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10-24-2015 06:57 PM - edited 10-24-2015 06:59 PM
A person can only manipulate you as far as you allow them to. So take a stand. draw a line in the sand. Either he goes to your family dinners and does so with a decent attitude or you aren't going to his. Period. The end of discussion.If you have to put up with arguementative and pouting - so be it - stand your ground. I bet you'll only have to once. believe me - I have a lot of experience with this as I have a very controlling husband. It is best to not allow it.You decide to be the one in charge for a change.
10-24-2015 07:53 PM
LOL
10-24-2015 07:57 PM
Allegheny: I haven't read if you have had a sit down talk with your DH but please do not play the t*t for tat game with him. You are better than that. Those tactics are not mature and will only create more resentment in the long run.
I understand it isn't easy to have to explain why your DH is not there; perhaps invite the relatives to your house for a small dinner and if your dear uncle can make it all the better.
In the long run I'm sure you love your DH and someday this will not be the most important issue to remember.
Take care.
10-24-2015 08:47 PM
My (soon to be ex) husband and I often did not go to different family gatherings together. He had guy friends that he liked to do things with, and I always was a homebody and just rather stay home. It took 33 years before it was enough of a problem for us to separate though!
I sort of like being alone and doing what I want, going where I want (or nowhere at all) and not having to answer to anyone or feel lonely when he would be out with his buddies!
10-24-2015 09:46 PM
@Allegheny wrote:@Tinkrbl44 Now if only your would have said "WHY do men think their wives MUST go to every event they want to go to"you would have a picture of what is going on in our situation. Being single until the age 40, I am accustomed to attending many events by myself. But we are a couple and I feel it is unfair of him to have expectations of me that he doesn't apply to himself. I do what I want to do regardless if he goes, But if I tell him I don't care to go to the umpteenth graduation party for another third nephew I get grief; so I make food, go and enjoy his families company. Or if I hesitate at going to the funeral of one of old buddies (who I never met), then he gets an attitude. So in other words, he expects me to accompany him to all his functions with glee but doesn't afford me the same consideration. This is something I am not going to change, it is the way it is. I just hope to get him to understand how I feel.
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:Honestly, WHY do women think their husbands MUST go to every event they want to go to?
You're married to the guy, not joined at the hip! Perhaps you're more "social", but so what? Do you honestly want them to be miserable just to indulge you?
I don't think people should be dragged to events they don't want to attend. If you want to go ... then go. Don't turn it into a source of friction .... pick your battles carefully.
I missed part of that previously ..... and I hope that you don't give up. There's no reason you can't tell him this just doesn't work for us. and we need to negotiate something that DOES. You have, at the very least, 50% of the power in that relationship.
10-24-2015 10:17 PM
Your husband sounds like a selfish control freak. I can't imagine being married to someone like that.
10-24-2015 11:36 PM
Please don't be too hard on him. If he has other redeeming qualities, you may be able to overlook this problem.
10-25-2015 09:18 AM
@Allegheny wrote:Ok, I just need to express some frustration I am having with my husband.
My cousin and his wife are in town visiting our aged uncle. They come about every four months to visit him. It is a 6 hour drive for them and they only stay the weekend.
Every time they are here they graciously invite us over to have dinner with them. It gives me an opportunity to talk in person with my cousin about my uncle. (My cousin has the POA & POP for our uncle, but I am the closest relative distance wise.)
Well the last four times they have been here, my husband has only accompanied me once. I find this embarassing and just plain rude. I don't think I am asking much of him to spend a couple of hours. And I am sure they feel his rejection. It is not just their invitations he rejects, he does this with invites from my other family members and I have an extremely small family (an uncle, one brother a nephew and three cousins).
What aggrevates me even more is that I am almost practically mandated to attend every one of his large family's functions, and they have many. If I tell him I really don't feel like going he gets an attitude and becomes argumentative.
This bugs me to no end, because it is like a double standard. I am expected to attend his functions because that is what the wife is supposed to do.
Thanks for letting me vent.
*************** Since you have such a small family and this is important to you I would think once every 3 or 4 months is not a lot to ask. They don't impose on you and even have you over for dinner each time. If someone is treating him badly that would be a whole different story. That doesn't sound like the case here.
The fact that his family has many family functions and you are "expected" at all his family functions tells me their is definitely an imbalance here. That tells me that he has one set of standards for you and another one for himself. His attitude and argumentative behavior suggests that he has some controlling and/or manipulator tendencies. If this attitude shows up often and in other areas of your marriage, I would say you have some problems that need to be addressed before it get's worse. You also have every right to go or not go to those functions of his family.
You can go and have a good time with your family without him. When it comes to his family (and if you want to keep good ties there) I would go to those things I enjoyed but also feel free to not go to everything. If and when he starts arguing....don't argue and say as few words to him as possibe....maybe something like "it's my choice".
10-25-2015 10:31 AM
@Allegheny wrote:
I want to thank you all for your suggestions, understanding and kind words. This will pass. Its just a blip in our radar of life. After discussing this further with him a few minutes ago, he begrudgingly said he would go. As far as having them here for dinner that may/may not work. My cousin and his wife abide by an extremely organized, scheduled lifestyle. Their trips and activities here are planned in detail well in advance of me even being aware of their visit. They have been doing this for years prior to my rekindling a relationship with my uncle.
If he didn't want to go, I wouldn't press the issue. Nobody should be made to be around people they don't like or don't want to be around for whatever reason. Be a big girl and go by yourself and have a good time and leave him alone. Nobody wants to be around people who aren't at east and enjoying themselves anyway. So is it really a big deal?
If you don't want to visit his relatives, don't go. Easy peasy.
10-26-2015 05:27 PM
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Allegheny wrote:@Tinkrbl44 Now if only your would have said "WHY do men think their wives MUST go to every event they want to go to"you would have a picture of what is going on in our situation. Being single until the age 40, I am accustomed to attending many events by myself. But we are a couple and I feel it is unfair of him to have expectations of me that he doesn't apply to himself. I do what I want to do regardless if he goes, But if I tell him I don't care to go to the umpteenth graduation party for another third nephew I get grief; so I make food, go and enjoy his families company. Or if I hesitate at going to the funeral of one of old buddies (who I never met), then he gets an attitude. So in other words, he expects me to accompany him to all his functions with glee but doesn't afford me the same consideration. This is something I am not going to change, it is the way it is. I just hope to get him to understand how I feel.
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:Honestly, WHY do women think their husbands MUST go to every event they want to go to?
You're married to the guy, not joined at the hip! Perhaps you're more "social", but so what? Do you honestly want them to be miserable just to indulge you?
I don't think people should be dragged to events they don't want to attend. If you want to go ... then go. Don't turn it into a source of friction .... pick your battles carefully.
I missed part of that previously ..... and I hope that you don't give up. There's no reason you can't tell him this just doesn't work for us. and we need to negotiate something that DOES. You have, at the very least, 50% of the power in that relationship.
Sounds like you need a third party to help you negotiate a plan that works for both of you. Each person will have to give a little to reach a compromise. Will he go to a counselor with you? Is this a deal breaker if he doesn't?
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