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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to want one child-free weekend after two extra weeks together

259 replies

Claudiaas · 24/05/2026 09:48

My boyfriend has a 5 year old DSS. DSS stays with us every weekend and a few days in the week.

in July his mum is going on holiday for two weeks so we will have him for 2 weeks. She’s offered to have DSS the weekend she comes back (on “our” week) as we’ll have had him extra. She never usually has him at the weekend

me and my boyfriend got into an argument last night because he said he wanted to keep DSS for the weekend so we could go to a caravan. I said we could arrange that for any other weekend as we always have him, and this is a rare child free weekend we could do something together.

he said I was selfish, and that he was “being deprived” of time with his child. I said we can do any weekend, or you can go that weekend? He said I needed to be there because it’s “normal” to spend time as a 3.

my point is that we never have a weekend just us and it would be nice to do something just us - we’d already have had DSS for an extended amount of time, which is fine

aibu?

OP posts:
PollyBell · 24/05/2026 10:03

Wouldn't it be easier to date someone with out children they dont live in a box and pop out when fits

What is it lately

Snorlaxo · 24/05/2026 09:59

There’s a similar story on here and the woman realised she was the nanny with the fanny and left him.

Yanbu to feel the way you do but he’s not unreasonable to feel guilty about not having his son (?) and preferring to see him. If I knew him then I’d be urging him to spend the weekend with you because without your relationship, there is no party of three.

Ponoka7 · 24/05/2026 09:58

I've voted YABU because you obviously aren't ready to date a man with such a young child. They are only little for a short amount of time and I don't blame a parent to not want to miss out. You can ask for regular bed times etc, but not no contact at all. However you should be able to do what his Mum is doing and have a holiday away together. If you aren't ready to be a Step parent, though, that's fine and a valid reason to end things.

Trainup · 24/05/2026 09:57

He sounds like a great dad. You’ll always come second to his son, and that’s just the way it should be. You shouldn’t be in a relationship with him if you can’t understand this.

Eenameenadeeka · 24/05/2026 09:57

Good that he's putting his child first. Lots of parents never have child free weekends, maybe you're just not compatible.

Jellybunny98 · 24/05/2026 09:52

I think this is an incompatibility really. He’s not unreasonable to want to spend time with his son, you’re not unreasonable as a child-free person to not want to spend every weekend with someone else’s child, but it does mean that this relationship isn’t going to continue without one of you being miserable/resentful. Date someone without children would be my suggestion.

polarbert · 24/05/2026 09:52

Such is life when you have children. It may not be for you.

CieloElmers · 24/05/2026 09:50

You’ll have to date someone without children

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 24/05/2026 09:49

I hope you don’t live with him, because honestly, just walk away.