Hi everyone,

I’m in need of some support. Lately, my husband has been a stay at home dad for our 2 year old daughter while I go to work as a high school teacher to support our family. He quit his old job about 8 months ago and over the last 3-4 months, he’s become depressed and emotionally abusive because of it. He is constantly commenting on my parenting or trying to step in. I’ve tried multiple times to calmly explain how this is hurting my feelings and he just flips it on me, saying I should just listen to his advice. For example, yesterday my daughter kicked me in the stomach yesterday in bed and I firmly told her not to do that. Then, husband interrupts in the middle of my sentence and talks all sweet to her and try to explain why she shouldn’t kick me. I feel like it’s a great idea to calmly explain something like that to a child, but at least let me finish a sentence first. I feel like he’s undermining me and “coming to the rescue” for our daughter like I’m some sort of villain. So, today, I tried taking his advice and was being extra patient while trying to get my daughter to eat. He decided it was time to spank her when she wouldn’t listen. Then, brought it up later during another conversation, basically saying that it was ridiculous that I kept asking her to swallow her vegetables and that spanking her is what ultimately made her finish her food. I feel like this was totally hypocritical. One day he wants me to be more patient/calm and the next day he wants me to spank her butt over not eating her vegetables? I just can’t win and I also feel like the worst parent in the world because of how “the man who loves me” thinks of me. I seriously do not know what to do. I feel like I can’t be a parent and it’s so hard when I love my daughter more than anything in this world. He makes me feel like a stupid idiot. Help!

Side note, I’d rather not use this post as a debate on spanking or anything like that. Just need some support... I wish I could talk to someone who cares about me about this but I don’t want them to hold it against my husband because I know this won’t last forever.