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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

I hate my husband

24 replies

FunPinkLion · 13/02/2026 02:19

For context, I come from a large family, oldest out of 11 children with such a loving family background. For love, I married and moved to a new city to start a life I once dreamed of having. I fell pregnant quite quickly and had my DD before our first anniversary.

Being so far away from family meant that raising my now 2 year old. It was extremely difficult time for me and I went through a lot of turmoil with my husband and his behavior towards me. He never once stayed up at night with the baby, I was breastfeeding so he used that as an excuse not to help me. I would stay up all night with the baby, look after DD when he went to work, take care of the home, cook diner and he would come home 4pm to have an afternoon nap, because he has such a hard time at work. He would then wake up around 6pm to say go have a rest, but then that time I would try to clean up, do laundry or have a shower before he would bring her back to me and say he’s done - i had to pick one task. He would then go back into the spare bedroom around 11/12am and that’s what I’ve allowed until around 6months mark where I physically couldn’t do it anymore. Since then he’s given up his afternoon nap as a favor. He never takes DD out of the house, or to soft play by himself and uses work as an excuse, even in weekends. He micromanages what I do when he comes home, says sly things like why am I on my phone, mind you just dissociating for a bit before I literally have to get up to make dinner. He’s always on his phone playing stupid games even though he’s meant to watch DD while I literally run around the house to get things done. We eat dinner, then he goes out nearly everyday, especially Friday-Sunday from 7pm -11pm to see his friends or play stupid game at a cafe. He doesn’t do bedtime, which makes it so much harder for me because DD avoids sleep at all cost so I’m just there for waiting for him to leave. I have never been away from DD but he gets regular breaks when I can travel and stay with my family. He’s been on two separate trips this year far away, one week each time and even though it’s been amazing when he’s not with me, I just think it’s hurtful that I don’t have that luxury of leaving DD with him to go on a trip. So now, I’m planning to go on holiday with DD and he said he can’t take time off work as he has used up all of his annual leave. I take my daughter out all the time to soft plays, sensory plays, weekends in another city, imagine by myself like I’m a single mum. He uses work an excuse and says I pay for your ability to do things with her.

He's emotionally absent, I’ve cried a handful of times and talked to him about how I feel but he doesn’t take me seriously. It got to the point now where he sleeps in a separate room. We don’t talk unless it’s to do with DD. I feel so lonely in my marriage.

Sorry for the long post.

OP posts:
ShawnaMacallister · 13/02/2026 02:27

That all sounds awful.
It's much easier being a single parent than being in a marriage like this, I know this firsthand.

FlapperFlamingo · 13/02/2026 02:49

Do you feel the marriage has broken down irretrievably? If so make plans to leave and follow through. Don’t tell him until you are ready to go with you DC though. From what you say this sounds miserable so divorcing may be the best way - you only have 1 life!

rainandshine38 · 13/02/2026 02:51

You need to leave. Life is not going to get better with him.

xOlive · 13/02/2026 03:00

Would you not be happier as a single Mum back where your family lives?
I was a single Mum to my daughter for 6 years and it was amazing.

Sodthesystem · 13/02/2026 03:16

Let's be real, he's a loser who took you on because he needed a skivy.

If you leave him at least you'll get peace sometimes when it's his turn to watch the kid. And you won't have to run around doing his dishes and laundry and dinner.

I'd be looking into the logistics of that.

He's never going to change. So give yourself permission to call it a day. It's ideal now as your child is still young so will adjust easier. Bonus that she won't grow up seeing her mum be a servant to a man who doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself.

It's not a failure to realise ones mistakes and take steps to change them instead of repeating the cycle. It's growth. As is recognising that you cannot change you to fix him.

Xnz2022 · 13/02/2026 03:22

Personally I would give one last chance to fix things, by having a serious non emotional conversation, where in writing you lay out all the problems and what you need.

If that still doesn't work, it's pretty much over. Can you move back to your big family? I imagine you'd be a lot happier there and have more support...

Guavafish1 · 13/02/2026 04:31

Can you get help from your family until you work out want you need to do?

AttilaTheMeerkat · 13/02/2026 06:14

Talking to him has had no real effect.

I would start divorce proceedings as soon as you feel able to do so. Being with him at all is a waste of time and he is no father to his child. Do not continue to show your child that it’s ok for you to be a maid to a selfish manchild. Leave him to his friends and work. Go back to your own eider family and get support from them.

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 13/02/2026 06:34

Leave, is this what you want to go with your life for the next 16 years?

You have one shot at life, choose happiness.

pilates · 13/02/2026 06:40

LTB
Your life sounds hell. Life will be easier and calmer without that dickhead in it. If this was your daughter what would you be saying to her?

80smonster · 13/02/2026 06:41

I’d ask for a divorce, then wait until his lawyer suggests 50/50 custody.

PersephoneParlormaid · 13/02/2026 06:45

Make sure your contraception is water tight. Can you take LO to see your parents without him?

SoScarletItWas · 13/02/2026 07:10

You married and had a kid quickly with someone you barely knew. It’s not your fault he turned out to be a lazy manchild. But now you do know that.

He’s not going to change. Leave him to his silly phone and afternoon naps (!) and cafe board games.

You’re a single mum already.

Gettingbysomehow · 13/02/2026 07:14

He'll take you seriously when you dump him which should be your next move. Go home to your family.

d317 · 13/02/2026 11:35

Your husband helps more than my ex did with my child 🤣 but my husband came through when the children were older with education especially he was marvellous. Some men just can’t do babies !

PURPLErainiswhatmadePrincegreat · 13/02/2026 19:02

and so is this < marrying for love >

exhaustDAD · 13/02/2026 19:59

It always confuses the life out of me when I read about these absolute morons of husbands, and it was a marriage that started as love.. Do these guys go through so much change? Do people marry before they really get to know a person?
Whatever the case is, @FunPinkLion , it is clear you need to leave this man as soon as you can.. Tried talking, didn't work. Go ahead and change the one thing you can change in this situation.... It is a whole lot better to be alone than with the wrong person. Maybe even move closer to your family? circumstances and such are not mine to throw in, but maybe worth thinking about.. Good luck to you, you got this.

underthehawthorntree · 13/02/2026 20:04

I very rarely say LTB but in this case you absolutely should. He sounds utterly inadequate on every level.

PaperMachePanda · 13/02/2026 20:11

Next time he's at work, pack a few bags for you and baby and go back home to your family.

Harrietsaunt · 13/02/2026 20:15

Can you go back home to your family with the baby? Just let him know when you’re gone.

ImPamDoove · 13/02/2026 20:19

So leave him?

Why flog a dead horse. You don’t live him, he sounds like he doesn’t like you. It’s pointless.

NuffSaidSam · 13/02/2026 20:30

This all sounds terrible.

The good thing is you haven't wasted a huge amount of time, you have your lovely DC and you have a big and loving family to go back to.

Leave, go home, enjoy your life with your DC.

Thisseasonsdiamante · 13/02/2026 20:37

He is awful. You and your child deserve a husband and parent not a human leech. Go back to your family.

HappyAsASandboy · 14/02/2026 20:19

I wish I could offer advice that would save your marriage, but I can’t.

The only advice I have to offer is to believe who he is telling you he is. Don’t make excuses for him in your head. And don’t for a minute think that if you do even more or have more children or build a lovely home and family he will change. He probably won’t, and even if he does, it will be too late by then because you’ll hate him even more.

He knows what he is doing and he is doing it anyway. If there is any chance at all that he doesn’t know what he is doing, then he is so clueless there is no hope.

Believe yourself when your mind or body tells you there’s something wrong. Don’t let that trust in yourself fade. Then decide if the man he is showing himself to be is the kind of man you want to be with.

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