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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think that dh should read to ds at bedtime after not seeing him all day?

60 replies

justamum · 11/05/2007 20:33

DH leaves the house at 6.45 and often doesn't get back until 7pm so he barely gets to see the children. When he gets home they are usually bathed and ready for bed so all I want him to do in that last half hour before bed is spend a little time with them. He does usually give dd her bottle but this is a fairly passive excercise as she is 13mnths and quite capable of doing that for herself, but I do feel that he ought to show a bit more enthusiasm for spending 10-15 minutes of quality time with ds. I know dh is tired but ds goes to bed really well after a couple of short stories and he does love it so much that it is rewarding to make the effort.
I just don't get why you would not want to make that effort for your children when you only see them for such a short amount of time. He also has the gall to be upset when ds says he doesn't want daddy to take him to bed when I know this is because he has refused to read on past occasions. I am quite hurt on ds's behalf over this.
Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
Adorabelle · 11/05/2007 21:12

I'm a full time mummy & dh is doing a full
time degree course in Biology.

At the mo he's doing exams & also having to
submit a Phd proposal but when he gets home in the evening I fully expect him to spend
time with our dd & to read her a bedtime story.

He has time for all our mad pets (chemeleons, dart frogs, geko's etc) so he can spend at least an hour with our lo when he's home.

moondog · 11/05/2007 20:53

I'm fucking knackered when i get in from my f/t job,MSc and p/t business to my two children who I raise mostly alone 9dh abroad) I still read to them though.Every damned night.As does dh when home.
Tired??
Is he too tired to watch tv???

southeastastra · 11/05/2007 20:49

mine isn't in until they're in bed all week, but on the rare occasion he has been in time my son would take about three times longer to settle so it's easier for me to do it iykwim.

on the weekends he reads and puts him to bed and it's lovely for me not to do it

glassslipper · 11/05/2007 20:48

yanbu but in his defence he is probably just knackered

moondog · 11/05/2007 20:47

I would go off my dh soooo bloody fast if he didn't want to do things with his children.

foxinsocks · 11/05/2007 20:47

mm I dunno, I found that first 30 mins after walking in the door from work quite frantic tbh.

Also, perhaps he feels hurt by ds not wanting to have him take ds to bed therefore doesn't want to read (which I know is irrational but if you're tired and have just got in...).

Could he do the bedtime stories on Sat and Sun night this weekend to build up ds getting used to him doing it and then perhaps dh will feel happier doing it on Monday?

MaPickle · 11/05/2007 20:44

I do not think you are BU at all! DH works nights and practically snatches the baby off me when I we get up cos he doesn't get very long with him

hertsnessex · 11/05/2007 20:43

i think he should do it aswell. what are his resons for not wanting too?

cx

hippmummy · 11/05/2007 20:42

you are not being unreasonable.
Why doesn't he want to? It's a lovely time of the evening and your DS will really feel like it's his time with daddy.
So many dads get in after their children are already asleep and never get the chance to do this.
Your DH should be jumping at the opportunity!

FrayedKnot · 11/05/2007 20:38

DH leaves the house at 7.15 and gets back sometimes between 6 & 6.30 usually.

he always does DS' bath even though ds really plays up because, I suspect, he hasn;t seen DH all day and gets a bit oevrexcited about it, and he's tired.

I would consider DH unreasonable if he didn;t eitehr do bath or stories, yes, and if it wer me I would want to do it, definitely.

YANBU imo.