Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Partner not careful enough... What now?

144 replies

Qwerty16 · 18/08/2022 15:19

I don't think my partner is careful enough with our kids and I don't know what to do about it.

We have two kids, DS 2y7m and DD 7 months. I was just on the phone to Bupa as my back is bad and carrying DD is painful, DD was crying making it hard to speak, partner was WFH so I messaged asking him if he'd put DD up in the cot in her room. She hasn't used the cot yet so it has been covered in a thin plastic decorating sheet to stop the cats climbing in (she has been sleeping in a snuzpod but will be starting to move to her room soon, hence I thought it would be good to try some naps in there.) He came and took her upstairs and I continued the call while he went back down to work. By the time I was off the call I could hear her crying and when I got upstairs I found her completely wrapped up in the plastic sheeting, over her head and face and mouth. He says he thought he moved the plastic out of the way but obviously not as it was all piled on the chair next to the cot and she had pulled it through the bars.

It was absolutely terrifying - if I'd just trusted my partner to put her to bed safely and not checked, or if the call had lasted longer, I'm convinced she'd have suffocated and died at she was completely wrapped up in the plastic. I feel terrible that it happened, and I just can't stop thinking what if.

I'm really f*cking annoyed with my partner (who at first responded with a complaint that I kept bothering him while he was WFH and that this meant he could never WFH again, but later apologised saying he was rushing and should have been more careful) but I don't think it's a one off.

Last weekend he left her in her pram outside at around 830pm in our garden which is quite far away from the house, there's no line of sight, it's part forest, you wouldn't have heard her crying, and it's open to a public footpath. He was bringing things back up to the house after a BBQ (I was putting DD to bed). He didn't understand why I thought it wasn't okay to leave a seven month old baby alone and out of sight in the evening near a public footpath and kept repeating various excuses eg it was only 90 seconds (it wasn't, it takes that long to get down there let alone up, back, and packing the fridge) and there were some girls feeding some horses nearby (they weren't there when I got down, and also so what). To my mind, she could have been abducted or attacked by a fox or anything. I don't think I'm a hugely over cautious person but this feels objectively beyond the line of okay.

I'm just fed up of disagreeing about what's safe and not safe. I can't get the image of our baby struggling to breathe wrapped up in plastic and crying out of my head. I can't stop thinking she could be dead right now because he was f*cking careless. He's 37, he should know that you can't leave a load of plastic sheeting next to a cot. I'm trying to resist melodrama, but I feel like I can't trust him to keep our children safe. I feel like I can't trust his judgement. I don't know if he's just stupid which results in him misjudging things so badly, or just sloppy and careless, or if he just thinks other things are more important in the moment. AIBU to think this?

We've only spoken briefly as it only just happened. I've told him I think it was his fault that he wasn't careful enough. He keeps asking "what do you want me to say?" He says he feels terrible but I just don't think this is a brush it off, oh well never mind type event. Maybe I'm being unfair.

What should I do?

OP posts:
Onandupw · 18/08/2022 15:21

Oh that is terrifying.

I have no experience or relevant advice. But I would say that in my view it’s not possible to overreact to this - especially the plastic.

Qwerty16 · 18/08/2022 15:22

(I should add she was crying because she needed a nap, which is why I'd asked him to put her in her cot)

OP posts:
Whiskeypowers · 18/08/2022 15:33

That is just shocking.

what do you want to happen? Are you considering leaving him because of it ?

Underanothersky · 18/08/2022 15:38

Well snuzpods are not safe either.

berksandbeyond · 18/08/2022 15:40

Underanothersky · 18/08/2022 15:38

Well snuzpods are not safe either.

A snuzpod is just a bedside crib. Are you thinking of a sleepyhead?

MsMarch · 18/08/2022 15:41

Have you posted about this issue before?

Frankly, I'd be pretty upset that he'd left plastic lying around, but more upset that he isn't as horrified by what could have happened. I do have sympathy for him that he was working and you asked him to come and do childcare but that's not an excuse to be unsafe.

fufflecake · 18/08/2022 15:42

Do not leave him in charge of your children

Qwerty16 · 18/08/2022 15:42

Good question. I want him to be more cautious in the future and I want to be able to trust him. I don't know how to go from this to that.

He works in sales so knows how to say the right thing, but I don't know if he really means it. I know everyone makes mistakes and misjudgements and that accidents happen, but this was so so avoidable it doesn't feel like a momentary accident, it feels like a fundamental lack of caution, care and attention.

I know if I bring it up again he'll see it as me just trying to beat him up about it, and that he's said sorry so I should just forgive him and let it go. I don't know what he could say that would mean I'd trust him to make good decisions and be as careful as I think he should be. So... Does that mean I should never leave him alone with the children again?

Just don't know what to do or say

OP posts:
SammyScrounge · 18/08/2022 15:43

Whiskeypowers · 18/08/2022 15:33

That is just shocking.

what do you want to happen? Are you considering leaving him because of it ?

Yes and both Mum and Dad have had a terrible fright. DH won:t make that mistake again.

Sidnnancy · 18/08/2022 15:44

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog · 18/08/2022 15:46

That's more than not being careful enough, it's downright dangerous Shock DH needs a massive wake up call, it's not even like he can blame night wakings exhaustion. Do you have any child safety courses for parents that you could do together so that DH starts to see dangers.

PatientlyWaiting21 · 18/08/2022 15:46

He is a fucking idiot and I hope this is the wake up call he badly needs!

PatientlyWaiting21 · 18/08/2022 15:47

Underanothersky · 18/08/2022 15:38

Well snuzpods are not safe either.

What, why?!?

Want2beme · 18/08/2022 15:47

Often, reading posts on here, I get the impression that some DPs parent like an assistant, not as an actual responsible parent.

That must have been incredibly terrifying for you. I'd be inclined to tell him that it's not just your responsibility to ensure that your DCs are safe and that you expect him to be present, not distracted when he's with them.

BlingLoving · 18/08/2022 15:47

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Please go away. Totally unhelpful. How on earth was she to know that he would be so useless and cavalier when they had children? What, should women be providing a full check list of safety concerns ahead of getting pregnant now?

Sidnnancy · 18/08/2022 15:51

BlingLoving · 18/08/2022 15:47

Please go away. Totally unhelpful. How on earth was she to know that he would be so useless and cavalier when they had children? What, should women be providing a full check list of safety concerns ahead of getting pregnant now?

Well you see it all the time on here.

LocalHobo · 18/08/2022 15:55

Are you considering leaving him because of it ?

Then he will have sole care of the DC 50% of the time, so not really a solution.

MulletsBeGone · 18/08/2022 16:06

LocalHobo · 18/08/2022 15:55

Are you considering leaving him because of it ?

Then he will have sole care of the DC 50% of the time, so not really a solution.

50/50 isn't the default for many many many separated parents just yet. It's becoming more common but I wouldn't assume that if OP left him, that that's what they'd agree on and I'd be doing everything I legally can to have supervised context put in place for him, as other parents do when there's safety concerns about the others parenting.

WonderingWanda · 18/08/2022 16:10

That sounds very scary and he clearly doesn't have a lot of common sense or clue about babies. If you would like him to be more careful I wonder if he'd be open to reading some books about childcare that have some good chapters on reducing risks and baby proofing the house and maybe even doing a paediatric first aid course. All of these things might just alert him to the huge responsibility it is to care for babies and children.

Kennykenkencat · 18/08/2022 16:11

SammyScrounge · 18/08/2022 15:43

Yes and both Mum and Dad have had a terrible fright. DH won:t make that mistake again.

He might not make that mistake again but he will make others until either his children are grown up or dead.

Has he something wrong with him that he doesn’t see danger? doesn’t think things through Doesn’t understand consequences to his actions?

WarmSausageTea · 18/08/2022 16:12

Maybe so, maybe not, but comments such as yours are entirely unhelpful, and certainly not in the spirit of MN.

Theblacksheepandme · 18/08/2022 16:12

Would he do some type of parenting workshop?

fufflecake · 18/08/2022 16:12

The health visitor might have a course they can send him on? How not to injure your child.

Housenoob · 18/08/2022 16:16

Sit him down and have a serious conversation about safety.

Send him on a baby first aid course and any other safety courses.

Tell him that unfortunately you won't be leaving the kids alone with him or trusting him to do anything with them until he's sorted himself out, so instead he'll have to help around the house more so you can do all the kid stuff.

Tayegete · 18/08/2022 16:18

I came on to say yabu as I have seen so many Dads who aren’t trusted to look after their babies and then have the mums complain that they have to do everything, however these examples are awful! So scary!

Swipe left for the next trending thread