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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH spends whole day off with his mother.

336 replies

clantis · 29/12/2022 16:30

I have name changed as to not to be outed.

My DH only has two days off - Thursday and Saturday.

He spends every single Wednesday night after work and the whole of Thursday with his mother. The pretext is that she's lost her husband and is ill and elderly and that no one else can take care of her on that day.

He has five other brothers.

He comes home at 11pm (or sometimes as late as 1am) on Thursday night. His mother keeps asking him to stay longer or ask him to get shopping for her late in the evening, rather than telling him to go home. My children are married and I would never dream of keeping them late at night with their wives waiting at home for them. At that point of the day I'm shattered and already in bed, and all the noise he makes when he comes in that late frankly disturbs my sleep. I need to be awake at 7am the next morning.

His excuse is that our children are all grown up and therefore he doesn't need to always be at home during the day. One of our kids still lives at home and the other ones live a few minutes away so he says they're company enough. He doesn't understand that I want interaction from someone my age, and that the relationship is completely different.

His other excuse is that he swapped Saturdays for Thursdays for me (Saturday is the only day off we have in common) and that Saturdays are date nights for us. He doesn't understand that one day a week is simply not enough. Especially when he works night shift and I work a 9 to 5.

I tried talking to his mother, who doesn't want to get involved. His brothers and SILs are all taking his side.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Sugarplumfairy65 · 29/12/2022 16:41

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clantis · 29/12/2022 16:43

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Thing is I barely see him the rest of the week. He works night shifts and I work during the day.

OP posts:
Relocatiorelocation · 29/12/2022 16:43

YABU, she may not have many years left, you need to get a hobby or some friends.

FatCatSkinnyRat · 29/12/2022 16:44

He sounds like a lovely guy. I read once somewhere that you should look at how you DH treats his mum to see what kind of man he is. You got a good one!

Againstmachine · 29/12/2022 16:44

I wish I had spent more time with my mum when she was alive, maybe he feels she hasn't got long left so wants to spend time with her.

DuplicateUserName · 29/12/2022 16:45

He sounds lovely.

You two sound in no way compatible.

JuneOsborne · 29/12/2022 16:46

Maybe it's not the time with his mother that's the issue, it's his work pattern.

ComtesseDeSpair · 29/12/2022 16:46

She’s an elderly woman who lives alone: if you miss “adult company” on the one night your DH isn’t around, how do you think she feels, 90% of the time? Could you not also spend time at her house / have dinner there every other week so you all get to be together?

TennyTroo · 29/12/2022 16:46

He sounds like he's doing the best he can in a really tough situation. Must be so hard for him.

Could you re frame your thinking a little, as he may not have many days left with her?

I do understand why you're feeling this way though OP, but remind yourself he's not doing anything wrong.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 29/12/2022 16:46

You sound utterly selfish and self absorbed

clantis · 29/12/2022 16:47

Againstmachine · 29/12/2022 16:44

I wish I had spent more time with my mum when she was alive, maybe he feels she hasn't got long left so wants to spend time with her.

That's exactly what he says. Every Christmas he says he thinks it's her last one. He's not God and it's such a horrible thing to say.

OP posts:
cantba · 29/12/2022 16:47

Why dont you go with him

PearlclutchersInc · 29/12/2022 16:48

I'm wondering if some of the posters are his family. Of course you're NBU, he's your husband for Pete's sake.

However, are the others doing the other 6 days? How old is she, is this putting off a decision as she can't manage on her own?

clantis · 29/12/2022 16:48

ComtesseDeSpair · 29/12/2022 16:46

She’s an elderly woman who lives alone: if you miss “adult company” on the one night your DH isn’t around, how do you think she feels, 90% of the time? Could you not also spend time at her house / have dinner there every other week so you all get to be together?

There's always someone else taking care of her. He alternates with his brothers and SILs. Her grandson lived with her for years too.
She has company 100% of the time.

OP posts:
defi · 29/12/2022 16:48

She might not be around for much longer. Try being more compass. Could you fill your time visiting friends or taking a class?

defi · 29/12/2022 16:49

Compassionate not compass 😂

Floralnomad · 29/12/2022 16:49

YABU, I assume as you have adult children your MIL is getting on a bit , you are coming across as very needy and selfish .

Sugarplumfairy65 · 29/12/2022 16:50

clantis · 29/12/2022 16:47

That's exactly what he says. Every Christmas he says he thinks it's her last one. He's not God and it's such a horrible thing to say.

He may not be god, but hes a good son who loves his widowed, ill, elderly mother

clantis · 29/12/2022 16:51

PearlclutchersInc · 29/12/2022 16:48

I'm wondering if some of the posters are his family. Of course you're NBU, he's your husband for Pete's sake.

However, are the others doing the other 6 days? How old is she, is this putting off a decision as she can't manage on her own?

Yes they are.
She's in her late seventies but she has a few illnesses that impact her independence, speech and mobility (she's in a wheelchair).
A nursing home, while more appropriate, is extremely frowned upon in our culture, so I can't suggest that.

OP posts:
sixfeetabove · 29/12/2022 16:51

Why is that evening so important for you to have him home? Don't you see him every other day of the week?

clantis · 29/12/2022 16:51

Sugarplumfairy65 · 29/12/2022 16:50

He may not be god, but hes a good son who loves his widowed, ill, elderly mother

I meant he can't say it's her last Christmas, he's not God to know when she will pass

OP posts:
Againstmachine · 29/12/2022 16:51

clantis · 29/12/2022 16:47

That's exactly what he says. Every Christmas he says he thinks it's her last one. He's not God and it's such a horrible thing to say.

It isn't horrible it's realistic, you seem to have a real lack of empathy.

Sugarplumfairy65 · 29/12/2022 16:51

clantis · 29/12/2022 16:48

There's always someone else taking care of her. He alternates with his brothers and SILs. Her grandson lived with her for years too.
She has company 100% of the time.

So your husband is doing his share. That goes to show what a good mother she was to all her children

ComtesseDeSpair · 29/12/2022 16:52

clantis · 29/12/2022 16:48

There's always someone else taking care of her. He alternates with his brothers and SILs. Her grandson lived with her for years too.
She has company 100% of the time.

She wouldn’t have company 100% of the time though, if all the brothers simply decided she wasn’t their problem and didn’t bother, as you seem to want your DH to do. Apart from the fact that she’s his mother and he clearly loves her, it would be a dick move on his part to leave his siblings to pick up the slack.

clantis · 29/12/2022 16:52

sixfeetabove · 29/12/2022 16:51

Why is that evening so important for you to have him home? Don't you see him every other day of the week?

He works night shifts, and usually too shattered to hang out out after work

OP posts: