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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

Husband keeps taking on extra work

13 replies

Getoutofmycar · 03/06/2022 22:34

My OH have been together 12 years and I have 2 children under 5. We both work PT and have the children on our days off. Our relationship hasn't been great lately and I have felt like he doesn't really communicate with me.

Anyway, he keeps taking on extra work projects which take up his evenings - after the children go to bed until midnight, for 3 weeks at a time. He works from home (he genuinely is working!) but obviously during these times I don't really see him much, and he gets very tired and grumpy during the day because he stays up so late. After the last one I said I didn't mind him doing them (however we don't really need the money) but could he just run it by me first - to make sure they don't clash with any major family events, etc. During these projects, I find that I have to do a lot more round the house, he gets really snappy with me and the kids, and we argue a lot more. And, as we don't need the money, I figured him talking to me about it seemed fair.

Anyway, he then took on another commission without communicating with me at all, and I am very angry with him because I feel like he isn't treating me like we are a team, and isn't respecting all the extra work I do when he does this extra work. He's also been super grumpy and snappy with me and the children. I think he feels like I'm a nag but I just want to be involved with decisions that impact our whole family. Am I being unreasonable? Would you expect your partner to tell you about extra work like this? He's acted very annoyed about me expressing any concern for his wellbeing whatsoever but doesn't seem to know what level of concern would be okay. He is generally very bad at communicating his feelings. So I'm not sure if I should just leave him to it - and put up with the grumpiness and snapping - or tell him that if it's impacting the family then he needs to consider this.

OP posts:
Aprilx · 04/06/2022 06:08

If my husband worked part time, I wouldn’t particularly have any issue with him having some extra work in the evening. I would have an issue with a six fourteen hours a day scenario.

autienotnaughty · 04/06/2022 06:16

No he should discuss it bc with you first because it impacts on you and the kids too. I'd discuss after a project has finished so he's hopefully less tired and explain the impact and why it's unreasonable for him to create extra work for you with no discussion.

parietal · 04/06/2022 06:28

He should certainly discuss this because of how it impacts on the rest of the family.

What would happen if you had extra work and needed to be at your desk every evening? Would he take on the child care and household management?

KangarooKenny · 04/06/2022 06:43

So, you are a partnership and you had a conversation about how his extra work affects you/kids and asked to be consulted. He ignored that request and is unpleasant when he’s doing it. I see that as control and abuse as he has directly gone against your reasonable request and is unpleasant while doing it.
You need to think about what you want to do/how you want to live if he’s going to do this until he retires.

FinallyHere · 04/06/2022 07:22

It sounds as if he benefits from this extra work because you pick up the slack around the household and child related tasks.

Is there any way you could leave stop picking up that slack unless he has agreed the extra work with you?

That's the nub of it, not that you want to stop him working but that he is opting out of his fair share of family tasks and leaving that all to you.

Soontobe60 · 04/06/2022 07:28

Is he self employed? Is he anxious about work drying up so feels he can’t refuse additional work? Is this something that you’re prepared to leave him over?

coffeecupsandfairylights · 04/06/2022 10:06

On the one hand, should discuss it with you as it does impact you, but I would also feel really uncomfortable if DH decided he had a veto on whether I could take on extra work or not Confused

So I'm sitting firmly on the fence on this one.

Speakingmymind · 04/06/2022 15:05

Surely life would be better financially if one of you worked full time?

Fizzgigg · 04/06/2022 15:13

Speakingmymind · 04/06/2022 15:05

Surely life would be better financially if one of you worked full time?

Not if they see themselves as a partnership with equal responsibility. A d with your suggestion I assume he goes full time and she takes a hit on her career and picks up all slack with regards to kids to enable him to do that? No thanks.

My DH and I both work part time (3 full days a d 2 half days each) which means 4 out of 5 days we don't need childcare after school and we share the impact.

The OPs situation won't be solved by him going full time. It'll just means he stays stressed all the time and she does all the mid stuff.

Fizzgigg · 04/06/2022 15:13

Kid stuff

Oligodendrocyte · 04/06/2022 15:36

I don't see the issue if he's working on these extra projects once the kids are in bed, and they only last 3 weeks at a time.

You've mentioned you don't need the money, but if you're both working part time and everything's increased in price lately, are you as financially comfortable as you think?

billy1966 · 04/06/2022 16:13

KangarooKenny · 04/06/2022 06:43

So, you are a partnership and you had a conversation about how his extra work affects you/kids and asked to be consulted. He ignored that request and is unpleasant when he’s doing it. I see that as control and abuse as he has directly gone against your reasonable request and is unpleasant while doing it.
You need to think about what you want to do/how you want to live if he’s going to do this until he retires.

This.

Not a good relationship.

A lot of shit husbands and fathers use work to opt out of family life.

He is unpleasant with you when you raise this?

He's a bully and controlling.

Not a good relationship at all IMO.

Speakingmymind · 05/06/2022 07:51

Fizzgigg · 04/06/2022 15:13

Not if they see themselves as a partnership with equal responsibility. A d with your suggestion I assume he goes full time and she takes a hit on her career and picks up all slack with regards to kids to enable him to do that? No thanks.

My DH and I both work part time (3 full days a d 2 half days each) which means 4 out of 5 days we don't need childcare after school and we share the impact.

The OPs situation won't be solved by him going full time. It'll just means he stays stressed all the time and she does all the mid stuff.

I said one of them, I didn't indicate one over the other.

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