Dear Annie, February 27 2024: “My husband doesn’t want to help out with our baby.”
And why not?
Link to the original letter here.
My take: To recap, the LW herniated a disc while delivering her infant son, and is in serious pain. She’s a SAHM, while her husband works full time. The only baby care she asks of her husband is to get up at night on the rare occasions when the baby wakes, and to change diapers. Now her husband is resisting even that. Is the LW expecting too much?
Annie writes: “It sounds like you are both tired and working very hard. When we are sleep-deprived, we are not our best selves, and people can say and do things they don’t mean.” She suggests talking, maybe in the presence of a marriage counselor.
Talking’s always good, counseling often helps, and it’s great that Annie seems to want to support the marriage. But it’s shocking that she altogether missed two huge factors the LW happened to mention: the husband’s drinking and gaming.
The LW herself might be closing her eyes to the impact of these two behaviors (maybe addictions) on her marriage. If that’s the case, Annie should have suggested she consider them.
You can’t help feeling for this LW. She sounds like she’s trying really hard, but is legit at the end of her rope. Annie missed a big one.
Chance this letter is fake: Will go out on a limb and assert that this letter is real.