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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Who is BU, DP or me?

117 replies

thedogdilemma · 09/11/2020 11:45

There is a lot of background to this but I don't think it's necessary to get the gist.

DP and I moved into a house at the beginning of lockdown in March. DP is a teacher, I am wfh due to COVID and have been since March. We have 2 dogs, one of which is a new rescue we got the day we moved.

Up until September, DP didn't have any work as he was moving schools. He would check emails at some point and set work but 95% of his day was leisure (please let's not make this a teacher bashing thread - just trying to be honest). As a result, we shared the dog feeding responsibilities in the morning, but when I was really busy at work I asked DP to do slightly more. All was fine, no arguments.

From September, DP started in school properly. Every morning he wakes at 6am, wakes me up in the process either through his alarm being snoozed, taking forever to turn it off, speaking to me, moaning at me etc. He goes downstairs with the dogs (as soon as they hear the alarm they're up!) and feeds them/ opens the back door. He also would get himself a tea/breakfast if he wants it. He then continues to get ready and leaves around 630.

During the day the dogs are then my responsibility, new dog is still needing training and is a bit too much of a guard dog - so my day is spent stopping barking at the post man, Hermes, DPD, the neighbours leaving/receiving parcels, Amazon etc. (why do they all come at different times!!) as well as working and hoping the deliveries don't come during a work call.

At first, I fed the dogs on Sat and Sun when we were both off. However, I soon realised it was unfair. I was being woken up at 6am every weekday (granted I can go back to sleep but it never feels great and I regularly struggle). Then the days I can lie-in I am up feeding the dogs at 6am, doing it quietly as to not disturb DP.

I said to DP that I didn't think it was fair, so asked him to do the feed on Sundays. Every Sunday he now moans and there's an argument.
He has said if we did a poll that everyone would agree with him, I have said if that is so then I will change.

A few points to note:

  • on half terms/school holidays we take it in turns to get up to feed the dogs.
  • I think Mon-fri he is up anyway and going downstairs, so feeding your fur babies is no effort.
  • the dogs were a joint decision and we both love them dearly.
  • when I return to work, we would wake up at the same time and therefore the feeding would be split / whoever is in the kitchen first.

So wise MNers. Who is BU?

Poll:
YABU - it doesn't matter that DP is up for work anyway, he does 5 days so you should do the weekend.
YANBU - It is no effort for DP to do the feeding when he is already up, weekends and any time you are both off should be split equally.

Thanks!

OP posts:
steppemum · 09/11/2020 14:32

While dogs are creatures of habit, they can learn that not every day is the same.

eg, in our house, dinner round the table, dog pesters (dh) afterwards for a walk.
but on saturdays we eat on our laps/coffee table. Dog doesn't stir or open and eyelid, as he knows he won't be going out for a walk. (beofre anyone moans, he has had a 2 hour walk earlier in the day, and we have a big garden for late night fox chasing/wees, he's fine)

Also, weekdays, I get up and go downstairs. Dog follows, and mostly stays down waiting for rest of family/walks etc, even if I go back up/
At weekend I make tea and go back up, he charges into our room, says hello to dh and then goes under the bed where he settles down until we get up.

He knows that not all days are the same.
Seriously though, I woudl stop feeding them at 6 am. Stop the link between alarm/get up and food. Make a new link, a word you use when it is dinner time, so they have that response only on that word, not on the alarm, or the first person out of bed.

swansongs · 09/11/2020 14:33

New idea. How about getting rid of the 6am feed all together. You feed them M-F at a civilized time like 8am when you are up anyway. Then Partner does weekend at time of his choosing. Done!

Jigglypuffler · 09/11/2020 14:46

One lie in each at the weekend is absolutely fine, especially given he disturbs you during the week. If he refuses, then just act as he does during the week and don't tiptoe around him at the weekend. He may realise how annoying it is and prepare to act with more consideration.

SomewhereInbetween1 · 09/11/2020 14:52

I think there's always bound to be arguments in Households where you take turns having lie ins, because when life inevitably happens and one half misses theres for whatever reason, it breeds resentment. My advice would be don't keep such a strict schedule, if I'm at work before DH I'll sort the dogs out several mornings on the trot, or vice versa it's no issue, and on the weekends it's the same.

You don't need to be getting up at 6am on a weekend to feed them if you don't want to. If you feel you have to because that's what they're used to, can't you just feed them in the week once you're up and ready rather than your DH doing it when he gets up? That way they'll learn to wait a little longer.

LilyLongJohn · 09/11/2020 14:57

Mon - Fro he feeds them in the Mir king and you look after them during the day.
Saturday you feed them and he gets a lie in
Sunday he feeds them and you get a lie in

MiddlesexGirl · 09/11/2020 15:01

The sensible way to look at it is in term of equal lie-ins. At the moment you get none, he gets two a week. It should be one a week each (or equivalent).

As OP gets a lie-in relative to DP every Mon-Fri then DP gets Sat-Sun right?

lobsteroll · 09/11/2020 15:08

Take in turns on the weekend!

He's up anyway during the week and feeding dogs takes 2 minutes (if that). He's being a drama queen

arethereanyleftatall · 09/11/2020 15:14

Whilst you are absolutely right, this is also absolutely ridiculous. I have no idea what your plans are, but don't have kids with this man.

Nanny0gg · 09/11/2020 15:15

@MiddlesexGirl

The sensible way to look at it is in term of equal lie-ins. At the moment you get none, he gets two a week. It should be one a week each (or equivalent).

As OP gets a lie-in relative to DP every Mon-Fri then DP gets Sat-Sun right?

I don't consider it a lie-in if I've been woken up needlessly
Annasgirl · 09/11/2020 15:16

Don't have kids with this man - he doesn't do enough with the dogs, believe me he won't do enough with DC.

But have you only been living together since March? And he is already shouting at you when he has to get up with a dog at the weekend?

Was the dog yours (the first one) if so then really, you should look after it.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 09/11/2020 15:26

I agree with your dp. Hes actually getting g up during the week and leaving to go to work, you can stay in bed longer so I think you should get up at the weekend. Honestly its a 5 min job, it's not hard.
Can't understand why you are getting up at 6am at the weekend anyway. Surely if its the alarm that sets the dogs off, you just don't set an alarm at the weekend.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 09/11/2020 15:27

@Annasgirl

Don't have kids with this man - he doesn't do enough with the dogs, believe me he won't do enough with DC.

But have you only been living together since March? And he is already shouting at you when he has to get up with a dog at the weekend?

Was the dog yours (the first one) if so then really, you should look after it.

Eh? He gets up 6 days a week with the dogs, OP gets up with them once.
DickBastardly · 09/11/2020 15:30

YABU about getting woken up. I am a light sleeper too so you have my sympathy but not everyone is a light sleeper or is able to turn their alarm off straight away. Even my neighbours alarm wakes me up, even if they have their phone set to vibrate, it still wakes me up when I hear it vibrating on the floor/table so nothing will change that.

MLMbotsgoaway · 09/11/2020 15:31

While I actually voted YABU it’s very easily solved - either feed them later or buy one of those feeding bowls that opens at a specific time.

lottiegarbanzo · 09/11/2020 16:02

I cannot compute how being woken up at 6am, when you don't need to be awake at that time, then being left awake and annoyed, equates to 'a lie in' in the minds of some pp.

The DH gets up at 6am for his job, which he chose.

OP gets up in good time to do her demanding, 12-hour a day job.

I do not understand the 'lowest common denominator' mentality that insists that, since one person needs to get up early (but also leaves work relatively early), another person should suffer getting up early, to no purpose.

lottiegarbanzo · 09/11/2020 16:03

Eh? He gets up 6 days a week with the dogs

No, as OP has explained, the dogs get up with him. If he wasn't getting up at that time for work, the dogs would sleep longer.

vanillandhoney · 09/11/2020 16:18

I actually think if he didn't feed them at 6am during the week, they wouldn't get you both up at stupid o'clock at the weekends.

My DH is also up at six and he lets the dog out but doesn't feed him. Dog then goes back to sleep when DH leaves 45 minutes later and gets up when I wake up (sometimes 7.30am, sometimes 9am).

So my solution would actually be for you to feed them during the week and then he does it at weekends at the later time, so that you both get a bit of a lie in each day. That way, the dogs aren't expecting a meal at 6am and won't wake you up. Mine has never, ever been fed first thing as I was not about to get him into the habit of waking me on my days off!

SimonJT · 09/11/2020 16:23

I get up at about 6am every weekday, I take the dog out for a walk and he has his breakfast at 6:30am. When I wake up it sometimes wakes my partner up, he goes back to sleep until his alarm goes off at 7:45am.

He does the weekend morning walk and feed at 6am so that I get two days ‘off’, he often goes to bed afterwards.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 09/11/2020 16:42

@lottiegarbanzo

Eh? He gets up 6 days a week with the dogs

No, as OP has explained, the dogs get up with him. If he wasn't getting up at that time for work, the dogs would sleep longer.

So why are they still getting up at 6am at the weekends?
nicky7654 · 09/11/2020 16:50

I cannot believe you are moaning about feeding your dogs!! How long does it take? Minutes? Hours? Lol I cook my dogs meals daily and wouldn't dream of moaning about it! Why have you got dogs when you find.them such a burden?

wineandroses1 · 09/11/2020 17:18

Your DP is unreasonable. Mostly because he is being an inconsiderate twat waking you up when you don't need to get up at the same time as him. If I get up earlier than DH, I creep out of the room making as little noise as possible so that he can continue to sleep. Your DP seems to deliberately wake you up! Why? He sounds spiteful. And the weekends should be split one day lie in each.

MiddlesexGirl · 09/11/2020 17:27

I cannot compute how being woken up at 6am, when you don't need to be awake at that time, then being left awake and annoyed, equates to 'a lie in' in the minds of some pp.

Go back to sleep. Or sort out being woken up. If I was up at 6am every day and partner was up at 8 then I certainly wouldn't be the one getting up at 6 at the weekend.

IFwithloadsofchocolate · 09/11/2020 17:35

He sounds like a selfish knob. Shouting about getting up at 9 on a Sunday?! Don't have kids with him, he'll make your life a misery.

GabsAlot · 09/11/2020 18:02

can u imagine him with kids-oh do i have to go up to feed them dear cant they just wait