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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH just told me he expects me to miss-out on a work thing and deal with childcare so he can go to the pub.

163 replies

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 21:24

I know this sounds like I'm expecting him to ask permission, but I'm not; quite the opposite in fact. Hear me out. My DH(M39) and me (F38) work for the same company both full time. We have DS (11). Now the company are doing a 'fun day' party type thing at the office in a couple of weeks time. Working at the same company we are obviously both invited. When it was announced a couple of months ago I asked DH if he was going and he grumpily told me it wasn't his sort of thing, so no, he'd stay out the office that day. Fast forward to today, and while I'm cooking dinner, DH gets back from the office and tells me "he can't remember if he mentioned it" (he didn't because it turns out it was only agreed a few hours ago) but after this fun day, some male colleagues and himself are going to the pub. At no time (not even after our row tonight) has he asked me if I'm planning to go to this fun day or show any interest in my plans.

Like a lot of parents, even without the added pub trip there would be the school run to consider if we're both in the office on the same day. So I was super p-off and said "so I guess I'll be doing the school run?" At which point DH picks up my annoyance and starts hypothetically roping in our parents to babysit. I got really annoyed and said that we work at the same place, we have childcare to consider we really need to be talking to each other in the planning stage and not presenting each other with "I'm doing this - it's agreed with everyone except you and the babysitters". DH has a history of presenting me with his plans in this way and if childcare is an issue just assuming the grandparents will step in, without actually checking with them. This fun day thing is a relatively minor issue on its own, but tonight was the straw that broke the camel's back.

DH has called me deranged for being annoyed. He tells me he'll pull out from the pub trip "if it will make me happy" as if he's being the good guy here, instead of the guy who doesn't talk to his wife about any of his plans, assumes others will deal with the childcare and who apparently can't say to his male colleagues 'I'll just check who's doing the school run and get back to you.' DH says that what I'm expecting from him isn't normal. It's not even really about the pub for me, it's about me now not being able to attend a work thing without any discussion - the grandparents won't be able to step in because they don't like to drive in the dark and it will be dark early, and I actually think there is some sort of school concert that evening too, which I've not even bothered reminding him of.

DH routinely presents me with complete 'this is happening' plans that have knock on affects to childcare (not to mention my plans) and I have to either smile, nod and deal with it, or point out some objection and be accused of "stopping him." I'm currently annoyed but remarkably calm. DH has had a complete hissy-fit and says he'll never make plans or go out again and that it's always like this. I am not his mum, I don't want to be presented with his plans for me to grant permission or get in his way, I want DH to be talking to me about his plans as he arranges them, like a grown up who is part of a family unit. I don't event book a hairdressing appointment without checking childcare is covered and it doesn't inconvenience anyone first.

Thank you for reading, that was cathartic. I guess I need to ask, have I got this wrong, AIBU?

OP posts:
babyproblems · 05/11/2024 22:59

FLOWER1982 · 05/11/2024 21:39

It’s not babysitting, it’s called being a dad! 🤔

This. He sounds useless… I’m wondering what good points he has really because these problems’ strikes me as only a symptom of your real problem: you are the main parent, he is just the assistant. You are expected to make sacrifices that he doesn’t want to or feel he should be making. That makes him not really your partner in the true sense. He can’t be arsed to organise his life in advance with you - what a chore! I bet you are doing a million times more things and effort than him in almost all, if not all, aspects of your family life as a unit.

2024onwardsandup · 05/11/2024 22:52

It’s not logistics making it difficulty it’s him.

this should have been a quick conversation where he worked out what he would need to do to so he could go to the pub and whether he could sore that or not

2024onwardsandup · 05/11/2024 22:51

It’s not a great sign that you didn’t expect support for wanting to be treated with respect and as an equal by your husband ❤️

ManhattanPopcorn · 05/11/2024 22:50

It sounds like a fairly ingrained case of male privilege.

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 22:49

Ooo sorry I'll just answer this one before I go. It's logistics that make this difficult we work far away from home when we go to the office. He's not working from home that day any more and didn't tell me this, he's booked-in to work from the office first thing then go to the fun day later, then he will go from the office for drinks locally. I am also booked similar as he said he wasn't going in and I was even hoping to join some after work drinks myself - but was waiting to see if DS was required at the school concert first. I actually don't care about the pub stuff so much as one of us will have to cancel our work plans and he's assumed it will be me without speaking to me.

OP posts:
Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 05/11/2024 22:48

Can he not wfh, pick up ds, drop him at his parents meet you all at the pub. If you want to go to the school concert then you could head back and pick up ds and go to the concert, you could even offer to take the grandparents. If you are happy to miss the concert then pick ds up on the way back from the pub. Of course dh should be able to figure this plan out himself but I will give it to him for free.

MsCactus · 05/11/2024 22:45

If this was my relationship, I would have said "well I'm already going to that so you're on school pickup. If you can sort pickup then you can go - but it's on you to sort it"

WhimsicalGubbins76 · 05/11/2024 22:43

I have nothing to say (about your DH) that you’re going to want to her. None of it is kind.
So I will just say…
NO. You are NOT being unreasonable. Not one iota

SensibleSigma · 05/11/2024 22:42

You’re letting him dictate the emotion and terms of the situation. He’s saying it’s your fault, you won’t let him, you’re unreasonable, and you are responding by being defensive and indeed by taking on the role of ‘woman who has to sort out and pick up after useless arse husband’.

Turn it around. When he announces x, y, z just ask who he’s boned up to babysit. Don’t get emotional and flustered/frustrated. This isn’t your problem to get get up over, it’s his.

Stop joining in his game played by his rules.

StormingNorman · 05/11/2024 22:40

“If you’re not wfh now, Johnny is going to need someone to pick him up from school. Can you call your parents to see if they’ll stay with him until we get home from the pub? Maybe we can leave some money on the side for a pizza so MIL doesn’t need to cook”.

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 22:36

Thank you all for such supportive, validating and practical feedback so far. I'll be honest, the response has been a lot warmer than I was expecting from a Mumsnet audience and it's really helped me trust that I'm not deranged for being miffed. I know it's not a chat board as such but you've all been so lovely I didn't just want to disappear. I will be back in the morning x

OP posts:
sandyhappypeople · 05/11/2024 22:35

Why can't he work from home that day like he planned, do the school run, then when you get back toddle of to the pub to meet up with the colleagues like arranged?

He expressly said he didn't want to go in the day and was working from home that day, so him going off in the evening shouldn't be a problem should it?

You did seem to enter straight into passive aggressive mode, snarking about being the one to pick the kids up, why would you be picking the kids up when you are at the office and he said he was working from home.

ZenNudist · 05/11/2024 22:29

Can he actually get childcare? In which case it's not an issue. Just say I'm going to the fun day which we discussed. Leave him to sort out the school run and looking after ds after school.

cherish123 · 05/11/2024 22:28

I think you can tell.him he can't go. He has DS to look after or find childcare.

ReadingSoManyThreads · 05/11/2024 22:26

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 22:25

Yes I do this a lot but now it's backfired and he's saying I'm a terrible wife for always stopping him doing things. He's not learning, it's still all my fault.

Then divorce him and be free of his selfish, childish ways and enjoy your freedom.

2024onwardsandup · 05/11/2024 22:26

He’s awful. Sorry OP. You sound lovely.

you don’t have to stay with him

ReadingSoManyThreads · 05/11/2024 22:26

Your husband is a selfish, immature, emotionally abusive prick.

You need to stop giving in so easily, none of this "so I guess I'll be doing the school run?" You need to push back, otherwise, he'll continue walking all over you and playing decision maker of the household.

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 22:25

Hoomoon · 05/11/2024 22:12

So this is a recurring issue, and ultimately he always offers (albeit grudgingly and in a huff) to cancel his plans? Suggest you take him up on that - probably only need to do it a couple of times before he starts checking first 🤷‍♀️ Start now: well I'm going to the fun day, as you know, so you are on school pick up duty. I'll leave it with you to figure out the logistics - lmk if there is anything I need to know about. Bye.

Yes I do this a lot but now it's backfired and he's saying I'm a terrible wife for always stopping him doing things. He's not learning, it's still all my fault.

OP posts:
godmum56 · 05/11/2024 22:17

OP has he always been like this and if so what does he bring to the table?

2024onwardsandup · 05/11/2024 22:17

I would say for the next six months your are solely in charge of making sure child care needs are sorted.

you will put definite dates you’ve got something in the calendar but he needs to be aware that something might come up and be ready to cover it

i seriously would do this.

he won’t do it jointly

so if he says no he’s not doing it then he has to say that because you should be doing it

and then the issue becomes very clear and you have some decisions to make about your marriage

Thereislightattheendofthetunnel · 05/11/2024 22:16

Marblesbackagain · 05/11/2024 22:08

Well that will tell you what I've been dealing with today,🤦‍♀️. Trying to write a couple of dozen individual thank yous for my mum's funeral, came on here to clear the head. To be fair she would have got a kick out of that one. 😸

I need coffee. ☕ or is it ⚰️.

I am so sorry for your loss. I just thought it was an interesting choice of words for the autocorrect.
Sending hugs 💐

Freshonebecause · 05/11/2024 22:15

Is there a better way to communicate about these situations? Your partner doesn't like it when you are 'calm' but secretly annoyed when he tells you his plans. It might seem passive aggressive to him, which can be very annoying too.
As lots of people suggest say something like, 'I'm going to that so you'll need to do childcare that day.Yes, I want you to cancel, thanks.' Be direct. If he still puts everything on you, that's a problem then.

Codlingmoths · 05/11/2024 22:13

Do you not have a family calendar? In our world this would go dh: I’m going to the pub. You: you can’t, I’m going to the work thin. I mentioned it, asked if you were interested and you said no, and I put it on the calendar for me. I’m leaving in about an hour. Sorry about your pub plans.

ok I wouldn’t say sorry about your pub plans. You need to set up a calendar and if it’s in the calendar it takes precedence to spontaneous plans unless there is some huge significance to them!

also, when he says do you want me to not go then, why would you say anything but of course I want you to not go, since I need you here parenting our children! How could there be any other answer to that??

Hoomoon · 05/11/2024 22:12

So this is a recurring issue, and ultimately he always offers (albeit grudgingly and in a huff) to cancel his plans? Suggest you take him up on that - probably only need to do it a couple of times before he starts checking first 🤷‍♀️ Start now: well I'm going to the fun day, as you know, so you are on school pick up duty. I'll leave it with you to figure out the logistics - lmk if there is anything I need to know about. Bye.

Marblesbackagain · 05/11/2024 22:12

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 22:09

I'm sorry for your loss. It puts stuff like this into perspective I guess.

Thank you but it did make me smile so genuinely thank you. Now it's coffee, late gym session to bad 90s dance tracks and tomorrow is a new day. Have a good evening.