Can I give my husband an ultimatum? (Need advice, assalamu alaykum)
Assalamu alaykum - I need honest advice. My husband’s gaming is making raising our child really hard, and I’m thinking about asking him to uninstall most games. Is that reasonable for the family’s sake? Instead of trying to improve his job situation so he can help pay for our daughter’s schooling, he spends hours gaming and then complains about work and pay the next day. When I’ve been trying to get her to sleep for hours and I ask for help, he brings her into the room so he can finish a game, which wakes her up more - and she shouldn’t be watching violent shooting scenes anyway. He sometimes leaves her to sleep on a thin floor mat instead of her bed while he keeps sleeping, so I stay up making sure she’s warm and okay. When I go ask him if he wants something to eat or just to talk, he speaks to me like I’m a servant, with a rude tone, and our daughter sees and hears it. He also swears and yells at the game loudly; she hears that too even with doors closed. Because I have no help and he plays 5–6 hours most days, I’m exhausted, depressed, stressed, and anxious. I get nightmares during the tiny 2–4 hours I sleep. I end up ordering food because I don’t have the energy to cook for myself, yet I force myself to cook his special gym meals. I can’t exercise, I’ve gained weight, and I’m worried about my health - I need to be well to care for our child. My father (who isn’t Muslim) told me to relax and said it’s wrong to demand he uninstall all games or force him into productivity. But this situation is making me physically and mentally unwell. From an Islamic perspective, am I allowed to give him an ultimatum if it’s for the family’s welfare? What would be a balanced, Islamic way to handle this so our child and marriage aren’t harmed? Jazakum Allah khair for any guidance.