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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think my husband did not go too far and they should just get over it ?

312 replies

ForFancyNavyLion · 20/09/2026 14:03

AIBU to think my husband did not go too far with the comment?

Husband and I have two boys. Our eldest has just started school this September and our youngest isn't even 4 weeks old.When we had our first, DH took 6 months paternity leave because his workplace offers it. He then spoke to work and took another 6 months unpaid. We got used to looking after our son and sharing everything, and honestly it was lovely. My side of family have never really understood it. A lot of the older women in my family made comments about why DH would want to take so much time off and seemed to think it was strange. His family are much more progressive about it. His dad actually said that if he'd had the opportunity to take a year off when his children were young he absolutely would have but it wasn't really a norm back the. Not saying it is the norm now but lots more places are starting to at least offer 6 months paternity.
We've now had our second baby and DH is doing exactly the same thing again 6 months paid paternity followed by 6 months unpaid. It works for us financially and more importantly, it's what we've both agreed we want.

Last week we went to my aunt's house. She's in her early 80s and was meeting our new baby for the first time.At one point the baby started crying and DH took him from me to settle him. DH too does a lot of the nappy changes, feeds, getting up in the night etc because we're both his parents and that's just how we've always done things.My aunt watched DH with the baby and said to him, "Isn't that your wife's job?"DH laughed and and carried on.
Her daughter, who is in her 50s, then joined in and started ranting at DH about how men and women have different roles, how he shouldn't be doing everything for me, etc. DH initially tried to laugh it off but she kept going and eventually he snapped.

He told her: "oh fuck off If you focused more on your weight nosey what I do for my family wouldn't matter to you." The room went completely silent. I was honestly shocked. I agree that she was being incredibly rude and I don't think there's anything remotely wrong with DH taking paternity leave or looking after his own children. But I also think bringing her weight into it was completely unnecessary.

DH says he doesn't regret saying it because she'd been going on at him for ages and he wanted to shut the conversation down. He also pointed out that she had no problem criticising our marriage and parenting while apparently being offended when he responded. I think he could have told her to mind her own business without commenting on her weight.

My family now think DH needs to apologise I have told my mum to just let it go if the aunt and her daughter are that upset about it, its not as though she sees my husband often. This is not the first time someone has snapped at the them, it happened over summer from a different relative.

OP posts:
Ifitaintgotnoswing · 20/09/2026 15:39

also he is far more polite than I’d have been.
She is fat and snicking her nose in so he told it how it was. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Net result is they’ll give him a wide berth from now on - whats not to like ?

Boomer55 · 20/09/2026 15:40

Wow. We all have to put up with over opinionated relatives, of all ages. He was very rude, and I’d find it embarrassing.

BMW58 · 20/09/2026 15:41

I'm Team DH. Your relatives were extremely sexist, rude, obnoxious and they owe your DH a massive apology.

If you can't take it don't dish it out.

ForFancyNavyLion · 20/09/2026 15:41

Stipendio · 20/09/2026 15:31

Exactly

If you do not believe report it to MN and they can contact me as I have messages from my aunt contacting us. Not really sure what the point is in engaging in a post you do not believe, either report or just ignore it ?

OP posts:
Maray1967 · 20/09/2026 15:42

Alwayschillyatnight · 20/09/2026 14:08

Live by the sword, die by thebsword. She should have backed off when asked. I perso ally would try and avoid personal insults, but i can understand he was pushed past the point where he was able to moderate that. He could maybe say 'I shouldn't have commented on your personal appearance, but I will not apologise for asking you to back off' but that's the most i would suggest.

Spot on. He needs to back down from the comment on her weight but not on snapping at her in general as she certainly deserved that.

But she is your aunt - so actually you should have been straight in there.

ChilliBassy · 20/09/2026 15:42

ForFancyNavyLion · 20/09/2026 14:03

AIBU to think my husband did not go too far with the comment?

Husband and I have two boys. Our eldest has just started school this September and our youngest isn't even 4 weeks old.When we had our first, DH took 6 months paternity leave because his workplace offers it. He then spoke to work and took another 6 months unpaid. We got used to looking after our son and sharing everything, and honestly it was lovely. My side of family have never really understood it. A lot of the older women in my family made comments about why DH would want to take so much time off and seemed to think it was strange. His family are much more progressive about it. His dad actually said that if he'd had the opportunity to take a year off when his children were young he absolutely would have but it wasn't really a norm back the. Not saying it is the norm now but lots more places are starting to at least offer 6 months paternity.
We've now had our second baby and DH is doing exactly the same thing again 6 months paid paternity followed by 6 months unpaid. It works for us financially and more importantly, it's what we've both agreed we want.

Last week we went to my aunt's house. She's in her early 80s and was meeting our new baby for the first time.At one point the baby started crying and DH took him from me to settle him. DH too does a lot of the nappy changes, feeds, getting up in the night etc because we're both his parents and that's just how we've always done things.My aunt watched DH with the baby and said to him, "Isn't that your wife's job?"DH laughed and and carried on.
Her daughter, who is in her 50s, then joined in and started ranting at DH about how men and women have different roles, how he shouldn't be doing everything for me, etc. DH initially tried to laugh it off but she kept going and eventually he snapped.

He told her: "oh fuck off If you focused more on your weight nosey what I do for my family wouldn't matter to you." The room went completely silent. I was honestly shocked. I agree that she was being incredibly rude and I don't think there's anything remotely wrong with DH taking paternity leave or looking after his own children. But I also think bringing her weight into it was completely unnecessary.

DH says he doesn't regret saying it because she'd been going on at him for ages and he wanted to shut the conversation down. He also pointed out that she had no problem criticising our marriage and parenting while apparently being offended when he responded. I think he could have told her to mind her own business without commenting on her weight.

My family now think DH needs to apologise I have told my mum to just let it go if the aunt and her daughter are that upset about it, its not as though she sees my husband often. This is not the first time someone has snapped at the them, it happened over summer from a different relative.

I think he did brilliantly. I say this as an overweight woman.

Bobbieiris · 20/09/2026 15:42

Haha....im sorry OP but this made me laugh! That was a really mean comment fron your husband but he was provoked! If I were him i would apologise, however it's annoying when people can't/ won't back down on making a point. This kind of thing really annoys me too, why is it the wives/mothers/woman's work?! My partners mum was shocked that he got up at nights to do night feeds and changes, she is very old fashioned in that way. I think it's great your husband can have a decent amount of paternity leave and my partner would jump at the chance too. I am sure your family will get over it as your husband and aunt were both equally rude but in the end it's no harm done, just a little scuffle

LaidOnYourBackWithTheBoyWithTheArabStrap · 20/09/2026 15:43

Honestly they should all apologise to each other but it sounds like your relatives probably won’t do that so I wouldn’t be losing too much sleep over it.

SummerT1me3 · 20/09/2026 15:44

SwanRivers · 20/09/2026 14:06

He told her: "oh fuck off If you focused more on your weight nosey what I do for my family wouldn't matter to you."

And you've had two kids with this rude prick?

I'm so sorry.

Are you mad!it is understandable that he snapped, I think a lot of us would. I think you mean op has a diamond, not a prick

SwanRivers · 20/09/2026 15:45

ForFancyNavyLion · 20/09/2026 15:36

I guess not, he has since offered for her to call him fat if it will make her feel better, he just got sick of her for 4 years telling him how to parent and being sexist. I am not saying it is okay what he did, It is minor, we are in our mid 30s I do not think someone in their 50s and another in their 80s should really take notice of us, I mean my aunt has spent almost 17 years calling my husband various names. There has been about 6 instances where she called me fat whilst I was pregnant with both babies and I did not care nor was I fussed. He just repeated what she told him two hours prior.... verbatim 'I am trying to focus on my weight' ...then asked me about cycling as dh and I used to cycle a lot before kids now we just use watt bike in the house.

My own father has since said that technically my husband just repeated what she has been telling everyone for the past 30 years aha. He thinks she should just get over or not contact us again. We will survive without the annoying aunt and her daughter who's own children have cut off and she doesn't even get to see her grandchildren, I see them almost every week, I think she has only met 3 of them twice

Edited

I guess not, he has since offered for her to call him fat if it will make her feel better

Christ, he sounds like a child now.

HisNibs · 20/09/2026 15:45

OP, so when are the obnoxious aunt and cousin planning on apologising to your DH?
Given that the cousin has been like this for 4 years (and aunt even longer), why would you bother visiting them? They sound horrible.

IkeaJesusChrist · 20/09/2026 15:46

Sounds like she got her just desserts.

godmum56 · 20/09/2026 15:47

SneakyGremlin · 20/09/2026 14:09

I wouldn't be apologising to two sexist people who think a man actively parenting is somehow wrong.

this

mathanxiety · 20/09/2026 15:47

ForFancyNavyLion · 20/09/2026 14:27

This is what he said. Seems as though calling someone fat is a sin yet being sexist and misogynistic is okay. She has been at it for 4 years this was not the first run in, it is just the first time my husband decided to just tell to stop. NO before people jump at my throat for 'body shaming' I am not encouraging that behaviour and I have said to him I wish he approached it a different way, he has said he is sorry for embarrassing me but he won't be apologising to her, she has spent 4 years calling him names, being sexist, seemingly uncomfortable with the fact that he wants to be involved in fatherhood.

Good for him!

I think you should tell him you're behind him all the way, and there is no way I'd ever go back to those relatives for more, or have them in my house.

GiddyRobin · 20/09/2026 15:48

Nah, I'm with your DH on this one.

A very mild "mind your business" doesn't work with people like that, I'm not sure what alternate universe some posters are living in. It's not like she was making thinly veiled remarks that could have been misconstrued, and he just burst out with this out of the blue.

She was being misogynistic, and if there's one thing that annoys me more than your typical run of the mill male misogynist, it's women brimming with internalised misogyny. She dished it out and she got what was coming to her. If you can't take it, then don't give out to begin with. It bemuses me when people sit there chipping away at someone and then make themselves the poor, innocent victim when the person in question snaps.

He commented on something she'd already brought up, it's not like he called her fat out of nowhere. I don't blame him, I'd have done exactly the same if someone was harping on at me like that - and not for the first time either! What a miserable pair these women sound.

You reap what you sow. Maybe next time they'll think before they start a disdainful commentary on someone else's life.

SpryCat · 20/09/2026 15:50

They wouldn’t be getting an apology from me they were baiting him to lose his temper. They got what they wanted and deserved.

TheSunIsAlwaysThere · 20/09/2026 15:51

He said to your aunt she can call him fat if it it makes her feel better ? Gods sake. You are all so bloody immature.

Greenleavesandsunshine · 20/09/2026 15:51

Viviennemary · 20/09/2026 14:56

He was agressive and extremely rude. I wouldn't want to have anything to do with such a person.

They have been abusing him and ‘ranting’ at him for years with some really horrible misogynistic comments. Criticising him, his choices and his family. Making deeply personal comments about his ability to look after his family. Two of them at once, they’ve done it before. Finally, he snapped. What would you have done? Smiled sweetly?
These women have been abusive for years but one comment about how they are fat and you want nothing to do with this man who has taken a lot of abuse to look after his children.
You can have them I’ll be on TeamDH.

ForFancyNavyLion · 20/09/2026 15:54

TheSunIsAlwaysThere · 20/09/2026 15:51

He said to your aunt she can call him fat if it it makes her feel better ? Gods sake. You are all so bloody immature.

As a joke because she has been ranting to my mum and dad about him and they have said maybe that will make her feel better..... not literally. But dh said he wouldn't mind being called fat if it will help her get over it

OP posts:
Crazykatie · 20/09/2026 15:55

Elderly Aunts think the are entitled to share their opinion, others should take no notice.
husband should not have told her to F off and should apologise

Engaged249 · 20/09/2026 15:55

Good for him. The gobshite cousin has hopefully now learned a lesson

ForFancyNavyLion · 20/09/2026 15:56

SwanRivers · 20/09/2026 15:45

I guess not, he has since offered for her to call him fat if it will make her feel better

Christ, he sounds like a child now.

Ahaha there is context to this. My parents suggested it as a joke

OP posts:
Sxwer · 20/09/2026 15:56

Why have you repeatedly gone back for more if they are so awful and attacking you both like that?
What strange people, even stranger IMO to put up with this for years.

SwanRivers · 20/09/2026 15:57

ForFancyNavyLion · 20/09/2026 15:56

Ahaha there is context to this. My parents suggested it as a joke

Oh...

nomoreforks · 20/09/2026 15:57

She was making rude and judgmental comments. He made rude and judgemental comments.

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