Is this normal or am I a mug?

Sorry, I feel YABU. If you are on the family group chat then he is replying to you (along with the rest of the group). I wouldn't feel like I needed to specifically reply to photos sent outside the group chat in that situation. Maybe there are more issues in your relationship, but getting upset about this makes no sense to me.

I expect he's looking forward to a proper chinwag with you when he gets back, I wouldn't worry.

You sound like me! I get annoyed by stupid stuff like that and i'll admit its very childish.

In my experience its because the messages i send my DH dont really need to be answered, whereas the family group it'll be noticed if he doesnt respond.

He's not doing it on purpose.

The issue with this is your feelings towards it. It sounds to this outsider as though you're already unhappy - maybe with him not attending the niece's event, or not paying you enough attention, maybe other subleties that we don't have access to.

I've recently been in a situation where the relationship dynamics were ambiguous and I became overly sensitive as to how often the other messaged or phoned. It wasn't healthy, and the problem was my need for validation.

FWIW, I don't think he's been out of order. He knows you'll have seen the family WhatsApps. If he normally wishes you goodnight when he's away, and doesn't or breaks other routines then have a chat about it when he's home.

I think it was rude of him to not send a quick text. Did he eventually reply or explain why he didn’t @jumpingjaque?

If your messages were along the lines of the messages and videos etc posted on the family group chat, I don't see why he would have needed to reply to those too? He's on a holiday abroad, he's taken the time and trouble to add his opinions to the group chat about what's happening at home, as his DN's 18th is quite an occasion. Very polite and thoughtful of him. If your messages were totally different, like "I didn't go to DN's party because DS started puking and DD is fainting continually, hope you're having a good trip" then I'd be annoyed at getting no replies to that. But more photos of DN dancing with Grandad and video of her blowing out all the cake candles don't really need a response from someone away on holiday, when he's already responded on the group chat where everyone can see his replies. And I don't see why he should be grateful to you for going, unless his family are hard work.

Yeah it’s rude of him. Is there some reason why he’d be ignoring you - is he annoyed you went to the party or something? But yes if the shoe was on the other foot I’d be super grateful and would most definitely reply to messages.

It sounds as if you’re expecting him to send you a short message thanking you for going in his absence. What was the discussion regarding arrangements and did he ask you to attend or would you have gone anyway? In any case, perhaps when he comes home you could mention a note of appreciation wouldn’t have gone amiss. He’s probably thinking nothing of it, having contributed to the group chat though.

OP, I think your DH is rude to not at least send a quick reply to your messages. I don’t know why you’re getting a hard time on here!

I don’t think the op has an issue with him being away, why should she. The issue is he’s not having so much fun that he’s not got time to reply to the family but can’t send his other half a quick reply. My dh wouldn’t ever ignore me because he’s not a dick. Just because he’s away doesn’t mean he’s lost the use of his fingers for a quick, great photos hope you had a nice time sort of thing.

Was it a big effort to make to go to the 18th or just involved child care? Is it because it's his family and not yours?

How would you describe the 'sort of man' who goes on stage does. Would he have to be a bad husband, bad father, bad in any way?

Could that be because he knows you won't be taking it the wrong way?

How rude. I'm sure lots of us don't expect a partner who's on a short break away to be in contact through multiple different chats. He's in contact. She went to a party through choice.

Have you specifically asked him a question and he is ignoring you or did you just upload pictures and a video with nothing else? Could he feel he is addressing everyone on the group WhatsApp so he doesn’t need to contact you individually, especially if you didn’t ask him a direct question?

Given your ages, I’m going to assume you’ve been together long enough for him to know you well enough to know you want a reply and will see this as rude behaviour so on that basis I’m going to say that YANBU.

Slightly different take.

DH niece, is MY niece? She was born in our case after we were married. The nephew who was not is still OUR nephew.

why is she just his niece.

re the messages it’s impossible to say.

if it’s a case of photos on the group chat, oh lovely. Happy birthday.
Are you really saying you would like exactly that on the same photos you have sent? That makes no sense.

unless there is a back story, clearly you are aunty, you were there, I don’t see why he would thank you for that.

general messaging about life etc, yes absolutely. But the photos. I don’t follow?

It is weird OP

These are the same people who skim your emails, or only read the first and last sentence, and then send a reply that addresses none of the issues in your message, even though you deliberately wrote it in a way that you thought would make it idiot-proof. 🤬

I think that he feels as if he has responded to you on the group chat. Or do you think he's having an affair/picking up girls and therefore is not comfortable responding directly to you? And why did you not just text him to say that he's rude not responding?

Well aren’t you the perfect little wifey.

If he's replying to others but not you, I might find that annoying, but if everything else is going fine between you, I'd think maybe there's an honest, reasonable explanation. Maybe he felt more obliged to answer their messages, whereas things might be more casual with your long-term partner, because you tend to talk to them a lot more than anyone else. If you've had a disagreement recently and it feels like he's intentionally ignoring you to make a statement, that's entirely different.

However, I don't know if he owes you more attention or appreciation simply because you're meeting up with his family while he's away. Personally, I wouldn't have done that unless I wanted to, just as I wouldn't expect DH to spend time with my family without me unless he genuinely felt like it.

Wouldn’t read anything into it. He’s replied to the family chat which you are included in.

To be frank, given you’ve just come running to MN about the whole thing, he’s probably afraid of getting sucked into a conversation with you that takes up the whole of his weekend away.

You sound very needy, OP.

Other PPs: a "boys' weekend" could be a hike in the woods or a classic car rally or riding around on a heritage railway. Middle-aged men are allowed to have friends and hobbies!

I'm sure he'll bring you a nice present back from his trip, like some chocolates from the airport, or Chlamydia

Amen