# I can't do this anymore



## mpz2013 (May 16, 2013)

I need to vent/advice. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore or why I try. I've been married to my husband for almost 7 years now. We've had some rough times but things got better and we were happy for awhile. We have two children, 5 years old and 3 months old. I worked full time all throughout my pregnancy and decided that I would start a business instead of returning to work so that I could have the flexibility to take care of the kids during the week with all of the practices, doctors appointments, school stuff and whatnot. 

So here I am trying to get this business off the ground meeting with contractors, vendors, negotiating leases, buying supplies, etc. to start this business since the baby was 4 weeks old. I am still waking up with her at least once a night and am often so stressed about everything that I can't sleep so I am pretty exhausted.

Here's the thing. I do all of the housework and childcare as well. Drop of and pick up son from school, laundry, dishes, homework, dinner every night because my husband is a workout freak, bills, cleaning I do it all. And I work my ass off trying to make everything perfect. I have no free time for hobbies, exercise, or anything other than a 20 minute shower at the end of the day (if I'm lucky) 

Today I had laundry out on the couch that hadn't been put away. My husband went off on me saying that I can't keep up with everything, I don't know how to manage my time, that I'm dirty and I used to be so meticulous about the house, and that he wants his mother to come stay with us a couple of nights a week to help (she doesn't speak English or drive so obviously it makes me a little uncomfortable).

I'm super crushed. I try so so hard. This isn't the first time we've had this argument and his logic is always the same "you stay at home so you can do the housework." I can't change his thinking and it kills me that he doesn't see how hard I try. 

I am tired of feeling unappreciated and I really feel that I'm at the point where I don't want to be with this man anymore. I feel as if I'm his maid not his wife or friend anymore. It didn't used to be this way but everytime I try to talk he yells and I let it go and act like nothing happened to avoid a fight. 

I want to leave, but I just signed a 3 year lease for this business space. I've spent money to get it running. I quit my job. I don't want to split up my family because my kids love their father. I feel so stuck and hopeless.


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## Edward333 (Feb 13, 2017)

mpz2013 said:


> I am tired of feeling unappreciated and I really feel that I'm at the point where I don't want to be with this man anymore.


This is what killed my marriage. I'm the husband who bent over backwards for 12 years and got very little in return except constant criticism.

Sounds like your husband needs a serious dose of reality. Focus on yourself right now and your kids. Get your business going and put a timeline together for your husband to start helping out or you're filing for divorce.

No excuses. It's time for him to be a man and get his priorities straight.


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## Daisy12 (Jul 10, 2016)

It sounds like your husband wants you to be a stay at home mom. If that is the case and you quit your job to do all these things he wants you to do is his earning potential high enough to support the family?

Why are you killing yourself doing it all. Figure out what it is you want. If you want to raise your kids and be home than stop the business and focus on that. If you want to continue working than get some help in the form of daycare, maids..etc. You can't do it all, your health will suffer, your marriage will suffer and in the end your children will suffer. 

I wish you all the best. Take some time for the person that so many people rely on. 





Sent from my D2206 using Tapatalk


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## MattMatt (May 19, 2012)

@mpz2013 His mother has no English. Presumably your husband is not of your culture?

If not, maybe he needs to learn to be of your culture?


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## _anonymous_ (Apr 18, 2016)

Sorry to hear that your husband has overlooked all of the major positive things that you're doing, and has chosen to focus on what appears to be relatively minor negative things. Given your post, here are some of my thoughts...



mpz2013 said:


> We have two children, 5 years old and 3 months old. I ... decided that I would start a business instead of returning to work so that I could have the flexibility to take care of the kids during the week with all of the practices, doctors appointments, school stuff and whatnot.


Your rationale for flexibility is a good one, but starting a business just for this seems premature, given your situation. How much "school stuff" and "practices" do you have with a 5-yr old and a 3-mo old? I would imagine next to none. 

Did you discuss starting the business with your husband before quitting your job and taking out loans for business expenses? What were his expectations regarding your business, in terms of your weekly commitment-level, contributions to finances, etc?



mpz2013 said:


> So here I am trying to get this business off the ground meeting with contractors, vendors, negotiating leases, buying supplies, etc. to start this business since the baby was 4 weeks old. I am still waking up with her at least once a night and am often so stressed about everything that I can't sleep so I am pretty exhausted.
> 
> Here's the thing. I do all of the housework and childcare as well. Drop of and pick up son from school, laundry, dishes, homework, dinner every night because my husband is a workout freak, bills, cleaning I do it all. And I work my ass off trying to make everything perfect. I have no free time for hobbies, exercise, or anything other than a 20 minute shower at the end of the day (if I'm lucky)


For just a moment, let me play devil's advocate. Along the lines of the previous question, how have you met your husband's expectations of contributions to the household finances? For all of the time you put into your business in addition to these chores, is it profitable?

This is a key piece of information. If your business is not profitable, your husband likely credits your time spent doing business-related work as a hobby versus actual work. Making the same assumption, if your husband is the sole breadwinner, it's a natural (and reasonable) expectation that the spouse not contributing to the household income helps out more around the house.

Whatever your situation and that of your business, it seems like your husband should be more involved when it comes to the division of labor, and more appreciative of all that you do.



mpz2013 said:


> Today I had laundry out on the couch that hadn't been put away. My husband went off on me saying that I can't keep up with everything, I don't know how to manage my time, that I'm dirty and I used to be so meticulous about the house...
> 
> I'm super crushed. I try so so hard. This isn't the first time we've had this argument and his logic is always the same "you stay at home so you can do the housework." I can't change his thinking and it kills me that he doesn't see how hard I try.


It's inevitable that if one spouse spends more time in the house and has more flexibility in his/her day job, the spouse working outside the house sets these expectations. I work from home, and face this issue with my wife, who works at a hospital and sometimes has very early starts. She frequently assumes I can do a greater share of household chores, am available to run her errands at any point during the day (e.g. carting her to work, bringing her lunch, going to the post office or DMV). In the end, I feel my wife's expectations are unfair, so I feel your pain.

I would hail back to the expectations established with your husband when your business was getting off the ground. Remind him of the time commitment, what was agreed, and that you're treating this as real work, so he should respect your time in the home office as the same. 



mpz2013 said:


> he wants his mother to come stay with us a couple of nights a week to help (she doesn't speak English or drive so obviously it makes me a little uncomfortable).


I think this could be more trouble than it's worth. Is there any reason your husband might feel a need to help her (is she in need of a place to stay, something else)?



mpz2013 said:


> I am tired of feeling unappreciated and ... I want to leave... but I just signed a 3 year lease for this business space. I've spent money to get it running. I quit my job. I don't want to split up my family because my kids love their father. I feel so stuck and hopeless.


Stay to keep the family together or because you think there's hope for your husband, not because of the business lease. Try not to let factors like this affect your decision-making.

In general, if you've brought children into this world, you must weigh the certain, adverse effects on them over their future from a divorce, versus the potentially uncertain benefits you (and perhaps they) would reap from moving on. 

I would recommend marriage counseling before divorce. I feel unappreciated by my wife just about every week, and I don't believe that alone is good grounds for dissolving a marriage. Good luck!


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## She'sStillGotIt (Jul 30, 2016)

mpz2013 said:


> Today I had laundry out on the couch that hadn't been put away. My husband went off on me saying that I can't keep up with everything, I don't know how to manage my time, that I'm dirty and I used to be so meticulous about the house, and that he wants his mother to come stay with us a couple of nights a week to help (she doesn't speak English or drive so obviously it makes me a little uncomfortable).


Yet _another_ idiot who thinks his 40-50 hour workweek precludes his lazy ass from doing a single thing once he gets home. Don't you wish at 5:00pm YOU could stop working *too*, and lay on the couch with a complete sense of self-entitlement just like he does? But no, your job continues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The fact that you've chosen to work from home rather than driving to an office and dropping off your kids at daycare means nothing to him. Like many fools, he just expects you to bring in a paycheck AND be Super Woman doing it *all* at home, as well. 

I laugh my ass off every time some guy comes on TAM and posts about how he works all day and then is forced to come home at night and do all the cleaning and cooking and laundry and food shopping and toilet scrubbing and child care and he acts as though he's SO damned put upon. Yet women are just* expected *to contribute financially AND do all this crap at home as well.

Just wait until the whining starts that you're "not paying enough attention to him and he feels neglected" and the complaining that you're not being a sex kitten for him 5 nights a week because you're too damned exhausted to read a book at bedtime, much less anything else.



> I'm super crushed. I try so so hard. This isn't the first time we've had this argument and his logic is always the same "you stay at home so you can do the housework." I can't change his thinking and it kills me that he doesn't see how hard I try.


Some of them never evolve and will *always* expect you to work your tail to the bone catering to everyone but yourself. That ain't nothing new.



> I am tired of feeling unappreciated and I really feel that I'm at the point where I don't want to be with this man anymore. I feel as if I'm his maid not his wife or friend anymore. It didn't used to be this way but everytime I try to talk he yells and I let it go and act like nothing happened to avoid a fight.


Well, that's your BIGGEST mistake right there. Letting Mr. Self Entitled think he's right. I wouldn't expect much different from him even after you're bringing in a weekly paycheck if you're going to continue giving in to him every time he acts like an ass-clown and starts his childish yelling (which is often from the sounds of it).


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## mpz2013 (May 16, 2013)

I feel like it is not only slowly killing the marriage but my self esteem as well. It's been hard to deal with and I can't really talk to anyone about it.


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## mpz2013 (May 16, 2013)

MattMatt said:


> @mpz2013 His mother has no English. Presumably your husband is not of your culture?
> 
> If not, maybe he needs to learn to be of your culture?


He is not. He is Mexican and I am white. There have been a few issues with cultural differences in the past but we seem to get through them alright


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## brooklynAnn (Jun 29, 2015)

Every woman with a child faces this problem. People think that their lives will be unchanged when the kids come. Your H needs to wake the heck up and realize that you can't do it all. Since, he has time to complain about the laundry sitting on the sofa, he can start folding them. Start directing him to do some house work.

MIL in the house is a bad idea. Can your H support you guys if you don't work? Did he realize you are starting a new business?


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## mpz2013 (May 16, 2013)

_anonymous_ said:


> Sorry to hear that your husband has overlooked all of the major positive things that you're doing, and has chosen to focus on what appears to be relatively minor negative things. Given your post, here are some of my thoughts...
> 
> Your rationale for flexibility is a good one, but starting a business just for this seems premature, given your situation. How much "school stuff" and "practices" do you have with a 5-yr old and a 3-mo old? I would imagine next to none.


My five year old is in two baseball leagues (two practices a week and games all day Saturday) He also is having temporary health issues and has multiple doctors appointments and a surgery scheduled for next week. He also goes to school so there is drop off, pickup, and homework. This was part of the reason my husband didn't want me to return to work because he was having to take too much time off between the both of us to care for issues like this. My baby doesn't have any activities besides for normal baby checkups, but she also requires constant care during the day (diaper changes, breastfeeding around the clock, etc.).



_anonymous_ said:


> Did you discuss starting the business with your husband before quitting your job and taking out loans for business expenses? What were his expectations regarding your business, in terms of your weekly commitment-level, contributions to finances, etc? For just a moment, let me play devil's advocate. Along the lines of the previous question, how have you met your husband's expectations of contributions to the household finances? For all of the time you put into your business in addition to these chores, is it profitable?
> 
> This is a key piece of information. If your business is not profitable, your husband likely credits your time spent doing business-related work as a hobby versus actual work. Making the same assumption, if your husband is the sole breadwinner, it's a natural (and reasonable) expectation that the spouse not contributing to the household income helps out more around the house.


My husband was the one that advocated and pushed that I start this business as soon as possible to help pay off my student loans. He expects it to be profitable of course, but we have not opened yet so there is no way to tell as of now. No loans were taken out, we used cash and were in agreement with it being used in this way. I have always contributed financially in some way to my family. Prior to this I was working 12+ hours a day as an accountant at a big firm. I worked until my 40th week of pregnancy. I still did all of the housework, bills, and childcare. 





_anonymous_ said:


> Whatever your situation and that of your business, it seems like your husband should be more involved when it comes to the division of labor, and more appreciative of all that you do.
> 
> It's inevitable that if one spouse spends more time in the house and has more flexibility in his/her day job, the spouse working outside the house sets these expectations. I work from home, and face this issue with my wife, who works at a hospital and sometimes has very early starts. She frequently assumes I can do a greater share of household chores, am available to run her errands at any point during the day (e.g. carting her to work, bringing her lunch, going to the post office or DMV). In the end, I feel my wife's expectations are unfair, so I feel your pain.
> 
> I would hail back to the expectations established with your husband when your business was getting off the ground. Remind him of the time commitment, what was agreed, and that you're treating this as real work, so he should respect your time in the home office as the same.


I agree. This was one of the reasons we decided a job with more flexibility would work better for the family. I WANT to be a great wife, mother, and contributor to my family financially and still be there for my kids. I feel that there is an implied expectation that everything be perfect all the time and it just isn't possible. I'm doing the best I can. 




_anonymous_ said:


> I think this could be more trouble than it's worth. Is there any reason your husband might feel a need to help her (is she in need of a place to stay, something else)?


It is more trouble. She lives across town, isn't very comfortable taking care of the baby. She has a place of her own but stays with her other children and "helps" all of the time. 




_anonymous_ said:


> Stay to keep the family together or because you think there's hope for your husband, not because of the business lease. Try not to let factors like this affect your decision-making.
> 
> In general, if you've brought children into this world, you must weigh the certain, adverse effects on them over their future from a divorce, versus the potentially uncertain benefits you (and perhaps they) would reap from moving on.
> 
> I would recommend marriage counseling before divorce. I feel unappreciated by my wife just about every week, and I don't believe that alone is good grounds for dissolving a marriage. Good luck!


I will suggest counseling again as I have in the past. My husband doesn't agree, but maybe I would benefit from some solo therapy. I want my family together, it would break my heart to have my kids raised in a broken home. With the criticism and pointing out of flaws even though I am genuinely doing my best, I feel like I am breaking as a person.


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## mpz2013 (May 16, 2013)

She'sStillGotIt said:


> Yet _another_ idiot who thinks his 40-50 hour workweek precludes his lazy ass from doing a single thing once he gets home. Don't you wish at 5:00pm YOU could stop working *too*, and lay on the couch with a complete sense of self-entitlement just like he does? But no, your job continues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The fact that you've chosen to work from home rather than driving to an office and dropping off your kids at daycare means nothing to him. Like many fools, he just expects you to bring in a paycheck AND be Super Woman doing it *all* at home, as well.
> 
> I laugh my ass off every time some guy comes on TAM and posts about how he works all day and then is forced to come home at night and do all the cleaning and cooking and laundry and food shopping and toilet scrubbing and child care and he acts as though he's SO damned put upon. Yet women are just* expected *to contribute financially AND do all this crap at home as well.


Yeah, before this I had a 60 hour work week and still had to come home and do everything. He helped a little more when I was working outside of the home but nothing consistent and I always had to beg.



She'sStillGotIt said:


> Just wait until the whining starts that you're "not paying enough attention to him and he feels neglected" and the complaining that you're not being a sex kitten for him 5 nights a week because you're too damned exhausted to read a book at bedtime, much less anything else.
> Some of them never evolve and will *always* expect you to work your tail to the bone catering to everyone but yourself. That ain't nothing new.


The sex life has been down the drain since the baby was born. I'm exhausted and feel gross. He is very focused on looks and I know I don't meet his expectations right now. 



She'sStillGotIt said:


> Well, that's your BIGGEST mistake right there. Letting Mr. Self Entitled think he's right. I wouldn't expect much different from him even after you're bringing in a weekly paycheck if you're going to continue giving in to him every time he acts like an ass-clown and starts his childish yelling (which is often from the sounds of it).


I agree that I shouldn't let things go, but arguing goes literally nowhere with us. He won't apologize and everything he does is because of me/ It's exhausting trying to talk to him and I feel I can't handle the insult slinging so I just let it be.


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## mpz2013 (May 16, 2013)

brooklynAnn said:


> Every woman with a child faces this problem. People think that their lives will be unchanged when the kids come. Your H needs to wake the heck up and realize that you can't do it all. Since, he has time to complain about the laundry sitting on the sofa, he can start folding them. Start directing him to do some house work.
> 
> MIL in the house is a bad idea. Can your H support you guys if you don't work? Did he realize you are starting a new business?


I have tried asking for help. We even made a spreadsheet with household chores and who does what. He doesn't stick to it. 

I agree about the MIL being a bad idea. It makes me uncomfortable. 

Yes we are more than comfortable on his income alone. He just got a big raise which made up for some of what we lost when I quit my job. He knows about the business and has been very supportive of it.


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## brooklynAnn (Jun 29, 2015)

Does he want you to be a full time stay at home mum?

Maybe you could hire some one to do some light cleaning and laundry, so you can concentrate on the business. That way both of you are happy.


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## TheTruthHurts (Oct 1, 2015)

Ok I think you need to slow down....

I've got multiple twins, both worked,w did self employment thing, I travelled, etc.

First, you probably are doing things you Want Versus need to do. This is very common. When the kids were little, frankly showers were a luxury for my W. I made bottles by the pitcher but travelled so she handled it all

You can not be all things to all people. Make a list of your priorities and then begin to remove things. This is time management and your prior accounting experience qualifies you to do this - but you must accept that something HAS to go

Next, prioritize sex and intimacy with your H. Do this for you and your marriage - not just for him. I'd bet dollars to donuts that his complaints and attitudes are impacted by a lack of intimacy and "that look in your eyes" that he is missing. Again - this is about you mostly but realize he'll make your life harder if you don't meet some of his needs.

So schedule sex, and align shower and light house cleaning on this nights. It's a marital compromise. If you try this once or twice a week, you both get something and you remove that pressure the rest of the week.

If you improve your intimacy this way, when you're cuddling you can start to reconnect and let him know how you're feeling and what you need from him. Believe me, he'll be in a much more receptive frame of mind if he sees you focusing on him along with everything else you're focused on

The goal is: do less; be more strategic; work on your marriage; rebuild your "team" with H; and start to solve these issues as a team

You sound very competent so I believe you can do this. Plus you will feel the rewards of being a mom; having a good marriage; and having adult stimulation in your work over time.

It's just a hard period of time now


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## jb02157 (Apr 16, 2014)

Daisy12 said:


> It sounds like your husband wants you to be a stay at home mom. If that is the case and you quit your job to do all these things he wants you to do is his earning potential high enough to support the family?
> 
> Why are you killing yourself doing it all. Figure out what it is you want. If you want to raise your kids and be home than stop the business and focus on that. If you want to continue working than get some help in the form of daycare, maids..etc. You can't do it all, your health will suffer, your marriage will suffer and in the end your children will suffer.
> 
> ...



Hind site is always 20/20 but no matter how you try to rationalize against it, being a SAHM or staying home building a business usually is not the best for the family. You should have went back to to work and pursued a career. Anybody whether male or female need to get out of the "kid zone" at least some of the time. Have you tried to get your old job back or something similar?


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

mpz2013 said:


> I feel like it is not only slowly killing the marriage but my self esteem as well. It's been hard to deal with and I can't really talk to anyone about it.


Have you considered hiring some household help?

Early in my marriage to my son's father (long before our son came along), we were talking about housework, etc. Now we both worked full time. When we came to the bathroom in the discussion, my husband announced "I DO NOT DO TOILETS!". To which I replied that we had a problem because I too do not do toilets (I do, but was not going to let his poly work to force me to be the only one who would clean the bathrooms.)

So I hired someone to clear the toilets, well to clean the house because he would not agree to any sort of housework. I then complained about having a stranger in our home. But we had a clean home and neither of us did the toilets. :grin2:

I also started a business so that I could be with our son more when he was born. I hired a high school girl to take care of him while I worked at home or at my office. I was still there. I could still spend time with him on breaks, etc. But when I was concentrating on my work or with a client, she took care of him.

There are ways to stand up to his attitude and make this work. You work, he works. Maybe neither of you should be cleaning the toilets. >


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

mpz2013 said:


> I have tried asking for help. We even made a spreadsheet with household chores and who does what. He doesn't stick to it.
> 
> I agree about the MIL being a bad idea. It makes me uncomfortable.
> 
> Yes we are more than comfortable on his income alone. He just got a big raise which made up for some of what we lost when I quit my job. He knows about the business and has been very supportive of it.


What sort of things do you do for him? For example, do you do his laundry?

Stop doing his laundry. He'll figure out how to do it once he has no clean clothing to wear.

Do you clean up little messes he leaves around? If you do, get a basket (like a laundry basket, and just through his things in the basket. Do not put them away. He can do that.

Get creative. Put things on him that he has to do for himself.


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

Oh, and tell him that no, your mother is not going to be your maid... tell him it is disrespectful to use her that way.


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

mpz2013 said:


> I have tried asking for help. We even made a spreadsheet with household chores and who does what. He doesn't stick to it.
> 
> I agree about the MIL being a bad idea. It makes me uncomfortable.
> 
> Yes we are more than comfortable on his income alone. He just got a big raise which made up for some of what we lost when I quit my job. He knows about the business and has been very supportive of it.


Another idea...

You can now order groceries from Walmart. In some areas they deliver, in others you just go pick them up. But they do all the shopping.

In my area Smith's does this too. Other stores are doing this in other cities.

I've started ordering my groceries online.

Order your groceries online and either have them delivered or tell him to go pick them up.


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## Ursula (Dec 2, 2016)

I have a book recommendation for you: "Too Good To Leave, Too Bad To Stay" by Mira Kirshenbaum‎.
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Leave-Stay-Step-Step/dp/0452275350

I believe that it was @Satya who recommended it to me a little while ago, and boy is it an eye-opener!

I'm sorry that you're in the spot you're in; it's never fun to feel unappreciated.


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