to think it's weird to not do anything while the kettle boils....

[unicornfarts]

If OH is making a cuppa he'll literally stand next to the kettle while it boils, stand watching the tea brew etc, while I on the other hand use the time to do a spot of tidying - putting dishes away or washing up a couple of plates, wipe down the counter.....at the very least, get the mugs ready with coffee/ sugar/ teabags or whatever....I think it's really weird to just stand there while the kettle boils - AIBU?

Yanbu. 2 minutes is plenty of time to sort some laundry or tidy up a bit. I wouldn't stand there like a lemon just watching it.

YANBU I'd be running around doing as many things as I could while it's boiling! But you know there's nothing for your dh to do ;)

YANBU he is weird

Question about boiling water taps - how do they work? I mean do you just turn them on like a tap? Is the water boiling back there 24/7, just waiting for you to want some? How do you stop young kids just turning it on and boiling their heads?

Re boiling taps. They have a safety feature so you can't accidentally pour boiling water. There is a small tank under the sink that keeps a reserve of water at boiling point. You hear it fire up again after you have poured a free cups out.

I llove it but I didn't factor in the cost of the filters which are very expensive and need replacing every 6 months or so.

DH is a hardcore leaner. Only when the kettle has actually boiled (usually startling him) does he think to get cups, teabags, etc.

see, this is why we say men can't multi task

I'm not a big fan of doing nothing, unless I'm looking at something beautiful. Even when brushing my teeth i read my book/phone. Waiting for kettle to boil is time to put away clean dishes, or more likely collect all dh's coffee cups/lates from all over the house and put them by the sink.

Thanks Angels. I've often wondered about those things!

I’m very undomesticated but I still occupy myself while the kettle boils, doing dishes or wiping the counters or whatever

YANBU! DH recently worked from home all day.

When I got home that afternoon the dry dishes were still on the drainer from the night before, and there were crumbs and debris over the floor (we have a cordless Dyson hanging on constant charge IN the kitchen ffs). There was recycling to go in the bins outside the back door, and the kitchen bin needed emptying.

He would have had 3-5cups of coffee during the day. So I actually said to him "you know when you're waiting for the kettle to boil yeah? You do realise you could have quickly done one of these jobs?" (I would probably got them all done in one kettle boil tbh). He just doesn't get it

DH does this with potatoes too. Stands and waits for them to cook. WTAF.

He cannot multitask for the life of him. Its incredible.

Snap. It stresses me out when he cooks, as he'll prep the veg THEN decide to put cold water in a pan and put it on the hob to boil ! Just have it on the hob getting hot whilst you're chopping goddamit.

And yes yes to watching something cook in the oven, instead of cleaning and tidying the prep stuff away/unpacking dishwasher/wiping tops down etc

UnicornFarts - yes. Months go by & he doesn't move stuff. His parents are major hoarders & the three of them together, are the most untidy people I've ever met.

I don't watch the kettle, it takes less than 15 seconds to boil and I've barely got time to locate a cup before it's ready. When we had no kettle (because DH burnt through the lead and we took years to replace it) and I used a pan on the hob I got loads done.

I just don't have that many things I need to do to make me run around like a maniac while the kettle boils. And I enjoy a few minutes of nothing.

Relieved that I'm not alone. A pp asked whether this was an Aibu because I was cross that he's not pulling his weight. No- it's not one of those issues; I am having a phase of accepting that we have different priorities and he does actually do a reasonable amount of stuff. It's just that, as a constant 'doer'/ multitasker, I cannot understand/ conceive how you can stand there not actively doing something (I guess in his head he is actively waiting for the kettle to boil?) Not so much an aibu I suppose as a straw poll of how many mn'ers are like me vs him.

I sometimes do stuff, other times I don't. It depends on the situation.

My in-laws are constant doers, it is annoying. Continual folding, rearranging, wiping, moving... aargh! Just be still for a freaking minute.

This is an important question.
I don’t have a kettle (fancy boiling water tap), but if I did have to wait I would almost certainly doing something else (or playing on my phone)

I gaze out of the window. I have a vagina. It doesn't need to be wiping up crumbs or emptying the recycling at every possible minute. Once i have had my lovely hot drink, then i'll get back to doing whatever is needed.

Ditto DH and his Biggus Dickus.

I like calmness, i like having moments of nothing-to-do, i like not rushing around. Later on i'll be picking up DS, taking his swimming, getting the bus home, putting on the dinner, DH will walk and feed the dog, one of us will read with DS the other will wash up; one will put DS to bed the ther will take dog out for a last pee and take out the rubbish at the same time.

Don't take my lazy tea-making time away from me!

My DC make mugs of tea in this house. I have started saying 'put the kettle on, then while you are waiting for it to boil do xyx' otherwise they go back on their phones and get engrossed and forget what they are doing!

My DH does this and he also takes it to the next level by having to drink his cup of tea while doing absolutely nothing else. It drives me mad.