A mum has taken to a popular forum site to rant about the one phrase her husband says that she finds it 'irksome', and it turns out that other women have the same problem.
Posting to Mumsnet under the name Kitkat1985, the woman moaned about her husband 'not taking the initiative', revealing that she hates it when he says: 'If you want me to do something, just tell me.'
And her rant seemed to resonate with women the internet over, who also came forward to share similar experiences.
The mum kickstarted the debate explaining why her husband drives her mad when he says it.
'Basically this phrase means to me that he doesn't ever take the initiative to plan or think about what needs doing,' she explained.
']I'm apparently in charge of everything around the house and he'll do something if I 'delegate' it to him but otherwise won't think to do it.
'Why do I always have to be the one that thinks about what needs doing domestically?'
The mum went on to say that at the age of 36, her husband is not an idiot: 'Surely he can take some responsibility for thinking sometimes about what needs to be done sometimes without me having to specifically ask?'
She was careful to wrap up the post on the note that she understands that she's 'lucky' that he'll do stuff around the house.
'If I ask him to do it which is better than some men, but I just find it so irksome that it's never off his own back. He always has to be asked to do something,' she concluded.
However, her impassioned complaint set off a stream of other mums discussing their own partners using the exact same phrase.
'You Are Not Being Unreasonable. This drives me absolutely mad,' said one user.
Another suggested: 'OK, so now you stop doing his laundry, his packed lunch, his ironing, cooking meals for him, and when he questions it say "If you wanted me to do something, you only had to ask. I thought that was how we ran things now?"'
A third user took the opportunity to teach future generations: 'Calling all mothers of boys. Please read this thread and raise them to understand the mental load and to do their share.'
What do you think? Does your other half every use this phrase with you? Let us know in the comments box below.
