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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

DH irritated and sarcastic

8 replies

Yomuma · 07/04/2025 07:27

DH gets irritated (resulting in low level sarcasm/ not speaking / head shaking / walking out of the room) when things don't go to plan.
For example, we might plan to have a nice evening together but I don't feel well / one of the kids isn't well etc - and suddenly the thunder cloud descends (DH gets instantly irritated, "just thought we would have a nice night but what's the point" followed by silence / leaving the room / short snappy replies).
When in this mood, he is also very sarcastic
(Me) "Are you ok?"
"Oh yeah brilliant! Having a great time!"
I find this upsetting as it feels like it's my fault somehow.
In this mood he is also gets quite annoyed by our oldest son, if he makes a mess in the kitchen say, or spills something etc. He almost seems to wait for something to go wrong and when say DS spills something he snaps..."FFS! What are you doing?!" ...
I have tried mentioning his moods to him but his view is that he is a lot better than a couple of years ago (which is true, that was awful) but fundamentally feels he has a right to be annoyed (he was just disappointed because we couldn't have a nice evening / is it any wonder DS irritates him as he is always leaving a mess around etc).
When I raise it DH often turns to sarcasm again "oh yeah I forgot I'm such a horrible person / it's all my fault isn't it".
He has a very stressful job which doesn't help.
When things do go to plan everything he great, he is fun, funny, motivated, engaged. But if anything goes wrong (at work or DS is a bit rude / someone is ill etc) it is like a dark cloud suddenly hits the household and more and more things seem to add to the bad mood. He has said before that I can help if I am a bit more sympathetic (I tend to withdraw when he is like this) but I find it almost impossible to be sympathetic/ kind/ loving when he is being rude, sarcastic, irritable over things I don't believe deserve it. I don't think he understands that even small thing like shaking his head when someone is trying to speak or low key mumbled sarcastic comments is actually really upsetting for me and the kids.
Am I being too sensitive?
Should I just ignore it?
I don't know what to do when he is like this - any advice please?

OP posts:
caffelattetogo · 07/04/2025 07:30

No one can help being ill, so he’s completely unreasonable there. It’s hard to say in the rudeness, without more information, but he sounds like an irritable prick. What is he reacting to?

WakingUpToReality · 07/04/2025 07:36

You’re definitely not being too sensitive. Don’t doubt yourself. He wants what he wants. And what he wants is VERY important. You need a to be more sympathetic, he says. But the reality is he needs to stop subjecting you all to his moods, but he won’t see it that way. Do you feel he might resent having had children? My ex was like this.

Coughcoughcoughallthetime · 07/04/2025 07:40

He is supposed to be an adult but is behaving like a spoilt child.
Of course you don't " deserve" to be the brunt of his unpleasant behaviour when things don't go the way he wants.
It's a horrible example for behaviour he is setting to your children and it must be awful to live with.
It sounds as though he needs some sort of anger management therapy . And I think you should be suggesting he gets help to deal with this because you and your children don't deserve to be the brunt of his bad moods.

Yomuma · 07/04/2025 07:53

WakingUpToReality · 07/04/2025 07:36

You’re definitely not being too sensitive. Don’t doubt yourself. He wants what he wants. And what he wants is VERY important. You need a to be more sympathetic, he says. But the reality is he needs to stop subjecting you all to his moods, but he won’t see it that way. Do you feel he might resent having had children? My ex was like this.

I don't think he resents having children, but he does struggle with feeling out of control I think - whether that is a child not doing what they are told, acting up in public, making a mess etc - I think he feels like he has lost all control (I suppose we all do!) but he can't shake it off or keep it in perspective. A small inconvenience ruins the whole day / night .... There is a real "don't know why we even bothered trying to have a nice time" attitude

OP posts:
Sparkletastic · 07/04/2025 07:57

The only way to handle this type of behaviour is not to tolerate it. Confront it calmly but firmly every time. Either he learns or you decide that you’ve had enough.

Lurkingandlearning · 07/04/2025 09:46

You married a perpetual teenager. Any disappointment or inconvenience is so unfair regardless of who else is affected by it. And then he punishes you and his children because all is not perfect in his little world.

He needs a cart load of therapy, which will cost £’000s and even then might not work.

You’re not being too sensitive but you are being too accommodating. One person’s petulance shouldn’t put a cloud over everyone else in their home.

Sillysoggysheep · 07/04/2025 13:15

My Dad was like this but took it further with anger outbursts, throwing and breaking things. As a child I was terrified when he did this and we all ended up walking on egg shells. Worse still he scapegoated me as being the one that set him off. I'm in my early 70's now but his behaviour then still affects me now, and it affected my whole personality.

Don't let this happen to your DD. Your DH needs to get help or get out. He's doing unknown damage to you and your children.

Aguinnessplease · 07/04/2025 13:28

Among the most underrated long term traits of a partner are stability, even-handedness and level headedness. Once you’ve found someone with those characteristics you wonder how you put up with childish temper tantrums, off handed behaviour and immaturity. Don’t let it become the norm.

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