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Original poster

Solidarity thread for those with partners working from home.

39 replies

ClintBartonsWife · 13/12/2021 18:42

DH is back to working from home this week.

At the end of last week I ordered some fancy chocolates, just for myself. I hid them in a drawer in the dining room.

Now DH is working in the dining room all day I can't sneak them out, and in the evening the children are around. Sad

Anyone else feeling a bit put out that their other halves are back getting in the way again now that we have WFH in place? Grin

OP posts:
Adelerous · 13/12/2021 18:42

Oh at least you’ve had some respite, I’ve had to deal with it for 21 months!!!

Comedycook · 13/12/2021 18:43

Well I actually like my dh so don't hate spending time with him....

Nah, just kidding Wink. Get em back to the office I say!

Ridingthegravytrain · 13/12/2021 18:45

My husband is allowed to go in for reasons including mental health. So he’s gone in for my mental health 😂

JingleJingleAllTheWay · 13/12/2021 18:48

Mines has been working from home since March 23rd 2020. At first it was tough. Especially home schooling as well but now I love it. He hardly bothers me. Puts a wash on while the kettle is boiling. Logs off at a reasonable time. Eats dinner with us & helps me bath our children/do the tidying up after dinner. He also does the school runs! Its all positive here.

blueshoes · 13/12/2021 19:15

I am working from home. I wonder how my dh feels about me being around. Actually neither of us gives this any headspace. We are too busy WFH.

TheGriffle · 13/12/2021 19:17

I’ve been working from home with my Dh since the first wave. We never went back. He does go out on visits occasionally though which is lovely for a couple of hours!

Original poster
ClintBartonsWife · 13/12/2021 19:21

@Adelerous that is a very long time!

@Comedycook You almost had me there. I was expecting a few of those type of responses Grin

@Ridingthegravytrain Brilliant.

Just to be clear for all the inevitable outraged protesters, I love my DH very much. But I also love my hidden stash of chocolate and my peace and quiet. Neither of which are accessible when DH is on Teams all day in the dining room.

OP posts:
hollielouise66 · 13/12/2021 19:43

Surely there's a few minutes in the day when he goes to get his lunch? Or when he's in bed? Or he pops out? Or could you pop in with a load of stuff in your hand, pretend to rummage then scoop them up and siphon them out...

Driposaurus · 13/12/2021 19:47

We’ve both been working at home since March last year. DH is lovely but it’s a not someone who needs alone time. I on the other hand do!

ShottaSheriff · 13/12/2021 19:54

I always worked from home when not travelling. Now DH works from home too, and whilst it’s nice to have a lunch buddy and he’s great at bringing me cups of tea, I do miss the peace and quiet. It’s not an issue right now though as I’m 12 weeks into maternity leave and it’s been amazing to have him on hand to help with the baby!

I have just found a new hiding place for my chocolate stash!

JackieCollinshasnoauthority · 13/12/2021 19:58

Wait until he goes out to bust a criminal gang and then eat them.

daisypond · 13/12/2021 19:58

DH and I both work from home now. DH had worked from home for four years. He works in the kitchen. It’s a bit annoying but fine. Where do you work, OP?

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 13/12/2021 20:10

Well I’m WFH again. Last time I was working on nationally critical infrastructure so I was expected to go to work. I’m in the same job, but current work is no nationally critical, so that’s me at home again. DH seems ok about it so far!

SilverGlassHare · 13/12/2021 20:14

@JingleJingleAllTheWay

Mines has been working from home since March 23rd 2020. At first it was tough. Especially home schooling as well but now I love it. He hardly bothers me. Puts a wash on while the kettle is boiling. Logs off at a reasonable time. Eats dinner with us & helps me bath our children/do the tidying up after dinner. He also does the school runs! Its all positive here.
Did I write this?! My DH also does the school runs now and gets the kettle on whenever I want a brew… helps cook dinner so we can all eat together at a civilised hour… changes the bed… we have separate offices so some days I barely see him but it’s nice to know he’s around.
Nonicknamesforcatapillars · 13/12/2021 20:16

Luckily DHs work still want him in. Shame.

Turtletaub · 13/12/2021 20:28

I'm so happy to see this. We've been WFH together since the first wave and for the same company which seems to add to it!
Love him very very much, BUT I do feel like
I'm desperately needing some alone time and it's genuinely made me feel like maybe I should be living alone.
Sounds like I don't need to get too worried though if so many people feeling a little bit crazy with it all!

OverTheRubicon · 13/12/2021 20:29

You say the children are around 'in the evening'... Does that mean you're a SAHP of school age kids with a working spouse? Because if so, then I think it's a very privileged position to be making a joke about on a diverse site where loads of people are facing real hardship through all this. Or if you also work from home, then it's not just him doing it, right?

I know it's a joke, that everyone has their struggles, and that someone will call me a fun sponge or worse. But as someone who has been alone with young kids through this, working out of home, and now facing being separated from my overseas family for yet another Christmas - and with friends who are far worse off again, and trying to manage Christmas with food banks and donated gifts - I'm tired of Mumsnet people complaining about WFH.

manysummersago · 13/12/2021 20:33

Mine was at home while I was on maternity leave.

It was a complete pain in the arse. I never got to sleep when the baby slept because of him crashing around constantly, didn’t get to chill out and watch daytime TV because he was in and out and in and out and in and out of the lounge, couldn’t even have a shower without him walking in.

I ended up going out loads to avoid him as much as possible and then he got used to having the house to himself Angry

manysummersago · 13/12/2021 20:34

Mine was at home while I was on maternity leave.

It was a complete pain in the arse. I never got to sleep when the baby slept because of him crashing around constantly, didn’t get to chill out and watch daytime TV because he was in and out and in and out and in and out of the lounge, couldn’t even have a shower without him walking in.

I ended up going out loads to avoid him as much as possible and then he got used to having the house to himself Angry

Constance1 · 13/12/2021 20:46

DH and I both work from home and we are lucky enough to each have an office so it's not a big deal. I can see how it's annoying if one person has taken over a communal space. But needs must and all that. Where are you working now OP? Is the main issue he has taken over your usual wfh spot?

blueshoes · 13/12/2021 20:47

@OverTheRubicon

You say the children are around 'in the evening'... Does that mean you're a SAHP of school age kids with a working spouse? Because if so, then I think it's a very privileged position to be making a joke about on a diverse site where loads of people are facing real hardship through all this. Or if you also work from home, then it's not just him doing it, right?

I know it's a joke, that everyone has their struggles, and that someone will call me a fun sponge or worse. But as someone who has been alone with young kids through this, working out of home, and now facing being separated from my overseas family for yet another Christmas - and with friends who are far worse off again, and trying to manage Christmas with food banks and donated gifts - I'm tired of Mumsnet people complaining about WFH.

I have sympathy with OverTheRubicon. The OP was somewhat tone deaf.
manysummersago · 13/12/2021 20:52

where are you working now

I remember getting a few snide posts like this when I had a (lighthearted!) moan about mine.

A SAHP, or part time parent, or parent working shifts, or parent on maternity leave, are all things.

I do think a lot of the time the person WFH has no idea the impact this has on the rest of the family.

Bagadverts · 13/12/2021 21:05

Some threads are clearly signalled in title at certain audiences. This one couples with at least one WFH so I don’t think it’s insensitive to be discussing in lighthearted manner.

It may not be a thread helpful to people struggling, but it isn’t pretending to be.

Anyone is free to have a view though.

Original poster
ClintBartonsWife · 13/12/2021 21:07

Yeesh. I just wanted my chocolate!

I work out of the home, part time. I'm sorry that other people are struggling, I really am. But that doesn't mean that I have to find it easy to adapt to having my free "alone time" taken away from me. I'm allowed to moan about it, and frankly I don't give a damn if that offends others. If you're finding life difficult, go make your own post and moan away there. Don't make me the target of your misery. I just wanted my chocolate, and believe it or not... that's a perfectly valid complaint to make on an internet forum Hmm

OP posts:
Comedycook · 13/12/2021 21:28

I get it...pre fucking covid, I enjoyed a lot of guilty pleasures while he was at work like watching shite tv, eating bad food, daytime naps, doing my fake tan in peace...now he's always there and I feel permanently judged! Oh and everyday he asks me "what can I have for lunch?". Even worse it's school holidays next week and they will all be at home ffs

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