My wife is refusing to sleep with me until the Euros are over
DEAR DEIDRE: MY wife is on a sex strike – because apparently I have become so distracted with the Euros.
I’ve always been a big football fan so I’m not sure why my passion has come as such a big surprise to her.
She used to watch the football with me and would cheer just as loudly when England scored.
I have brilliant memories of us hugging and crying together.
She is 36 and I’m 39. We have been together for ten years and married for seven.
But she hardly watches any games now. She hasn’t sat down for one England game during this tournament and prefers to stomp around, sniping about all the jobs she has to do.
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We have two children aged six and four. I’d love all of us to enjoy the tournament as a family but she simply won’t relax and then the kids start running around and interrupting.
Last week I got cross with the eldest. who kept pestering me for my phone during the game.
Anyway, the last time I made a move on my wife it ended in disaster and she put a sex ban on me because apparently I’ve been “so selfish” she can’t bear to be near me.
She’s never pulled anything like this before. Our sex life is normally really good, at least twice a week.
We know each other’s bodies inside out and how to satisfy one another.
But this time as I started stroking her bum she pointedly took my hands off and turned to face away from me. I’m starting to feel sexually frustrated already.
Apparently I keep messing up plans because I say I can’t go out when I realise there is a good game on. And she says she is sick of looking after the children on her own.
My older sister has children and their family all manage to enjoy the games together. I wish we could do the same.
It’s been such an awful year and I had hoped she would be happy that I’ve got something to enjoy and look forward to. I was really looking forward to watching the games with her.
DEIDRE SAYS: I’m sure there are very similar conversations going on up and down the country.
Your kids are still very young and in time they will learn to love the game as you do.
You would both be a lot happier if you could work out some compromises.
If you are watching all the games from the early afternoon to late evening, that is a long time for your wife to be solo-parenting.
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Can you agree to keep the TV off for at least one game and take the kids out so she can have a break or even watch a game in peace herself?
My support pack Relationship MOT will help you both.