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AIBU?

DH won't do anything with both kids ...

51 replies

devonsmummy · 15/11/2012 11:39

He always says I'll leave Dd with you or that I have to go along too!
He's worked away for 2 weeks home at weekends but working during the day.
So its been me & the kids (just 6 & just 3) I have no family nearby so I've had them 24/7 over half term and taken ds football training & matches early on a Saturday.
Yesterday DH says he's on call at the weekend so could maybe drive to the footie game on Saturday morning in his van invade he has to go.
He's also offered (for me) to pick up another mum & her DS - I have no prob with this.
He just rang and said I've got my callous covered so I can go football.
Great I say - That means I don't have to go.
Err why? He says? What are you going to be doing then?
Nothing - just have some 'me' time for a change, I reply.
He then tells me he's only going to take DS & I'll have to have Dd at home with me.
I'm so pee'd off that the only time he'll do kids stuff is if I'm there or he'll only take DS
So am I being unreasonable to want a couple of hours to myself (which will no doubt be filled with housework/ online Xmas shopping) so not like I'm out partying!

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devonsmummy · 15/11/2012 11:40

Plus the fact our car won't fit 6 people in!Angry

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redskyatnight · 15/11/2012 11:48

Not unreasonable to want some me time.
However, also not unreasonable for DH not to want to take a 3 year old to watch a footie game (yes, I know you did it, but wouldn't you have preferred not to?)

Has he never looked after both children together? If so, he may be a little wary about doing it - possibly he finds it hard to relate to a young girl (I know my DH did). Have you spoken to him about it? If he's not feeling confident, maybe suggest taking the DC round to the park for half an hour to play in the playground or kick a ball about - build up small!

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devonsmummy · 15/11/2012 11:53

He had then both for 6 days whilst I went to visit my mum abroad. So he can do it.

It feels like He wants me to be accounted for every minute of the day.
I wanted to pop to supermarket on Sunday morning to do a mini shop (with no kids as its so much quicker)
He made a big thing about not taking dd with me and I ended up taking both of them !
Dd is no trouble at football, there are a few older girls that she plays with whilst the game is on.

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DeWe · 15/11/2012 11:56

I don't think he's unreasonable for not wanting to take a younger one to an older one's activity. To me that's a great thing about having dh around, not having to drag a reluctant younger one to wait around.

However it took dh some time to work out he could actually manage 2 dc at once. I think the revelation came when he said he couldn't take them both to something, and I looked at him Hmm and asked how he thought I managed during the week. After that it was generally not a problem, and it was not a problem when dc3 came along either.

Will he have them both at home on his own? If not start by telling him you need to do some Christmas shopping. Bye, you'll be back in a couple of hours.

If he's happy at home, then produce something you need to do that he'd like that the dc need not to be there. Tell him to keep them out for about an hour and send them to the park. Or ask him to set off and you'll join him later. Don't leave him too long the first time, if he's worried, but build up time. It's confidence dh was lacking on having both, but once he'd found that he could manage them both he was very proud of himself and wanted to do it lots.

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NinjaChipmunk · 15/11/2012 11:59

With all due respect i think you need to stand up for yourself a little more and not give him the option. Why is it ok for you to deal with them both but not him? I wouldn't ask if it's ok as you are setting yourself up for him saying no. What does he say if you ask him why he does this?

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coppertop · 15/11/2012 12:05

It sounds as though he thinks you are the nanny or something. He arranges for you to collect other people (while no doubt taking the credit for it), and decides when you should be looking after the children.

He's going to end up having a pretty rubbish relationship with his dd when she's old enough to realise for herself that Daddy only wants to do the fun stuff with her big brother and not her.

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YerMaw1989 · 15/11/2012 12:25

I would stand up to him a bit more,

you need to rest too.

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IneedAsockamnesty · 15/11/2012 12:50

Hmmmm is he paranoid about things like you getting naked with other people?

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SoftKittyWarmKitty · 15/11/2012 14:03

With regard to the supermarket top up shop situation, why didn't you just put your coat on and leave (without the kids)? He only does this because you let him. He needs to take more responsibility for his kids.

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devonsmummy · 15/11/2012 14:10

If I'd have just gone ihe would have been stroppy for the rest of the day & I had family coming over that I'd not seen for 4months so just did it to keep the peace!

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Whoknowswhocares · 15/11/2012 14:21

But surely you can see that caving in each time is creating this behaviour. He whines and you do what he wants!

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DragonMamma · 15/11/2012 14:47

YANBU but you need to put your foot down.

If you're going to do anything for a quiet life then he'll just carry on as he is.

My DH isn't brilliant at taking the kids out, he's fine if I go out and leave them together but he can't think up days out and so I end up doing it, packing bags and advising on problems etc. He finally gets that sometimes I just want to sit indoors and not go shopping or similar to get some time alone. I want to read a book or just watch a film in peace for once.

I adopt Kitty's tactic of just getting up and going for shopping. I don't enter in to a conversation about it and leave via the back door so the kids don't spot me leaving and ask to come...

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SoftKittyWarmKitty · 15/11/2012 17:26

If I'd have just gone ihe would have been stroppy for the rest of the day

So what? He'd be the one that looked a twat, not you.

so just did it to keep the peace!

^^This is where you're going wrong. Not that I'm saying this is your fault for a second, but you need to be the one with the backbone.

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Kundry · 15/11/2012 19:24

So he would have looked a twat in front of your family because he didn't want to look after his own children?

Let him strop, if he knows you mean business, he'll give up.

I love the idea of just putting your coat and shoes on and calling out from the front door " Just going to do some shopping" - you'll be gone before he realises what you've done!

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AThingInYourLife · 15/11/2012 19:31

YANBU

Choose a pleasant life over a quiet one.

Stop letting him tell you what to do.

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YerMaw1989 · 16/11/2012 00:06

I feel your OP he sounds a total waste of space, why have 2 kids if you don't wanna look after them?.

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cory · 16/11/2012 09:04

So what if you didn't feel confident in handling two children at once? You'd still have to do it, wouldn't you? Nobody would let the mother off the hook if she didn't feel confident, would they? Or if she felt less confident with a child of the opposite sex? Don't enable this silly nonsense: if you can do it, the so can he.

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devonsmummy · 16/11/2012 09:57

Get this .... He's spoken to the mum who he offered a lift to and told her he'll take her son and she can stay home in the warm - what's the point standing there freezing if you don't have too!
Now that just really does take the piss!
Is he doing it so there's space in the car for me?
Or to show the world how marvellously generous he is!

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coppertop · 16/11/2012 10:06

So he's incapable of looking after two children at once but thinks it's okay to invite a third?

Yes, this is all about making himself look good. Other mum will tell everyone how wonderful your dh is for taking her ds and enabling her to stay home. Meanwhile as she's not actually there she won't see that it's actually you taking on the extra work.

It also makes it more difficult for you to stand your ground, as I can guarantee your dh will say, "Well in that case, none of us will go". You will then give in so as not to let the other boy's mum down.

He thinks he's being clever but he is very predictable.

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SoftKittyWarmKitty · 16/11/2012 13:18

He's doing it because he can. You let him.

Just take a good book, a flask of tea and sit in the car while the game is on so you can have a rest. He can look after both your kids and the other one he invited without your permission.

Or just don't go.

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TantrumsAndBalloons · 16/11/2012 16:19

But surely it's not about whether he can handle both children?

The op has already said he has done it before.

It seems more that he doesn't want you to be on your own? You can't go shopping without at least one child, you cant stay home alone on your own.

Is he this controlling about everything or does he just not trust you to be on your own?

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JackThePumpkinKing · 16/11/2012 16:23

I think I'd be leaving early on Saturday for a day out with friends or something. Or plan something to do by yourself another time.

Tell him what you're doing (as long as he's not on call) and just go!

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TantrumsAndBalloons · 16/11/2012 16:25

Yes but why does he think you need one of your children to constantly chaperone you, even on a trip to tesco?

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devonsmummy · 16/11/2012 20:09

He's not long been home & said to kids I'm gonna wake you at 7am tomorrow.
Why that early, I ask. What time are you meeting
9.30 his reply - they gaff around so much they need to get up at that time.
Then to dd
Do you want to come to football in the cold tomorrow or stay home with mummy?
Dd says stay at home!
Then 5 minutes later he tells me
Oh my mates coming over tomorrow night / we're off out - ok if he stays?

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TantrumsAndBalloons · 16/11/2012 20:10

I just don't get it.

is he generally controlling?

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