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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

Dh resents my lack of ambitions… DS is 3 yo

603 replies

Blipblopblap · 12/07/2023 00:06

Dh and I have a 3 year old son who is due to start morning school nursery soon. I currently work 2.5 days a week and Dh is full time self employed. He earns a lot and we’re comfortable at the moment but we don’t like where we live and want to move to a different area and get a bigger house. Dh actually hates our house… it’s a new build and the neighbours are a nightmare, the parkings atrocious, the house itself is pretty naff… it makes him super angry every single day.
I have an ordinary type of job and the money is poor. I don’t pay anything towards bills but I pay for childcare and bits and bobs like clothes and toys and the like.
Recently arguments have been brewing. He’s clearly resenting me that we rely so heavily on his earnings. He says for us to move to a bigger and better house I need to be working and earning more to help cover the bills should he be out of work (his work is contract based).
The only thing is then we would need a lot more childcare. And i love the routine I have at the moment and the thought of seeing my son a lot less literally makes me cry. I’m sure other mothers will understand this but he really doesn’t get it.
It’s all come to a head and he has threatened to sell up and get a divorce due to my “lack of ambition.” I don’t want this. He gets frustrated because Im not a career person but he has known this since he met me 14 years ago. But he is so unhappy in this house it’s making him ill, he’s desperate to move which is why there is so much pressure on me. I’ve told him I’ll do whatever it takes so I’m going to start looking at better jobs/courses etc. I just wanted to see what you all thought. As a mother to a young child it just feels wrong. But clearly it’s what my relationship needs.

OP posts:
loislovesstewie · 17/07/2023 11:36

There is a huge amount of evidence that gatherers actually provide far more food than the hunters do. The hunters often catch nothing at all and come home empty handed, but the gatherers often collect, nuts seeds grains and small animals.

myNewName21 · 17/07/2023 15:53

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 16/07/2023 14:35

Obviously, it's different for everyone, but for me, it's more about parity if effort more than parity of income.

My DH will never earn as much as I do, and I am not bothered by this. In a sense, if I was, I would consider it my own fault for not choosing to marry someone with more lucrative prospects. Instead, I earned enough to support the lifestyle I wanted for myself and so I was able to prioritise other qualities.

So I don't mind that his earnings are much lower than mine. However, I would mind if I felt that he was making less effort than I was, or if I felt that he was just sitting back and allowing me to carry the financial responsibility for the family. I would resent that tbh.

100% agree with this ^^ .

Valeriekat · 30/07/2023 19:21

PaintedEgg · 12/07/2023 18:51

playgroup / playground is not exactly the same as daycare though

Maybe not the same but not worse either. OP I do hope as another poster has suggested that if you do decide to work more hours that childcare costs and housework are split down the middle.

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