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AIBU?

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AIBU to have ditched my family on holiday walk

256 replies

Mounjaroday · 19/02/2026 16:55

On holiday and we’d just started our annual coastal walk. We have to navigate over a very squelchy muddy bit, one at a time. DH goes first, then strides off ahead at pace. As usual. Then the kids leap over, and run off to keep up with him. I’m suddenly left trailing behind at the back yet again, and it’s absolutely maddening.

“Wait up” was met with a rather cross “well keep up then” nonsense from DH. He doesn’t wait for me and they keep going - DH striding away, and the kids trotting along - and they don’t even bother looking where I am. They are easily 20m in front at this point.

So this time, I stopped, turned around and ditched the whole lot of them. Went for a mooch around the lovely gift and antique shops in the local town. Then grabbed a coffee and read some of my book. 2 hours all by myself. It was absolutely fabulous.

Was I unreasonable? They’re all salty about how I’d “left them”.

OP posts:
fetchacloth · 19/02/2026 20:33

Sod that, I would've stopped for a coffee.

Slightyamusedandsilly · 19/02/2026 20:33

Mounjaroday · 19/02/2026 17:42

It was just that the DH went over the muddy bit first, then the kids, then me at the back. DH strode off very quickly, then the kids ran to catch up. I’d actually lent my walking shoes to one of the kids, so I was a bit slower / more careful over the slippy mud. By the time I was clear, they had all buggered off. The DH got cross that I asked them to wait up.

Overweight or not, I don’t see why I should run after my DH!

She can't win, can she @Aluna? If she's fat and lazy she's irresponsible, if she's fat and exercising with her family, she's holding them back.

Which is preferable?

TheBlueKoala · 19/02/2026 20:31

Well done @Mounjaroday !!!
I wouldn't go on walks with them anymore tbh. But..I don't do long walks with people who walk slowly because I find it stressful to not walk fastly. Strolling in a city is different.

99bottlesofkombucha · 19/02/2026 20:26

Flamingojune · 19/02/2026 16:57

Surely they would have stopped eventually, it is a bit petulant to abandon them

I don’t see where petulant comes into it. Her husband explicitly said they weren’t going to bother waiting for her and if she wanted to come she’d have to jog- there’s no other way to make up the distance with a taller man. She didn’t go out for a jog and it is entirely reasonable to decide not to chase them.

everypageisempty · 19/02/2026 20:26

Mounjaroday · 19/02/2026 17:42

It was just that the DH went over the muddy bit first, then the kids, then me at the back. DH strode off very quickly, then the kids ran to catch up. I’d actually lent my walking shoes to one of the kids, so I was a bit slower / more careful over the slippy mud. By the time I was clear, they had all buggered off. The DH got cross that I asked them to wait up.

Overweight or not, I don’t see why I should run after my DH!

Your DH is a dick

My DH is considerably taller than me, my teens are faster and long-legged, and I have bad knees. No one would leave me behind.

Harrietsaunt · 19/02/2026 20:25

YANBU.

Tell them you don’t regret a thing and you would do it again!

Woodfiresareamazing · 19/02/2026 20:24

Prancingpickle · 19/02/2026 19:46

Except DC were all waking at Dad's pace! So there was no making sure the kids had navigated obstacles!

No they weren't.
Dh went over the muddy bit first, and immediately walked on at a fast pace.
Kids went over it next, and trotted after him to try to catch up.
Mum went through it last, in unsuitable footwear because she'd lent her walking boots to a DC, so was a bit slower.
She asked H to wait up, he told her sharply to "keep up then" - very rude. Did he expect her to run up the hill?!
I'd have done just what OP did.

feelingfree17 · 19/02/2026 20:24

Good for you. So pleased you had good alone time. Maybe they will be more considerate next time. Is this really the lesson DH wants to teach his sons?

grumpygrape · 19/02/2026 20:23

ClaireEclair · 19/02/2026 20:06

You’re unreasonable for saying “wait up”.

Genuine question, why?

wordler · 19/02/2026 20:23

Aluna · 19/02/2026 17:35

I guess I don’t quite understand why your kids can keep up with DH but not you. Is your username a clue are you a bit overweight?

I can see it from both sides. It’s annoying having to walk slowly but it’s annoying not being able to keep up with someone marching ahead.

You can be an ideal weight but if you are shorter than your DH you can't always match their walking pace. OP shouldn't have to run the whole walk - it's not a walk then. Kids running about is normal and fun. A woman having to trot beside her DH just to keep up is not fun.

Rightsraptor · 19/02/2026 20:22

Well done, OP. You did exactly right.

Try measuring your stride and your DH's stride and see how much longer his is (you say he's a foot taller than you) and, being male, his femurs are at a different and more 'movement-friendly' angle than your female ones. This striding ahead & travelling faster is easier for him and he really doesn't appreciate it because he doesn't know it.

Everybody walks faster than me, when I joined a walking group they'd wait for me to catch up (so they got a bit of a rest at that point) and, as soon as I joined them they'd be off again so no rest for me. I gave up and left the group. It wasn't a problem as I didn't know these people and it wasn't important to me, but this is your family and you're stuck with them (not that I'm suggesting you want otherwise) so best to sort it out now.

Mikehunt2018 · 19/02/2026 20:22

Fuck 'em. I have done the same. Peri-menopause has caused me to no longer give any shits. I have little fat legs - deal with it.

Melarus · 19/02/2026 20:20

My DS ditched us all once on a country walk, as an early teen.

That was the last country walk we ever took as a family

ProudPearl · 19/02/2026 20:17

Aluna · 19/02/2026 17:35

I guess I don’t quite understand why your kids can keep up with DH but not you. Is your username a clue are you a bit overweight?

I can see it from both sides. It’s annoying having to walk slowly but it’s annoying not being able to keep up with someone marching ahead.

God yes it's so terribly annoying having to wait for fatties to keep up! 🙄

Get a grip. @Aluna

Woodfiresareamazing · 19/02/2026 20:14

Mounjaroday · 19/02/2026 17:42

It was just that the DH went over the muddy bit first, then the kids, then me at the back. DH strode off very quickly, then the kids ran to catch up. I’d actually lent my walking shoes to one of the kids, so I was a bit slower / more careful over the slippy mud. By the time I was clear, they had all buggered off. The DH got cross that I asked them to wait up.

Overweight or not, I don’t see why I should run after my DH!

You should have gone through the muddy bit first, then the kids, then your H.
And of course you should all walk pretty much together, or what's the point?!
He was an arse to not wait until you'd got through the muddy bit - what if you'd needed some help?

BigGra · 19/02/2026 20:11

Took me 20 years to cop that I didn’t have to trot alongside DP in a semi jog to keep up with him.
Few years back when he was doing his usual speed walk through the airport I left him to it, had a mooch around duty free then went to a bar for a glass of wine and sent him a text telling him where I was. He came back 10 mins later with a face like a slapped arse because he had to trek back.
if DP speeds off, I no longer chase him, I give him a see ya later nod and he generally stops and comes back to me like a lost puppy.

Pineapplewaves · 19/02/2026 20:08

I would have done the same

ClaireEclair · 19/02/2026 20:06

You’re unreasonable for saying “wait up”.

ThisZanyPinkSquid · 19/02/2026 20:03

Absolute hero 👏😂

Thesnailonthewhale · 19/02/2026 20:02

My DH used to do this in town - he'd stride off and id lose sight of him. So in just would stop and see how long it took him to notice. Then had a go at him and told him was acting really badly. He stopped.

He also would speed off ahead in bike riders, not knowing the planned route. So once I let him cycle ahead, I'd stopped at the junction, and sit and wait for him to come back about 20 minutes or so later once he's realised he was alone. Jend ask what was going on, I'd say, we turn left here... He said "why didn't you tell me?". Id say I did, but you went steaming ahead without listening., plus ifd planned the route so he should take my lead., it's not always easy being ride leader etc he scoffed and said he'd do the next one, we got lost...

Nearly50omg · 19/02/2026 19:59

All these men carry on treating you like crow because you let them get away with it! They give no shits about anyone but themselves and “forget” how fast they are walking and of course it’s always your fault they have left you behind with the kids/luggage etc 🙄 if you looked at your relationship- really looked at it! - you would find this was just the tip of the iceberg and the narcissistic behaviour from this man you put on a pedestal far about yourself and the kids has been going on for years so long you just get used being treated like a second class citizen

Casperroonie · 19/02/2026 19:58

Mounjaroday · 19/02/2026 16:55

On holiday and we’d just started our annual coastal walk. We have to navigate over a very squelchy muddy bit, one at a time. DH goes first, then strides off ahead at pace. As usual. Then the kids leap over, and run off to keep up with him. I’m suddenly left trailing behind at the back yet again, and it’s absolutely maddening.

“Wait up” was met with a rather cross “well keep up then” nonsense from DH. He doesn’t wait for me and they keep going - DH striding away, and the kids trotting along - and they don’t even bother looking where I am. They are easily 20m in front at this point.

So this time, I stopped, turned around and ditched the whole lot of them. Went for a mooch around the lovely gift and antique shops in the local town. Then grabbed a coffee and read some of my book. 2 hours all by myself. It was absolutely fabulous.

Was I unreasonable? They’re all salty about how I’d “left them”.

You did what most people wish they had done!!! Genius!!!

OriginalUsername2 · 19/02/2026 19:57

Do it every time until the shit behaviour stops.

youalright · 19/02/2026 19:51

Yanbu its a family walk not a race and he needs to understand this

ChaToilLeam · 19/02/2026 19:50

I think you should go do your own thing more often. Just leave them to it.