When someone shows you who they are…
When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.
That is the quote rattling around in my head right now. My husband has shown me lots of sides of his personality. Some of them beautiful and some of them not so much. He, like all of us, is flawed. I know because of his upbringing he has some growing and learning to do, and he is emotionally immature. I have been able to give him a lot of passes when he has done and said things to hurt me, but I’m not sure how to come back from this one because it feels more like he’s showing me who he is.
Here is the backstory. BM texted DH a few days ago and said she couldn’t afford to pay for soccer for SD13. Her soccer is costly over $3000 a year so this is not a little amount of money (at least not to me). DH believes BM can pay for it but is refusing because child support was lowered (SD18 turned 18) and she’s angry. BM believes CS should have stayed at the same amount until both kids were 18. This is a tough issue for us. In the past when BM has pulled this, I have either paid for it or paid for something DH is responsible for in order for him to pay it. It caused a lot of resentment for me because BM shows up with nails done and in a new car while I’m paying for her kid. While I have given up something for me in order to pay for her kid. It also made me feel like I had some parental rights with the kids and SD18 DID NOT want me in that role. All around it was a bad situation and my therapist suggested I avoid paying for things or having other parental responsibilities (signing up for sports, teacher meetings, etc.). I have done my best to do that even though sometimes I feel SD13 is getting hurt by this. It’s been a hard lesson, but I’ve learned it’s not my role. So, when DH came to me to solve this problem (his problem) I told him he needed to figure it out without taking money from our current budget. I gave him some ideas; pick up a side job, work overtime, or sell our beloved RV (because we’ll have to pay for soccer for the next 5 years), etc. I asked him to let me know the plan before he signed her up. I heard him on the phone telling the coach she was playing yesterday so I asked for his plan.
His response has been ridiculous. He has basically threw a toddler-like tantrum where he said things like “well I guess SD13 won’t play soccer then.” I’ve stuck to it, it’s not my problem to solve and I know he hasn’t even pushed back on BM for this. Every time I give him some ideas on how he can cover BM’s money (her part won’t be due until November so he has time) he says why can’t we just pay for it (we actually means me). I explain we didn’t budget for it so I have to take it from money that would go to D15’s college fund or put it on a credit card. Yesterday he said terrible things like you control my money so I can’t pay for it (WTF really…I pay the bills I control nothing). The truth is I make twice as much money as DH and I pay for 75% of our living expenses. I did this willingly so DH would have money to do things for his children. To give you a frame of reference he only pays 1/5 of his salary to our household bills. Whenever he has extra money, I put it in his savings account so I’m not controlling or taking anything from him. DH chose to buy a new truck with the money from child support going down. I was on board with this he has not had a new car since we met, but this means he doesn’t have a lot of extra money. We both like to take several vacations with our children a year, so we don’t have a lot of savings. He has zero and I don’t have enough to cover this $1700 soccer bill BM dumped on us.
Adult tantrums have always been a part of our lives, so this isn’t new, and I’ve gotten used to ignoring them. The more I’ve ignored them the less I’ve gotten. This one has me believing DH has shown his true colors though and I’m sick over it. During the tantrum he pointed at me and said because of you SD13 can’t play soccer. Ouch and wait a minute isn’t this BM’s fault, not mine? In my head I say he doesn’t mean that he’s just mad, but I also say out loud you should say that (because of you SD13 can’t play soccer) to BM. He immediately says, “I’m not going to insult her like that”. I lost it full on screaming (and I rarely lose my temper so this is a big deal) why on earth is he so worried about insulting her with something he just said to me. F$%&, I feel like all these feelings came rushing in and everything became clear. He showed me who he is. He’s the man that has no problem insulting his loving caring wife but refuses to insult his toxic ex (which is it really an insult to her or just truth). I just feel used. It feels like the one time I won’t just readily pay for his kids I get this ugliness. He never pays for my kid’s activities or anything else; I make sure of it. My D15 is paid for by myself and her Dad. I never take money from the family budget for D15’s activities or even her clothing. Even though we have always taken money from the family budget for SD’s clothes (which essentially means I have paid for all of their clothing).
I can’t figure out how to come back from this. I want this to work so badly. DH has been a part of my D15’s life for her entire childhood. I don’t want to put her or I through this big of an upheaval. I don’t want to blow up my own life and I don’t want SD13 to suffer either. However; I can’t possibly be ok with having this as my husband. I feel like DH has shown his true colors in this one and made it clear that BM and her feelings matter but mine don’t. Also, how can I give him a pass on bad behavior anymore he obviously knows the things he has been saying to me are insulting. He’s not ignorant to feelings he just doesn’t care about mine.
He has apologized for saying this, he has said he didn’t mean it, but I can’t even accept it. I have responded to his apology with anger…he’s not sorry he knew it was insulting seconds later when he refused to say it to toxic BM (the one who was actually responsible for SD13’s soccer bill). I’m repulsed by him right now and I can’t see a way out of this. I’ve been through so much with him and sometimes I think I’m staying just to prove his toxic family and his toxic ex wrong. I feel sick to my stomach that this man I thought loved me has shown me who he really is…any thoughts on a way to fix this other than getting the F&*# out? Am I just too angry to see things clearly?
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Comments
I understand your feelings
I understand your feelings about this all - they are fair. I think most of us would be offended and pissed at our DHs if they protected toxic BMs at the cost of their wives' happiness.
I would continue to refuse to pay BMs soccer bill. If you pay it once, you'll pay it every year. Sometimes kids need to learn life in hard ways and SD not playing soccer might be a hard lesson for her, but in no way is this any of your fault. This is all on BM and DH.
Around here, extracurricular
Around here, extracurricular activities are not considered part of child support, so DH would have to pay half. He does NOT have to pay BM's share - if she can't come up with it, then SD can't play.
I don't know how you make this work, he sounds like a big man-baby. But I know that I sure as hell would stop paying for 75% of expenses so he can have extra "for the kids" if he's not spending it on the kids.
Are you opposed to working
Are you opposed to working towards separating finances? Because holy heck I'd have a huge problem with my DH throwing a toddler tantrum regarding (the lack of) money to support HIS children's extracurricular activities.
He has options, like you pointed out and verbally gave him. Apparently, that's not good enough because he views you as a money train.
"Well, I guess she won't be. That's unfortunate".
-- you
Separating finances sounds
Separating finances sounds like a good idea IF your DH continues to pay his share. My concern would be that he'd be "short" and unable to pay his share of the bills because he's paying for things when BM gets her knickers in a twist.
That is my fear
If I seperate everything and tell him when I expect to be paid for household bills will he just shrug his shoulders and say he doesn't have it?
He very well could. My psycho
He very well could. My psycho exh quit his job. I was working two fulltime jobs to be able to pay the bills.
I went through something
I went through something similar. But the gist of it was the same. DH would agree to pay BM’s crazy demands and extravagant gifts for SD while leaving our household finances short. The grand finale came a month after the birth of our DD. DH lied to me and secretly paid bond on her rental and tickets for an overseas holiday in her gap year. Then accused me of hating his daughter and always trying to control their relationship when I traced the funds and confronted him. It made me feel like I’d wasted years of my life propping him up so that he could sacrifice me on the altar of the holy first family. In the end I decided to give him and our relationship another chance because DD was too young for me to cope with separation at that time. She was a needy newborn and I was braindead for the first year.
I’ve since learnt that my DH operates on fear. When he felt like he had nothing to fear from me he was happy to throw me under the bus to avoid upsetting BM. My relationship with DH hasn’t been the same since. Huge trust and intimacy issues that hopefully will be improved with time. But it will never be the way it was. Once I couldn’t ever contemplate life without him. Now I’ve come to accept that there may be a day when I’ll leave him and I’ve made my peace with that. If I catch him at it again then I’m done and out. I guess in your case the decision is first whether or not to give the relationship another chance. But nothing will change if you don’t follow through with the consequences - even if the consequences means leaving him.
"It made me feel like I’d
What a powerful statement. There's a lot of hard truths in this and a lot of us struggle with it. I know I do, being married to someone who looks the other way while his parents still play first family BFFs with BM and her whole clan. A lot of low-key, hush hush conversations have been had in my house regarding paying for skid's extracurricular activities, etcetera.
Thanks for sharing your experience
I definately feel like he operates out of fear as well...and there is no fear of me. I'm really considering leaving him this time. I'm spent and tired of being treated like this. He definatley knows how to behave he can do it with his toxic ex...why can't he do it with me. If I see no action I think I've got to get out...I can't see another way ugh
not the same
I'm kind of in your boat. I know your message wasnt for me but it helped none the less.
SD must play for a travel
SD must play for a travel league. Sounds to me like a fair resolution for SD to keep playing and for you to not go into the poor house over it would be for her to play in your city/county rec league. I know here you are only looking at $50-100 for those.
As for your husbands out burst- I don't know if I could get past that for a while either. You are entitled to your anger for sure! How to move past it? Time... Actions from him that place you as his partner and your marriage as his first priority. I would tell him that even though he apologized with words- he cut you too deep when he screamed at you. That you need time and you need action from him. Not silly flowers or a card- real action in your marriage.
she does play travel
SD13 is a pretty talented soccer player and if she keeps working hard she will probably have the ability to get a scholoarship. Which the makes the return on investment for travel seem worth it as long as she's working hard and continuing to perform well.
I feel like in this moment I can't get over it but may action would help...I'm not feeling very hopeful right now and I'm just tired of being treated this way.
He apologized. And? What
He apologized. And? What actions follow to show you that he is sincerely sorry? Or is the apology supposed to make everything go back to "normal"? I'd say you need to insist on a new normal, at the very least, where you are not expected to be the household ATM to cover expenses that he and BM can't/won't/don't want to.
Many people live successful Life’s with out soccer camp.
But the bigger problem is DH thinking you should pay for his kids life, SD has two parent, you are not one of them. You are right if DH wants to pay for soccer camp, if it's that important, he should get off his ass and find a part time job to do that. Not just sit there and think everyone ( you) should pay for his kid.
No wonder this kid feels initial, So does DH
So he thinks you are his (and
So he thinks you are his (and BMs) sugar momma?
Awesome. Sorry, I already know that feels like crap.
It does
It does feel like crap! It ends today...I'm seperating things now and he can start paying his half of everything.
I also wanted to say be
I also wanted to say be prepared for the guilt trips and don't fall for them. Telling you that you don't care about SD13, how selfish to not share, what kind of partner are you if you don't help, etc. Listen to your gut feeling. If it feels crappy and wrong it's because it is. It's a dual tactic of guilt trips and misdirection. With one statement like "you don't care about SD" he's immediately got your back up to prove that you do. Because you're a decent person and you do care. So you shove down the feeling of being screwed over to prove to him he's wrong.
One thing that worked well
One thing that worked well with my DH:
If he said something manipulative, instead of getting defensive, I'd look him right in the eye and calmly state, "You are being manipulative." His jaw drops.
Calmly ask him to explain to you why it should be your responsibility to pay for his kid because he and BM don't WANT to.
about 2 weeks ago
About 2 weeks ago I started pointing out when I felt he was being manipulative. It has really worked becasue it makes it clear it isn't working. It's great advice to say that.
It's just so crazy that it is even something I have to say but I said a bunch why is it my problem when SD13's mom won't pay...so frustrating! It's such a slap in the face that he would even expect this from me. I can't get past it.
Oh, yeah, DH has said dumb 5h1t like that, too.
We redid our wills when we got married and DH didn't like how it was divided up. The lawyer explained that it was a standard division for second-marriage couples with kids (not split evenly between the kids). In a private moment DH turned to me and said that it wouldn't work because what would BM think when she found out about it?
There was a split second for DH before the mushroom cloud of my anger erupted. EXCUSE ME?! So what you're saying is that when you die that *I* have to take on your burden of worrying about BM? I don't think so and if you don't agree then we are just going to get divorced because I'm not budging on this and divorced it will be split just as it's written and the lawyer said is usual. And how in the hell would she even find out how it was split? Are you gonna "tattle" on me to her and exactly what sort of control does she have over me? She may have control over you but there is absolutely no scenario in which she has control over me.
We stumbled across that too.
We stumbled across that too. In a traditional first marriage his is hers, hers is his. It filters down to their joint children etc. When we drafted our wills I realised there was a slim chance that if we died in a certain order, SD and BM would get a clean sweep of EVERYTHING. DH either noticed and didn't think to mention it or wasn't on guard like I was. I plugged that leak so that my portion goes to my family.