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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

Reframing disrespect as difference

2 replies

h1d1ng1npla1ns1ght · 23/09/2023 01:06

I need help. My husband is wonderful, but there are little things I’ve asked him to do that would help the house run better (at least I think so). We have four kids and I’m at home with them. The things I’ve asked are to keep surfaces as clear as possible and remove clutter if it builds up (I only ask him to clear his own clutter), take rubbish and kids’ bags in from the car if he’s bringing them home, ask the kids to tidy up after themselves/clear the table after themselves if I’m not there for a meal, stack dirty dishes next to the sink instead of all over the benchtop (we have no dishwasher), keeping dirty clothes in a basket instead of wherever he or whichever kid he’s undressing happened to be standing. We have a very small house and if we’re not on top of mess and clutter it becomes unmanageable. We have been having these conversations for years and years. He will not change. He says he will, and then he doesn’t. I honestly think these things just don’t bother him so he doesn’t care. I take that as a sign of disrespect since these things don’t take long to do and make the house easier to maintain. I have given up, honestly, and I am trying to take responsibility for these tasks myself and stop interpreting it as disrespect. I am struggling not to get angry. Can anybody offer insight into accepting what you think are flaws in your partner but are actually just different standards or priorities?

OP posts:
BruceAndNosh · 23/09/2023 01:19

Well it's up to you if you want to accept it, but it IS disrespect.
He could make things easier for you but can't be arsed

category12 · 23/09/2023 09:44

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/she-divorced-me-i-left-dishes-by-the-sink_b_9055288

However, I guess if you are consciously deciding to accept his sloppiness and unwillingness to adopt better habits as the price you pay to continue the relationship, then probably playing "let it go" a lot in your head may help 😁. Perhaps a mental balance sheet of this is what he does that fucking frustrates me vs the list of things he does that make me happy.

I hope the kids are not following his example.

She Divorced Me Because I Left Dishes By The Sink

It wasn’t a big deal to me when I was married. But it was a big deal to her.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/she-divorced-me-i-left-dishes-by-the-sink_b_9055288

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