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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

Considering leaving DH

16 replies

wheredowegofromhere1 · 09/02/2025 18:52

Hi,

I’m married with 2 young DC, one at school and another at nursery 3 days a week (school hours). We have a mortgage on a house (joint) and I work FT, flexi, although just started a new job.

I’ve probably not been happy for a while but I think I’ve finally reached my ‘limit’ so to speak. Due to what DH often says to me, I doubt myself a lot, internalise and think I must be the problem so am I reacting too much or would you feel similar if you were to live like this?

DH is the laziest, disorganised person ever. Inevitably there will be comments about having children with someone like that but, it’s often easier to put up with and less of an issue before you have children, when you have your own time, aren’t exhausted and are a person of leisure essentially!

He leaves anything possible lying around, wrappers, letters, clothes, used cups. The floor, the banister and we have a dressing room for our wardrobes where he decided to get a desk from work for WFH. The desk often gets used for dumping too. He leaves piles of washing up because he knows I’ll snap and clean it at a point. He refuses to iron anything for the household so, because I’ve stopped ironing his clothes now, he would rather wear scruffy looking, creased clothes.

On a night he’d rather sit on the sofa because he’s tired, without ensuring jobs are done first, then will complain if I bring it up, saying what’s the point if he can’t enjoy his evening and he’s not going to be a slave to cleaning. Evenings consist of watching a TV show for all of 5 minutes before he falls asleep, snoring.

I’ve brought up before that he doesn’t see anything e.g. cleaning and that it’s a job you need to keep on top of. He refuses to see what needs cleaning and then minimises anything I point out as just needing a quick, tiny wipe.
He’ll use the mop once in a blue moon, leave it in the garden afterwards, where I can’t see it, still in the dirty water, left out for days so it goes disgusting. I asked him today how do we get the house back up to scratch again, as it’s slipped a bit and pointed out I’m not going to keep cleaning the whole house to myself. He smirked and said, ‘but you’re good at it’.
He might unload the airer infrequently but instead of putting the clothes away, will just pile them on the floor next to the airer.

He’s doing a qualification at work, where he’ll sit and do nothing all day at work, then leave a mountain of assignments to last minute, panic and demand he needs ‘personal’ time to do them. He leaves his overflowing laptop bag in one place, dumps his work ID somewhere else and other work equipment elsewhere.

I’m the brains of everything in the house - meal plans, shopping lists, gifts for the children, appointments, new clothes, uniforms out, even down to changes of the children’s bedding etc as he’d leave it on forever - you name it, yet he says I don’t do anything. I haven’t been as ‘on it’ with cleaning of late because I’m bloody tired and I’m sick of cleaning it to be disrespected by the mess 5 minutes later.

I feel I’m a constant, exhausted frazzled mess that’s missing out on time with my children because I’m not the best version of me in this state and because there’s always jobs I have to do. He constantly complains that I’m a whinge, miserable, etc etc but he can’t seem to see, I’d be the fun loving and great person I used to be, if I had some help. It’s like an uphill battle asking him to do anything of help, as he always wants to refute why it needs doing.

He’s got a stag do abroad coming up that he’s adamant he wants to go on and honestly I feel like saying he’s not going unless he starts taking life seriously but I don’t think he will ever change and I don’t know what to do.

OP posts:
Dumbledore167 · 09/02/2025 20:18

That sounds exhausting OP. A lot of women seem to stand for this as the status quo, it wouldn’t be me. I’d say my DH does about 60% of the house/kids stuff (I’m the higher earner and work longer hours/work away etc). On reflection I think DH probably would let more slide if it was up to him (housework wise, changing the beds etc) but the reason he doesn’t is to keep me happy which is essentially prioritising our marriage I suppose. If your DH has no interest or care for your wellbeing, happiness and maintaining fairness and balance in the home, can it even be said he is invested in the marriage? Would you be ok financially on your own? (I think it’s clear you’d be ok practically and emotionally, as he seems more like an additional child than a partner, other than helping pay the bills)

NoDramaLama55 · 09/02/2025 20:23

Honestly I could not cope with this. Today as an example me and dh have been such a team, I've walked dogs he's sorted kids, we've had a day out. I've cooked a pie and sides he's done all cleaning, we had a quick tidy up and now he's putting dc to bed. He does regular washings. Irons all his own clothes and anything children needs, does most of the hoovering and mopping (bathrooms are my area) 50/50 bedtime routine. I do most cooking as I enjoy it but he washes up and makes me a tea after.

It's just not good enough, tell him to pull his weight or get rid of the man child!

CharlieUniformNovemberTangoYankee · 09/02/2025 20:31

Tell him to enjoy the stag do and not to bother coming back. He's a disgusting, infuriating slob. What does he actually add to your life?

TipsyJoker · 09/02/2025 21:10

He won’t change. He’s a selfish prick. Agreed, tell him not to come back from the stag. When you separate he will have the kids at least some of the time, so you will have a chance to recharge and have time for yourself. He will also have to pay child maintenance. Don’t let your children grow up to think that men are lazy and women run themselves ragged doing everything without any support. That’s bollocks. Show him the door and enjoy peace in your home. I’ve been a single parent and I can tell you that living with a selfish prick of a man who gives you nothing but extra work is far, far harder on every level. Time to take out the trash.

MyOpulentDuck · 09/02/2025 21:30

I can’t advise on whether or not you should leave him but this sounds exactly the same as my exH. I left him 6 years ago and it’s the best thing I ever did. I still do everything in my house now but with one less “child” to care for.

Timeforsnacks · 09/02/2025 21:36

I wouldn't stop him from going on a stag do! I'd enjoy the time without him. You will have more energy without him being around draining it from you.
If you were to kick him out could you afford to bring up the kids on what you earn alone?

catsnore · 09/02/2025 21:43

I'd probably be issuing an ultimatum along the lines of 'change or get out'. If he doesn't want to clean, is he willing to pay for a cleaner? How will he solve this problem? Does he want out?

MounjaroOnMyMind · 09/02/2025 21:45

Let this one back into the wild, OP. Your life would be so much easier without him.

Fishergirl · 09/02/2025 22:03

I agree with a previous poster with giving him an ultimatum. He pulls his finger out or it's over. Do you still love and respect him though?

I had the same issues with my stbexh. He'd cook (and leave a bloody mess for me to clean up) and would make the bed up if I stripped it but apart from that, not much else on a regular basis. I asked him on many occasions to help more and was told that he does the same, if not more than me and that I was lazy. He also refused to pay towards a cleaner.

I'm looking forward to having a clean and tidy house when we divorce! It's disrespectful, annoying and grinds you down.

Blueberrymuffin8 · 09/02/2025 22:04

Surely you would be happier on your own, seeing as you pretty much do everything anyway?!!

Chiconbelge · 09/02/2025 23:17

Do you think he may have ADHD? Very struck by your description of his approach to the qualification.

WeveAllBeenThere · 10/02/2025 02:11

This sounds like my step dad! I can honestly stay don’t expect him to change unless you do something dramatic, maybe relationship coaching or therapy! Seeing my mum worn out, exhausted and regularly cry at the level of disrespect and constantly in a mood with him over his laziness is both heartbreaking and draining. At least when us kids lived at home it was easier as we all helped with chores! He is a lazy pig that would sit in his own filth if it wasn’t for her. She wishes she had of left him years ago, but said she is too old now, and doesn’t want to be alone! I would never put up with that behaviour because it’s been a warning to me how my life could turn out! I found a partner who cares about my happiness, respects me and we are 50/50 on all house stuff

AttilaTheMeerkat · 10/02/2025 06:23

Good on you for not putting up with that and repeating the same relationship errors your mother is making.

It’s only too late to leave when you are dead.

Your mother is afraid of being alone but fact is she is alone within her relationship now. And she’s not too old to leave him either, she does not want to if at all. She is still getting what she wants, to an extent, out of this relationship.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 10/02/2025 06:24

OP.

What is the point of you and he being together at all?.

Happyinarcon · 10/02/2025 06:30

It won’t solve your problems entirely but adhd medication would be a quick and dirty fix

GoodEnoughParents · 10/02/2025 06:41

I'd consider leaving too.
Similar to other posters, DH does at least half if not more of house jobs. There are some things I've accepted as my skill set and there are some things that are his skill set but we make sure this evens out.
Yes he will be tired after work but 20 -30 mins cleaning or tidying each day means that there's less big stuff to do next day! I'd agree, he is being lazy, disrespectful and treating you poorly with this. It sets a bad example to your children re partnership.

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