 02/03/2022 21:37

Which parent is more responsible if one of the kids has an issue with poor school performance vs what they should be getting (Not an issue with underlying ability or behaviour, just not meeting expectations as per natural ability).

I'm talking primary school age children here so parental help required for learning support.

Is it
The sah parent
The parent who is focused on earning and so not around to help with homework
Neither

OP posts:
ikeepseeingit · 03/03/2022 21:40

Is he not home before 9 most days OP? Sounds like he leaves absolutely everything to you. I don't think you'd notice much difference in your life if you left him tbh. Except that he wouldn't be berating you. Don't forget that he will be paying child maintenance and you will get a portion of the house I imagine if you did leave. Worth speaking to a solicitor if he won't do marriage counseling or start listening to you.

Eucalyptusbee · 03/03/2022 21:44

He'll usually get home about 630/7 but go out to tennis or the gym swiftly after

Yes I do everything regarding the house and kids Mon to Friday.

On weekends he might take one of the kids to thier sports game or cook brunch

OP posts:
ikeepseeingit · 03/03/2022 21:44

When he does get back, don't be afraid to disagree with him. His attitude towards you is marriage ending and he needs to see the severity of his actions. You don't have to shut up. You don't need to be quiet for a peaceful life anymore. You have a good job. You're intelligent and you can do this shit without him. You don't need him for anything OP, so he better buck his ideas up if he wants to keep you.

Eucalyptusbee · 03/03/2022 21:47

Thanks for the strength and support! Let's see when he gets in what happens. Not sure how long to wait up though- pretty knackered! And baby asleep now ..

OP posts:
Eucalyptusbee · 03/03/2022 21:54

It might be due to the tube strike?

OP posts:
aloris · 03/03/2022 21:57

It does sound a bit naive, but I understand. There is so much internal pressure to believe the person you married is capable of basic fairness towards you. You try to re-adjust your way of seeing things to match his, as much as possible, so that, you can maintain this vision of him. And then you reach a point where seeing things his way affects your health, or your child's wellbeing, and you realise you can't continue to join him in his "him-focused" view of life. And changing your view to something more fair to you, or more fair to the children, might result in conflict between you and your spouse. You don't know if your spouse will ever change HIS vision to match what is fair to you and your children. That is frightening.

If it helps at all, you really cannot accept your child being treated like a product that can be rejected if it is "mediocre." You have an obligation, as a parent, to oppose your child being treated this way. Be strong in yourself, you are a mom and you have the right to stand up for yourself and for your children.

ikeepseeingit · 03/03/2022 22:02

@Eucalyptusbee

It might be due to the tube strike?
Maybe, but he needs to tell you that, not leave you stressing. Go to sleep if you're tired though. Not much point in tiring yourself out for tomorrow if you don't hear from him soon x
billy1966 · 03/03/2022 22:17

Go to sleep OP.

You need sleep.

Your wanker husband can wait.

Sleep is vital.

Bless you.Flowers

timeisnotaline · 04/03/2022 04:43

I’d be surprised if it’s due to the tube strike.

Greyhop · 04/03/2022 05:13

I’m the SAHP. DP breadwinner - he works until about 8.30pm every evening and leaves the house early.

I do get frustrated. All organising, housework, education, clubs, social arrangements are down to me. All proactive behaviour is down to me. I wish just once DP would say ‘I’d like to get children interested in this activity’ - and do it. But it won’t happen.

I was working up until we had DS a couple of years ago. I was more part time, so these roles were still my responsibility.

However I would not be ‘blamed’ for a poor parents evening. Actually - I don’t think DP would even have any idea that a parents evening was happening. So in some ways at least he is showing concern. But he is absolutely wrong to blame you.

lifeissweet · 04/03/2022 06:30

This is so sad.

You are a successful, highly educated, intelligent and hard working woman. Your children have a fabulous role model in you.

Yet your life is like something out of the 1950s. Husband has a 'big job' and isn't expected to do any parenting. He barely even involved himself with your DD's parents' evening, yet allowed himself an opinion. He prioritises his own job, his own leisure time and his own needs - while expecting the picture perfect successful family to show off to others.

The children are not your job. You have a big job of your own. The children have two parents, who you are supposed to be bringing up together, as a team.

How would you feel if this was your daughter? Imagine you watched her grow up working hard, setting goals, achieving brilliantly academically, getting into Oxbridge, working towards a career that most could only dream of... and then she gets married and ends up a servant to her husband. Is that what you would want for her?

He is in complete control here. He thinks 'I have a cock and a job, so this family is mine to rule over'

I don't care that he earns big bucks, that does not make his job 'better' than yours, just more lucrative. Your job is vitally important to more than just your family. It is a demanding career, not a little job you do for pin money.

There is no equality in this partnership.

It is frustrating to read about. As I said before, this is exactly like the family I grew up in - 3 children, high achieving parents with big careers, but Mum doing absolutely everything and Dad being mainly absent, but also very much in control and wielding his expectations of perfection like a weapon. It is not a good environment to be brought up it. I promise you that.

snowdropmeadow · 04/03/2022 08:07

Just seen your updates OP.
Do NOT put your dc in prep school. My dc is in prep school. Not a selective one. The work load they have is insane. They can stay at school to do their hw but mine always comes back with it half done so now I just collect them at closing time and do it.
They also have so much extra going on all the time, this charity day, this dress up day etc it is so heavy going no way I'd keep up ft working, I know people do but they must be frazzled with parents never looking like they've slept enough, all the sahm or pt mums help their dc with work so they move along very fast in their subjects. Those who don't have help at home are markedly behind and certainly the two ft parent families dc are always in bottom sets, it's something that I know holds me back from working ft now because I want to ensure I get through this helping my dc as much as possible. You sound like you may fall in this category too.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that school fees will weigh you down not only emotionally and time wise but it's very difficult to reverse going to private school easily.
If me and dh have a row and there are sometimes days where I want to pack my bags and go, I have to remember that I won't be going anywhere until the school fees are done because I can't afford them. I'd be very wary in your shoes to start on that track given that you're already thinking you're unhappy. Even if you never leave, having that extra chain around your neck to bear isn't a good idea.

Liverbird77 · 04/03/2022 08:24

@snowdropmeadow our children's prep school isn't like that at all. It sounds horrific. Do you intend to keep them there until the end of Year Six?

snowdropmeadow · 04/03/2022 08:34

They're in year 4 so we're staying. We also went to a completely different pre prep and I worked ft and realised if my dc was going to keep up at the top (that is my choice I know) that I wasn't going to be able to stay working ft.
When I moved to this prep everyone either has tutors or parents helping them, the OP sounds like they could fall into this trap. That's why I'm mentioning it. I would not pull my dc out of school now they are happy.

I mean no ill against prep schools and of course they're not all the same but the two I have used have been, I am happy to do it all but it is a long term thing and if you want to divorce in the middle of prep school, if you can't pay the fees and your dh doesn't agree to, then you will also face that issues of putting your dc in new schools as well as them coping with divorce too.

In the OP shoes I would definitely be wary of this. Her marriage doesn't sound solid enough and her dh doesn't sound reasonable enough.

Clymene · 04/03/2022 09:16

God how awful for you @snowdropmeadow. Your life is basically being a support human for your family

snowdropmeadow · 04/03/2022 09:34

@Clymene if I was in OP shoes I would be

but my circumstances are quite different I have outside help ie cleaners have had nanny's but they can actually also be a headache as you're basically managing an employee, dh does most of the schools runs, wfh ft so is here to help, does all of the cooking and helps with the school subjects he is stronger with. During the school day my life is quite nice and most of the other sahm get together and we do nice things.

If I had the life OP describes, I would not go down the private school route unless she makes some rather major changes and that's if she even can. I suspect her dh won't be magically turning until a great dad and dh anytime soon unfortunately hence my advice to be wary of starting on the private school train.

justsippingsometea · 04/03/2022 09:54

@snowdropmeadow

This is sort of what I was trying to say as well.

If one's choice is to fulfill the role of SAHM (also my choice) then you can't also be a full time anaesthetist. And husband can NOT expect it either. Being on mat leave is irrelevant.

Being a SAHM works when it's a full time job because although you take on 99% of family/home responsibilities it also gives time for leisure the same way if you were at work you'd have weekend and evenings!

OP is just getting the worst of everything. I really hope it gets straightened out. You deserve to enjoy your life and family @Eucalyptusbee.

Eucalyptusbee · 04/03/2022 10:34

Thank you everyone. Some good advice and cautionary tales here. I went to bed at 11pm and he wasn't back yet - he had a work dinner .

He's wfh today but only said 2 words to each other as he was already working when we all got up and I'm only just back from school run now as there was a PTA meeting this morning.

Dreading the conversation that's going to have to happen today!!!

OP posts:
PerseverancePays · 04/03/2022 10:46

I would advise you to get some counselling for yourself so you have a professional person to talk to and be really heard. You sound very ground down.
Your husband sounds like he has got himself into an isolated stressful position where he's not really connected to you all any more.
You both need to learn to connect better: he needs to stop invalidating your point of view, you need to stop giving in and rolling over. A professional relationship counsellor , separate to your own one.
You don't need to throw the towel in yet, but there definitely needs to be some building work to be done.
Please don't minimise being a medical doctor, you've done really well. A lawyer does not trump a doctor.

Eucalyptusbee · 04/03/2022 11:30

@emmyren4 sometimes he does in advance sometimes only on the day if I'm asking where he is. As he doesn't help out in the evenings i don't think it routinely occurs to him to let me know . Same with gym / tennis etc

@perservencepays thank you . Interesting advice

Latest update is still not spoken- he's on calls so I don't like to barge into the office and he hasn't read my message asking about tea/ lunch, although I can see hes been on WhatsApp since I've sent it

OP posts:
spacehardware · 04/03/2022 11:34

I don't understand why he's suddenly ignoring you if you've had no discussion as yet.

Is there a possibility he knows about this thread? Do you share devices at home?

Eucalyptusbee · 04/03/2022 11:47

So new update we've spoken but not about that. Normal conversation about lunch. Turns out he was just busy. He's still manic so not the time to try and get into a massive deep conversation so will wait till after work / weekend

OP posts:
Eucalyptusbee · 04/03/2022 11:50

We don't share devices and I've only ever logged onto this on my mobile which he can't have looked at as he was out / I've had it on me since thread started

But yes agreed that wouldn't be a good look if he found this thread! Even though anonymous would not go down well at all- one of the reasons I don't discuss these issues in real life

OP posts:
Quartz2208 · 04/03/2022 11:59

Too busy to simply tell you what was going on. That is pretty awful OP that he thought so little of you he simply didnt tell you when he would be back. And given your lack of concern I suspect it happens a lot that you simply never know where he is

It says it all OP and you are still submitting to his idea that his world is manic and more impor

Can I ask a question - do you actually think you could rely on him if you needed to. If you needed him to do something that meant he had to pause his work would he. If you needed him to rush straight home rather than stay at work or go to a dinner would he do so? For example DH is putting up blinds and called me for help so I went - would he do the same for you

Eucalyptusbee · 04/03/2022 12:21

He would definitely come home-but not for blinds!

Health related / childcare but only if I had exhausted all alternatives (friends / family / after school club / babysitter etc) or flooding / fire sort of thing

For something like blinds he probqbly wouldn't notice it and I would just sort it- either myself or pay a handyman

Yes he doesn't factor family stuff into his schedule, he just gets on with his own routine

OP posts:
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