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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

Feel trapped in marriage abroad with 2 under 3

9 replies

dogmama · 04/04/2024 23:37

DH and I have been married for 7 years after a short whirlwind romance. It was a leap of faith and I believe all of our shared aspirations. He's kind and nurturing on a day to day basis and 50/50 with kids and housework as we both work.

Recently however I've started to wake up to the fact that we're not actually 50/50. I breastfeed and have little sleep, and work slightly more hours, better pay. I desperately wanted to give up work when baby #2 came along for a wee while, but he didn't even try to look for a job 'got no quals, skills, experience, blah bla' so I went back to work part-time 4 months PP which was brutal. He's always had minimum wage jobs, no initiative or savings and low self esteem. He has a core negative belief that he's loser and doesn't deserve anything better. I'm so over it.

I feel like this is a BS excuse to not try and instead coast through life. I moved abroad to start a life with him as he had a teenage child at the time. I paid for and organised the entire move. I paid for and organised our honeymoon, I still have a flat in my hometown in UK and have tried to help him many times with his aspirations (he's an artist).

Now I'm stuck abroad, very very expensively far away, with no support, 2 tiny children, a massive mortgage and no sleep. I quite often feel like I'm going nuts. My MiL is around and she is judgemental and just enables his incompetence. She has been no help whatsoever.

I take full responsibility now that I made decisions to get to this point but how do I move forward? Have told DH all of this several times over the years but nothing changes. Thanks for getting this far!!

OP posts:
ThisNiftyMintCat · 04/04/2024 23:48

Show your DH your post. Say you expected more help from your MIL and you want him to get counselling for his low self esteem

hennybeans · 04/04/2024 23:54

Your difficulty will be taking the dc back to UK if your H doesn’t want that. Can you convince him to return together and then leave him?

Yoe · 05/04/2024 00:16

Honey your life doesn’t sound easy at all . You have actually loads of options. Firstly can you look at selling your house and get rid of the stress of a heavy mortgage and rent for the moment.
Some people may think this is a silly idea but from what I’ve read your husbands salary cant meet the mortgage and you have had to rejoin the workforce very soon after having your 2nd baby . Yet he enjoys living in a house that he can’t afford .
You are child bearing , child rearing and working and are alone doing so no wonder you sound at your wits end . it’s like you have 2 toddlers and a man child in the house .
its time now to sit down with the man child and lay down the law and I mean be fierce .. he either cops on gets his act together or goes live with him mam.
make sure to keep your flat in the UK it’s a safety net.
start a separate saving just in case
only time will tell in your case and actions of your spouse in relation to supporting the family financially.

He needs to cop on or he will lose his little family and will have no one to blame but himself
I am wishing you the very best I really am …
As a side note ….
years ago my husband was made redundant and was supported by me to retrain he wasted a year coasting and came up with the idea to do a course on Korean culture I told him to buy a book … told him to get a job … I was bloody fierce I mean fierce … sold our house as I was working over 50 hrs a week to keep everything together … moved back to my home country and he’s never been out of work ….it never happened again and the reason was enough was enough.
I wasn’t bank rolling him and told him that and yours needs the same some men are very comfortable settling for an easy life until you make it very uncomfortable for them. Be fierce you have 2 baby's and yourself to look after now someone needs to look after you .

dogmama · 05/04/2024 06:35

Thank you for the gentle replies! I can't see clearly as I'm so angry now and feel like I've been taken advantage of..I've never been able to drop the ball with life admin or financially no matter what, yet he's dropped it a few times. I'm not sure why recently I'm starting to see the relationship for what it really is, but here we are.
He started going to counselling a couple of times but never sees it through. One time he 'forgot' to go back. He says he wants to make me happy but I want him to make HIM happy and he just doesn't seem to get that premise. It's like banging my head off a brick wall.

OP posts:
dogmama · 05/04/2024 06:36

I don't think he would stop me taking the kids but you never know!

OP posts:
Scarletttulips · 05/04/2024 06:50

I don't think he would stop me taking the kids but you never know!

It won’t just be him, it will be his family and the law in the country you live in.

I would also start saving, sell the house and rent, easier to move on or leave.

I would keep up the relationship until you are ready to make a solid decision, you’ll need him onside.

My friend has a year long battle to take her child out of one country to another 30 miles across the ocean.

Don’t risk it and don’t risk it being at your expense.

You have a flat, which is great, but you need a safety net if support.

Finlesswonder · 05/04/2024 06:57

Why do you have a massive mortgage if he's a low earner? Sell the house

Yourusername3636 · 05/04/2024 13:41

You need to to seek legal advice here in the UK and then get back here if that's what you want? I moved to France with my 2 year old and soon realized my ex partner (French national) was abusive and felt extremely isolated and stuck. I managed to get back to the UK with DC on the proviso that we would work things out once I was settled here. He dragged me through court claiming I had kidnapped her and he got free legal aid then later payed for high powered lawyers etc. He now sees her for half of all holidays and takes her to France etc. She has adapted well and enjoys her trips away. It was harrowing at the time but I am so much happier being able to support her schooling etc in this country surrounded by support and friends. If you can get back here somehow and work as the UK as your base, you will find the whole process easier. Speak to as many services here in the UK as your can as you'll get a bigger picture of what's available to you for legal and emotional support. Best of luck and hugs, I imagine you need a big one right now x

dogmama · 07/04/2024 20:38

Thank you, I'm sorry you went through that in France, must have been so stressful!

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