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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask dh to look after his kids one day a week?

83 replies

caitlinohara · 17/04/2016 21:24

Dh works full time and we have 3 dc's, the youngest of whom is 4. I have mostly been a SAHM but have also worked part time at times. Because of the nature of dh's job (involves travel and unpredictable hours) I can't go out to work. He has always acknowledged this and has always said he appreciates that he doesn't have to worry about who's going to pick up the kids, what happens when they are ill, etc etc.

In the last year I have been studying something which would mean ultimately that I could work from home. I use the 15 hours of nursery care to study, and we agreed that I could have Sunday daytimes as well, i.e. dh would look after the kids while I worked.

The problem is that week in week out these Sundays are a nightmare. Dh gets in a huff right from breakfast on Sunday morning and complains about every little thing, so that by the time I go up to start work everyone is already in a bad mood. I am trying to work and I can hear arguing and crying and all sorts. He complains if there isn't enough food in for lunch (shop is round the corner) and behaves generally as if the whole thing is just a drag. Final straw came today when he burst in, having taken them to the park and ds2 had lost a rucksack with dh's phone and wallet in. He was almost incoherent with panic and dumped the kids and rushed out again to look for it. I then had to deal with two hysterically crying children, ds2 weeping and saying "it's all my fault" and ds3 was crying because he had been scared by dh's handling of it. Sad It was awful.

What do I do? I can't face another Sunday like this and it's not fair on the children. It's not that he won't look after them, it's just that when he does, it ends up like this.

OP posts:
Inertia · 17/04/2016 22:11

Does the college/ university behind your course of study have a library which opens on Sundays? The only way you'll be able to study is to get out of the house.

What would happen if your husband was to work from home , and you interrupted him with parenting dramas every half hour?

DixieNormas · 17/04/2016 22:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

stickystick · 17/04/2016 22:13

I have sympathy for you both.
For you because it's about time you did something for yourself - you are NBU for feeling frustrated.
For him because it sounds to me like he's not unwilling, he's just massively massively out of practice inexperienced at looking after three young children. He has always left it to you, while he provides financially. It's not a great feeling when you are used to being competent at work to find yourself totally incompetent at looking after your own children. Like learning anything new, you need knowledge, practice, support and encouragement/motivation. Feeling like you are failing, week in week out, makes you feel like giving up. It's even worse when it's looking after your own kids because people assume that parents should and do naturally know how to do it...which is obviously not true.

My sense is that you need to put your own frustrations on one side (think long game here) and talk about it calmly together. Say that you really appreciate that he has agreed to look after the kids, but it seems like it is not working very well and that you want to work together to improve things so everyone can have an enjoyable Sunday AND you can get your work done. Then ask him for his reaction to that and see what he says. If you stay non accusatory, with any luck you will get him to talk honestly about his worries and other feelings about looking after them. I suspect he felt quite pleased with himself when he agreed to do it and he may feel quite guilty and embarrassed about struggling so badly. See if together you can come up with some possible solutions, in particular some "quick wins" for him to boost his confidence and restore his credibility and good feeling with the kids. Maybe a really well pre-planned (with your help) short outing with them - NOT an all day thing. If you live in or near London, try the new app Hoop which has hundreds of excellent suggestions.

The other thing to try is coming clean with the older kids and bringing them on side as helpers on "Daddy Days". Kids love to save the day in emergencies - it can be really good for them to have a bit of responsibility.
Finally I would advise letting go a bit in terms of standards...no matter what you do or say, cleanliness, nutrition and promptliness etc will never be quite as you would like on Daddy Days. Provided no one is actually unsafe, it's more important that everyone is relaxed and has fun.

Good luck with it. I speak as someone who's been in a similar situation...

caitlinohara · 17/04/2016 22:13

I know irregular - and I'm sure they pick up on it. How crap must it feel to think that your dad regarded looking after you as a chore? Sad I'm not saying that I relish a rainy day in with all three of them, but it's only once a week, and even then I still finish before tea and come and make it Angry

OP posts:
NapQueen · 17/04/2016 22:13

I would calmly say to him "Dh, me being around on a Sunday doesnt seem to be working - its too distracting. Im now going to go out to work every Sunday. Theres a notepad on the side in the Kitchen so if in the week you think you need stuff for the Sunday write it down so I can get it in the shop/prep swim kits/buy crafts supplies etc".

ExtraHotLatteToGo · 17/04/2016 22:13

YANBU to be livid. He's being a complete twat.

However, wait until you have calmed down a bit before having a proper discussion with him, rather than just going off the deep end.

TRY to talk to him about why it's a problem for him, why he's grumpy about it and seeing it as a chore rather than enjoy spending time with his children. Maybe he wants a family day with you, maybe he just feels like he's waiting around for you, maybe he feels entitled to a rest day on Sunday, whatever it is that's going through his head - you need to know about it. If it's a 'reasonable' issue, like wanting a family day, then maybe you can find a way to spend Sunday's together & study two evenings, maybe if it's a practical problem you can hel him 'find his feet'. I don't think it's easy to step in & take over when you're the parent out at work all the time so aren't so familiar with their routine/likes/games. I'm not saying that's 'right' just that it's not uncommon to feel like that. If it's something like just feeling entitled to put his feet up on a Sunday then ask him why he feels your career isn't important and why he's not doing anything to support it when you have done so much to support his. A very frank conversation about them being his children, the sacrifices you have already made & how he sees your career in the future/your family life.

This needs properly discussing & sorting out now because it will set the foundation going forward. It's about so much more than simply upping his game on Sunday's or you going out of the house to study.

☕️🍫

caitlinohara · 17/04/2016 22:16

stickystick That's probably the approach most likely to get results, you're right. I will have to calm down A LOT before I can be that rational. thanks Smile

OP posts:
allegretto · 17/04/2016 22:20

This sounds so much like my husband it's uncanny! We had to give up the idea of Sundays as there is nowhere out for me to go to study - and getting out and away is really the only solution here.

FuriousFate · 17/04/2016 22:26

What would happen if you refused to look after the children during the week? You know - all those days that you cover whilst he's at work? What would happen if you told him he needed to take tomorrow off so you could make up for the time lost today due to his incompetence? I think the answers to these questions will reveal rather a lot about DH's attitude towards you.

AdelesBeard · 17/04/2016 22:32

Sorry but I don't think pandering to your DH is the way to go. You have worked around his career choices for years, to the extent that you have tailored your career/job choices to allow him to continue in the job that he does. Now he needs to step up and support you in the way that you have been supporting him. This means you have to leave the house to get the peace to study and he needs to look after his own feckin kids. If you can't find somewhere to go to on a Sunday then switch to a Saturday. Don't even contemplate working the evenings instead of the days - you need time off too.

Akire · 17/04/2016 22:39

I agree - what's all this oh dear he may really want to take it easy on a Sunday crap! Who takes it easy with three small kids? If OP only free time in the week is used to study and presume they have Saturday together then least he can do is step up for a few hours on a Sunday.

You said he's been doing it for a long time already just had a break of late? Then that does sound like he's playing it to get out of it. He has a melt down because he can't manage to fed himself and three kids .... Even if the cupboards were bare there is a shop around the corner , just bizarre. Tell him to get organised the night before make plans get things packed then no stress- they are not babies it isn't take huge amount planning to get shoes and coats on and out you go.

EweAreHere · 17/04/2016 22:41

Sorry, but it sounds deliberate on his part. Even if he won't admit it to himself, he's setting himself up to fail from the get go Sunday mornings.

You need to leave the house and go somewhere else to study. Get up early and go. Let him realize he has to do what he promised you. He has to give back!

greenfolder · 17/04/2016 22:42

I spent 3 years studying for a masters. I was working full time and therefore studied on Saturdays. Mine were 5 and 7 when I started. I left the house and went to a local university library. Every Saturday I got there at 7.30 , it was just me and the librariarian. I worked until 2.00 and got home at 3. Every Saturday as I walked through the door both kids would announce they were hungry and when asked dh would say they hadn't had lunch yet. I took the strategic decision to ignore it. The kids should have asked him or could have got themselves something and they weren't going to starve. My strong advice is ignore ignore ignore and go out to study. If needs be make up a study group.

HelenaDove · 17/04/2016 22:47

YY Adele and Akire OP doesnt have to have her parenting micro managed yet some posters think that his should be just by dint of him having a penis.

LindyHemming · 17/04/2016 22:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

stickystick · 17/04/2016 23:04

caitlinohara exactly. Sooooo tempting to throw a hissy fit and take unilateral action when you feel so frustrated but if you actually want a good result for everyone (happy kids, happy parents, no one feeling resentful) you need to wait until you think you can manage a calm constructive conversation. I'm not saying you should hide your feelings of frustration that you haven't been able to do as much of your work as you wanted or needed to in that conversation - on the contrary you should definitely say that (I suspect that as a working person too he will 'get it'). But you just need to say it in a calm way that still leaves the door open for finding a good solution together.

Whichever poster said this is about more than you going out to study on Sundays was right...it's really about how you as a couple tackle problems in your relationship and the resulting quality of your lives together.

cestlavielife · 17/04/2016 23:07

The youngest ips four years old fight ? So they can practically get dressed get a drink grab cereal... And a grown adult who us their parent cannot manage a day with them?
That s nonsense
My exp played that game too ... It is an attention seeking game . Leave him to it. He has a good job yes ? Has responsibility. Manages to travel and sort problems... Sorts his own meals out..... So he can manage three walking talking small people..

Just tell him he is a grown up and you are sure he can manage. He can ask the oldest child if he needs help.....

cestlavielife · 17/04/2016 23:10

Why do pp want op to treat her h as a baby ?

He has had several years a decade ? Of being a parent. He is an adult, just smile as you walk out the door tell him have a great day

Kr1stina · 17/04/2016 23:13

Don't discuss it with him

He obviously needs more practice at being a dad and pointing this out will just be embarrassing for him .

Just do what everyone else said and leave the house. Use your creativity to find somewhere to go. Library, sports centre , coffee shop, home of friend or family . Even just sit in the car .

Remember to turn off your phone or at least put it on silent .

cestlavielife · 17/04/2016 23:13

Also suggest he sits down with the dc and plan day with them .... They can probably walk him thru what to do if he needs help.

If op got taken ill or worse what would happen ? Poor dc....

stickystick · 17/04/2016 23:14

Sorry just meant to say, don't know what it is you are studying for professionally but if you do get a spare half hour look up a fab book called Talk Lean by Alan Palmer. It is all about getting good results from tricky conversations while still preserving your relationship. It was written as a business book but can be used in every aspect of life...I found it pretty life changing actually. It is not a waffle-y book and very easy to read.

chillycurtains · 17/04/2016 23:17

YANBU.....but if you could sort out the little problems like save up a special film for them to watch together as a treat, get the food sorted so there is enough in. Don't misunderstand me, it is not your responsibility to but if he's useful then it's not a big deal for you to arrange those smaller details.

As for the phone, well I wouldn't have been so dramatic but I would have been really mad and upset if it was my phone and wallet. If I knew my partner was at home then I would also have come home, dumped the kids and gone out looking for them. It was a bit of an crisis really and not just that he didn't want to be with them anymore. His treatment of your DS after sounds rubbish though.

chillycurtains · 17/04/2016 23:18

Useless not useful.

chillycurtains · 17/04/2016 23:20

I would also go out and study elsewhere too. He would probably step up more if you were around to play up too or pick up the pieces when it's going wrong.

cestlavielife · 17/04/2016 23:21

He surely can't be "useless " if he goes out to earn a living in a professional job. Or does he behave that way with his work colleagues..... .?
He chooses to be "useless " with dc......