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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To make him do his own laundry?

103 replies

BrutusMcDogface · 16/05/2021 08:13

I know these threads are done to death, but I’m so frustrated I just need to vent (and some validation?!)

We have four kids. We both work full time but I do more hours than him, including working in the evenings. He does the childminder runs and does the kitchen a few evenings a week (not every day!) I do everything else.

He has a hobby that he also does most days (yes, that’s right. Pretty much every day in some shape or form. Today he’s out most of the day doing it).

So, I know I’m not being u but “ltb” is easier said than done. Trying to claw back something and I think he can start doing his own laundry while I do mine and the kids’.

Quite frankly, if I hear him ask if he has any clean tops/pants/socks one more time, I might have to kill him.

OP posts:
WallaceinAnderland · 16/05/2021 08:58

@BrutusMcDogface

You’re totally right! I’ve tried to explain to him how infantilising and quite frankly, unsexy it is when he asks me if he has any clean stuff.

I sometimes say, “I don’t know. Have you washed any?” Which of course is a big fat no.

Seems to all fall on deaf ears though.

OP when he does this, put your first two fingers of both hands on your temple, close your eyes and concentrate hard for a few seconds, then look up and say 'No, I'm not getting anything'.
KatherineSiena · 16/05/2021 08:59

Not doing his laundry isn’t really going to solve much is it although it’s a start. Frankly I find multiple people doing separate laundry a waste of energy and money.

You need to take yourself out of the way once a week at least and either find a hobby or even just sit in a coffee shop with a paper or go for a long walk, alone. Make him step up and contribute.

Zzelda · 16/05/2021 09:00

How old are the children? Can they contribute to tidying, washing up etc?

ChristmasAlone · 16/05/2021 09:01

Fuck that noise.

I would ask DP if he has any what ever to fill up a load and he'd do the same and then hang it up, it'll only be a few pieces. Would never go rooting through his laundry basket to find his skiddy pants* and stinky socks to wash them.

*he doesn't have skids

Wolfiefan · 16/05/2021 09:03

It’s not about laundry.
List all the jobs.
Time to sit down and make a list of who does what. And if his jobs mean he hasn’t got time to fuck off and enjoy himself for a day? Tough.
Oh and take up a hobby that takes the same amount of time. Or at least claim you have. Grin

Templetreebreeze · 16/05/2021 09:06

@KatherineSiena

Not doing his laundry isn’t really going to solve much is it although it’s a start. Frankly I find multiple people doing separate laundry a waste of energy and money.

You need to take yourself out of the way once a week at least and either find a hobby or even just sit in a coffee shop with a paper or go for a long walk, alone. Make him step up and contribute.

Its no different as we dont put half loads on. The difference is that Im not standing there doing 6 loads of laundry while they piss off out doing nice things.Hmm They are also much more careful about what goes in the wash as they are doing it themselves. Ie towels are hung to dry, they dont tidy by shoving stuff into the laundry basket when its never been worn. No whinging about wheres my stuff, is it washed etc. Utter bliss to do my own laundry, dry and put away Smile
Dancingsmile · 16/05/2021 09:07

You need to look at it differently.
Together you have created this life style.
He has been cycling, you've both accepted the balance of chores, family time and down time for you. How many kids you have is irrelevant as with each child the life style was there before having the next child.

Whats happened is that you've decided it doesn't work anymore. The difficulty is that a habit or way or life has been established and that needs to be broken.

Yes a serious chat and a decision on what happens from now on. I would ask him what he thinks is fair and acceptable with who does what and how much each gets down / hobby time. Let him say but write it down on a weekly plan you've scribbled on some A4. Seeing it in black and white may make it look more obvious what's fair and what's not.

CPsRus · 16/05/2021 09:17

I’ve never done DP’s laundry! He is an adult and is responsible for his stuff. He also does 50% of chores too. I don’t understand why wonen take on this stuff at all.

minniemomo · 16/05/2021 09:21

Split the chores on a chart, include age appropriate for each child, big families need to all muck in. No hobby (cycling I'm guessing, or running) until his chore ms are fulfilled. You also need time off, I have no issues with someone going out cycling for an hour whilst I slob out in front of the tv, but if you are still doing household chores he shouldn't be doing leisure.

Personally I keep laundry as my task as it's easy, ironing in front of the tv, whereas dp does vacuuming and bathroom scrubbing of en-suite and downstairs loo, dd and dps dd are in charge of the family bathroom. Fairness doesn't mean half of each task

Outbutnotoutout · 16/05/2021 09:25

I think you need equal amounts of downtime as him.

Divide the chores between you, including kids stuff and household.

How old are the kids?

NewlyGranny · 16/05/2021 09:25

There is a principle around sharing chores that goes, "Nobody sits down until everybody sits down."

This is what your DH needs to grasp. He's not pulling his weight! In your case, it needs to be "Nobody gets on their bike/unimat lathe/the grog until chores are done and everybody is at leisure."

The Talk needs to look at work/life balance you each currently have, and acknowledge the fact that you have both let this imbalance creep up, him by being selfish and oblivious and you by being much too generous.

He needs to understand that he has no special entitlement to receiving all these domestic services than you have. Perhaps when/if you were a SAHM, but not now you're working full time! Does he get what a turn-off entitlement on his side and resentment, martyrdom and exhaustion on yours can be? Spell it out for him.

Definitely stop doing his laundry and his "life laundry" too: I mean things you do for little kids and don't do for adults, like organising cards and presents for his parents and family, making dental appointments, tidying his clutter, being his alarm clock and reminder service.

Finally, whenever he drops his bundle and follows his hobby, you put the household burden down too. If he leaves a dirty kitchen floor and messy sitting room when he leaves, he should find it that way when he gets back, with you sitting comfortably with a book/binge watching LoD Series 1 to 5/turning candlesticks on your lathe/writing a novel, whatever you would do with the amount of leisure time he grants himself. Whatever he takes, award yourself the same.

Of course with children, nothing stops, I get that, but you can engage them with chores relating to their needs, and if you're feeding them, just feed them and yourself: he can fend until he gets it.

Who shops? If that's you, too, stop buying his treats and favourite stuff. If he wants that, he can get involved with the trolley or online ordering and the invisible load of meal planning etc.

Book yourself a weekend off - soon! - and go right away Friday night to Sunday night, leaving him with the whole shebang, no prepped meals in the freezer. When you get in, ask him where your clean knickers are. Don't rescue him with late night laundry: if the kids go to school Monday morning in Friday's uniform scrabbled off their bedroom floors, it won't kill them.

Good luck!

Goatinthegarden · 16/05/2021 09:26

You definitely need to list all the jobs and split them fairly. He needs to pull his weight more.

But everyone doing their own laundry seems daft. Finding and putting on a load takes less than 5mins. Hanging up a load takes ten mins. Folding a dry load takes five mins. It seems silly to have each family member faffing about waiting to collect enough clothes to make a full load. What if DH has a full load of whites and you only have one top that you’d like to chuck in with it? Do you just wait until you have more whites for your own load?. Then what if someone else is using the machine when you want to use it?

Ironing takes forever though, that’s a decent job to split, although it’s one where you can watch tv in peace, so I’m happy to take it as ‘my chore’ and he gets other domestic jobs to do in its place.

BrutusMcDogface · 16/05/2021 09:26

Thanks, @Dancingsmile.

I have had periods of being a sahm (whilst he did even less than he goes now!!) so the balance does need to be redressed.

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 16/05/2021 09:28

How old are the kids?

When my daughter hit 13 I stopped doing both hers and my husbands. I simply didn’t get involved and only did my own. Only do your kids if they aren’t old enough to do it themselves, your call on how old that is. And yes stop doing his, he’s an adult, he can do his own laundry.

billy1966 · 16/05/2021 09:28

Your life sounds utterly miserable.

Doing it all, 4 children and a selfish arse husband who behaves like one.

We teach people how to treat us.

Have some self respect and stop bein made a mug of.

Assign jobs to everyone and never do his washing again.
Selfish waster.
Flowers

user648482729 · 16/05/2021 09:29

My DH does all his work clothes and I throw his other stuff in with mine but he’ll also often do it if he specifically wants something washed. We changed to that about 2 years ago and it’s been a definite positive change

LowlandLucky · 16/05/2021 09:29

Stop being his Mother and Housekeeper

BrutusMcDogface · 16/05/2021 09:30

@NewlyGranny

That is beautiful! Thank you for taking the time to write it all 😁

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 16/05/2021 09:30

@Goatinthegarden

You definitely need to list all the jobs and split them fairly. He needs to pull his weight more.

But everyone doing their own laundry seems daft. Finding and putting on a load takes less than 5mins. Hanging up a load takes ten mins. Folding a dry load takes five mins. It seems silly to have each family member faffing about waiting to collect enough clothes to make a full load. What if DH has a full load of whites and you only have one top that you’d like to chuck in with it? Do you just wait until you have more whites for your own load?. Then what if someone else is using the machine when you want to use it?

Ironing takes forever though, that’s a decent job to split, although it’s one where you can watch tv in peace, so I’m happy to take it as ‘my chore’ and he gets other domestic jobs to do in its place.

Well it might only take that time but I’d be fucked if I was the one doing it daily. It’s not daft. We can all get a full load, and no way would I be martyring myself so I could always do a full load.

It only takes Ten mins to Hoover, ten mins to wash and dry the dishes, twenty mins to clean the bathroom. Should she do all that too?

Honestly. Give over.

BrutusMcDogface · 16/05/2021 09:31

My kids range from 3-11. I’m happy to do their laundry, but they do need to do more jobs. Regular ones, instead of as and when.

OP posts:
AnneElliott · 16/05/2021 09:33

Yes stop doing his washing. I've pulled back from doing anything for H and just do it for me and DS. I got tired of walking in and starting the housework while he was watching TV.

He only looks for clean clothes when they've run out so he had a couple of difficult mornings! I also reply 'I don't know' to any questions about where things are etc

Moonshine11 · 16/05/2021 09:34

YANBU

Family meeting, delegate jobs to the older kids and him!

Good luck op!

Singlebutmarried · 16/05/2021 09:37

DH has also recently reignited his passion for spandex. So he’s out a few times a week.

I had a bit of a fit yesterday about washing as I’m happy to wash, dry, fold and then each person gets their clean washing in a basket to put away.

DHs basket is currently like the leaning tower of piza as he’s not bothered for weeks. So it’s a waiting game as I’m not folding it up again when it all falls over.

He’s tried joking that I didn’t ask for permission when meeting friend, he got his arse handed to him and hasn’t done it again.

celandiney · 16/05/2021 09:38

I used to cycle,not everyday but 3-4 times a week. What didn't get done while I was doing this were my other hobbies of gardening,reading - and I didn't really watch TV.
We did still have meals,clean laundry etc ( my chores - DH shops and does other stuff.)
Its not about the cycling....Grin

Templetreebreeze · 16/05/2021 09:45

@Goatinthegarden

You definitely need to list all the jobs and split them fairly. He needs to pull his weight more.

But everyone doing their own laundry seems daft. Finding and putting on a load takes less than 5mins. Hanging up a load takes ten mins. Folding a dry load takes five mins. It seems silly to have each family member faffing about waiting to collect enough clothes to make a full load. What if DH has a full load of whites and you only have one top that you’d like to chuck in with it? Do you just wait until you have more whites for your own load?. Then what if someone else is using the machine when you want to use it?

Ironing takes forever though, that’s a decent job to split, although it’s one where you can watch tv in peace, so I’m happy to take it as ‘my chore’ and he gets other domestic jobs to do in its place.

It really isnt daft. I dont go around fetching laundry for a start. I have gone from do 6 loads to 1 per week. From finding baskets stuffed 5 minutes after Ive finished. They are much more careful about what goes in the baskets now they are doing their own.

Its a life skill
I call it adulting Grin
This idea its a huge faff-nope because I leave them to do their own.
It doesnt involve me at all.