- She asks me what sounds good for breakfast/lunch/dinner, and then gets upset if it's not the right answer...
- Taking the most indirect approach at describing anything... a simple yes or no type of question turns into a 20 minute story!
On the “backseat driver” issue, that is another thing that can put me over the edge. H usually drives when we are going somewhere together, but if by chance I drive he will attempt to tell me what route to take or say things like “you have a stop sign ahead” or “my way is the shorter way.” Drove me mad. So, many years ago as soon as the first comment came out of his mouth I would pull over, hand him the keys and get out of the car and walk to the passenger side of the car. That put an end to that.
Wait, what?
fractalmstr, are you my husband? ;).
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Uses his baby childhood voice when he talks on the phone with mommy…
gives me the creeps so I leave the area or shut the door.
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Ok…I’m not so nice… I would record this and play it back to him at choice moments.
FIL will have a lot of requests for MIL and sometimes will answer “yes dear” when she asks him something, but it is clearly with a tone of voice that she is not so ‘dear’ to him or he is annoyed. FIL was a weak link in many ways, so FIL/MIL’s influence on DH is quite evident. MIL conformed way too much and allowed FIL from the get go to remain in low paying jobs while expecting his wife to essentially have two FT jobs w/o any help at home by him (he was not the major breadwinner but acted like he was the only one).
Luckily I met DH when we were both 20, and I did have enough insight into his family’s dysfunction (mine had a lot of dysfunction too, which H clearly understood too). That is why we took jobs several states away as newly weds, and continue to live several states away. Can visit, but not get sucked into drama.
Leaving lights on after leaving the room. Hours later the light is still on. Response is always well I might go back into that room (or garage or basement.)
Leaving the back door or sliding door open because he might go back into the garage or back yard in a few minutes. Meanwhile flies, moths, mosquitoes have a free ticket to enter the house.
Madison–
Same here. Lights on all over the house. DH leaves the door from the garage to the house open all the time, but fortunately we have a glass/screen door on it so critters don’t get in.
Is there a missing gene(or genetic defect) on the Y chromosome that causes males to fail to close cabinet doors? I know the Nobel prizes were just awarded for this year, but maybe some geneticist can work on that for next year.
There’s a flip side to this.
Before we got married, I lived with roommates, but my husband lived alone. He developed some habits from living alone that proved hard to break. One was turning the lights off every time he left a room, even if I was still in the room! It took years for him to break that habit.
I am the guilty party with leaving lights on, but I do it purposely. In the middle of winter or on a rainy day I cannot stand that gray depressing light that permeates the house. On those days I like the warm glow of lamps or overhead chandeliers so I turn on every light in the rooms I will be in. I leave them on most of the day.
I have come to believe that DH considers my voice aural air conditioning, just white noise that he can easily tune out. I get annoyed when he says, “You never told me that!” when I DID tell him that not ten minutes ago.
Like others above, he doesn’t understand that hinges work both ways.
And, he has a very odd form of selective vision where things left on tables or floors do not seem to register.
I put up with it all because I love him and he still has his hair (different thread).
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s, but my husband lived alone. He developed some habits from living alone that proved hard to break. One was turning the lights off every time he left a room, even if I was still in the room! It took years for him to break that habit.
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well, if he can’t remember your name, how he’s supposed to remember that you’re still in the room? 
We have an open-ish floor plan. My husband LOVES his soda stream and uses it constantly when he is home. He also often makes crushed ice smoothies in a blender. Both machines are loud and harsh and drown out every other sound in the house.
For those whose spouses leave lights on, buy the LED bulbs…they use sooooo little energy. I have them in my short-term rentals because I’m certain that guests probably leave lights on all the time…even when they’re out for the day.
Oh, there are SO many to choose from (don’t get me started 
mom2ck)
The crazy driving, the physical laziness (can’t bend over to pick up something, can’t rinse out the sink. . .) the ADD/inability to plan ahead/impulsiveness, the “gift of gab”/charm that degenerates into BS, the general childishness/lack of common sense, the over-the-top generosity toward strangers/acquaintances to make a good impression, while being outrageously inconsiderate of/ ignoring family. . .
H has many talents/positive traits. I still love him like crazy, but sometimes I feel like I’ve spent 29 years reining in a wild horse or parenting a giant child who never actually grows up.
BTW, I saw an article about a recent study that showed that women have better peripheral vision than men. Could be why men have more car accidents, and why they “can’t see” that thing on the floor, “can’t find” that item right in front of them in the fridge/cabinet/drawer.
I wish the husbands of all these complaining wives were here to chime in. I bet they would have some awesome responses.
@Parent1337, some of us have included complaints our SOs have voiced about us through the years. We get it that it goes both ways. The posts made by HUSBANDS on this thread attest to that.
And on that note, as I was leaving the house today, I saw that I had left BOTH cabinet doors open this morning when I got the cat food out this morning. I’m sure DH counted to 10 to himself. And he DIDN’T close them for me.
In my defense, I was REALLY sleepy this morning when I fed the cat.
My ex saved everything, like some posters above. Wood, metal, screws, rusty tools, broken furniture. And left all that crap in my house when he moved out. Took me months to get rid of it all in preparation to sell my house and move. 
Oh my husband certainly could have a list a mile long. I for sure, and by a mile, got the better end of the marriage. I still say an anal retentive neat nick is tough though. He also shuts lights out in roos I’m still in, I’ve even been in the shower when he shut off the lights. I was once in my hot tub on my back porch , nekkid, and I kid you not he shut off the lights, locked the door and went to a different part of the house.
H is also a habitual light leaver-on-er of bathroom light. He has actually told me numerous times with jacket on and briefcase in hand that he is not finished in there yet.
The comment about H trying to impress or be charming to complete strangers hit a chord with me. Once at a youth orchestra after concert reception, H was engaging with a mom with a discussion about Japan, being oh so charming and talkative. Yet he did not engage me at all. After the event, on the drive home, I told him how insulting that was that he wants to charm another female parent, yet makes no efforts towards me. All I hear are the complaints, about all his negative feelings. And it is not like this mom was gorgeous looking, etc - her son was a PIA!
H was mad that I bought a class ring from my degree awarded in 1982 (just ordered it in Dec and received it earlier this year). It was $900. He thought I should discuss it with him first, yet I do all the money mgmt in our home. I probably did mention it but he wasn’t listening. Plus I received inheritance money that has paid for many, many things.
He complained in front of DD. I didn’t comment, other than ‘oh well.’