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Exhausted Dad Agrees To Give Wife Everything In Divorce After Burnout Hints At Deeper Health Crisis

by Jeffrey Stone
December 20, 2025
in Social Issues

A weary father trudges home from a grueling job each day, facing his stay-at-home wife’s frustration over carrying the full parenting load alone, until a heated New Year’s Eve argument shatters their fragile balance. Drained by constant high-pressure work, he struggles to help with housework or children, leaving her overwhelmed by the invisible mental weight.

Stung deeply when she snaps that she’d manage better with alimony and child support, he surrenders completely, granting her every demand: full custody, the family home, continued insurance, and plans to move into shared housing for the kids’ sake. Yet rather than relief, she erupts in anger, nitpicking minor oversights like an unchanged car oil, then breaking down in tears over his quiet acceptance.

A burnt-out dad offers his wife full divorce terms, sparking her unexpected anger and Reddit’s burnout alerts.

Exhausted Dad Agrees To Give Wife Everything In Divorce After Burnout Hints At Deeper Health Crisis
Not the actual photo.

'I am willing to give my wife everything she is asking for in divorce. AITAH?'

My wife and I are having issues, she is a SAHM and I work to provide financially.

I work a high stress job and its very mentally draining and I am not able to contribute that much in housework and childcare.

It has been constant struggle for past year where she is complaining that she feels like a single mother and she has all the mental burden. I tried to help...

In a fight she said that she will be better off without me, that she would do better with child support and alimony and will not have to care about...

It hurt me very bad and I just lost the will to fight. I just became disengaged.

I dread going back to my house after work and my workplace is not a pleasant place.

We had a fight on New Year's eve and I told her that I am letting her go. I agree with her, she will be better off without me.

I asked her for divorce. She got mad and gave me silent treatment for two days.

Then she asked me for full custody of the kids and I agreed. Then she asked me for the house and I agreed (since kids need that big house anyways).

She asked me to keep kids on my insurance and of course I agreed. She said she wants me to move out and I told her I would soon,

I have been looking for a shared house as I really do not want to live in an empty apartment.

For some reason she became mad at me for agreeing with what she wants.

Started picking up fight about how I didn't change oil in her car when I promised to (I did, I forgot to tell her with all the things going on).

I didn't have the energy to argue so I spaced out for a bit.

Now she keeps on crying. What more does she wants me to do, I am willing to give her everything she wants. Thats all I can do. AITAH??

A high-stress breadwinner dad confronts a stay-at-home mom’s valid gripes about solo parenting vibes, but a heated exchange spirals into him greenlighting her every divorce demand.

He surrenders the house for the kids’ sake, custody, insurance, everything. Yet she erupts in fury and tears. It’s a classic standoff: his disengagement screams defeat, her reactions hint at hidden wants.

Zooming in, the dad’s vibe reeks of textbook burnout and possible depression. He dreads home like a bad sequel, zones out in fights, and lost his fight after her “better off solo” jab.

Working parents juggle brutal loads. A study in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care found 65% of working parents reported burnout, often tied to depression, anxiety, and history of mental health struggles. His high-stress gig drains mental energy, leaving zilch for home, fueling her “single mom” feels despite his attempts to pitch in. Satirically, it’s like he’s the zombie provider in a household horror flick, alive but checked out.

Flip perspectives: maybe she’s testing waters, hurling divorce barbs to spark passion or change, not exit. When he folds without protest, it stings like rejection squared. Her tears and nitpicks suggest ambivalence – wanting rescue, not release.

Broader lens: these dynamics spotlight work-family imbalance eroding marriages. Parental burnout hits epidemic levels. Two-thirds of working parents surveyed met criteria for it per The New York Times. Stay-at-home partners shoulder unseen loads too, breeding resentment in unequal setups.

Experts nail this emotional whiplash. Samuel L. Pauker, M.D., a psychiatrist and professor, notes: “While the bad news is that depression can destroy a relationship, the good news is that effective treatment for depression can heal a relationship.”

Spot-on here, dad’s withdrawal mimics disinterest, but treatment could reboot connection. Burnout mimics depression’s fog: emotional distancing, per Psychology Today, where folks feel “endless exhaustion” from parenting overload.

It’s wise to hit pause on any big decisions right now. The husband should see a doctor soon. His exhaustion, dread of coming home, and emotional numbness point strongly toward possible depression and burnout.

Looking into job changes or starting individual therapy makes sense before agreeing to give up custody, since kids generally do better with both parents actively involved.

Couples counseling could help unpack why she’s throwing out threats and why he’s responding by checking out completely. it might even lead to a fairer split of chores using apps or outside help.

For the wife, she could try stating her needs straight-up instead of escalating fights. Reframing this as a chance to reset the relationship before anyone signs the final papers could turn things around.

Here’s what people had to say to OP:

Some people believe OP is severely depressed and burnt out, urging him to seek immediate medical and professional help before making major decisions.

Level-Experience9194 − You need to go see your physician, you sound burnt out, and most likely depressed.

KaleidoscopeGreat973 − OP, please talk to your doctor. You sound very depressed. You are not in the right state to make life changing decisions.

You are considering signing away custody of your children and your financial security. If you won't get help for yourself, do it for your children.

They deserve a father who is mentally present. If you are listless and detached, your wife may feel you have mentally checked out of your marriage.

She may have been trying to provoke you into showing some emotion to indicate you care about your marriage.

When you responded by withdrawing even further and passively agreeing with her, she was hurt and angry.

She chose a dreadful way to express her frustration and seek reassurance.

I think you should talk to her about how sad and detached you've been feeling and tell her you need medical assistance.

You may be able to salvage your marriage if your wife can understand that this is a medical issue rather than a loss of interest in your marriage and family....

[Reddit User] − Dude you sound severely burnt out and depressed and I hope you're not actually just going to throw literally everything you have away.

Divorce if you must but don't literally give her every single thing You sound like someone prepping for eventual suicide. Get help now

StoneM3 − Are oh okay man? You don’t sound okay. I think you need professional help here and it’s much more than just what’s at surface…

keenan123 − You need to get help man. Seriously. You sound depressed as hell and dangerously close to ideations.

Some people advise pausing divorce proceedings and seeking therapy or counseling to address depression and potential relationship issues.

SheilaInSweden − I think you're looking at things through the eyes of depression and burnout – and depression will always want you to take the path of least resistance.

This might lead you to decisions that you will regret later. My honest opinion is that you need to put divorce on pause

and seek counseling on your own (and eventually separate couples counseling).

It could be that the solution is a change of job, not leaving your marriage.

Dear_Parsnip_6802 − She wanted you to fight for her. That's why she was giving you seemingly unreasonable demands, so you'd say no.

Perhaps some therapy to learn how to communicate better with each other even if it's just for co-parenting.

Some people interpret the wife’s reaction as not truly wanting divorce and advise protecting OP’s rights regarding custody and living arrangements.

[Reddit User] − She's upset because she doesn't want to divorce. I think she'd rather have you change.

Inside-War8916 − Nta She's mad because you weren't supposed to give up so easily.

The average person going through a divorce would be thrilled at such an easily negotiated divorce.

She either genuinely wants you to show you want to be in the relationship bc she cares about you and doesn't want the divorce,

or she's just trying to keep her punching bag around a little longer. Your way is better for the kids.

But - if you are going to look for a place with roommates, chat with a lawyer and make sure that won't mess things up for when kids come to...

External_Science6849 − If you want to fight for her then fight. If you want out, don’t make decisions now like agreeing to her having full custody.

You will regret that later when you won’t be allowed to see your kids for whatever reason.

Take a step back and process. Go for shared custody even if it’s only weekends you have your kids.

Moving into a shared place will mean you can’t have your kids spend the night with you, so don’t do that if you have options to get a 2/3 bedroom...

Even if it’s a 2 bedroom and you get a sofabed in the living room, make sure there is space for your kids when they need and want you

In the end, this dad’s quick concessions amid burnout-fueled fog might spare short-term drama but risk lifelong regrets, like fading dad-kid bonds or financial freefall.

Do you side with voices urging a doc visit and therapy pause before divorce ink dries, or see his generosity as the ultimate fair play? How would you handle a partner’s “agree-to-everything” vibe in crisis? Drop your thoughts below!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS STORY?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS STORY?

OP Is Not The AH (NTA) 9/19 votes | 47%
OP Is Definitely The AH (YTA) 2/19 votes | 11%
No One Is The AH Here (NAH) 0/19 votes | 0%
Everybody Sucks Here (ESH) 8/19 votes | 42%
Need More INFO (INFO) 0/19 votes | 0%

Jeffrey Stone

Jeffrey Stone

Jeffrey Stone is a valuable freelance writer at DAILY HIGHLIGHT. As a senior entertainment and news writer, Jeffrey brings a wealth of expertise in the field, specifically focusing on the entertainment industry.

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