Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

I'm fed up being the one who is always on top of everything

69 replies

ssd · 18/09/2008 20:57

I mean the one who is on top of the kids homework/play dates/birthday presents/beaver runs/school charity collection/kids needing clothes bought/bins needing put out(same day for 10 years.../ I could go on and on

I'm just so fed up, dh is great with the kids generally but only great with things he's interested in IYSWIM

don't give me a talking to, I know him too well, its what he's like

OP posts:
JackieNo · 18/09/2008 20:58

You have my sympathies - that's what it mostly feels like for me. Not sure if there's any solution, tbh.

BecauseImWorthIt · 18/09/2008 20:59

And your problem is?

{grin]

ssd · 18/09/2008 21:00

I mean dh is truly great, irons, hoovers, cleans - honestly

its just the boring minute details I have to keep on top of or it doesn't happen, drives me mad

OP posts:
anyfucker · 18/09/2008 21:01

yes, same here

dh is very helpful and willing but never does anything off his own bat. I always have to remind (often several times) and ask

its bloody exhausting isn't it to be the one who does all the juggling (and thinking/using initiative)

ssd · 18/09/2008 21:02

sometimes I feel like his mum

OP posts:
JackieNo · 18/09/2008 21:04

Yes - that's exactly it - feeling like their mum.

BEAUTlFUL · 18/09/2008 21:30

I can't go into depth as mine is right here, lurking behind me, but YES, I feel your pain.

I want to stop being the responsible one and just see it all crash to the floor, but that would only punish the kids, not DH.

I know we moan, but isn't this what being the Mum is all about, really? Was your Dad ever involved at all in your playdates/schoolfriends/Brownies, etc, when you were little? Mine certainly wasn't.

BirdyArms · 18/09/2008 21:37

Me too. I often toy with the idea of withdrawing some services, eg buying presents for his parents, but I think that it's me that would end up looking bad.

clumsymum · 18/09/2008 21:43

Oh how I understand. Not only dealing with ds's life, but all of it. Bills, contracts, the lot.

The prob is partly becos dh worked away from home Mon-Fri for 2 years, while I was 90% SAHM. So dh didn't have the time or opportunity to think about anything but getting himself to and from work, and work itself.
During that time I re-organised the mortgage, booked holidays, bartered for cheap gas & elec tarrifs, bought everyone's birthday prezzies, signed cards on his behalf, arranged his car's MOTs (we would swap cars for a week) and insurance and retax it .... etc etc etc...

This time last year he got a job at home, and I've taken on more work in the meantime. BUT I still seem to have responsibility for everything.

Last week when the cable telly service was playing up, I lost it completely, and told him I can't do it all, and shouldn't have to.
So who bought birthdays cards and organised the prezzie for my stepson this week ??? Guess.

VersdeSociete · 18/09/2008 21:43

I too feel the pain. I wonder what would happen if we all just stopped?

moondog · 18/09/2008 21:45

Ssd, but does he deal with other shit you find tedious?
I asl because it is the same in our house, but dh does all bills, admin, DIY, car stuff and so on. So it's fair enough.

lisad123 · 18/09/2008 21:47

me too, seems to be a normal thing for most of us. BUT I know DH can cope if he needed to as he did a wonderful job when I was in hospital for 3 weeks, DH was only 3 weeks too!! He admitted he doesnt do it now as he knows I will

VersdeSociete · 18/09/2008 21:51

Interesting but depressing exercise I've just made up here:
Who does the following in your house:
Children's administration (school, dates, GP, parties etc);
Bills;
Car admin;
DIY;
Organisation of housework;
Shopping;
Organisation of extended family stuff?

lisad123 · 18/09/2008 21:54

versde: answer to all: ME!!

moondog · 18/09/2008 21:55

Lisa , guffaw at your dh doing all that when he was only 3 weeks old!

VersdeSociete · 18/09/2008 21:55

Ah, me too, apart from the car! Sigh....

moondog · 18/09/2008 21:55

Dh does 4.5 out of 6 of those.

DoubleBluff · 18/09/2008 21:56

Vers - me too

VersdeSociete · 18/09/2008 21:56

moondog, you are blessed amongst women....

moondog · 18/09/2008 21:57

That m'dear, is why I married him!

clumsymum · 18/09/2008 21:57

Who does the following in your house:
Children's administration (school, dates, GP, parties etc); ME
Bills; ME
Car admin; ME
DIY; NO ONE. ALL JOBS ARE DONE BY LOCAL HANDYMAN, BOOKED BY ........ ME
Organisation of housework; ME
Shopping; SOMETIMES DH SHOPS, BUT I HAVE TO WORK OUT WHAT WE NEED FIRST
Organisation of extended family stuff; ME

VersdeSociete · 18/09/2008 21:57

I think we should evict moondog from this thread and invite mr moondog to come on.

moondog · 18/09/2008 21:58

I think he is on the piss somewhere in Bangladesh. He will be either sleeping or talking crap, so not altogether perfect.

lisad123 · 18/09/2008 21:58

whoops i might dd of course

solidgoldbrass · 18/09/2008 21:58

OK, first work out (as others have said) the stuff he deals with that is useful (car tax, petrol? Council tax? Changing lightbulbs? I have no idea as am blissfully single) and work out how unfair the division of this sort of crap actually is.
If it's very much a case of you doing 5 things for every 1 he does, then work out which of the things you do benefit him more than anyone else, and stop doing those - well, after a warning that you are going to. And if other people complain to you that it wasn't done, smile nicely and say, 'That was DH's job.'