We've been together for over 10 years, I think in the past 5-6 years (soon after our son was born and she stopped working) she started occasionally playing cards with a few friends.
For years this has been a very minor nuisiance, once a month she would have some friends over and they would sit and play for a few hours. But this year things are getting out of control, she now plays several times a week and in most recent episodes the play session lasted for over 24 hours NON-STOP. Sometimes it happens at our house, sometimes at some of her friends'.
I don't know what to do, she became almost useless at home:
- won't cook anymore, always orders online
- won't clean anything, just waits for the maid once a week
- although I work almost all night, I often have to step in and take our son to school because she is busy playing or tired from long session
- on her free time at home, she plays a card game on her phone, can stay all day in bed doing this
Every time I bring this up she gets very defensive and if I insist on talking she will fight. She says it's a harmless hobby and she does it because she has no job. I don't actually see her struggling with money but this scares me, I've heard of people losing cars and houses because of this.
I really wanted my family to work out but she's making it look like it won't happen. I don't want to get rid of her, I want my son to have a structured family. What do I do with her? Guess I could pay a babysitter to take care of my son and get her a job?
Is there an intervention for this kind of issue without involving police? I feel that if the police finds out all it will happen is that it will cost me money to sort the issue and in one week they'll be back playing again.
This makes me so mad, I work my ass off to provide everything she will ever need and that's how she repays me.