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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:
clantis · 29/12/2022 17:36

DuplicateUserName · 29/12/2022 17:35

At midnight?

We live two hours away.

OP posts:
Sugarplumfairy65 · 29/12/2022 17:37

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 29/12/2022 17:33

I'm can understand why you're frustrated op.

Your mil appears to have an expectation that her children are there to take care of her. Does he provide personal care? If so that seems inappropriate tbh.

If she's in her late 70s she could have years left.

Even if I am old and disabled there is no way I would want my dd giving up her life to care for me, I'm not that selfish.

You obviously have no understanding of other cultures

OhmygodDont · 29/12/2022 17:37

How long has this been going on for op.

OhmygodDont · 29/12/2022 17:38

And how long is this marriage meant to exist on one evening a week? That’s basically seeing a good friend tbh.

clantis · 29/12/2022 17:40

OhmygodDont · 29/12/2022 17:37

How long has this been going on for op.

Since her husband passed away almost two and half years ago

OP posts:
Dello · 29/12/2022 17:40

Sounds like loving sons, caring for an elderly parent. Yabu that’s what it takes.

OnemoresliceofChristmascake · 29/12/2022 17:41

I also cannot understand why he cannot come home a bit earlier on Thursday evening if he spends all Wednesday night and Thursday daytime with his mother every week. Currently mother gets two full evenings a week, OP gets one. Could at least alternate!

The OP is not asking him to abandon his mother or not see her.

If he got home for 7 or 8 at least the OP and him could have dinner and an evening together, seeing as other nights he is off working.

Soothsayer1 · 29/12/2022 17:41

OhmygodDont · 29/12/2022 17:38

And how long is this marriage meant to exist on one evening a week? That’s basically seeing a good friend tbh.

he's 'married' to his mother, alot of them are😶

PrincessScarlett · 29/12/2022 17:42

When did your MIL lose her husband? My MIL lost her DH a year ago and is still struggling with being alone in the house, particularly in the evenings. So my DH stays with her one night a week and the other nights she has other family members staying.

Your DH staying one night a week should in itself not be an issue. It sounds to me like the issue is your DH works nights (you work days) so you don't see each other and then on his days off he spends half the day in bed. This is the problem, not your MIL.

OhmygodDont · 29/12/2022 17:43

2 and a half years of only getting to spend time together one evening a week. Honestly op I’d be gone unless there was a set in stone time for you to actually get more evenings back.

He needs to change jobs or just admit it’s over tbh.

Sugarplumfairy65 · 29/12/2022 17:44

What hours and days do you both work op?

UnshakenNeedsStirring · 29/12/2022 17:44

YABU he sounds like a lovely man

PennyRa · 29/12/2022 17:45

You are not more important than his mother! He wants to spend quality time with her while he still can!

Solonge · 29/12/2022 17:45

One day you may be luck enough to have a child that wants to spend a day a week with you....lets hope their partner isnt as selfish as you appear to be.

toocold54 · 29/12/2022 17:47

This is why I will never get married as there’s no way I would put up with my husband telling me what I can and can’t do with my time off and what time I have to be home like I’m a child with a curfew.

Do you never go out with your friends OP?

If it’s your disturbed sleep you are worried about then can he not stay the night at his mum’s and come back early morning instead?

clantis · 29/12/2022 17:49

Sugarplumfairy65 · 29/12/2022 17:44

What hours and days do you both work op?

I work 9am to 3pm
His time differs, but it's usually from early afternoon to 9/10/11pm

OP posts:
OhmygodDont · 29/12/2022 17:49

I think a lot of people have not understand the full picture. Mils only fault really is sending errands at silly o clock knowing he lives two hours away otherwise he would be back earlier.

His job combined with his mum are the huge issue. If you rewrote this post op you’d get much better responded.

“aibu to expect dh to change jobs?

he currently works nights and I work days, only one day a week do we actually have the same day off of which he sleeps till the early afternoon due to night shift the day before, the other day he stays with his mother over two hours away helping her and running errands, often waking me up gone midnight when he gets back, this means we actually only get one evening a week together, I think he should change jobs so we can spend more time together aibu?”

Piggleton · 29/12/2022 17:50

Maybe you could go with him if your kids are old enough. You then get to spend time together and take some of the burden off him. One day, she won’t be here and I think it’s lovely he wants to look after his Mum.

Adviceneeded200 · 29/12/2022 17:50

It's fab he's doing this.

I lost my Mum last May. I can't see my Dad like your husband does because he lives a way away but I go up and stay over fairly regularly. He needs help sort things, mend things, arrange his shopping and generally provide some company. He does go out twice a week but otherwise , unless he has medical appointments, he's on his own with his thoughts - and he is grieving after 56 years of marriage.

My husband never complains as he knows it's the right thing to do and I want to do it.

toocold54 · 29/12/2022 17:51

I think he should change jobs so we can spend more time together aibu?”

I’d still say she was BU

If she wants to change her job so she can see him more then that’s her choice but he shouldn’t have to change his job just to appease her neediness.

Silentsalamander · 29/12/2022 17:51

he's 'married' to his mother, alot of them are😶

THIS. 2.5 years this has been going on? I think it’s ridiculous. Why is he going on like his mum is in a hospice. For all he knows his wife might not live to next year. I honestly couldn’t marry a mummies boy like this. Worst nightmare

OhmygodDont · 29/12/2022 17:51

toocold54 · 29/12/2022 17:51

I think he should change jobs so we can spend more time together aibu?”

I’d still say she was BU

If she wants to change her job so she can see him more then that’s her choice but he shouldn’t have to change his job just to appease her neediness.

Neediness to want to spend more than one evening awake with her own husband lmao yeah ok.

Sirzy · 29/12/2022 17:53

clantis · 29/12/2022 17:49

I work 9am to 3pm
His time differs, but it's usually from early afternoon to 9/10/11pm

That’s not working nights! It’s not ideal but no reason you can’t have a couple of hours together on his working nights. Then your Saturday “date night”

funnelfan · 29/12/2022 17:54

I’ve been spending a day a week with my mum, while my husband worked, all year. I’ve hardly seen him for the past couple of weeks as she’s been in hospital and I’ve been staying over a lot to be able to talk to medical staff and liaise with carers etc for her discharge. He would never complain like you OP, he asks after her and whether he can do anything to help while he holds the fort at home. Similarly, he visits his mother monthly for a whole weekend (she lives five hours away) to support her.

your problem isn’t the support your DH is giving his mother/wider family. It is your mismatched working patterns.

booboo82 · 29/12/2022 17:54

I really hope when you need the help all your kids abandon you , think how you would feel , selfish woman !