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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have grabbed phone off DD and shouted at DH

134 replies

GrilledPrawn · 09/10/2024 23:41

Teen DD has had plenty of warning/time/reminders to get homework done.

DH works 6 til 9, does very, very little support with our two children.
I’d already helped DD/DS with assignments. Put DS to bed. DD had started on her last assignment of two. DH arrived home, and I thought he’d help her finish off if needed.

i got ready for bed, but at 10 could still hear her downstairs crying. DH is just watching TV.
I went down to help. She finished and I told her to then go to bed.
She didn’t.

10.30 so now I’m insisting she goes to bed, but she wants to print something off.

I insist that we do it in the morning.
DD refuses, shouts at me - and now DH decides to join in and tries to get the printer working, but it’s not responding. I know I can do the printing from my phone in the morning.
This makes things worse as it’s undermining my stance and now DD is siding with DH.

I shout at them both and insist that DD goes to bed.
She goes - shouting at me.
I then check 15 mins later, and she’s in her room on her phone.

So I take it but need to grab it out her hand as she refuses.
DH then joins in (to undermine me) and I just shout at him to leave it.

DD wants her phone back, but I’m keeping it until sleep and then apologies in the morning.
DH is really pissing me off. He had the chance to help her, but didn’t. And then when he did decide to get involved he just made things worse.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
GrilledPrawn · 13/10/2024 08:00

I work part time. DS is young and has additional needs.

He gets a lots of extra attention and I think DD must feel there is an imbalance.

Yes, I think I overreacted and should have handled it better.

DD has been much better though, in every way - and I do feel that once a boundary is stated, it needs to be enforced. My intention wasn’t to cause harm, it was to ensure that she knew her behaviour was inappropriate and that there would be a consequence.

OP posts:
PuddlesPityParty · 12/10/2024 16:37

BellesAndGraces · 11/10/2024 07:09

Er, OP does work. At least read her posts before jumping to her “poor” DH’s defence.

Missed that but she doesn’t say what she works - probs not the same hours her husband is doing 🤷‍♀️ she didn’t need to escalate the situation either way.

Daisybuttercup12345 · 11/10/2024 21:52

Kittybluecat · 09/10/2024 23:53

You were being controlling over bedtime, the printer and her phone. You kept escalating. You threw a tantrum basically all because DH annoyed you.

This. YOU are the problem.

TicklishMintDuck · 11/10/2024 21:42

Why does she need helping with her homework if she’s a teenager? Let her get on with it.

Didimum · 11/10/2024 15:06

PinkyFlamingo · 11/10/2024 11:21

Completely disagree We all have choices and decisions in life and it can be very helpful thinking back on our previous ones regardless of the outcome.

The OP reaching out for help now, on this issue and for her husband’s faults, is not a time to lay blame on the OP – especially for a one liner rhetorical question.

MabelMora · 11/10/2024 13:42

MartinCrieffsLemon · 11/10/2024 10:16

Grabbing something out of someone's hand IS physical abuse. A teacher would be suspended as minimum for it.

If your husband asked you for something and then grabbed it from your hand would you be so blasé?

Just because there are children going through worse abuse doesn't mean we can't call out minor abuses when they happen!

Don't you think you should be focusing your ire on kids who think they can do whatever the fuck they want?

wwjalme · 11/10/2024 12:07

I think this situation occurred because everyone was overtired and worked up.
There are much deeper problems than this one incident.
I wouldn't have taken the phone off her or made a fuss about bedtime. I would have left them dealing with the printer and she would have to face the consequences of being tired the next day.
How old is she OP? I might have missed where you said this. Difference between a 13 year old teen and a 17 year old.

Anyway, it sounds like your DH isn't pulling his weight at home. I can understand how this is arisen if he is working from 6 am to 9 pm. He must be exhausted. But what is the reason for doing this? Is it because he has to work those hours to bring in enough money to support the family or is it because he has checked out of family life and it's just an excuse because he'd rather be working than doing household tasks and spending time with the family?
If it's for financial reasons could you work more to bring in more money or could he change his job?

The situation is not sustainable.

As far as the homework goes, when you and DD are feeling calmer I think you should have a chat together about better planning of the homework, ie. not leaving it until the last minute; making sure things are printed out in good time (printers are a pain in the arse for not working at that moment when you say "oh, I'll just print this out quickly before I go to bed").
Can she start homework straight after school for example or after a short break? Did she start it very late or was it just too much?
Help her to organize her time better and then let her get on with it. She now knows what happens if she doesn't organize herself properly - everyone ends up getting overwhelmed and in tears.
Is she struggling at school and needs extra help?

Lots of questions really which you can talk to her about.

BellesAndGraces · 11/10/2024 11:45

I can’t be bothered to engage with posters with a fixed agenda but, in case you were worried OP, you were not physically abusing your teenager by grabbing her phone from her hands.

Imbusytodaysorry · 11/10/2024 11:28

GrilledPrawn · 10/10/2024 00:05

What prompted me to intervene was DD sobbing downstairs. I initially calmed her down so she could finish her homework and helped her.

On a school night, I don’t think she should still be up at 11, and it was getting later and later.

And I think DH working those hours daily is ridiculous, but he won’t organise/change roles or do anything about it.

I work too, plus all housework/mental load.

Weekend, nothing is organised unless I do it. Otherwise he’s on his phone/watching TV.

You have decisions to make then.
Clearly he matters and not family .

PinkyFlamingo · 11/10/2024 11:21

Didimum · 10/10/2024 08:12

One Time Machine, please.

Comments like these are always so pointless.

Completely disagree We all have choices and decisions in life and it can be very helpful thinking back on our previous ones regardless of the outcome.

MartinCrieffsLemon · 11/10/2024 11:14

TheCoralDog · 11/10/2024 11:02

Taking your phone off your screamy teen in the middle of the night because you are trying to make sure they sleep well is not abuse.
Parents and teachers are not the same. Teens will hand their phone over to a teacher. They won't always do their parents the same courtesy.

Grabbing it from their hands is physical. It never said she was screaming. And we don't know how old she even is, taking it from a 13 Yr old is very different to a 16 Yr old for example. A 16 year old can make decisions for themselves.
If you think pupils are politer to teachers, they aren't...

Dishwashersaurous · 11/10/2024 11:10

But I also can't imagine a world where a parent knowingly ignores their sobbing child.

That is the bit you need to tackle with your husband. Why did he ignore his child?

Dishwashersaurous · 11/10/2024 11:08

If she's finding homework this hard, then the best thing is to encourage her to attend the homework drop in sessions that most schools run at lunchtime

Dishwashersaurous · 11/10/2024 11:06

Why does a teenager need you to supervise and your permission to print her homework?

Surely you should be creating an environment where she does the homework and can do it.

But it shouldn't require micromanagement.

Why was she sobbing over homework? That's clearly really disturbing and needs tackling

TheCoralDog · 11/10/2024 11:02

MartinCrieffsLemon · 11/10/2024 10:03

I don't expect parents to resort to physical abuse...

Taking your phone off your screamy teen in the middle of the night because you are trying to make sure they sleep well is not abuse.
Parents and teachers are not the same. Teens will hand their phone over to a teacher. They won't always do their parents the same courtesy.

arethereanyleftatall · 11/10/2024 10:59

But, I am very happy for you @ThreeLocusts, that you worked that out. From these boards, it's clear that many many people do not, and simply follow the example set.

arethereanyleftatall · 11/10/2024 10:58

Of course I'm cross at the husband too @ThreeLocusts, he's completely useless. But the op is the only one who can do anything about it.

ThreeLocusts · 11/10/2024 10:41

OP sometimes it seems that the first answer in a thread sets the tone, and not always the right one. Of course you weren't being controlling by wanting your teen to sleep at 10:30 on a school night.

That said, shouting doesn't help, but I think you know that. Try to disengage a bit, emotionally and where possible practically ( for example, cut corners with cooking), and consider all your options: separating when possible or reshuffling the burdens with H. Can't think of any others, sorry.

ThreeLocusts · 11/10/2024 10:33

arethereanyleftatall · 11/10/2024 09:31

Just because lots of families are like this and the mothers miserable @VictoriaSpungecake, doesn't make it right.

It makes me a bit cross tbh. Because all the mothers who just put up with this shit from their husbands, are teaching their children that men are superior to women, can do what they like, and that the grunt work is women's work.

And then their kids set off in to the world to continue the cycle.

FFS. Victim blaming much? I don't think you have much of an idea how complex it can be to get out of such a situation. Try being cross at the husbands, perhaps?

And fyi, I grew up in a household of this type snd it did not teach me that 'men are superior'. To the contrary.

MarvellousMrsMouse01 · 11/10/2024 10:17

I've voted YANBU because I think you are overwhelmed and reacted in the only way an exhausted person can. But this is not sustainable. DH works long hours, yes, but this does not mean he gets to dump everything else on you, especially kids wellbeing. I think you both need to sit down and make a week plan of who is doing what and when, as well as bedtime and homework rules (etc) for the kids, then he can also be held accountable accordingly.

MartinCrieffsLemon · 11/10/2024 10:16

BellesAndGraces · 11/10/2024 10:08

How dare you minimise the abuse that many children face by equating a parent grabbing a phone out of the hands of a belligerent teenager with physical abuse. All for the sake of point scoring on Mumsnet. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

As you clearly need it, here is a link to the NSPCC page on identifying physical child abuse: www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/physical-abuse/

Grabbing something out of someone's hand IS physical abuse. A teacher would be suspended as minimum for it.

If your husband asked you for something and then grabbed it from your hand would you be so blasé?

Just because there are children going through worse abuse doesn't mean we can't call out minor abuses when they happen!

BellesAndGraces · 11/10/2024 10:08

MartinCrieffsLemon · 11/10/2024 10:03

I don't expect parents to resort to physical abuse...

How dare you minimise the abuse that many children face by equating a parent grabbing a phone out of the hands of a belligerent teenager with physical abuse. All for the sake of point scoring on Mumsnet. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

As you clearly need it, here is a link to the NSPCC page on identifying physical child abuse: www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/physical-abuse/

MartinCrieffsLemon · 11/10/2024 10:03

BellesAndGraces · 11/10/2024 07:38

No, because I don’t expect teachers to parent.

I don't expect parents to resort to physical abuse...

MartinCrieffsLemon · 11/10/2024 10:03

PennyCrayon1 · 11/10/2024 07:34

Yeah because that’s the same.

It is though

It's an adult in authority who has told a child to do something and they haven't so they resort to physical actions

It's not ok to physically assault a child just because you're the parent

marmadukedoggo · 11/10/2024 09:34

Don't hand the homework in. The world will not end. She will either be in trouble at school, or, hopefully, they will realise she is struggling with this section of work and offer extra help. One of my boys was not going well with high level maths in senior school. A lovely teacher said. I will be here in this room from 8am Tuesdays and Thursdays if anyone wants any help. My DS turned up to all of them. He is now, after graduating from a top uni in a commerce degree, an economic adviser to the government!!! One good teacher can turn things around. The school won't kow if you do the work for them though.
Printers are the bane of everybody's life. They are either out of ink or not working or not transmitting. Hopefully soon everything can be emailed.
In the meantime just buy another printer ( they are cheaper than the ink) and put it in your DD's room linked only to her computer..
Good luck

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