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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:
mathanxiety · 05/11/2024 22:09

Absolutely tell him you are stopping him.

Let him sulk.

Do it the next time and the time after that too. He needs to be taught that you are not going to put up with his high handedness.

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 22:09

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

OP posts:
Summerishere123 · 05/11/2024 22:09

Well if he isn't interested in the fun day, can't he do the school run whilst you do the fun day and then meet you at work to swap so you can go home and he can do the pub?

Marblesbackagain · 05/11/2024 22:08

Thereislightattheendofthetunnel · 05/11/2024 22:05

By funeral day your autocorrect meant fun day 😉

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 ⚰️.

Tiswa · 05/11/2024 22:08

A light breezy yes it will make me happy for you to stay at home thank you I will be going in that day - job done

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 22:07

Thereislightattheendofthetunnel · 05/11/2024 22:05

By funeral day your autocorrect meant fun day 😉

Made me laugh though, so thanks.

OP posts:
strawberryblue · 05/11/2024 22:07

There are lots of digital calendar apps that you can both share and can be on your phones and he can reference before making plans x

Tiswa · 05/11/2024 22:07

Alalalala · 05/11/2024 22:04

Agree that he needs to cancel and you go to the event. Let him sulk and be a martyr about it and breezily ignore his shit.

This push back and say yes I think you do need go say no to the pub and I will go to this event otherwise all it is is him wearing you down

Thereislightattheendofthetunnel · 05/11/2024 22:05

Marblesbackagain · 05/11/2024 21:27

He is acting like a complete selfish twit. He knew the plan but he conveniently forgets. Go to your funeral day/evening and tell him it is up to him to sort everything including school concert etc.

Stop being the default parent.

By funeral day your autocorrect meant fun day 😉

Alalalala · 05/11/2024 22:04

Agree that he needs to cancel and you go to the event. Let him sulk and be a martyr about it and breezily ignore his shit.

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 22:02

Phase2 · 05/11/2024 21:51

Yeah I think you should have been clear you were going tbh.

Sure that's true but it's worth pointing out that I would still have been at work either way. He was the one who told me he was planning to work from home that day and not go into the office. The arrangement is the one that works from home does the school run during a late lunch break. DS is in a school miles away in the countryside (thanks to the local authority) it's too far and unsafe to walk or cycle. There is an unreliable public bus every hour and we haven't paid £1k per year for the school bus because I've yet to win big on the lottery

OP posts:
Everydayimhuffling · 05/11/2024 22:00

Stand your ground, OP! Don't let him huff you into letting him change the plan. It will never change unless you make it his issue to deal with.

I agree about the calendar (and if he can send a message then he can check a Google calendar, even if you have to set it up), but it also has to be enforced. A friend of mine has the calendar all set up, but she just fixes it for her DH when he hasn't put something in the calendar. He's never become good at the calendar because he doesn't have to. My DP, on the other hand, puts stuff in the calendar because if it's not there then it's his problem to fix.

Spirallingdownwards · 05/11/2024 21:52

Instead of saying I guess I'm doing the school run you simply should have said don't forget you will need to arrange to get someone to do the school run as I am at the work do

Spacecowboys · 05/11/2024 21:52

If he makes plans when he knows you already have, he sorts out the childcare himself. Tell him it’s nothing to do with you as you’d already made him aware of your plans weeks ago. His problem to solve.

Backfromswimming · 05/11/2024 21:52

Exactly @BabyMama889! Mine tried to give me all the responsibility and argued, but I learned to bat back.

Phase2 · 05/11/2024 21:51

Yeah I think you should have been clear you were going tbh.

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 21:50

JustMarriedBecca · 05/11/2024 21:46

Then he needs to learn to say "I'll check the dates and let you know" to his mates rather than commit.

My husband will message me to check the calendar if I'm at home and he isn't. It's called communicating.

(Yes we could do an online calendar but I like a paper version)

He doesn't like technology. I mean he knows how to message me and I've pointed that out. He does fall back on being a tech-neanderthal when it suits.

OP posts:
Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 21:48

NeighbourHitMyCar · 05/11/2024 21:37

Forgive me OP if I've misunderstood but it reads to me like you also never told him you wanted to go to the office fun party thing?

So presumably he didn't know he was due to be babysitting as you say he 'didn't ask if you wanted to go to the fun thing' which suggests you hadn't told him

He sounds like a bit of an arse but perhaps communication all around could be better?

Sorry if I've misunderstood

That's a fair point. No I didn't expressly say I was going in but we talked about it like I was. He joked about me baking a cake for it when he initially said he wasn't going. He seems to assume I was going too, because he tried to make it okay by saying "it'll be over early anyway it always is" to reassure me I could still do the school run and not really miss anything - well except a trip to the pub which incidentally he never thought to invite me to.

OP posts:
JustMarriedBecca · 05/11/2024 21:46

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 21:41

We have tried this but this he'll be out and make plans (without seeing the calendar) then come back and assume it will be okay because it'll be worked out (by everyone except him.) If I push it he'll have a big huff and begrudgingly offer to change plans but my argument is, why not just run it past us first to check like I do. He makes it sound like expecting that from him is so unfair.

Then he needs to learn to say "I'll check the dates and let you know" to his mates rather than commit.

My husband will message me to check the calendar if I'm at home and he isn't. It's called communicating.

(Yes we could do an online calendar but I like a paper version)

Dishwashersaurous · 05/11/2024 21:46

God he sounds really annoying and ridiculous.

But for a one off could your child simply get himself home, at 11 either year 6 or 7 so able to look after himself for a bit.

So you can then do the fun day

BabyMama889 · 05/11/2024 21:44

Backfromswimming · 05/11/2024 21:42

He tells me he'll pull out from the pub trip "if it will make me happy"

Rather than let him guilt trip, I’d smile and say it very much would make me happy, that I was glad he was seeing sense and being considerate.
Don’t give it another thought and feign disinterest if he mentions it in future.

This. I have done this to my DH in the past. He will huff but will learn. If he acts like a child, treat him like one.

Backfromswimming · 05/11/2024 21:42

He tells me he'll pull out from the pub trip "if it will make me happy"

Rather than let him guilt trip, I’d smile and say it very much would make me happy, that I was glad he was seeing sense and being considerate.
Don’t give it another thought and feign disinterest if he mentions it in future.

levantine · 05/11/2024 21:42

Sorry, x post, I see you have tried this

levantine · 05/11/2024 21:42

We have a joint google calendar. If a date is agreed for my running club before DH's band practice then that's how it goes. Obviously there is room for negotiation, but we both recognise that it needs to be fair.

My marriage isn't perfect by any means, but this does work. Your husband is really not being fair here.

Poppyfie1ds · 05/11/2024 21:41

PullTheBricksDown · 05/11/2024 21:37

Yes, from now on everything goes on the calendar for both of you, first come first served. If not on the calendar it isn't happening.

We have tried this but this he'll be out and make plans (without seeing the calendar) then come back and assume it will be okay because it'll be worked out (by everyone except him.) If I push it he'll have a big huff and begrudgingly offer to change plans but my argument is, why not just run it past us first to check like I do. He makes it sound like expecting that from him is so unfair.

OP posts: