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Wife avoids planned date nights at home and I feel rejected

179 replies

DEREKR · 23/06/2026 07:08

Hi Ladies

Im a 49 yr old male needing some female advice. Ive signed up to this because i really need a womens advice here becauze im.all put of ideas. Ive been with my wife now 20 years shes 45, married for 13, and have two beautiful children 10 and 13. Im.quite.succesfull, so fortunate to plan overseas holidays, nice restaurants often, as well as live in a good suburb with all the usual perks. My.wifes birthday I surprised her with yhe new land rover discovery ehich I thinkshe appreciates. . Every week I try.organise a date night for us, with us having no family here, its hard to organise baby sitters , and my 10 yr old gets scared if we do. Fortunately ive 2 bars in my house, 1 is being a wine bar. So 2 months ago I suggested a date night st home at the wine bar. I showered, got changed in what she tells.me thinks I look nice in, nice bottles of red wine. I asked my 13yr old son to make sure they would both go to bed early that night which he did. Eventually she came down. I must add this. In her ptjamas, hair tied back, zero make up on. No effort at all. During this date I had pre arranged for her engagement ring to be delivered which needed a new clasp. It was a 1 carrat vs1 diamond, but id ask them to make it yo a 1.2carrat as a surprise. Anyway, I gave this to her as a surprise. The date night went fairly ok, and was good to talk with no kids around. I said we need to do this once a week or once every 2 weeks to be realistic. As parents kids lives happen and hard to get that break. 2 weeks later I organise it again. Baring in mind inbetween we go to restaurants in the week. This is alone time. This time the same, wine var, wine, and the diomand they took out the ring id had made into a necklace which I gave her that nightz so the proposal diamond she would still gave. Great night again. Now, this is where I need advice. The next time , 2 weeks after Id arranged date night, I sat waiting downstairs and she hadnt come downstairs. I waited half an hour thinking maybe shes getting dressed (the 2nd date night was same again, wore clothes she wore all day), so thought maybe this time she was making the effort. Eventually I go upstairs to see where she is, and she was lying on my daughters bedz in her pyjamas on Facebook which shes addicted to, and just casually said to mw"urrgh im coming now". To which intold ger dont even bother. If it was such an effort to come down and be with me, rhen dont bother. I got stood up in my own home on a date with my wife. Now that was 8 weeks ago. I told her im dine making all the effort for this marriage and have alone time, ajd rhe next date night she is organising. Its been 2 months now and not one single thing has she organised so we can be alone. My son has even asked her why she hasnt arranged a date night. I eventually sat her down and asked why. Het reply was "because yiull expect me to be wearing a body stocking or lingerie. Why cant we just watch a movie together". Now no where have I ever said that to herz but as a women, why would that be the issue. Other women before my wife, wearing sexy lingetie is a turn on for both parties and why wouldn't she want to wear it. Again, not having ever even mentioned it but why would that be the issue. And before you say shes got a complex, shes lost 10kgs, trains with me at gym everyday, in peptides, I oay for her to have her hair done every month, best shes looked in years, but why use that as an excuse. Am I wrong in thinking maybe there's another man. My son and I call her homescreen bwvause whenever we walk passed herz shes staring at her homescreen (obviously turns it off). Maybe im.paranoid about that hut mostly I feel so rejected and hurt. I orovide an incredible life for us snd rhe family. Overseas trips, there at every sporting even of my kids, I help with lifting, im a very hands on father and make so much effort to be with my wife but she cant even turn up to a dare nighr, snd when she has, zero efforts been made by her. More of an effort for her. Surely shes want to be with her hsubamd and have time out from the kids. Yes its at home, but its a "datennight " in our wine bar, just catching uo gor a cple hrs and laughing anf not being parents for once. Just the 2 of us, yet she makes no effort, even though 8 weeks have passed and the kids have even asked why she wont organise a date night. Shes so anti. So now ive closed off from her. I refuse to organise one and waiting for her to, yet I kmow now it will never happen. Any tips and advice here would be so grateful bevause im feeling so rejected. If she loved me surely she'd want to make an effort and arrange a datennight herself and to make up for standing me up, but water.off a ducks back for her. Im seriously looking into divorce. Well its there now in my head, where it wasn't before. Any assistance /advice ladies id really appreciate

OP posts:
mindutopia · 23/06/2026 09:36

Okay, if you’re really after advice, as a woman, I’d hate this. You sound like hard work. We don’t want new Land Rovers and diamonds and date nights in one of two home bars. I would hide from you too. We’re tired. We don’t want more work, having to dress up and be made to look after someone else’s needs at the end of a long day. I would definitely be hiding if the expectation was to have sex. I’d be too tired for that. We want someone who does the housework so we don’t have to think about it and sorts the kids’ dinner and lets us relax and decompress however we want at the end of a long week.

Time to sit and have a ‘date night’ with a partner is nice, when it’s not one more thing on the to do list. Not every week, not forced, something I have a choice in, no expectation for sex, just chatting and relaxing and going to bed early and getting a lie in the next day, and god, no diamonds.

SeaLettuces · 23/06/2026 09:40

If this is real, your wife is not a vending machine where you put diamonds in and sex drops into your lap.

DoesthislookgoodOnMe · 23/06/2026 09:45

I find it creepy that your son references your date nights… he’s 13 so he prob has an inkling of what this involves. It seems your wife wants to reconnect on these nights and it for me low pressure where as you have very high expectations. When myself and my partner have a home date night, it’s movie, bit of wine after a nice dinner then usually sex but there is no pressure as one of us maybe too tired / not feeling well then it’s just cuddles in bed.

How much affectionate contact do you have that is not sexual?

OMGDidYouSayThat · 23/06/2026 10:07

Ok, i'm a man as well, i didn't notice anywhere where the OP was moaning about her not wanting sex, he even said he hadn't even mentioned lingerie, what i think you have is a very comfortable, very spoilt wife by the sounds of it, the age old saying 'money can't buy you love' springs to mind, i'd sit her down and have a proper conversation and find out if she's in love with you or your bank balance, if it's the latter then i'd probably just stop spoiling her to be honest, make her pay her own way for a while, personally i would strongly consider whether divorce is the right path with the children being so young as the courts can be a bit one sided in those situations as quite rightly they have to do what is best for the kids and that means unfortunately sometimes the wife stays in the house you're paying for until the kids grow up. Watching your wife/ex-wife giving their full attention to someone else in the home with your kids in, that you're paying for is sole destroying.

If she's making no effort and spends her life on her phone maybe you should just ask her outright if there's someone else on the scene, although you sound like a decent bloke just make sure you're being honest with yourself, are you pressuring her for sex too much, do you think about her, what she wants and her feelings when you make decisions, maybe you think you're doing everything right but not her right if that makes sense, i don't know, only you can answer those questions. Good luck.

SnowFrogJelly · 23/06/2026 10:12

‘very spoilt wife’ 🙄

vodkaredbullgirl · 23/06/2026 10:17

🤔

Garfieldloveslasagnepie · 23/06/2026 10:19

I wouldn’t be arsed to get dressed up to stay home either. Expecting lingerie is cringe when the kids are there.

NoelEdmondsHairGel · 23/06/2026 10:20

Sounds like she doesn’t find you or your coercive date nights much of a turn on.

JetFlight · 23/06/2026 10:22

Why don’t you actually listen to what she is saying. Really listen to how she’s feeling.
This sounds like a strange dynamic. As you’re so successful at work, are you trying to apply work skills to your home? Are you acting like a boss or project manager?
Your wife is a human being who has the right to relax and live in her own home as she wants. Maybe she’d like a husband to help out more, do more parenting, show more warmth and affection without expecting sex immediately and not collude with children against her.

Shedmistress · 23/06/2026 10:26

Lingerie, wine bar in the basement, bodystocking?

Sounds a good set up for a Netflix horror.

Pikachuprawnz · 23/06/2026 10:30

She’s checked out of the marriage. If she doesn’t want to spend time with you or work on the marriage I would be looking at divorce. No body deserves a one sided relationship. If my husband acted like her and continued on neglecting me I would leave.

Gioia1 · 23/06/2026 10:32

What got me is the “zero makeup". I could not read past that.

Screamingabdabz · 23/06/2026 10:32

OMGDidYouSayThat · 23/06/2026 10:07

Ok, i'm a man as well, i didn't notice anywhere where the OP was moaning about her not wanting sex, he even said he hadn't even mentioned lingerie, what i think you have is a very comfortable, very spoilt wife by the sounds of it, the age old saying 'money can't buy you love' springs to mind, i'd sit her down and have a proper conversation and find out if she's in love with you or your bank balance, if it's the latter then i'd probably just stop spoiling her to be honest, make her pay her own way for a while, personally i would strongly consider whether divorce is the right path with the children being so young as the courts can be a bit one sided in those situations as quite rightly they have to do what is best for the kids and that means unfortunately sometimes the wife stays in the house you're paying for until the kids grow up. Watching your wife/ex-wife giving their full attention to someone else in the home with your kids in, that you're paying for is sole destroying.

If she's making no effort and spends her life on her phone maybe you should just ask her outright if there's someone else on the scene, although you sound like a decent bloke just make sure you're being honest with yourself, are you pressuring her for sex too much, do you think about her, what she wants and her feelings when you make decisions, maybe you think you're doing everything right but not her right if that makes sense, i don't know, only you can answer those questions. Good luck.

“Stop spoiling her…” “make her pay her own way”… Jeez. She is raising their kids. It’s not ‘his’ money. It’s family money.

How depressing that yet another man is giving advice that further alienates and diminishes a women who is clearly balking at being objectified and sexually obligated.

Needmorelego · 23/06/2026 10:34

She doesn't want to cos-play at going out to a bar using your fake bar.
She wants to watch a film.
Here is a wild suggestion....
Say the words "what film would you like to watch?"

moderate · 23/06/2026 10:39

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BunnyLake · 23/06/2026 10:44

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OMGDidYouSayThat · 23/06/2026 10:51

Screamingabdabz · 23/06/2026 10:32

“Stop spoiling her…” “make her pay her own way”… Jeez. She is raising their kids. It’s not ‘his’ money. It’s family money.

How depressing that yet another man is giving advice that further alienates and diminishes a women who is clearly balking at being objectified and sexually obligated.

For the record i didn’t suggest he stops looking after his family, i merely suggested he stops buying her cars and diamonds for example, you where very quick to jump to the assumption that i’m just another man looking to diminish and alienate women, you are so far from the truth it’s unreal! I suppose it’s fine for you to slate a man for having any opinion at all though right.

Calling · 23/06/2026 11:00

DEREKR · 23/06/2026 07:22

2nd person to mention spelling. Im very aware the spelling mistakes typed on my phone, and really didnt think its an issue spelling "because as becauze". Thats whats being picked up here, spelling mistakes. Maybe ive signed up to the wrong forum

OP, I know that you are very upset, but to be honest, you did reply to only the second post and instantly want to leave. Also, you did say to your wife 'don't bother then'. These could mean that you just walk away very quickly when clearly you do need to work on things and you know that, in your heart of hearts.

Happyjoe · 23/06/2026 11:07

I think you carry too much importance on what you give her. You seem to think that diamonds, car whatever means that she will want to have sex all the time.
I found all of that crass and to be honest, I don't think you are telling the truth.

If you want to buy a woman, then I suggest finding a phone booth and finding an advert.

This is one of those threads where it would be more helpful to find the wife's view.

moderate · 23/06/2026 11:08

Calling · 23/06/2026 11:00

OP, I know that you are very upset, but to be honest, you did reply to only the second post and instantly want to leave. Also, you did say to your wife 'don't bother then'. These could mean that you just walk away very quickly when clearly you do need to work on things and you know that, in your heart of hearts.

He’s right that he came to the wrong forum for the validation he was looking for.

Hopefully he will find a forum where men can explain to him what he is doing wrong rather than just fleeing into the warm embrace of Andrew Tate et al.

Princejoffyjaffur · 23/06/2026 11:09

You have come to the wrong forum- you are not going to get an objective viewpoint here.

OMGDidYouSayThat · 23/06/2026 11:09

SnowFrogJelly · 23/06/2026 10:12

‘very spoilt wife’ 🙄

Merely an assumption not based on fact but based on the OP's description that suggests he thinks that money buys love. Sorry if that sounded offensive but that's not the way that was meant to come across.

OMGDidYouSayThat · 23/06/2026 11:10

Princejoffyjaffur · 23/06/2026 11:09

You have come to the wrong forum- you are not going to get an objective viewpoint here.

What he said /\

Princejoffyjaffur · 23/06/2026 11:18

OMGDidYouSayThat · 23/06/2026 11:10

What he said /\

She

OMGDidYouSayThat · 23/06/2026 11:20

Princejoffyjaffur · 23/06/2026 11:18

She

That actually makes a VERY big difference...faith restored.