DH going to the gym on Christmas Day!

How is the gym open? Even Pure Gym is shut. It's taking the piss if you are wrangling young children alone.

Your Christmas Day must be very different to mine if you don’t miss your DH for 1.5+ hours on Christmas morning with young DC. Do you not host? When do you get to the gym?

A 20min home workout would be more than adequate to keep him ticking over and get the endorphins going. Gym every day is unnecessary, quality over quantity.

If there was no DC or family I’d not see an issue but in this case I think he should be at home.

I feel sorry for the staff who work in the gym.

I think this is only ok if he's thinking about when it has least impact on you & the toddler. Eg perhaps he's planning to be up v early while you all sleep in and barely know he's not there?

If he's planning on fucking off to the gym mid morning & dodging playing with his child/helping to cook, no way.

Just checked out of interest for all those incredulous that a gym could possibly be open and our local 24/7 gym is indeed open 24 hours a day over Christmas, but it’s not staffed on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

takes his present over to the other woman

Perhaps the OP should frisk him before he's allowed out. 🙄

What, whilst takes his present over to the other woman ?
Check the gym is actually open OP
If it is and we’re giving him the benefit of the doubt then it’s no worse than men that used to bugger off to the pub for a few hours

No this wouldn't bother me, and I agree with the person who said they would actually prefer it so it's one less person getting in the way.
As long as he wasn't going out when dinner was about to be served or when the toddler was going to open their presents then I think it's fine for him to go. Especially because you have your parents there. If he had been leaving you and the toddler alone on Christmas day then I would say he was being unreasonable leaving you to entertain the child and prep food, but as you have help the grandparents can surely spend time with their grandchild while you get things sorted. I see it as a positive.

If my gym was opening on Christmas day I'd be there too. Routine is important to some people. As long as he's not there all day I don't see the problem.

I think it depends on the timing … if it’s first thing in the morning when no-one else is up or doing anything then fine! Especially if Thursday is normally a workout day, it can be hard to stay in routine over Christmas - the people who are asking if can’t he “miss a day” just don’t get it. It’s like anything you do daily - it’s weird when you don’t do it.

I’m planning to go for a run Christmas Day, won’t make any dent in the calories consumed (might offset a mince pie at best) but it’s about maintaining/improving cardio fitness and good habits.

You think he's breaking into the gym?

There will be literally thousands of people running parkrun on Christmas day. What's the difference

I’m confused about the need to ‘entertain / host’ the OP’s parents. I also have a toddler and he is more than enough entertainment for my parents when they visit. I could leave the house and I’m not sure they’d notice.

As for the exercise we’ll all be going to Parkrun on Christmas Day unless the weather’s really foul, in which case DH and I will rock, paper, scissors and one of us will stay home with the little one while the other goes to join friends and run.

Anyway I haven’t voted because without more information from the OP about their day overall it’s impossible to say if she’s being unreasonable or not.

entertains the olds

If she has a 19 month old it's entirely likely that her parents aren't exactly geriatric or in need of being actively entertained.

I also think we give too many fucks though. I would be taking that time if DH took it. I'm way past caring what my ILs think. I also don't put pressure on myself any more to make Christmas super special. We have ND DC and they often find Christmas overwhelming, they're done with it by Christmas Eve.

The pressure women put on ourselves is crackers. I'm no Christmas martyr, if the men get to go take some space, then damn straight so will I. It won't be given, it has to be taken by force, I'm afraid.

Exercise is extremely necessary to some people for their mental health and the pressure of Christmas can make it vital. I run every day so I’ll be going for a run on Christmas Day but kids are all adults. I do try to go before everyone is up but will wait until it at least starts to get light as I don’t like running in the dark. I’ll struggle with the amount of socialising and chaos and even having had a run in the am will still have to take myself off for a bit at some point later in the day too. This would be the ideal time for my run but not a chance I’ll be able to with a belly full of Christmas dinner

I think given you only have 1 young chicks who won’t notice he is gone and your parents are there, it’s ok. I always try and go out for a run on Christmas morning because I enjoy it but also I enjoy the food more vs being sat on my arse all morning.

It depends what else he’s doing to help out tbh
Your parents are there

My DH will possibly cycle on Christmas morning.
i don’t have a problem with that

Choose your battles!

Get as much prep done on Christmas Eve.

Give him permission to go, Enjoy the time with your parents and child.

when he returns and showers, he will be in a great mood for you all to enjoy the rest of the day.

I’d likely go running if I didn’t have DC but I don’t because the day should be spent with them. There are finite Christmases with your children when young, especially where they believe in the magic. I think he could afford to give it a break for one day to chill with his family.

Nevermind mumsnet!

what does the Baby Jesus think about it?

I would too if mine was open. Instead im going out on my bike while dh cooks the food and meeting my friend at lunchtime for a drink in the pub while we are on our dog walk. Its become me and my friends thing over the last few years since she got her dog.

I wouldnt have done it when the kids were young though.. I liked playing with them.and their new toys.. The day was for them.
I think there are so many 'depends' points to ops scenario.

JoannaTheYodelingCowgirl
*Are gyms even open on christmas day??
Also Which poor souls will be working on Cristmas Day to keep a gym open?

A few gyms in my area are open. Not everyone's religion celebrates Christmas where I live so they are not necessarily poor souls. Some of the gyms are 24 hrs open and you let yourself in

God this thread has it all.

"Are you SURE that's where he is" because there's absolutely no situation in life that doesn't indicate that a man is cheating.

The "faaaaaamily time" crowd who need to be stuck to their partners 24/7 otherwise the Christmas magic is lost or something. Do you go to the bathroom with each other too?

The health and safety crew who seem to think that the miniscule risk of falling off a treadmill and breaking your neck is actually a near certainty.

The "a woman would never be allowed to do that!" squad who are conveniently ignoring the many women on this very thread who have said they go to the gym or for a run or for a cycle on Xmas Day.

Of which I'm one - DP and I used to play tennis every Xmas morning but our local courts now are closed so I go for a run and he goes for a bike ride. It sets us up perfectly for a day of over-consumption.

Let him enjoy it as long as he is pulling his weight otherwise.

I have friends with kids who’ve always gone for runs or lake swims Christmas morning after presents no matter who was in the house (as in visitors)- I’m actually sure I did when the kids were babies too (I’m a mum of 4), was great to put me in a good state of mind for the madness!! Dh has also gone off running or swimming once or twice when we lived near the local running track (rural now do we’re both trapped lol!) - I think the difference is though if you don’t want him to and feel you need to have him there- then I think he should be there