Hi @BlueBay
Huffnpuff is working on Good Friday - well - that's good - last night must have been bloody hell with a 2 year old having a tantrum and the load music - I really felt for everyone because at different stages when I shared a house with other people there were times when it was chaos and I know what a kid having a tantrum is like
And I used to feel soooooooooooo - frustrated at my ex-h's helplessness when the tantrums or other crises happened - and they did - children have times when they totally meltdown for whatever reason.
So - I read this earlier - and it was good to read the post that came in while I was having a shower and lunch - thinking about your situation - at least today there are less people about
Well - um - ah I wonder how Huffnpuff feels with all this happening at home - your kids coming home after you bought a smaller house and little A and COVID-19 - I'm not discounting you - I know how you feel - but what about him?
My guess would be he feels helpless and pushed aside when he was wanting to start empty-nesting - and still the awkwardness of ordinary life goes on and there is no space and like little A he wants his own way and so he maintains his own boundaries with his precious car and his music and his refusal to listen or try and communicate.
Okay - I have that - I might be wrong but it's interesting - how do YOU find out?
I don't think yelling helps because I used to yell. It only released my tension. My ex was lost in his own world of grief - at least I think it was grief because he never told me anything. He was just as stuck as Huffnpuff seems to be.
Lack of communication is really distructive in a marriage - you do need couples' counselling and especially now with everying COVID-19 self-protecting in the same house - and I know he doesn't want to and you feel you don't have the confidence. I think you could learn that with some proper communication help because it's not all your fault - nothing ever is all one person's fault - no -
I had a long think in the shower and having lunch. I think with all the wisdom I have gathered living alone - yeah - what could I learn being alone? A lot actually because people who live alone have time to consider the past and what went wrong and I really don't know if it will help if you try and talk to Huffnpuff alone - you can try by telling him you want to know how he feels with all that is going on right now going on and what both of you can do about it. Speak quietly. And I know he might just walk out on you. I gotcha. I already know from my own experience that discussing fine points of ordinary life with a statue is fraught with silence and frustration. But try.
When I would find myself at the end of my tether and it was often - I would go to the university and study in the library - and I was always glad when it was Monday and I could go to work. This avenues aren't open to you right now but you do have a car and you do live near the beach so I have suggested this before. Why not get in your car and take your music down to the beach and walk there or if the weather is bitchy just sit in you car and take the time for yourself. There is no need to feel guilty about do this - I doubt you would think I was wrong to get out of the house alone when I could - it's a thing people do - get out of the house.
I do hear you - this is a really hard time in everyone's life - and knowing the situation to the point of really listening to you - there has to be an end to people taking advantage of the way they treat you, discount you and take you for granted.
How would they feel if you refused to cook? You so some fantastic cooking - I might have been more creative in the past than I am now but I am a plain cook. No doubt with all the noise the kids make when the house is full they are trying to create a quiet space for themself by making noise - and you need that quiet space for yourself too - and you just don't have your own space except in your car - if I were you - I would take that space because you need it
I wish you the best with all of this - the coronavirus will be with us for a while yet
Dec