i have had enough

Anon Imperfect Mum

i have had enough

I am so sick to death of my husbands selective hearing and ignoring.
Our almost 2 year old decided she wanted to stop wearing nappies and toilet train a week ago. She is doing amazing and has only had 6 accidents. That is okay. But they have all occurred when my husband is watching her in the evening while i am cooking dinner or cleaning. She tells him wee or poo and he just doesn't listen! If i say, "she needs to go potty", he will take her. But he just never listens to her. It's not just that either. I will be in another room and hear her ask him for water 5 times and he is standing there holding her, watching tv. Eventually she gets upset and starts crying and he goes mad at her saying, "what do you want? Stop sooking and tell me what you want!". Now she is really clear. But by the time he has ignored her multiple times, she starts to become incoherent because she is really upset. It happens with something every day and i just want to punch him in the fucking head! Tonight i was in the toilet and i heard her say she needed to poo. He just says "yeah babe" and i hear him walking away. Then she starts saying "poo daddy, potty" over and over and i hear him from the lounge saying "come here honey, watch tv with daddy". I come out and she is crying in the kitchen, pooped her pants and he is sitting on the couch watching tv completely oblivious! She is so clear, there is no way you cannot understand her, he JUST DOESN'T LISTEN! He also does it to me all the time and i am sooooo sick of it!
I don't know what to do anymore but i have just had enough.
He swears literally constantly and she is now doing it too. Today she laughed at him and called him a funny c***! It is like speaking to a brick wall trying to get through to him. He comes from a really lovely family, they are well off and just wonderful. I don't know how he can be such a disgustingly feral slob.

Posted in:  Relationships & Marriage, Baby & Toddler, Potty Training

8 Replies

Anon Imperfect Mum

Sit him down, have a big talk, tell him what youre hearing, he's disconnected and it's not fair on her, it sounds like she's doing really well too. Oh, yeah. And take the TV out too.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

Unfortunately in his mind he is doing nothing wrong and the nicest conversation turns into yelling and fighting. I am a ball breaker, he can do nothing right, he is a bad parent, such a victim according to him. I just can't get through to him.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

But yes, i will keep the tv turned off so hopefully he listens to her more. Perhaps we should do councelling.

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Anon Imperfect Mum

Counselling is a good idea, it only.works though if he's into it and does the work, of he's just going along it won't do much. Sounds like he needs a serious wake up call to snap him back into appreciating his family.
Normally I hate when people say record him and play it back... But this situation might be justified. Show him and without talking at all tell him, this changes now or ______ ( insert consequence that you will follow through with).

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Anon Imperfect Mum

Yep, switch the TV off! Make a rule that no TV until after your daughter is in bed. I would also film him if the TV off doesn't work.

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Kate Jackson

I could have written this myself!! They just switch off! Just wanted to let you know you're not alone and it does get better as they get older (a bit) my nearly 4 year old said to me 'daddy never listens to me but gets mad when I don't listen to him'. Heartbreaking! I don't think they do it on purpose though

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Anon Imperfect Mum

Sounds like my husband. Sometimes if im in the shower or something I will hear him say "daddy whats that on tv?" Or something like 6 times before he answers him. Selective hearing I think! Its soo frusterating. No advice as I haven't found any effective ways to make it stop yet haha but youre not alone!

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Anon Imperfect Mum

I think this could have been written by me.
If it's not the TV dragging his attention, it's his phone. Very frustrating.
We went to counselling and he argued that he simply doesn't hear us(which I believe) but I still feel that his primary purpose in the family is to look after them... And that includes listening to their needs.
Hubby ignores me too- and my son emulates that behaviour.
Hubby said that before I ask him to do something, I need to call his name to get his attention.

So I suggest you try getting your daughter to use his name to get daddy's attention?
Alternatively consider if he has a hearing problem instead of an attention problem.

Talk to him, tell him it's not on (including the swearing) and good luck!

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