.. to be hugely irritated (spoiler: contains 'D'H and MIL related content)

[DownToTheSeaAgain]

Firstly I need to say that ideologically I am totally opposed to any form of wife work. However I usually end up doing it because pragmatically it just makes life smoother.

Issue: I bought and posted Mother's Day cards for all the relevant mothers in my life. I reminded DH that he might want to send one to MIL and, when he didn't have time, I bought one for him.

Reminded him to fill it out and he got annoyed because I'd not got the DC to sign it. Firstly she is not their mother (I am), secondly WTF and thirdly this doesn't bode well for my own Mothers Day experience does it.

AIBU to be irritated and send DH out to live in the shed at the end of the garden?

Full disclosure: all DC are teens so actually they should be doing stuff for me off their own bat. I am on the edge of doing their 'wife work' too and reminding them. I draw the line at buying a card (s) for myself.

Go on strike completely on Sunday if they haven't done anything. Tell them they haven't appreciated it so you clearly don't need to carry on.

he got annoyed because I'd not got the DC to sign it.

You lost me there-I’d have shoved it in the bin at that point!

I do tend to buy cards for my MIL whilst I’m buying one for my mum, but it’s up to DH what he does with it.

Oh yes do one ‘reminder’ to your dcs along the lines of looking forward to Mother’s Day then wake up late take a long bath and just look expectantly at your dcs don’t plan dinner washing prepping school stuff anything! Just chill

If he doesn’t have time to go to the shops he can order from one of the numerous sites on the internet that will send it directly to the recipient!

I do this for my mother, dp does it for his. I might remind him whilst I’m doing mine. If you keep doing it, he will keep expecting it and more!

He thinks his time is more important than yours and you are reinforcing this by doing his busy work.

DH does all the shopping so bought the cards ( no prompting). I got 1 DC to sign. He got the other DC to sign. We both wrote respective parents addresses on cards. He popped them in the post box. I do not really consider any particular job as "wife work" a phrase I only really heard on MN.

Parent's addresses...

On Mothering Sunday and Father’s Day we do what I call 1950’s Dad- you get to be with your family as much as you want but do bugger all. I highly recommend it.

Dh did his mums card on his own! No prompting from me! I love my mil but I couldn't care less if she doesn't get a card - that's his job