AIBU to want the living / tv room to myself for a bit?

[workwoes123]

DH and DS2 are away for the night, DS1 was meant to be out with a friend for the evening, and I was settled down to watch an adult program I’d really been looking forward to… but DS1 is home early!

AIBU to ask him to stay in his room (which he does every evening normally, playing on his PS4, chatting with friends, messing around with his hobby - we usually have to drag him out!) so that I can watch my program? I feel really selfish! He wanted to come and watch with me but a) I’m 9 series in b) it’s probably a bit old for him (he’s 13, its the Walking Dead) and c) it’s my thing that I watch when everyone’s out (DH hates horror / gore)!

AIBU?

Do you have to watch it right now?

Put it on he'll soon get bored and go up stairs

Why not watch something together for a few hours then persuade him to go upstairs?

I sympathise with you because I haven’t had house to myself for going on two years now and so having an evening to myself snatched away...I’d react just like you.

BUT
Being a mum is a 24/7 job we signed up for. If your teen son actually wants to do something with you, I’d sacrifice my plans and watch something with him. One on one time with your DCs gets rarer as teens and soon, he will be off at university or working and living in his own flat. A show we just started that is good fun and age appropriate is Ted Lasso. It is about a coach for American football being hired to coach football in England (which Americans call soccer) despite knowing nothing about the game or the rules. It is very funny and there are no sex scenes, death scenes, murders, drama, spy, violence, etc. It’s just a good hearted funny show.

And the episodes are only 30mins long, so you can maybe do both? Watch a Ted Lasso with DC and then settle in for a walking dead on your own.

Lol there is no upstairs: he’s just next door, we live in an apartment. And a few hours from now I’ll be in bed! (It’s an hour forward where I am).

Isn't there a balance to be had here? Surely you can watch it a bit later when he's got bored and gone upstairs to play on his PlayStation or whatever.

Teens you have to be around all the time so you have opportunistic moments like this to spend time with them. I say find something you both like.

@PlanDeRaccordement

The thing is, it’s the Walking Dead he wants to watch - it’s not that he wants to watch something with me! We’ve just spent 6 weeks, 24/7 in each other’s company over the holidays 🤪. He’s been dying to watch TWD for ages now.

@workwoes123

Lol there is no upstairs: he’s just next door, we live in an apartment. And a few hours from now I’ll be in bed! (It’s an hour forward where I am).

😂 your just being awkward. Spend time together. 19:30 is still early plenty time to fit an episode in.

Go back to season 1 and enjoy it as a thing you do together when you get a chance then

Oh dear @workwoes123. Because I agree with you that 13 is a bit too young for TWD. You might have to put your foot down.

@Wilmaa

You’re right, I am being awkward! It has taken me by surprise, my kids getting old enough to stay up in the evening, and in a small home there aren’t many private corners for non family friendly viewing 🙄. We don’t usually watch much telly: DH and I read, our kids game / chat to friends, etc then we maybe we watch half an hour of something “appropriate “ before bedtime. I was sulking at having my treat spoiled 😂

DS is now noisily playing Fortnite with a friend and I’m watching the 🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧟