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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to wash and dry my hair?

111 replies

Hornet7067 · 26/08/2019 21:46

I generally wash and blow dry my hair every other day and even though I try and time it so it doesn’t affect DH, it not always possible and he always moans because of the time it takes, it probably adds half hour on to my normal getting ready time.

Since I’ve gone back to work after we had a child I’ve given up getting lash extensions done every two weeks because DH kept moaning about the time. My eyebrows were due to be done 4 weeks ago and I haven’t gone to get them done because again DH moans about the time. (I’m very blonde so having my brows tinted actually makes me feel so much better about myself). But blow drying my hair is something I’m not willing to give up, does this make me unreasonable?

OP posts:
Whatsnewpussyhat · 26/08/2019 23:12

I want to know what difference it makes to his fucking day if your mum looks after her granddaughter for a few hours on your day off work while you get your brows done?
Palming her off? Ffs.

Yet happy for you to leave her for a weekend away?

HeadintheiClouds · 26/08/2019 23:13

How long does it take you to get ready? “Aibu to wash my hair?” is a nonsensical question without any context, which you’ve carefully avoided giving.

sweetiepie1979 · 26/08/2019 23:19

OP this doesn’t sound good.......he doesn’t sound like a very nice husband he sounds like a controlling wanker. I don’t know why he has started treating you like that but I wouldn’t let behaviour toward you like that continue you need to sit him down for a good chat or let him read this thread!
He is perhaps feeling out of control....

JaimeBronde · 26/08/2019 23:21

He's an idiot.

CallmeAngelina · 26/08/2019 23:28

So, it's OK for him to have a shower, but not for you to get ready too?

That said, my sister always takes ages faffing around (in my opinion) to get ready. She's been married for 35 years and bil has kind of got used to it. I was staying with them recently, and mentioned that I was just popping up to wash my hair (before we were off out somewhere). I thought he looked a bit taken aback, but he was astounded when I appeared back down again in 10 minutes or so, all done and dusted. He thought I'd be 3x as long.

WinterHare · 26/08/2019 23:30

You're damed if you do, damned if you don't. It sounds like he's setting you up to "fail", quite frankly he sounds like a controlling arsehole.

Hornet7067 · 26/08/2019 23:31

I haven’t carefully avoided saying how long it takes thank you. I’ll happily disclose.

It depends on where we are going/ who we are seeing but if I’m not washing my hair I can be showered/ dressed and ready in 20mins, but I also have to rush showers all week so it can take me as long as an hour and half if it’s a hair wash day, and I want to shave and do a nice blow dry.

I’d say it usually takes me about an hour to get ready on a hair wash day.

Oh and I never wash my hair on a work day, as there isn’t the time. I’ll do it in on my days off in the week or the night before

OP posts:
WinterHare · 26/08/2019 23:31

Don't let him read the thread, that's the worst advice ever. Confused

MitziK · 26/08/2019 23:35

Out of interest, what would you say his reaction would be if you arranged for hair/brows/lashes being done at your home?

He wouldn't be able to claim it was neglecting the baby or affecting Saturdays, so it might make it a bit clearer whether this is you taking ages to get ready (blow dry, style, primer, foundation, concealer, highlighter, five shades of eyeshadow, etc, etc) or whether it's a case of 'how dare you try to be attractive after incubating my seed'.

Hornet7067 · 26/08/2019 23:42

@MitziK that’s a good question, I hadn’t thought about it like that.

I guess I don’t think it’s about the actual lashes, brows, making an effort etc. I think it might be his jealousy that I work part time and have time to do things he doesn’t.

OP posts:
Graphista · 27/08/2019 02:40

"he moaned that me and DD weren’t ready when he came down from his shower because I’d been drying my hair." Wow! So is he clearly assuming YOU are solely responsible for getting dd ready?! Why can't he get her ready or at least do some of what's needed to get her ready eg making sure the changing bag has everything needed?

"I went to bed early with a headache last night and apparently didn’t show any appreciation today, I said thank you last night but that wasn’t enough apparently" and he wants a Fucking medal AND a parade for doing basic parenting when you're ILL?!

"Honestly, the men I read about on here sound like such a bunch of pricks." Yep! Mn is GREAT for making me glad to be single!!

"That’s not praise worthy or medal winning husbanding or parenting, that’s normal." Hear hear!

"he moans that I’m palming DD off on other people (my mum or sister)." Jesus! How many FULL DAYS every week does he care for dd? (I know the answer is more than likely zero!)

"He is great with DD, he definitely does his fair share" really?! Doesn't bloody sound it - what are you both counting as his "fair share"?

Actually if op gives in to this bullshit what I can see happening is she focuses more and more on baby, less on her appearance and next thing he's having an affair and blaming her "you let yourself go and became all about the baby" I've seen this happen in real life.

My ex is and could be a shit in many ways but he absolutely was never this bad! When dd was a baby he'd get in from work, take care of dd while I had a bubble bath, washed and dried hair, shaved/exfoliated/moisturised as I wished, he'd make the dinner talking away to dd (telling her what he was doing in a silly/sing song voice which was hilarious to listen to), put pans etc to soak, stick a laundry load on, play with dd, tell her about his day etc. I'd come into the living room to a happy dd and hot dinner ready to eat. Then he'd bath dd while I did the dishes, had a tidy round etc.

At one point not long after she was born I irrationally decided I hated my hair as I'd pretty much always had it and had a full afternoon at the hairdressers having it cut quite short (for me - not by many peoples definitions but I've always had it about waist length and I got it into my head just a bit shorter than shoulder length would be "easier" with a new baby) and dyed brunette (I'm naturally a redhead but have always dyed it blonde). Not only did he happily take care of dd that afternoon but was supportive of the image change even when I came home and promptly burst into tears of Heartbroken regret at my stupidity (I HATED it and could do sod all about it for weeks! Thank fuck it was winter and I could wear hats outside the house!) and reassured me that it wasn't awful (it really was!) and looked good (it really didn't!) and eventually buoyed me up enough to get me through the few weeks until I could go back to my preferred blonde and find ways to get it to "sit right" so I didn't completely hate the length until it grew out - I blame the hormones for such a disastrous decision, even the poor hairdresser asked me umpteen times if I was sure and I promised her I was (I was an idiot! - NEVER make major changes like that weeks after giving birth!)

BlueEyedEagle - and when is op supposed to have HER time? Not all time outside of work needs to be or should be "family time"

An hour is perfectly reasonable for shower, shave, hair wash, dry hair. Wtf! Does he NEVER get an hour to himself? I very much doubt it! I'm yet to come across a man this is true for! - and that even includes the men I know that are/have been single parents!

AllBellsNoWhistles · 27/08/2019 03:00

Wait a sec. You said Thank you to your husband for him parenting his own child??
He got the hump on because you went to bed with a headache??
Sorry but those two things alone would have me running for the hills, much less if he moaned at me about my hygiene routine.
If he moaned at me for drying my hair he would have to have my hairdryer surgically removed from his colon!

Seahorseshoe · 27/08/2019 03:03

Yeah, he is BVVVU. He can get his daughter ready, HIS daughter.

Lweji · 27/08/2019 08:10

I think it might be his jealousy that I work part time and have time to do things he doesn’t

Hmmm
It might manifest with jealously, but do you think that's fair? Why do you work pt if you end up having more free time than him?

Hornet7067 · 27/08/2019 08:41

@Lweji I don’t have what I call free time, I spend my two days off in the week looking after DD, doing house work, food shopping, errands or taking DD out somewhere with friends. He sees that as me having more free time.

OP posts:
cheesydoesit · 27/08/2019 09:11

I voted YANBU and I agree with what PPs have said. I think he will sabotage your trip in October in some way. Would be interesting to hear how he behaves nearer the time. Will he looking after DD while you are away?

cheesydoesit · 27/08/2019 09:12

And you are right, those two days off are not free time. He sounds like a dick to me. Continue as you are with your treatments and hair washing. Denying you time to wash your hair?! For crying out loud I have heard it all.

dollydaydream114 · 27/08/2019 09:24

so it might make it a bit clearer whether this is you taking ages to get ready (blow dry, style, primer, foundation, concealer, highlighter, five shades of eyeshadow, etc, etc)

The OP would be perfectly entitled to do that too, though, if she wanted to. It's her face. She can put whatever she wants on it. A man can look after his own child for an hour while his wife does something else: it doesn't matter what that something else is.

Shoxfordian · 27/08/2019 09:50

Why shouldn't you leave your dd for an hour with a relation whilst you get your eyebrows done? Sounds totally normal to me. It seems like he's quite impatient and mean to you. Stop consulting him and just book an appointment for your eyebrows. Carry on drying your hair and ignore his shit.

SleepingStandingUp · 27/08/2019 09:58

If the agreement is you're leaving for 10 and you start washing your hair at 9. 30 I can see why he'd be unhappy if he and DD are then sitting around waiting in you and it ours the days plans out. However if you get ready for 10 but he's had to help dress DD then he is being an arse.

When you're caring for DD he doesn't get to moan about how you do it ie getting Nanny to have her. If he has a problem, he can go part time and do the lionesses share of the childcare.

OneStepSideways · 27/08/2019 11:03

I don't think it's good to be completely inflexible about your routine, especially when it affects others eg making everyone late.

I wash my hair every 3 days but if in a rush I just towel it and let it dry naturally. It looks much better blow dried around a brush, but there are worse things than going to work with damp frizzy hair now and then (or hair that's been dry-shampooed and pinned in a bun). Sometimes DD will sit quietly and play while I blow dry it, other times she won't so it's just not possible as often as I'd like.

I wear make up everyday for work but that takes a few mins and can be done in the lounge mirror!

I like to get gel nails once a month but I book that in work time (using a couple of hours annual leave). Could you not do that for your lash extensions?

I think it's about priorities. It's nice to be able to do a proper blow dry but not being able shouldn't ruin your day. I would be irritated if DH spent a long time on his hair/beard each morning, especially on a weekend when you just want to get out!

Graphista · 27/08/2019 11:14

I think it's about priorities

And what exactly is wrong with op making something that makes her feel and look good a priority for her?

Just because you don't mind not blow drying your hair (fwiw I don't even own a hairdryer, but I'm lucky to have very fine hair that dries very quickly, by the time I dry the rest of myself and moisturise my hair is dry) doesn't mean op shouldn't choose to do her hair however she feels comfortable.

OneStepSideways · 27/08/2019 12:21

And what exactly is wrong with op making something that makes her feel and look good a priority for her

Nothing, as long as it doesn't get in the way of family time or become an inflexible routine!

If somebody said their DH spent 1.5 hours washing/grooming himself every other day, during which time OP had to get DD ready and entertain her while they waited for him, posters would be saying he is vain and selfish. If he then went for a beauty appointment (or gym session or something else that makes him feel good) instead of a family outing, posters would be saying he's unfair and his priorities are wrong.

Priorities change when you have a family. I used to spend my weekends getting facials and pedicures, now that's a 3x year thing rather than a weekly essential.

Lweji · 27/08/2019 12:44

I used to spend my weekends getting facials and pedicures, now that's a 3x year thing rather than a weekly essential.

Unfair on the OP. She has also stopped spending that much time on her appearance.

Lweji · 27/08/2019 12:46

He sees that as me having more free time.

You should offer to swap, then. Or both of you work 4 days, leaving each with one day to care for DD.