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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask if I'm BU over my husbands hobbies?

56 replies

NotAnotherUserName5 · 28/01/2018 09:04

We have four young children, youngest 6 months.

He has a hobby he does one/two evenings per week, and most weekends he does competitions as part of a team. These are usually the whole day, 9-6pm or if local 11-4pm.
I'm a bit fed up of it. I'm at home with the kids, and I feel our weekends are dominated by his hobby.
Youngest is also a terrible sleeper, so I'm not getting a break.

AIBU here? He works mon-fri 9-5 and he doesn't see anything wrong with it.

OP posts:
Sevendown · 28/01/2018 11:27

His dcs won’t know him if they never see him!

Has he ever had all the dcs on his own without you for a whole day or overnight?

He can have as much leisure time as he wants as long as he reciprocates!

SandyY2K · 28/01/2018 11:29

I suspect he's been doing this hobby for sometime now.

So having more children isn't going to make him reduce it, unless you discussed it prior to having more DC*

I suggest you take him up on it and get a hobby of your own. Express milk for the baby and take a break.

Even if it's going for a coffee...reading a book...or seeing friends.

Whatever it is...remember self care is important.

Rudgie47 · 28/01/2018 11:29

Hes acting like a single person not a married man with a family. Op what I would say is he needs to cut down to one night per week and every other weekend or once evr 3 weeks for a competition/training day or whatever.
Its not fair and hes not pulling his weight.
If he wont budge then I would be thinking very seriously about splitting up from him. Your as good as a single parent at the moment so it wont make much difference.

thiskittenbarks · 28/01/2018 11:34

Totally unreasonable on his part. I hope you are able to make him realise this

Tanaqui · 28/01/2018 11:36

If it is sport, how long till the children can join in? That is definitely worth remembering, as it might give you a ton of free time in the future! Otherwise, use- just sign up for a couple of evening activities, and take the other weekend day for a bit- it won’t hurt the children not to have both of you for a day at all and you can both see if it seems fairer.

Sarahh2014 · 28/01/2018 11:40

My XH hobby took over our marriage.hence the ex

goingagain · 28/01/2018 11:44

That’s really tough. That wouldn’t work for me either - I have four, oldest is 6 and youngest is newborn.

Aside from the fact it is a lot of time away from the family as a unit (half the weekend), I wouldn’t be surprised if the OP feels a bit lonely and just wants her partner’s company at the weekend especially if still BF a small baby.

Crunchtime1883 · 28/01/2018 11:52

I’m assuming all the kids are his and it was a mutual decision to have four?

In my view if you’re going to have 4 kids, you have to accept that your life is going to pretty much revolve around parenting. DH and I have agreed we will probably stop at one kid, and one reason is that we both have hobbies we are very committed to (there are other health reasons.)

I think it’s reasonable for you each to have a hobby as everyone needs a break from parenting, but given that you have 4 kids and work, I think a hobby that takes 2/3 hours a week total would be more realistic

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 28/01/2018 11:55

No wonder you're fed up. Do you get any time out?

MiniAlphaBravo · 28/01/2018 11:58

That comeback they you can get a hobby too would really piss me off becaus you can't when you're still breastfeeding a young baby. He should definitely be cutting back to one evening a week and at the most every other weekend. If he refused he is being unreasonable and to be honest I wouldn't want to be in a marriage like this unless he changed. Doesn't sound like a partnership or that he does any parenting really. Does he do all bedtimes and cook on the nights he's not hobbying? I doubt it.

holdonasecondwaitwhatno · 28/01/2018 12:00

Don't have more kids. At this point, you have to accept he's not going to help.

Applesandpears23 · 28/01/2018 12:03

Can you go away for a day to visit a friend with the baby but leave him with the other 3 for the other day in the weekend? Do it a few times. Don't apologise. If he objects just point out what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Viviennemary · 28/01/2018 12:06

YANBU. It's absolutely ridiculous. An occasional day every few months is fine. And an evening a week fine. Most weekends taken up with a hobby. What is the point of being married to him. You might as well be on your own. I'd tell him to shape up or leave.

RapunzelLetDownYourHair7 · 28/01/2018 12:06

That's awful for you OP.

As a previous poster has said, life changes. He has a partner and children and whilst he may have spent so much time on his hobby before you and the children, he has more important commitments now.

You need to be parenting together in the week and weekends are for family time.

RapunzelLetDownYourHair7 · 28/01/2018 12:07

I wouldn't personally be able to go on like you are. You are in effect a single parent.

Chattycat78 · 28/01/2018 12:09

Agree. You need a compromise. One evening a week is fine plus a weekend day every 3 weeks or something along those lines. You also need to do the same yourself! Everyone needs time for themselves. It’s good for you and for the children. He’s being unreasonable.

HelgasFlowers · 28/01/2018 12:12

YANBU- we only have one DD but DH runs 4 times during the week, parkrun on Saturday morning ( which is 45 minutes away) and races most sundays and if he’s not runs at least 20 miles anyway. It completely dominates our lives and I find it hard enough with just one child so I can’t imagine what it’s like with four.

WizardOfToss · 28/01/2018 12:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Blackteadrinker77 · 28/01/2018 12:17

Did you discuss this before having the children?

I don't think it's fair to make him give it up now. If you'd said we aren't having child 2, 3, or 4 unless you give up X to help on weekends than it would have been fair.

lottiegarbanzo · 28/01/2018 12:29

I've done the 'one weekend day is mine, one is yours' thing, to accommodate my hobby as it happens. It was pretty shit.

It results in no 'family time' at home, as the only family time that is accommodated is specific events, usually being invited elsewhere for some family do. Then there's negotiation over whose time that comes out of - your family, your time? No, that's silly. One afternoon 'out' leaves one and a half half-days each, which are then allocated. Endless negotiation, scheduling and a very eroded feeling of togetherness, as if we were only 'a family' for ceremonial purposes.

At a less intense scale e.g. taking half a day each at the weekend, then having a day (or two half days) together, or at least spent on family and domestic activities, so one person with dc while the other cleans etc. plus more flexibility, it's been fine.

By all means either get a hobby that gets you out for a bit, or just allocate yourself days or evenings off and go out - 'maintaining my sense of identity' or 'having a social life' are perfectly valid 'hobbies'.

I think though that your DH needs to recognise that small children are all-consuming hard work and that until they're all at least school age and have their own activities and ability to entertain themselves more (at which point you'll both become taxi drivers / activity facilitators), it's just not feasible for him to devote so much time to his hobby.

So, he needs to drop it for a few years, then go back to it later. He can still keep fit or whatever but in a far more time-efficient, fitting in around the family, way.

JaneEyre70 · 28/01/2018 12:31

I don't mean this to sound horrid OP but your weekends are dominated by his hobby because you are allowing them to be. My DH and I are very independent of each other, and he's a fair weather golfer but he always checks it is OK to go out on a set day and that I've got nothing planned. As I do with him if I'm arranging something for myself. And he's always happy to come home and do whatever I would like to, as he's had his "me" time. Compromise is essential in a happy marriage, and he's not giving you anything. I don't mean this to sound horrid, but he sounds like being around his family is the last thing he wants to do. You are basically a single parent.

okeydokeygirl · 28/01/2018 12:32

I feel for you. But maybe dont tell him he needs to do less of his hobby. Maybe approach it more along the lines of DH needs to help more with the kids and spend more time with the family as at the moment you feel like a single parent and the balance of responsibility is not currently fair. Have a conversation with him about how this can be more balanced. He might be able to come up with a solution in which he can continue with his hobby but maybe not quite as much as he does at the the moment. If you both agreed to having 4 kids then he needs to take his part in being their parent. This is not about him doing less of his hobby but doing more with his family.

Meeep · 28/01/2018 12:32

Bit funny people asking if it was a mutual decision having four. What difference does it make?

Sorry kids, although you all exist now, in reality, your dad wasn't as keen on having more than two so hey, it's only fair that he doesn't spend any time with you all, let's all accept that and be perfectly happy with it forever.
(?)

JesterA · 28/01/2018 12:50

I would offer him the very sound advice of 'shape up or ship out'. That's a ridiculous amount of time to be spent on himself, both my partner and I have hobbies and we don't let them bleed into family time or couples time.

GeekyBlinders · 28/01/2018 12:55

I don't think it's fair to make him give it up now. If you'd said we aren't having child 2, 3, or 4 unless you give up X to help on weekends than it would have been fair.

Oh be sensible. only an entitled selfish idiot needs it pointing out to them that they may have less free time for hobbies if they have children.