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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Called husband an incompetent parent

210 replies

happysundayiguess · 06/11/2022 13:23

He's stormed out saying he clearly can't do anything right so what's the point trying

Back story, heavily pregnant and feeling every bit of it. Husband went to collect our click and collect order this morning, 3 year old didn't want to go with him, fine. The plan is to go to the beach for a walk for the afternoon so he's getting out then. Spent the morning on the sofa, he was on the floor with Netflix on in the background playing with his toys.

10am Netflix comes up are you still watching, mum guilt kicks in, I say right enough tele let's go do something. Go in the kitchen, get the paints out, cut some potato stamps and we are doing that all fine, not even 5 minutes later he starts complaining he's bored and wants tele back on. I say no we've had 4 hours of tele we're going to do something else, if you don't want to do painting why don't we get something else out and make a few suggestions. He flies off the rails (which in itself is the result of too much screen time!) escalated to the point he scratched my arm and threw a bar stool over which took a chunk out of the wall. I did raise my voice at this and he then threw the paint and made a big mess with it. My husband walked in the door as this was happening and suddenly my son went from angry to hysterically sobbing that mummy made him upset because she shouted (I know I shouldn't of) my husband asked what happened and I explained that we've had hours of tele and he's kicking off because I said no more. He says give them a minute to calm down and go for a shower as I had paint on me.

I come back down from my shower and they are cuddled up on the sofa and he's got tele back on. As I walk in my husband goes right what do you say, toddler says sorry mummy, then my husband says that my son has cleaned up the paint and knows that because he was naughty he doesn't get to go to the beach anymore.

Fucking really? We don't think the logical solution here for a tantrum about screen time was to say because you've behaved in this way, there's no more screen time today and we're all going to go out to the beach. No, we take away the walk, outside in the fresh air, and give him more screen time? I turned the tele off and said you've had enough screens, we're going to the beach. Husband says I'm undermining him, I laugh because it's so ridiculous that this is how he thought he had resolved situation, he says why am I laughing? I say it's incompetent parenting to reward a tantrum about screen time with screen time and take away an outdoor activity as the punishment despite the fact that's a positive thing and is totally unrelated. He kicks off nothing he does is good enough and storms out. Left me with a kicking off child who didn't know what was going on and was just angry all over again about the tele being turned off. Took me an hour to calm him down, another big tantrum in that time and now I'm just exhausted and pissed off.

AIBU? Or is just parenting 101?

OP posts:
RodiganReed · 06/11/2022 13:27

It's not brilliant that DC wound up watching telly again but getting a 3 year old to clean up and apologise isn't bad going and certainly didn't deserve the blow up you describe - is there a backstory?

Purplecatshopaholic · 06/11/2022 13:28

You sound controlling. You did undermine him and I can see why he feels nothing he does is good enough. You need a calm talk about parenting styles!

happysundayiguess · 06/11/2022 13:30

I literally said to him that toddler was upset because we've had hours of screens and that I had said no more, we're going to do something else.

So is it not undermining me to then turn the tele back on for him?!

OP posts:
Aprilx · 06/11/2022 13:30

I think your husband did a good job. Calmed down the toddler and got him to apologise to you. You sound very difficult and yes undermining, your way or the highway.

ABJ100 · 06/11/2022 13:31

You sound really hard work! He dealt with the issue and provided a consequence. I would be very angry at your choice of words. He could say the same for you- allowing 4 hours of TV.

happysundayiguess · 06/11/2022 13:31

Literally wouldn't of cared what activity they were doing if it wasn't TV - you don't reward a tantrum about something with that thing? Next time he wants tele and I say no well he'll know exactly what worked this time. Let's scratch mum and smash the house up! That'll do it!

OP posts:
arethereanyleftatall · 06/11/2022 13:32

So, it's fine for your son to watch 4 hours of tele on your watch, but not any on your husbands? Neither of you are coming off great here. The mistake was the 4 hours solid of tv in the first place.

happysundayiguess · 06/11/2022 13:33

Of course I'm aware he had too much tele this morning, it's hard work being this pregnant with a 3 year old but and half term has kicked my ass with him being here all the time but we'd turned it off and we're doing something else and he shouldn't of been allowed it back on after I said no and especially after scratching me and taking a chunk out of the wall in a rage

OP posts:
ForgottenNurseryRhymes · 06/11/2022 13:33

I'd feel undermined myself tbh. I can see your point. There wouldn't have been a situation to calm if you had just let the screen time continue, like your husband has done as a 'solution'.

Hugasauras · 06/11/2022 13:33

Eh we would have all piled into car together and made the trip to shop a going out 'event', maybe popped in to park together. But I find it easier being out of the house than in for a whole morning. It would have got us all out together, away from the TV and there wouldn't be the resentment of one person left parenting.

MarigoldMoonStone · 06/11/2022 13:33

I agree with you OP but it’s really harsh to tell him he is incompetent parent.

Rachierach11 · 06/11/2022 13:34

It's fab that he cleaned up and apologised but didn't he just do that so he could watch more telly? I honestly think you're right to be pissed off and your husband 100% undermined you. I think you need to apologise for calling it incompetent (even if it was) because that's a pretty harsh thing to say but your DH was definitely in the wrong here

Flagshitstore · 06/11/2022 13:34

Well you let him watch 4 hours of tv in the first place. How do you get to do that but DH has to do something else?

girlmom21 · 06/11/2022 13:34

I don't think he rewarded your child with screen time.

He calmed him down, got him to clean up and apologise. That was him resolving the situation. He also took something away DS was looking forward to so he understood what he did was wrong.

The screen time after the issue was resolved is unrelated IMO. They were waiting calmly for you to finish your shower.

There's no reason you can't go out on an autumn walk, just not to the beach.

Chdjdn · 06/11/2022 13:34

Umm while I don’t think what he did was the right way of dealing with it I think you massively over reacted and calling him incompetent was quite unkind.
Could you not have asked to speak to him away from your 3 year old and explained your view and come up with a way of dealing with it so there was a united front?

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 06/11/2022 13:35

Personally I think you need to pick your battles.

Toddlers are unreasonable, and having the tele on isnt a bad thing. Not sure I would want to take a trantrumming toddler to a beach in November either.

I suspect DH felt he was helping by calming the situation down and he got the toddler to apologise, which is no mean feat.

I think you weren't being unreasonable, but you were being stubborn. Pick your battles.

AbreathofFrenchair · 06/11/2022 13:35

I'd be more concerned about the child scratching you and smashing the house up. Is this normal behaviour for him? You mention it was a result of watching tv, so why let him sit and watch it for 4 hours?

BagOfBollocks · 06/11/2022 13:35

Christ, let the poor kid have a chill day doing what he wants.

Not everything has to be structured all the time.

happysundayiguess · 06/11/2022 13:36

Flagshitstore · 06/11/2022 13:34

Well you let him watch 4 hours of tv in the first place. How do you get to do that but DH has to do something else?

By being 36 weeks pregnant! It was a one off because I'm huge and knackered I'm not saying it was the right thing to do but child had been clearly told enough is enough, no more screens, we can do painting/Duplo/train sets and then we're going to beach when daddy gets back. He hurts me and trashes the kitchen and gets his way and a cuddle with daddy and learns exactly what to do next time I turn the tele off

OP posts:
Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 06/11/2022 13:37

Sorry but I think your husband did a good job getting the toddler to clean up AND apologise.

I know it's not great the TV was back on but it's not the end of the world.
You are keen to go to the beach so I think you should go yourself for some fresh air and clear your mind.

FlounderingFruitcake · 06/11/2022 13:37

You should have spoken to DH out of earshot of DS to make your really very valid point that there had been a lot of screens already and that the walk in the fresh area was needed.Then you could have gone back in together to say 2 more minutes of his programme and then he does get to go to the beach after all since he said sorry and cleaned up the paint. Even though you were right about the TV you handled it terribly, undermined DH and way overreacted.

Hugasauras · 06/11/2022 13:37

I also think it's weird that if you know screen time leads to him throwing stuff that takes chunks out of the wall that he was allowed four hours of it in one go Confused We are v relaxed about screen time but if it made DD behave violently then it wouldn't be on at all. So I think having TV on for four hours when your child can't handle it isn't good parenting either.

ABJ100 · 06/11/2022 13:38

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Foolsandtheirmoney · 06/11/2022 13:39

BagOfBollocks · 06/11/2022 13:35

Christ, let the poor kid have a chill day doing what he wants.

Not everything has to be structured all the time.

I agree with this. He was playing with his toys with the TV on in the background happy out then you decided he had to paint for no reason really. You were going out later, a morning/afternoon chilling out with toys isn't a bad thing.

42isthemeaning · 06/11/2022 13:40

I can see both sides here. I think you're tired. DH thought he was doing the right thing. Go and have a family cuddle and get outside for a walk.

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