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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 being ungrateful?

6 replies

Rosegold3112 · 12/03/2024 11:48

I feel awful writing this as I know lots of people have it worse but I just feel so unappreciated after mothers day and I actually feel a little heartbroken. I feel like I've truly seen how little my partner thinks of me. Am I just being ungrateful?

We have 2 children - DD who is 3 next month, and DS who is 9 weeks old. Last week DP and I went out and picked mothers day gifts for our mums together and cards for them, I spent 2 days last week painting cards for Nanny and Grandma with both children and making tissue paper flowers to go with the vases we picked for them. My partner wrote in his mums card, wrapped all her stuff and sent it off.

Mother's day rolls around and literally while I'm sat in bed holding our DS my partner starts rustling around in the cupboard, finds a gift bag that literally said my name love from 2 other children (I used to work in nurseries and this was clearly from a gift that had been bought for me from back then). He then goes to his side of the bed and in my plain view pulls out a packet of socks that I know full well he bought for me in November (I assume for Christmas or my birthday but had been forgotten about), puts them in the bag and then gives the bag to my daughter to give to me. All of this in front of me. She's a toddler and has just been given a shiny bag so of course she's playing with it rather than giving it to me, it's clear she has no idea what this is all about, what's in the bag etc etc. I literally just felt like there was no thought about me whatsoever. I feel so unappreciated for everything I do as a mum. He asked me a couple of weeks ago if there was anything I wanted for mothers day (I said cake). He sent of his mums present. He knew the day was coming and he had done nothing about it.

He later ran out to his car and came back with a little ring that he said my daughter picked, so I was touched by this, although it didn't fit me and had gems missing I places, and I don't understand why he couldn't have brought it in the house the night before or anything so I didn't feel like an after thought. His mum called and wished me a happy Mother's day and asked if I'd got nice cards and I had to say I hadn't got a card, which I then think prompted him to taking DD off with him while I was showering (although she was reluctant to do this) and making me a card. It was a nice card to, but he used a picture I'd got printed off of my 2 babies together that I wanted to frame and again just showed he'd put no forward thinking into it.

He later suggested we go for a walk to the beach but DD really doesn't like the beach during winter and literally screamed to go back the entire time last time we tried it. She doesn't like the noisy wind. I reminded him of this, so he chose somewhere different, then at the end said there's a cafe shall we go for coffee and cake (5mins before the cafe shut). Then as we were going in, he disappeared to put the dog in the car and sent me in to get the coffee and cake, so in fact it ended up being my treat to him.

I literally just feel so unvalued. I didn't want to talk to him about it as I knew he would throw it back in my face but I just feel like what's the point of all I do if it's so unseen. It's one day a year that he could just say thank you. I did end up telling him how I felt yesterday and as expected he just turned it on me, had a go at me and said sarcastically "I'm sorry you didn't like your presents."

I have been struggling with PPD a bit since having DS so maybe this is all in my head, and I don't know what I wanted but to feel like I was thought of was really the minimum. I know he got me things so I feel awful for feeling this way and like I'm just being spoilt. I know there are mums out there who wouldn't have got anything so maybe I should just be thankful.

OP posts:
RebelliousStarrChild · 12/03/2024 13:59

You are not spoilt at all. You are correct.
He doesn't appreciate you, and your Mother's day was an afterthought.

ilovelamp82 · 12/03/2024 14:07

It is not in your head. It was unkind. Next year, don't set yourself up for disappointment. Make it a tradition that you book yourself into a nice spa hotel for the day or even overnight, take a good book and spend the day having a well deserved rest from all the hard work that you do throughout the year.

It sucks. It really does. But he clearly doesn't see that he did anything wrong so I'd lower your expectations.

anotherdisaster · 12/03/2024 14:33

You are not being ungrateful. In fact you have nothing to be ungrateful for because he literally did the absolute least. Don't get me wrong Mother's day is another gimmick to make money but that does not mean you can't make an effort to show your appreciation. And buying you a cake, having the kids make a nice home made card and letting you do what you want to do for the day is all it takes (and costs very little). If its any consolation, my ex did absolutely nothing (usually we do cards and a small gift from the kids for mothers/fathers day). As for someone telling you to lower your expectations!!! Sorry but no, why should you?

Opentooffers · 12/03/2024 14:59

He put no thought in beforehand, but it does sound like in the moment on the day he was wracking his brains to try and obtain stuff that could be seen as presents so he did recognise in the moment his cockup. You may find he's learnt his lesson and does better next year, hopefully he feels bad about it without you needing to say anything.
To a lot of men, mothers day means their mother, and they forget that they actually live with a new one with DC's that are too young to do stuff themselves, so they don't get that it's down to them.
It's not a major misdemeanour, tell him straight next year in the run-up that you expect a better plan.

Rosegold3112 · 13/03/2024 16:37

Thank you for your replies. As crap as it is, it's nice to know I'm not just being spoilt and that my feelings are valid. I know he would never have done anything like that had it been my birthday or Christmas, so just felt hurt he'd do it for mothers day. I feel like he resents having to say thank you for what I do as it turned into an argument about what gets done around the house. I explained I felt like if I don't do things, they won't get done and he hit back with he feels the same. I asked him for an example and he gave me cutting the grass (like a male cliche!). I agree, if he doesn't cut the grass it won't get done but what are the consequences of that compared to the things I do for example making DD's lunch for nursery, packing her bag, doing the washing, sorting the shopping, etc etc and he still couldn't see it.

I think it's an excellent idea to book something for myself next year, as last year wasn't fantastic either and I know me telling him how I felt fell on deaf ears. If anything he will probably do less next year and claim it's because I'm ungrateful.

@Opentooffers while I'd like to think that's what he was doing, unfortunately I can't believe it. He asked me a week or 2 before mother's day what I wanted, so it did occur to him he should do something for it, but obviously decided against that along the way.

OP posts:
Secondstart1001 · 13/03/2024 21:49

You’re not being ungrateful, he did nothing for you to be grateful for! You would think a nice bunch of flowers and chocolates would probably be more fitting or something he knows would put a smile on your face. I had PND and my ExH made me feel worse. Don’t let it get you down so much, it sounds like you have your hands full and it’s tough. Get the help you need for your PND but do bring it up with him when you are ready to.

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