Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH playing footy on a Sunday

75 replies

Longclaw88 · 17/05/2021 15:51

We have three kids, aged 7, 4, and a newborn. DH plays footy twice a week in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed - he usually puts them down and then shoots off at 7.45pm. However at the start of the season he was persuaded to play 11-a-side on Sundays which means he's gone from 10am until 1.15pm. Then comes back hungry and needing a shower so it's often 2pm before we can do anything as a family. I find those Sunday mornings really tough on my own with 3 kids and would love us to have family time altogether; his excuse is that footy on a Sunday is only a few hours and that he needs that time for his physical/mental health. Tbf, he very rarely goes out drinking with his mates, does a lot around the house including food shops, most of the cooking, and puts our two older kids to bed each night so he's not bad in that regard. It's just that he's 37 now and he said he'd have retired by now to spend time with the family at the weekend but if anything he seems more into it than ever because he said "he'll be retiring after next season and he'd regret not playing because it's time you can't get back when you're older when he's unable to play anymore."

Not sure if IABU. He told me to carve out my own time with friends/gym/yoga etc and he'd never stand in my way or stop me doing anything I want to do, but personally I would never decide to spend 3-4 hours away from the family on one of the only two days we get to spend together.

OP posts:
PicaK · 17/05/2021 16:29

Encourage him to be captain - and change the start time to a much earlier one, more family friendly.
I think a half day for yourself on the weekend each is healthy.
Look for some help/company when he's there. Because I get what you're saying about how hard it is

SwedishK · 17/05/2021 16:32

I would have been fine with this. I always enjoyed my alone time with the kids when they were little and my husband travelled abroad for work 50% of the time. If possible, maybe tell him to take the kids out for a couple of hours on Sunday mornings before football, and you get the house for yourself and can eat a nice long breakfast in peace. The kids will come back in a good mood, having had a dose of fresh air too.

Menoismymate · 17/05/2021 16:33

He needs something to keep him fit, and this is a sport he can do well into his 50s/60s.
Find your own thing, and take your own time.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/05/2021 16:35

Just do a family day out on a Saturday, then take 2pm onwards on a Sunday for you to take time out and recharge while he handles the kids.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/05/2021 16:37

He told me to carve out my own time with friends/gym/yoga etc and he'd never stand in my way or stop me doing anything I want to do, but personally I would never decide to spend 3-4 hours away from the family on one of the only two days we get to spend together

So you are essentially punishing him for doing a normal thing, because you dont want to do it?

araiwa · 17/05/2021 16:39

These threads are always depressing

So many mothers who reduce their whole essence to just being a mother. Time away doing something you enjoy is good for you, your husband and kids

Yabu. He's right and take him up on his offer

JungleIsMassive · 17/05/2021 16:41

You might get to a point OP where you jump at the chance to be away for a few hours. I'm not ashamed to say I love the time I spend away from the kids!

CuriousaboutSamphire · 17/05/2021 16:41

@JungleIsMassive Read my last sentence!

Alternatively you might find it works well!!

normalsaline · 17/05/2021 16:41

YABU. Stop playing the martyr

JungleIsMassive · 17/05/2021 16:44

[quote CuriousaboutSamphire]@JungleIsMassive Read my last sentence!

Alternatively you might find it works well!![/quote]
Grin haha! What an idiot! Sorry. Trying to do too many things at once and now I look like a right plonker.

motogogo · 17/05/2021 16:45

Be thankful he doesn't play cricket and golf too. He's an ex husband!

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 17/05/2021 16:46

I don’t understand this, I’m a mother and a wife however I don’t stop having hobbies just because I have children.

As a family we get to spend evenings and some weekends together. (We all have different hobbies (both my children are in football academies and do MMA etc...) and myself and my husband also have sporting hobbies, we make it work and allow each other to explore our hobbies.

We still get loads of quality time together as a family and as husband and wife, not just mum and dad.

I feel you are being UR, as he’s doing as much as he can while still waiting to have a hobby to himself which benefits his own physical and mental health.

Aprilx · 17/05/2021 16:48

It sounds like he is generally helpful and he has suggested that you tqke time for yourself as well. If you don’t want to that is on you, but I don’t think it should mean he can’t either. I actually think he is very sensible to keep his sports up whilst he can. I am 51 and didn’t keep my sport up and my body is creaking now, I need to get myself back into sport.

Flossie44 · 17/05/2021 16:52

I can’t see a problem him doing this tbh. It’s not that long. And he seems to do a lot at home and for the children, around his hobby.
He doesn’t seem self obsessed and egocentric, and seems to have utter balance.
Tbh he sounds like the perfect husband and father in my eyes.

Without his football, you may see resentment creep in.

I know if I didn’t have my hobby, then I would begin to feel trapped.

You may not want a hobby or time away right now but in time I’m sure you will enjoy such time.

Be pleased your dh is fit and active, and not just sat on the sofa all day with the tv blaring!!

RowanAlong · 17/05/2021 16:53

What if you didn’t carve out 3/4 hrs for yourself, but say 2hrs to start with, say on the Sat? You deserve a break too. I get that you want to be with the family at weekends and it feels weird to be away for 4 hours esp with a newborn. But if he’s offering space for ‘you’ time, I’d damn well take it and leave em all to it. Only way he’ll get a feel for how hard it is to be left with three!

CuriousaboutSamphire · 17/05/2021 16:54

Sorry. Trying to do too many things at once and now I look like a right plonker. @JungleIsMassive

Oh, don't apologise! My post to you was really snippy because I too and doing too many things at once. My apologies Grin

It's Monday...

BTV2000 · 17/05/2021 16:54

Please don't ask him to stop. My dad is an ex professional football player, nearly 60, and still plays Sunday league football. It has kept him physically and mentally fit and, in a world where men's mental health is almost taken for granted, it gives him an outlet to let off steam, see his mates and get support from his peers.

The time away can be a bind, but at least it's not Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays (some Sundays) International games, friendlies oh, and Xmas away for boxing day friendly matches!

And it could be bloody cricket!!! 😂

Bibidy · 17/05/2021 16:55

I think you're being a bit precious here OP. I get that it's annoying since it's every Sunday and means that you can't ever go out for the day on those days, but you do still have the Saturday if you wanted to do a bigger day out.

He told me to carve out my own time with friends/gym/yoga etc and he'd never stand in my way or stop me doing anything I want to do, but personally I would never decide to spend 3-4 hours away from the family on one of the only two days we get to spend together.

This is over the top, surely there must be some occasions where you're out doing something else at the weekend, rather than all together? He is back and available by 2pm, that's a lot of time still left to spend with you and the kids, on top of presumably the whole of Saturday as well.

toocold54 · 17/05/2021 16:56

Thing is, he’s not stopping you from having the same time ‘off’ is he? Just because you choose not to, that shouldn’t mean he can’t have his.

I agree YABU OP.
He should definitely have a break from family life and he is socialising, getting fresh air and exercising which is all good for him physically and mentally but it is also a great role model for your DCs to encourage them to start a hobby.
You should definitely take some time for yourself too OP even if it’s just once a week to go shopping or swimming.

stressfuljune · 17/05/2021 16:59

Take the kids to an activity whilst he is at footy. Don't take away something great for physical & mental health

cupsofcoffee · 17/05/2021 17:00

Sorry OP, but I'm another who thinks you're being unreasonable.

It's really important to carve out time for yourself, even it's just once a week. You're not just a mother and a wife - make sure you don't forget that and carve out some time just for you.

It could be doing anything - I don't have DC, but DH and I both have hobbies outside of work and each other. DH mountain bikes and I have riding lessons and borrow a friends' horse occasionally to have a ride out.

It's really important that you do something for you.

Coyoacan · 17/05/2021 17:19

I don't know why he has to retire. A friend of mine played on into his sixties (I presume in teams for auld ones like himself).

ceilingsand · 17/05/2021 17:26

I think Saturday or Sunday for hobbies but not both. Means you get some family time.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 17/05/2021 17:28

I feel really stifled personally by forced 'family time', I think family time is just what happens naturally around everyone's lives and activities

Agree with this, family time doesn't need to be out 'making memories' . I posted exactly the same on a similar thread the other day. Family time is as much about playing games together, washing the car together and drenching each other, watching a film together with a big bucket of popcorn. It can also be going to the park, walking the dog having, a bike ride things that are simple, cheap and easy to do. Then some days you can do more like the theme parks, beach etc

IND1A · 17/05/2021 17:30

I agree that you need to get yourself a hobby that takes 4 hours every weekend and two weeknights. Join a gym, take up running, do an evening class.

Swipe left for the next trending thread